I am an atheist

[phooney]

Sorry, could you clarify what you mean by ‘divine revelation’ and it being public?

 

[notself]

First of all, you MUST not be married.

We’ve been married for 41 years and jealousy has never been part of our marriage. We trust one another and each has lived up to that trust. We both had plenty of opportunity.

If you find yourself jealous, then you need to look to your own insecurities. Why do you think your spouse would cheat? Is there something about your behavior that would cause your spouse to want to cheat?

Jealousy never stopped infidelity, but it sure has contributed to it. Some spouses on the receiving end of jealousy think that if they are going to have the name, they may as well play the game.

If my spouse was unfaithful, the trust I have would be destroyed and would have to be re-built. It would be extremely difficult for us. Jealousy would not help either before or after infidelity.

Jealousy has no business in a loving, trusting relationship. Get it out of yours.

 

[Pax]

Scripture is filled with divine revelation given to man. This was frequently done through the prophets and through miracles. Jesus is the ultimate example of divine revelation that is public and not private. Private revelation would be something that was granted to me individually by God and not generally to others through Christ or His Church.

 

[_A]

Where in my last reply did I say anything about force?

If God killed people as you mentioned, chances are the people he disposed of sinned big time with no thought or inclination toward repenting of their sins.

I didn’t mention that god killed people, the bible states it quite plainly in a few places. That is force.

 

[Pax]

So, are you saying that it’s okay for you to use force against species that are generally considered inferior to you, but God is not allowed to use force as needed upon that which He created?

 

[_A]

I think I already answered this one. I will, however, comment on the first part because I did not address it directly. Please be advised that it is one thing to say that man is created in the image and likeness of God, and it is quite another thing to say that God has human characteristics such as human emotions.

When scripture says that we were made in God’s image and likeness it means that man was created in goodness, with a spirit, with intellect, and with free will. Please note that these are attributes given to man by God. They are not human attributes that man attibutes to God.

Pax, scrupture says that we were made in Yahweh’s image. The rest you say.
I think, on this matter, the bible can speak for itself. I mean, if you are going to present it as evidence, you should be confident in what it says.

 

[_A]

So, are you saying that it’s okay for you to use force against species that are generally considered inferior to you, but God is not allowed to use force as needed upon that which He created?

I have no reason to suppose that your god is superior to me.
If he were a part of our society today, behaving as the bible says he does (uttering threats, conspiracy to murder), then he would be locked up and not released until he was no longer a threat to our society.
Many of the acts attributed to the god of the bible are crimes. I see no reason to excuse them, in fact, I think any being claiming superiority over me would have to hold to a higher standard than most.

 

[Pax]

I explained to you in earlier posts certain things about scripture and how to understand it. I am confident in scripture and I am also confident in knowing how to understand it. This is not to suggest that I know everything there is to know, or that I do not require correction and guidance. I am learning things from scripture and about scripture all the time. If you can provide credible reasons why my scriptural explanations are flawed then please do so. I am open to well reasoned corrections.

 

[Hellisreal]

Hi there, I am an atheist. I enjoy computers, astronomy, chess and fishing.
If anyone would like to ask me some questions about any of that, I will be happy to answer.

I need to know how to add a photo on my sig line.
You can PM me through it.
I am looking for a pic of the nativity scene.
Will you help me? I dont know how to do it.

 

[Pax]

I have no reason to suppose that your god is superior to me.
If he were a part of our society today, behaving as the bible says he does (uttering threats, conspiracy to murder), then he would be locked up and not released until he was no longer a threat to our society.
Many of the acts attributed to the god of the bible are crimes. I see no reason to excuse them, in fact, I think any being claiming superiority over me would have to hold to a higher standard than most.

This is absurd on its face and I think you know that. First of all, it is obvious that God is superior in every way. You have perhaps inadvertantly just fallen into understanding one of the reasons that you are an atheist. You have made yourself equal or superior to God. You are your own idol.

The very definition of God places you in a decidedly inferior position as a human being. The difference between you and the Supreme Being that created all things almost defies description. The difference is enormous. God is infinite and you and I are finite beings that He created.

God committed no crimes and He is not subject to any human court. This is laughable. You don’t seem to think that it’s a crime to go fishing, but you seem to think that God as the potter shouldn’t have exclusive rights over the clay. This is simply illogical. Even if you do not believe in God, you should at least look logically at what Christianity says about God without injecting silly notions that do not apply.

 

[Hellisreal]

Pax, its not laughable.

Atheists should not be laughed at. No more than I should be or you should be.
We cant know all the reasons someone is an atheist, even if they tell us in a forum a few things- we just dont know.
We should always take it very seriously, its not laughable. trust me.

 

[_A]

I explained to you in earlier posts certain things about scripture and how to understand it. I am confident in scripture and I am also confident in knowing how to understand it. This is not to suggest that I know everything there is to know, or that I do not require correction and guidance. I am learning things from scripture and about scripture all the time. If you can provide credible reasons why my scriptural explanations are flawed then please do so. I am open to well reasoned corrections.

Well, the ‘scripture’ is just a book of fiction. That is a good place to start.
If we have to go along with your belief that the Yahweh character in that book is good, then we should use the definition of good that is most common. Then we see if he fits it.
He does not.
It is not good to torture, or to threaten, or to kill.

 

[Pax]

Please go back and carefully refute my posts and examples if you can. You have been shown how your human yardsticks are flawed. Please demonstrate why my statements are incorrect and why I sould accept your reasoning.

Your claim that the bible is a book of fiction is simply an assertion.

 

[Pax]

Well, the ‘scripture’ is just a book of fiction. That is a good place to start.
If we have to go along with your belief that the Yahweh character in that book is good, then we should use the definition of good that is most common. Then we see if he fits it.
He does not.
It is not good to torture, or to threaten, or to kill.

Please show me the merits of fishing and why you are justified in engaging in that endeavor.

 

[_A]

This is absurd on its face and I think you know that. First of all, it is obvious that God is superior in every way.

Here we have something. You say that it is obvious that…the thing is, your god is anything but obvious. There is no noticeable difference between your idea of god and many other contradictory ideas of other gods. To say that it is obvious that he is superior to me, he would have to be able to beat me thumbwrestling.
I am waiting, thumbs flexed and ready.

God committed no crimes and He is not subject to any human court. This is laughable. You don’t seem to think that it’s a crime to go fishing, but you seem to think that God as the potter shouldn’t have exclusive rights over the clay. This is simply illogical. Even if you do not believe in God, you should at least look logically at what Christianity says about God without injecting silly notions that do not apply.

If I am asked if I think Yahweh is good or not, I have to decide based on the morals and ethics which I have developed.
Encouraging soldiers to ‘dash babies heads against the rocks’ is horrible. Killing every living thing on earth is also something I would stand against.
By every ethical or moral measure I have, Yahweh does not pass muster - unless I simply believe.
I still have been given no reason to believe.

 

[Jacafamala]

At last!!!

I have read the whole thread, my goodness that was a long read.

@Socrates4Jesus

I’m guessing this prophecy regarding Tyre is what you were going to be presenting to me in the thread I started? This thread started by A seems to be getting all the love, so I thought I would crash this party, lol.

Welcome. Pull up a stump.

 

[Jacafamala]

Sounds like your beliefs have me doing what your god wants or else I get my butt kicked for eternity. Do I still have ‘free will’ if the boss of the whole universe is threatening me?

Love allows hell to exist. Those who are in hell would rather be there than in heaven. God repects this choice. God Himself can’t hate; He’s all loving.

 

[Jacafamala]

Here we have something. You say that it is obvious that…the thing is, your god is anything but obvious. There is no noticeable difference between your idea of god and many other contradictory ideas of other gods. To say that it is obvious that he is superior to me, he would have to be able to beat me thumbwrestling.
I am waiting, thumbs flexed and ready.

If I am asked if I think Yahweh is good or not, I have to decide based on the morals and ethics which I have developed.
Encouraging soldiers to ‘dash babies heads against the rocks’ is horrible. Killing every living thing on earth is also something I would stand against.
By every ethical or moral measure I have, Yahweh does not pass muster - unless I simply believe.
I still have been given no reason to believe.

You ask very hard questions.

God only allows evil in this world if a greater good will come from it. Even God Himself was willing to suffer most horribly in this world. We’ll all suffer in this world, that’s a given. You don’t need me to tell you that. But this life is but a blink of the eye in the sight of eternity. Not all will suffer in the next world, in eternity.

 

[Valke2]

Love allows hell to exist. Those who are in hell would rather be there than in heaven. God repects this choice. God Himself can’t hate; He’s all loving.

If I were an atheist, I would say that the above statement is an explanation/story to account for the fact that we believe God is all good and yet hell exists, not to mention the terrible things that happen here.

I thought GOd hated sin.

 

[Jacafamala]

If I were an atheist, I would say that the above statement is an explanation/story to account for the fact that we believe God is all good and yet hell exists, not to mention the terrible things that happen here.

I thought GOd hated sin.

Yes, you are right in as much as He hates sin. But God doesn’t hate the persons He’s created. We were created in perfect love. It’s impossible for Him to hate us. If the bible “speaks” of God “hating”, it is the sin which is being referred to, it’s sin that He hates.

At the end of life, we shall be judged by love. – San Juan de la Cruz