Monday, November 16, 2009

Did you know to dismiss Christianity critics and atheists have made up some wacky theories?

For example:


They say there were no shepherds near Bethlehem, but Bethlehem was the main agriculture district connected by a Roman road to transport sheep and cattle regularly into Jerusalem, it was just 6 miles away from the city.





The censuses did occur, but Josephus did not mention them, but another historian called Orosius mentioned one, and another was in 9BC was held in Egypt.





Quirinus who is mentioned by Luke in the time of Christ's birth as a governor ( a senior ruler) of the Roman province of Syria (modern Lebanon, western Syria)- is recorded as fighting a war in Cilicia (south Turkey) which was part of Syria.


To get around this fact that means Quirinius definitely was a ruler in Syria in the time of the Lord's birth and could well have been the deputy governor, they claim he was part of another Roman province of Galatia (central Turkey)!





They claim there was no star again mentioned by Matthew in the Bible but there was one in 5BC seen by the Chinese.





And so on

Did you know to dismiss Christianity critics and atheists have made up some wacky theories?
Well, you've certainly stirred up a hornets' nest, haven't you? I've found that with many questions in R%26amp;S, when a Christian expresses a belief, the atheists all jump at the opportunity to point out the many ways the Christian is deluded. Why do they need to do this? Do they feel threatened? Seems plausible. And have you noticed how so many of them have names describing them as atheists. Almost as if their whole existence can be summed up as a desperate need to prove God isn't there. A crusade without a cross. Have they nothing to define themselves by? Ok, so your points don't prove God exists, but that's not the issue. They can't prove God doesn't exist, but spend so long trying to rather than getting a life, they take offence when we point this out, and can't just allow Christians to get on with their lives without hurling insults. They get so uppity with questions like this, but think it's their right to post their own anti-faith propaganda (with nothing less than close-minded opinion to support their argument) and not be challenged about it.
Reply:None of those points you have mentioned even matter to my faith.
Reply:Yeah, I have to agree with the first poster. I have never heard any of the crap you are saying. No shepherds near Bethlehem? What?! First of all.... who cares about such minor, piddly details? Not I. I'm more big picture than that.
Reply:You left out this one...





"I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." Jesus was quoting Hosea 6:6 which appears to be a condemnation of the idea.





The way to reduce wackiness is to get back to the Original Kingdom Gospel rather than the Pauline gospel we hear these days.
Reply:The only part that made sense was "and so on"
Reply:The only thing necessary to dismiss Christianity is a brain, and the willingness to engage in critical thinking.





To flood this planet in 40 days would result in an input of kinetic energy that would raise surface temperatures well above 1200 degrees F. Water boils at 212. You do the math.





I won't even get into talking donkeys and serpents.





EDIT:


"I wish some so-called authorities would actually prove their arguments."





DONE!





The Bible contains not only wacky (incredulous) stories, but IMPOSSIBLE ones. The concise mathematical explanation of WHY a Noachian deluge is impossible is presented in the link below. One can not claim the Bible is factual in light of modern science. It's simply not possible. I do not make claims without the ability to back them up scientifically. You either believe in science, or you believe in bullcrap. Period.
Reply:Do you have any sources that show that any atheist has ever actually mentioned anything about these little factoids?





I've certainly never heard of any of them.





And aren't these pretty trivial compared to some of the big whopping inaccuracies in the Bible?





"ZOMG!! The Bible must be true!! There really are shepherds in Bethlehem - there's no other explanation!!!"








EDIT:





"If these experts can't prove their point fo view, when is it right they can claim the Bible is wrong?"





You haven't even shown any evidence that there are indeed any experts who claim that this is their point of view.
Reply:if you want to see the full problem with the census theory try reading 'the god delusion'.





but basically it is a nonsense-story.





the romans want jews to register in their town of ancestral origins? why - why would romans give a tinker's sigh about jewish religious legends?





the romans want every middle-class male to relocate to a foreign town while they amass tax details?





what happens to all those nice factories and workshops while all the carpenters, potters, silversmiths and lead-factors are guaranteed to be off-site for three weeks minimum?





didn't they have burglars in first century palestine? didn't they have highwaymen.





the story of the census isn't just wrong - it is stupid.





but then if you are christian you have had a lot of practice with believing stupid things.
Reply:It isn't necessary to ever read the Bible at all to dismiss Christianity.
Reply:We are asked to test the teachings of people who claim to be of God. Clearly if you do that against the Bible, you will find that there are a lot of people out there trying to shear the flock. It is a personal thing about seeking God for yourself. If you are looking for Him, He is looking for you. Open His word and check it out.
Reply:The supposed "historical facts" don’t even line up. Like the wrong prophet with the wrong king at the wrong battle and it was first written down years after the fact. That’s is historical fiction. The setting maybe a historical fact, but what they said happened is fiction. We don’t know who wrote the gospel, The first one Mark was written at least 30 to 60 years after Jesus died. Matthew and Luke had a copy of Mark with them when they wrote their books. John was deliberately written to fill in the gaps and the arguments that the new christian faith was having. These are stories passed on for years and years before written down. None of these are first hand accounts even though they are written that way.


Every religion has their spin on it, but try to find the facts. The conclusion is that there is little in the bible old or new that is fact. It mentions places that are real, but that’s about it. You can walk the streets where Jesus carried his cross, but did he really carry a cross? I try to find sources out side the bible that mention the same thing the bible does. Like the census that was talked and why Joseph went to Bethlehem. No record of it ever happening outside the bible. This is not the stone age. There was all kinds of trading with other countries. Something should have been mention somewhere about this massive disruption of the economy. Anyhow, we base our faith on the stories of Jesus in the gospels. It they can not be proven as fact, even by the Roman empire, then faith is based on fiction?














Do you know how many deities were born of a virgin on december 25th?





There are tens of accounts of pagan gods of many different cultures who were said to have the same attributes as those that Christians claim Jesus had. A brief review of some of these may lead to some interesting questions concerning the originality of the Christian claim:








1) Hundreds of years before Jesus, according to the Mithraic religion, three Wise Men of Persia came to visit the baby savior-god Mithra, bring him gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense.





2) Mithra was born on December 25 as told in the “Great Religions of the World”, page 330; “…it was the winter solstice celebrated by ancients as the birthday of Mithraism’s sun god”.c





3) According to Mithraism, before Mithra died on a cross, he celebrated a “Last Supper with his twelve disciples, who represented the twelve signs of the zodiac.





4) After the death of Mithra, his body was laid to rest in a rock tomb.





5) Mithra had a celibate priesthood.





6) Mithra ascended into heaven during the spring (Passover) equinox (the time when the sun crosses the equator making night and day of equal length).











ATTIS - Phrygia: Born of the virgin Nana on December 25. He was both the Father and the Divine Son. He was a savior crucified on a tree for the salvation of mankind. He was buried but on the third day the priests found the tomb empty -- He had arisen from the dead (on March 25th). He followers were baptized in blood, thereby washing away their sins -- after which they declared themselves "born again." His followers ate a sacred meal of bread, which they believed became the body of the savoir.








BUDDIAH – INDIA: Born of the Virgin Maya on December 25th. He was announced by a star and attended by wise men presenting costly gifts. At birth angles sing heavenly songs. He taught in temple at age 12. Tempted by Mara, the Evil One (Satan), while fasting. He was baptized in water with the Spirit of God present. Buddiah healed the sick and fed 500 from a small basket of cakes and even walked on water. Died (on a cross, in some traditions), buried but arose again after tomb opened by supernatural powers. Ascended into heaven (Nirvana). Will return in later days to judge the dead.





DIONYSUS - GREECE: Born of a Virgin on December 25th, placed in a manger. He was a traveling teacher who performed many miracles. Turned water into wine. Followers ate sacred meal that became the body of the god. He rose from the dead March 25th.





HERACLES – GREECE: Born at the winter equinox of a virgin who refrained from sex with her until her god-begotten child was born and was sacrificed at the spring equinox. He too, was called "Savior," "Only begotten," "Prince of Peace," "Son of Righteousness."











KRISHNA - INDIA: Krishna was born while his foster-father Nanda was in the city to pay his tax to the king. His nativity heralded by a star, Krishna was born of the virgin Devaki in a cave, which at the time of his birth was miraculously illuminated. The cow-herds adored his birth. King Kansa sought the life of the Indian Christ by ordering the massacre of all male children born during the same night at He. Krishna traveled widely, performing miracles -- raising the dead, healing lepers, the deaf and the blind. The crucified Krishna is pictured on the cross with arms extended. Pierced by an arrow while hanging on the cross, Krishna died, but descended into Hell from which He rose again on the third day and ascended into Heaven. (The Gospel of Nicodemus tell of Jesus' descent into Hell.) He will return on the last day to judge the quick and the dead. Krishna is the second person of the Hindu trinity.





OSIRIS – EGYPT:Born of the virgin Isis-Meri on December 25th in a cave / manger, with his birth announced by a star and attended by three wise men. Earthly father named "Seb" (translates to "Joseph.") At age 12 he was a child teacher in the Temple and at 30 he was baptized, having disappeared for 18 years. Osiris was baptized in the river Iarutana -- the river Jordan -- by "Anup the Baptizer," who was beheaded. (Anup translates to John.) He performed miracles, exorcised demons, raised El-Osiris from the dead. Walked on water and was betrayed by Typhon, crucified between two thieves on the 17th day of the month of Athyr. Buried in a tomb from which he arose on the third day (19th Athyr) and was resurrected. His suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated each year by His disciples on the Vernal Equinox -- Easter. Called "The Way, the Truth, the Light," "Messiah," "god's Anointed Son,' the "Son of Man," the "Word made Flesh," the "word of truth." Expected to reign a thousand years.














OSIRIS was called THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT!





Sound familiar?
Reply:Think about it carefully:


It was written thousands of years ago that deception will be the greatest weapon the enemy will use against Christians.





No surprise people are disputing all the above.





A small point to ponder to all the wise people out there:





If there is no God, and I happily believe and worship with all my heart, and all life as we know it should end, then I won't have anything to lose.





If there is a God, and I happily believe and worship with all my heart, and all life as we know it should end, then I will have everything to gain.





A true wise man would understand the people around them, not judge them for their belief or non-belief and allow to each his own.
Reply:That is so preposterous, I doubt anybody would listen, let alone try and understand it.
Reply:hm.....and you have valid sources to back up your assertions?.....and theories are just that...THEORIES, they don't become fact until proven by EVIDENCE
Reply:Actually, we have historical records dating the census you (and the Bible) mention at 6 AD.





Which is rather problematic, since Herod (who supposedly wanted the baby Jesus dead) was already long since dead, himself...
Reply:You have totally missed the point.





No one is disputing that the man Jesus was born, or that there may have been shepherds in the fields or that there was a census.





What IS being disputed is the fact that there is no measurable evidence that the man Jesus was a god or holy or spirit or anything else. There is no measurable evidence that there is a god thingie who snapped everything into existence and who exists today in some heaven somewhere and knows each and every thought of every person in the universe all at once.





It's not the bible stories, dear, it's the whole religious concept of a superior being somewhere ready to wreak vengence upon the non-believers or who will take all followers "up" to heaven, give them wings and a new apartment.
Reply:I fail to see your point. Yes we can all agree that the Bible has historical accuracies regarding geography? Was that even the question? It's quite a leap to say that one country used to be another one 2000+ years ago to there's an all knowing mystical deity in the sky that nobody can see.
Reply:If you think that's wacky, you should see some of the stuff Christians have made up.
Reply:I have a feeling most of your assertions are false. :/
Reply:Wacky theories? How about these... to cure leprosy take 2 doves kill one and sprikle it's blood on the other, then let it fly away. That's straight from the bible according to believers the divine word of God.. Hmmmm as far as I know it doesn't cure anything to slaughter innocent birds, but I guess God is ignorant or his theory is just wacky. How about bats are birds? Sorry God another of your "wacky" theories disproved! Rabbits chew cud? huh? another glaring idiocy.. wow for an omnipotent being God sure is ignorant kinda makes you wonder.... The whole bible is filled with this kind of glaring mistake, proof enough it was written by ignorants and no those with divine knowledge or wisdom... no wonder scientists put little stock in it's historical accuracy... any book that states bats are birds, rabbits chew cud, and leprosy is cured by bird mutilation hardly has merit in other aspects.
Reply:You're forgetting that atheists really don't CARE much what made-up magic-invisible-sky-thing some people want to believe in as long as they don't bother us with it. We're quite happy thanks. Live and let live. :o)
Reply:I dont care what you say, there is no god..if i wanted to..i could kill an infant and eat it, curse gods name, defecate in the bible, and no lightning will ever hit me... you look up to an absentee landlord.
Reply:Yes, they like to hold on to whatever they can to re-assure themselves of their own faith. Even if they can see that they have been proved wrong, they seem prone to using to classic retort, "That's not what I meant!"
Reply:Yep, and we're made from dirt. Not wacky at all.





Where are the sources for this crap anyway?
Reply:cite your source....
Reply:In every debate, people take sides. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle, but since the arguers cannot accept this, the debate goes on!! Long live R%26amp;S on Yahoo Answers!!!
Reply:I don't think I've ever said ANY of those things.








Yeah, I love being accused of wacky theories by someone who accepts talking snakes and donkeys without batting an eye.
Reply:Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Reply:The fool has said in his heart,


"there is no GOD."
Reply:No, I didn't know that.





I have a theory that they're just p*ssed because if they are right and believers are wrong - THEY won't get to say "I told you so!" We believers WILL :oD
Reply:Im not worried about it since theories prove nothing

gary

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