My favorite is when you give a Christian evidence of any sort and they block you because they lack any counterargument. God is good? Here’s a Bible passage about smashing babies on rocks. God hates prostitutes? Here’s that part where Jesus washes women’s feet with his hair. Nobody understands electricity? Then why don’t you stick a key in an outlet? The eyeball is proof of creation? Here’s a literal demonstration of how they have evolved multiple times from simple light-sensing cells. Blocked, blocked, blocked, yelled at then blocked.
I could go on all damned day, but you get the point. Blind faith is antithetical to logic, full stop. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a psychological disorder, regardless of the object of said faith.
Not only that, but delusions needed to support religion and basically hard coded into these people since birth. Makes them susceptible to being controlled by others.
That’s my problem with the agnostic moderate who says “the problem is just organized religion”. They’re acting like the truth doesn’t matter, and fail to acknowledge the risk of a society that practices deluding ourselves like a sport.
It took me a while to deconstruct from Christianity because Catholic schools aren’t terrible at encouraging critical thinking (at least in my area). I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the existence of everything, and usually handwave from a non-christian perspective, but still not scientific.
Anyway, I’ve had tough conversations with my parents about it. They get upset that I don’t believe a virgin cis-girl (not woman, mind you - canonically Mary was 12) can be impregnated without sperm. Or that Jesus performed miracles or that he or Lazarus rose from the dead. But I don’t argue with them about whether a god exists anymore cuz idfk and likely never will
You know, we could even grant them that a virgin birth is not impossible, without conceding that it’s a miracle. Fish, amphibians, maybe reptiles, and a host of other life forms are known to reproduce asexually, even if many normally do engage in sexual reproduction. I don’t believe it’s been observed in birds, and I’m sure never in mammals. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible!
More likely intersex, though there’s no documented cases of completed pregnancies from one person impregnating themselves (I’m about to do some googling, but last time I did all I came up with were tabloids). I’d think it more likely the whole virgin part was a lie. Plenty of those kinds of cases with individuals and families trying to cover up a young child’s innocence, unfortunately
My favourite is when an atheist tries to quote the Bible and completely fails. Found a bible passage about smashing babies on rocks? Let’s now read the context. THEY (the Babylonians, who incidentally weren’t following God’s law at the time) did that to US (Israel). The song is a song of mourning and loss, and imagined revenge, as if that would make it better (it doesn’t), but it isn’t sanctioned, so we can’t.
So how exactly is that a counterargument to God being good? Or am I bashing my head against a brick wall here, talking to an atheist with unshakeable blind faith in his demonstrably incorrect position.
16 “You are not to leave even one person alive in the cities of these nations that the Lord your God is about to give you as an inheritance. 17 You must completely destroy the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, just as the Lord your God commanded you,".
Josh: cool! oh, I’m just gonna kill everyone and everything in the town - man, woman, child, cow, grass - and burn it all down for fun because I hate these fuckers.
I think they’re making a general statement about all the crazy shit in the old testament, not basing their whole point on that one interpretation. What do you think about the other stuff they mentioned?
“Trust me, I could totally answer your question and it would blow your mind and totally convert you. I won’t, but trust me I could if I cared to.”
Seems like the bible says you’re not a very good Christian in that case:
1 Peter 3:15
15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Sure, but we’re not in a gentleness and respect situation here. There’s me, and there’s a bunch of rabid fundamentalist atheists present. And no doubt some calm and rational ones too, but they’re not making themselves known at the moment. For example just look at the strawman (the bit between quotes) and judgmentalism (the prefix to your bible quote) in your own post. I think a good debater could and would avoid both those potholes.
Not my quote but I like it nonetheless: when asking WWJD, remember that turning over tables and chasing everyone round with a whip is an option.
I’d probably DuckDuckGo it. I based that comment on the use of the words “what” and “about”.
/me visits DDG…
Eh, maybe it’s the wrong word. This sort of reminds me of a discussion I saw on YT a few months ago between a Christian taking the eye argument, and Prof Dawkins giving his best response: lots of mights, maybes, could’ves, topped off with billions of years, which doesn’t appear to satisfy the former who then follows up with “what about…” I can’t remember what, but I do remember the gist of Dawkins’ response which was something along the lines of: you led with your best; I answered that; I’m not going round in circles at this point. So I’m with Dawkins now (and in fact as a Christian I actually agree with a lot of what he says. We do need to think things through and not take them on blind faith.)
So in other words I’ve given a sound explanation for the dashing babies on a rock question and I’m going to leave it there.
OK fine, you won’t have it any other way. Judgment.
We see prophets actually work. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh, he wanted to jump straight to 6, but God had other plans. When God finally got him to go to Nineveh, the people listened, repented, and judgment was avoided. The reason Jonah didn’t want to go is that he thought there was a strong possibility of that outcome and he wanted the Ninevites to suffer judgment.
Hmm… just noticed the sidebar. This defence of the OT probably violates Rule 1. Forget the above, yay God, what a dick, punishing people for being evil!
My favorite is when you give a Christian evidence of any sort and they block you because they lack any counterargument. God is good? Here’s a Bible passage about smashing babies on rocks. God hates prostitutes? Here’s that part where Jesus washes women’s feet with his hair. Nobody understands electricity? Then why don’t you stick a key in an outlet? The eyeball is proof of creation? Here’s a literal demonstration of how they have evolved multiple times from simple light-sensing cells. Blocked, blocked, blocked, yelled at then blocked.
I could go on all damned day, but you get the point. Blind faith is antithetical to logic, full stop. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a psychological disorder, regardless of the object of said faith.
Not only that, but delusions needed to support religion and basically hard coded into these people since birth. Makes them susceptible to being controlled by others.
That’s my problem with the agnostic moderate who says “the problem is just organized religion”. They’re acting like the truth doesn’t matter, and fail to acknowledge the risk of a society that practices deluding ourselves like a sport.
TIL Jesus was into some weird shit.
TIL Jesus and I may have some things in common.
TIL2 WAM femdom is in the bible.
( Don’t look that up at work, or in public, or around anyone )
It took me a while to deconstruct from Christianity because Catholic schools aren’t terrible at encouraging critical thinking (at least in my area). I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the existence of everything, and usually handwave from a non-christian perspective, but still not scientific.
Anyway, I’ve had tough conversations with my parents about it. They get upset that I don’t believe a virgin cis-girl (not woman, mind you - canonically Mary was 12) can be impregnated without sperm. Or that Jesus performed miracles or that he or Lazarus rose from the dead. But I don’t argue with them about whether a god exists anymore cuz idfk and likely never will
You know, we could even grant them that a virgin birth is not impossible, without conceding that it’s a miracle. Fish, amphibians, maybe reptiles, and a host of other life forms are known to reproduce asexually, even if many normally do engage in sexual reproduction. I don’t believe it’s been observed in birds, and I’m sure never in mammals. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible!
Or miraculous.
So you are saying that Mary was actually trans?
More likely intersex, though there’s no documented cases of completed pregnancies from one person impregnating themselves (I’m about to do some googling, but last time I did all I came up with were tabloids). I’d think it more likely the whole virgin part was a lie. Plenty of those kinds of cases with individuals and families trying to cover up a young child’s innocence, unfortunately
Yeah, hard belief is manic.
My favourite is when an atheist tries to quote the Bible and completely fails. Found a bible passage about smashing babies on rocks? Let’s now read the context. THEY (the Babylonians, who incidentally weren’t following God’s law at the time) did that to US (Israel). The song is a song of mourning and loss, and imagined revenge, as if that would make it better (it doesn’t), but it isn’t sanctioned, so we can’t.
So how exactly is that a counterargument to God being good? Or am I bashing my head against a brick wall here, talking to an atheist with unshakeable blind faith in his demonstrably incorrect position.
This part sounds kinda not very nice:
Deuteronomy 20:16-18
Joshua 6 is basically:
God: here’s how to overthrow your enemy.
Josh: cool! oh, I’m just gonna kill everyone and everything in the town - man, woman, child, cow, grass - and burn it all down for fun because I hate these fuckers.
God: just don’t bring that foreign bitch.
I think they’re making a general statement about all the crazy shit in the old testament, not basing their whole point on that one interpretation. What do you think about the other stuff they mentioned?
Whataboutism is a game we can all play, but I can’t be arsed at the moment.
“Trust me, I could totally answer your question and it would blow your mind and totally convert you. I won’t, but trust me I could if I cared to.”
Seems like the bible says you’re not a very good Christian in that case:
1 Peter 3:15
15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Sure, but we’re not in a gentleness and respect situation here. There’s me, and there’s a bunch of rabid fundamentalist atheists present. And no doubt some calm and rational ones too, but they’re not making themselves known at the moment. For example just look at the strawman (the bit between quotes) and judgmentalism (the prefix to your bible quote) in your own post. I think a good debater could and would avoid both those potholes.
Not my quote but I like it nonetheless: when asking WWJD, remember that turning over tables and chasing everyone round with a whip is an option.
LMAO
What do you think whataboutism means?
I’d probably DuckDuckGo it. I based that comment on the use of the words “what” and “about”.
/me visits DDG…
Eh, maybe it’s the wrong word. This sort of reminds me of a discussion I saw on YT a few months ago between a Christian taking the eye argument, and Prof Dawkins giving his best response: lots of mights, maybes, could’ves, topped off with billions of years, which doesn’t appear to satisfy the former who then follows up with “what about…” I can’t remember what, but I do remember the gist of Dawkins’ response which was something along the lines of: you led with your best; I answered that; I’m not going round in circles at this point. So I’m with Dawkins now (and in fact as a Christian I actually agree with a lot of what he says. We do need to think things through and not take them on blind faith.)
So in other words I’ve given a sound explanation for the dashing babies on a rock question and I’m going to leave it there.
Right but God does so much cruel stuff in the old testament that it’s weird to miss and dispute that overall point.
Sure. But there’s a process.
We see prophets actually work. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh, he wanted to jump straight to 6, but God had other plans. When God finally got him to go to Nineveh, the people listened, repented, and judgment was avoided. The reason Jonah didn’t want to go is that he thought there was a strong possibility of that outcome and he wanted the Ninevites to suffer judgment.
Hmm… just noticed the sidebar. This defence of the OT probably violates Rule 1. Forget the above, yay God, what a dick, punishing people for being evil!
Please get fucked
Thank you for your carefully crafted contribution to the conversation.