Better reasons to quit Christianity

[Mister Agenda]

Should one believe everything one reads?

No. Note how little this has to do with the matter of how I happen to know that the Bible started as oral history, your original question. I educated myself. I suggest you do the same for a change instead of always asking others to do the most basic homework for you. If you want to know about the history of the Bible, try a history of the Bible.

What do you do when one thing you read contradicts something else you read?

Evaluate it critically and come to my own conclusions, doing additional research as necessary to find out what I want to know.

For example, what do you do with this?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omniscience

I see that theists have been trying to weasel out of the inherent problems of omniscience since critical examination of the idea began. Their best effort is 'inherent omniscience', ie, limited omniscience. Which is an oxymoron. It's a weak justification to hold on to a word that should be dumped from descriptions of God. 'Ultrascience' would do as a word defined as the ability to know anything one chooses to. Inherent omniscience is effectively the same as saying 'omniscient, but not really'.

I did not give birth to the idea of inherent omniscience, Mister.

I should hope not. I think better of you than that. It was clear that you were parroting someone else.

Satisfaction does me no good if I'm satisfied with a lie and self deceived. If lies are all that satisfies me, then I hope that (as the Rolling Stones sang), "I can't get no satisfaction!" Like Spock said, "I always endeavor to be correct." When I quit Christianity, I want to reject the real religion, not some false misconception. That way, no Christian will accuse me of knocking down some straw man.

You shouldn't be satisfied with ad hoc arguments for retaining your faith either, but that doesn't seem to trouble you at all.

Having been a Christian yourself for a time, Mister, you are likely familiar with this one:

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

(Galatians 5)

What you are saying to me is that it is irrational for Christians to believe their God empowers them to be more like him.

What I am saying to you is what atheists always say: There's no good reason to conclude that God exists. Debating the nature of an imaginary being is mere logical exercise. As the entire thread has demonstrated, God has one of the primary attributes of an imaginary character: you can change the definition of what you're talking about as you please for the sake of argument.

For their God has NO self-control. He cannot control what he thinks about! So he must be a hypocrite, because he tells others to imitate him.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

(Ephesians 5)

And he tells them to think about good things.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

(Philippians 4:8)

Yet his thoughts are not noble, right and admirable. For they destroy our freewill, making love impossible! Hence, he makes it impossible for anyone to obey his command:

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

(John 13:34-35)

This is the logical consequence of putting blind faith in the idea that omniscience means there is nothing God doesn't think about. Is this what you think every rational Christian truly believes?

You act like God MUST have omniscience, so the word MUST mean whatever it has to, to be consistent with Christian teachings. That is not rational. The word has a meaning, which non-Calvinist Christians want to be something else so they can have their cake and eat it, too.

Please let me ask you this, my friend: Does omniscience mean Christians must believe God thinks any and every thought--no matter how hateful and evil? Or do you think they believe the God in whom they trust abstains from thinking thoughts he believes are inherently evil?

Omniscience means 'all-knowing'. If that's a problem, reasonable and honest Christians should conclude that it's not the right word to describe their God. And omniscience doesn't require God to think certain thoughts, it requires him to be aware of them. Do you think God is not aware of your evil thoughts? There is a difference between knowing what Joe is thinking and thinking it yourself. Would a virtuous mind reader be guilty of impure thoughts if she read the mind of a sinner?

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I have to admit that I find it fascinating, guys. Your zeal to defend your faith in what God is rivals that of the most partisan, diehard fundamentalist, Calvinist, Carholic, or Evangelical!

I thought that when I came to this forum, people would say, "Well, I personally don't believe in God, so I don't have any beliefs about him, but tell me what YOU think God is, and I'll be glad to discuss your own beliefs with you."

As it is, I'm getting a dogmatic correction of my beliefs, as if I'm being asked to convert to the true faith of what God is before I reject him! I'll say it again: Fascinating.

We did ask you. You were evasive. You're being corrected on your reasoning and vocabulary, not your beliefs. We're not telling you what God is, we're telling you what words mean.

I can't say it enough: become a Catholic and stop wasting our time, then shitting on us for indulging your JAQing.