Bill Mahar calls Christians out on their delusions

[Ryantology]

maybe next time they should just makeup a story and not question it.

I'm just not ready yet to call 1,500 years of written testimony a made-up story because scientists tell me some of the stuff couldn't happen or because somebody thinks God was a bad guy.

Of course you aren't. You have a deeply-ingrained need for it to be real because you've devoted so much of your life to it, and nothing external is going to change that. The first step is admitting to yourself that you've wasted your time. If you can't ever admit that, you'll be forever in the dark.

[max-greece]

maybe next time they should just makeup a story and not question it.

I'm just not ready yet to call 1,500 years of written testimony a made-up story because scientists tell me some of the stuff couldn't happen or because somebody thinks God was a bad guy.

When do you think you will be?

How much evidence will you require?

Oh - and 9 planets have become 8 because one has been "demoted" to a dwarf planet as we have since discovered Kuiper Belt objects larger than Pluto.

Pluto itself has not changed.

[Minimalist]

scientists told me there were nine planets in the solar system and now they tell me there's only eight.

Pluto still exists. All they did was re-classify it, dingbat.

[Rampant.A.I.]

I'm glad you finally admit that it's a story. If it's so up for interpretation, then why take any version literally at all?

It is a story. There's true stories and there's untrue stories. I don't refuse to believe in something because I believe the main character is a monster. I think Putin is butthead, but I still believe he exists. By the way, scientists told me there were nine planets in the solar system and now they tell me there's only eight. Why can't they be consistent? I can't accept science anymore because they're always changing their minds. Scientists have been wrong more times that I can count. Next thing you know they'll tell me that bloodletting treatments can be harmful.

So basically, you want a parental figure who tells you everything about the world, and if they're wrong you'll throw a hissy fit and turn your back on them.

Which makes no sense, since the bible has repeatedly been shown to be mistaken in many areas, only to be covered up by apologetics.

It seems that you don't understand the basics of what science is about, and simply want to be told what to think, so you don't have to do it yourself.

[JesusHChrist]

I'm just not ready yet to call 1,500 years of written testimony a made-up story because scientists tell me some of the stuff couldn't happen or because somebody thinks God was a bad guy.

Ancient nonsense is still nonsense. You're making an argument from tradition, a logical fallacy. The duration or quantity of writings on a topic have zero relevance on its truth.

The Muslims have 1,500 years or so of written testimony.

The ancient Egyptians had at least as much written "testimony" as any religion around.

The Mormons have a paltry 180 years, but in another 1320 years, they too will also have 1,500 years of testimony. Does that make Mormon bullshit any more true? Nope, it does not.

Christianity has nothing more concrete to offer than belief in Ra, Anubis, Allah or Moroni.

[Bob Kelso]

I'll stir the pot a bit here by saying that if God wanted Noah to build an ark and put all the animals on it, he could. If God is who we say he is he can do anything he wants. If God could create the universe this task would be a breeze.

I'll see your "stirring the pot" and raise you an "I'll tip the bitch over";

If your god had the power to create a universe then I should say that he would be capable of wiping out the offensive parties (which he created knowing they would be that way) without harming literally everything else save for a single family and two of every species.

Funny that it seems that the bible was a fiction written by a bunch of uninspired, unimaginative pricks instead of a recounting of actual events brought about by an omniscient all-powerful god isn't it?

[Lek]

I'm just not ready yet to call 1,500 years of written testimony a made-up story because scientists tell me some of the stuff couldn't happen or because somebody thinks God was a bad guy.

When do you think you will be?

How much evidence will you require?

Oh - and 9 planets have become 8 because one has been "demoted" to a dwarf planet as we have since discovered Kuiper Belt objects larger than Pluto.

Pluto itself has not changed.

I'd probably be ready to give it up if I could no longer believe that Jesus is who he said he is. If he was a fraud, that would nullify the whole bible for me because he's the fufillment of the whole old testament. He is what the old testament is testifying to. Events like the ark are humanly impossible and couldn't have happened without the intervention of a supernatural power. I don't think most christians believe because they read the bible from start to finish and decided to believe in it. They believe because they see a need for God and experience him working in their lives. Once you know Jesus, then the old testament story all falls into place.

[Minimalist]

Which only shows that you know jack about the OT story.

It's a crock.

[JesusHChrist]

I don't get why it's so hard to recognize the OT as documenting Israelite warlord god mythology.

That hypothesis fits the facts perfectly.

Supernatural doings from a cosmic Daddy, who it turns out had a wife, and is very inept at creating things; so inept he wants to take a Mulligan in the Flood -- now that explanation doesn't fit the facts at all.

[Chas]

I'm glad you finally admit that it's a story. If it's so up for interpretation, then why take any version literally at all?

It is a story. There's true stories and there's untrue stories. I don't refuse to believe in something because I believe the main character is a monster. I think Putin is butthead, but I still believe he exists. By the way, scientists told me there were nine planets in the solar system and now they tell me there's only eight. Why can't they be consistent? I can't accept science anymore because they're always changing their minds. Scientists have been wrong more times that I can count. Next thing you know they'll tell me that bloodletting treatments can be harmful.

There are... Subject/verb agreement. Did you not pay attention in English class as well as science class?

Of course our body of knowledge changes. We continue to investigate and learn more, leading to correcting, extending, correcting theories and evidence.
Science is consistent - it is just not absolute or final. You are objecting to a strawman constructed from your own ignorance.

It is religion that holds to absolute knowledge; especially absolute knowledge that is not possible to actually have and for which there is no evidence.