The Historical Jesus is real and He rose from the grave

[Minimalist]

Yes, but surely they had a fallback position for those occasions where someone invited you to blow the holy ghost out your ass?

[Jackalope]

@Min: Your thoughts (read: intellectual brain activity) on the Holy Ghost don't faze a brainwashed Mormon young adult! They still think it was real because they were told it was real.

That's when I always used to invite them to get off my porch.

Now that I've found Jesus, I'll invite them in for tea.

[Faith No More]

No need to look back to the early church for many who died for Jesus. There are many more today who are being martyred for their faith in Christ than back then.

Oh, please.

It's bad enough that you believe a magic man rose from the dead 2000 years ago, but there are no excuses for believing that bullshit.

[KichigaiNeko]

I got "Christ" rising in my oven..... Does that count?

[Ryantology]

Fuck off.

(And make sure you tell your fucking god, too.)

No need for vulgarity.

You're right, there's no need.

Fuck off anyway.

[Tonus]

Name one contemporary historian of Jesus who wrote about him.

There are none. Josephus wasn't a contemporary.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

The Beatles weren't contemporaries of Jesus.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

I am doing as the Lord is directing me. He has placed a love in my heart for atheists.

Your god called. It said you should jump off a cliff and let Jesus break your fall.

[Tonus]

Sorry, have trouble comparing the Tooth Fairy with Christ.

Understandable. All you have is an ancient book and bare assertions. The five-year-old has a shiny quarter that was left under his pillow. He has tangible evidence. You do not.

[DeistPaladin]

I'm sure glad you don't make the rules.

How do you know my scenario isn't true? Maybe God really is testing you to see what you will believe in this life, as you suggest, but with a surprise twist. Maybe it's the one who refuses to believe even under threat who gets to Heaven.

Again, I have just as much proof as you do and my story makes much more sense. I mean, the motivations of your characters are badly thought out.

Your god is a narcissist who demands (and needs) constant praise and adoration and yet shyly hides and covers his tracks to make it look like he doesn't really exist. What's his motivation? And then he sends himself down to earth to become his own son so he can sacrifice himself on a cross because dying in this way is the only way he can convince himself to forgive us? What stronger, higher force compels your god to have to sacrifice himself? Does your god make the rules or not?

And then you have a devil who's motives are even murkier. Why does he want to torture the very people who've rejected his enemy? Why not recruit them into an army to take down his enemy? What's his motivation, beyond a two-dimensional evil-for-its-own-sake (always the mark of a badly written villain).

If a priest made all this up to secure a following, there's nothing to explain. It makes sense for the priest's motives to create a faith-based scheme of salvation in a jealous, narcissistic god who hides (because that god doesn't really exist) and a devil who will torture unbelievers rather than recruit them. The whys of it are clear enough if it's a contrived fiction. It's only the ones who would suggest it's all really true who have anything to explain.

[Alex K]

I'm sure glad you don't make the rules.

That's a revealing statement, you think this argument is about atheists wanting to make the rules?

I am doing as the Lord is directing me. He has placed a love in my heart for atheists.

Now that is some scary shit. Let's all hope then that your "Lord" isn't changing his mind any time soon, eh?