Questions to answer

[ThomM]

I believe that every person on this earth has a certain amount of questions they need to answer. Each person has to answer these questions to the best of their ability.

I have found people on this website help answer a lot of these questions. I am / was a christian. Even when I accepted christianity's answers to these questions, I never thought it was my job to impose my views on anyone else. Just because you have found the answers to your questions does not mean they are right, they are just right for you. I know your bible says to teach everyone about your god. It does not say be belligerent and seek out forums of like minded people to try to convert everyone who answers their questions different from you.

I know it is healthy to see both points of view. That is why I came to this site. It was to hear an atheist point of view. Keyword here the verb hear. Not change. There are websites that promote other religions. I have been to many of them, yet I never once tried to change any of their answers. I just was looking to see if they answered MY questions. They didn't so I moved on.

This community seems to be very positive and open to people. I just wonder why other people find the need to be such a-holes when it comes to how I answer my questions?

Well first - Intelligent people often take a question as an attack on their position - both religious and nonreligious. In addition - since there are thousands of religions - and thousands of different Xtian religions - the religious take a "cafeteria approach" often by dismissing and not accepting some things - but then totally accepting others.

SO - Let US start - I do not want to convince YOU about religion - that is YOUR decision

First - the bible is claimed to be the INERRANT word of an ALL knowing - almighty god.

READ THE ENTIRE BIBLE - from cover to cover - every single word. Do not skip a single word. (Protestant - Catholic - any traditional Xtian bible will do)

Now - ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THAT - Be honest - can you actually say that EVERYTHING in the bible is true - that there are NO errors - contradiction - or disagreements with reality. (Hint - you should have found a disagreement with reality on the first page)

Second - DO you find the ENTIRE BIBLE to consistent in its message - and that is represents the highest morality - on every page? Has EVERY action claimed to be of the god - and every word claimed to be of the god consistent with HIGH moral character?

Next - the "christ".
Remember - the "christ" was supposedly born during the GOLDEN AGE OF ROME - when they produced MILLIONS of documents - inscriptions - and actual physical buildings - and object that we still have. There were actual Historians during the supposed time of the christ - one even lived in Jerusalem at that time.

Yet - a part of the most powerful thing in the Universe (Xtians claim ONE GOD) - left behind NOT a single personal writing - the bible came from other humans - humans we do not know (WE do not know who wrote virtually all of the bible - it was most certainly NOT written by an Apostle - the average lifetime of Fisherman and Farm workers was less than 30 years). There is NOT a single artifact of any kind - none at all - that can be dated to the supposed time of the christ - that mentions his name. Yet - according to the bible - he was seen by MULTITUDES of people - did lots of miracles - actually rose a rotting corpse from the dead - and was known to both Pilate and Herod before the claimed crucifixion.

If you were a god - and YOU wanted to get your message known - wouldn't you write it down PERSONALLY and send out the message far and wide? Wouldn't YOU have the power to be able to do something to PROVE that you exist - that you are the only god - and that there are NO others. ANd would you not strike down the people who claim to speak for you - since they all cannot actually be doing that.

Now - do not listen to the Xtians who claim that the OldTestament Does not apply - either the bible was and is the word of the god - or it is not.
There are instructions for how to treat your slaves in both the Old ANd the New Testament. Do you consider that MORAL and ETHICAL

READ 1 Timothy 2 from the New Testament

Do you accept that women should be second class citizens in the religion BECAUSE of the sin of EVE - when we KNOW that the story of eden is not true.
I am only pointing out the obvious - there are hundreds of reasons why I do not accept the bible to even be considered as the word of all ALL JUST _ ALL GOOD - and ALL KInd - god.

If you cannot find any - be an xtian

If you can - then don't

[Tonus]

This community seems to be very positive and open to people. I just wonder why other people find the need to be such a-holes when it comes to how I answer my questions?

Probably just a trigger, something that sets them off. Or they're just assholes most/all of the time, which usually has little or nothing to do with religious belief. Realize that as you try to answer those questions, some people will prove useful, and some will not. Put the latter out of your mind and you'll be happier, IMO.

[Mudhammam]

I'm only a vocal atheist in the same way that a convict, following his release, pursues prison reform.

[Drich]

To answer a question or better yet to defend a person or position to the point of a-hole-ery simply means one is passionate about a person or position.. Is being passionate wrong? Only to those who like to maintain a control over everyone and everything they connect with.

In truth not everyone can disconnect emotion from something they hold close to their hearts. If you are one that can, then you should also be able to disconnect the passion others put on a given topic as well.

It is the diversity that is in all of us that makes progressive people want to interact and connect with others. To make an appeal to have all of us fall in by labeling those who don't a-holes is actually doing what it is you say you do t want others to do to you.

[Whateverist]

I believe that every person on this earth has a certain amount of questions they need to answer. Each person has to answer these questions to the best of their ability.

I have found people on this website help answer a lot of these questions. I am / was a christian. Even when I accepted christianity's answers to these questions, I never thought it was my job to impose my views on anyone else. Just because you have found the answers to your questions does not mean they are right, they are just right for you. I know your bible says to teach everyone about your god. It does not say be belligerent and seek out forums of like minded people to try to convert everyone who answers their questions different from you.

I know it is healthy to see both points of view. That is why I came to this site. It was to hear an atheist point of view. Keyword here the verb hear. Not change. There are websites that promote other religions. I have been to many of them, yet I never once tried to change any of their answers. I just was looking to see if they answered MY questions. They didn't so I moved on.

This community seems to be very positive and open to people. I just wonder why other people find the need to be such a-holes when it comes to how I answer my questions?

I admire your approach. Of course we all get in touch with our inner asshole from time to time. That can get messy. At times the shit will really hit the fan. But so long as we achieve a settled preference to stay out of there there is hope.

[Brakeman]

This community seems to be very positive and open to people. I just wonder why other people find the need to be such a-holes when it comes to how I answer my questions?

There isn't a nice way to tell someone that you believe they deserve to burn in hell for all eternity.

Even when this isn't overtly stated, it is always implied.

Generally here, respect garners respect unless you step on toes you don't see.

[Losty]

I find the thread title to be misleading. Can we please have some questions to answer?

[polar bear]

I believe that every person on this earth has a certain amount of questions they need to answer. Each person has to answer these questions to the best of their ability.

I have found people on this website help answer a lot of these questions. I am / was a christian. Even when I accepted christianity's answers to these questions, I never thought it was my job to impose my views on anyone else. Just because you have found the answers to your questions does not mean they are right, they are just right for you. I know your bible says to teach everyone about your god. It does not say be belligerent and seek out forums of like minded people to try to convert everyone who answers their questions different from you.

I know it is healthy to see both points of view. That is why I came to this site. It was to hear an atheist point of view. Keyword here the verb hear. Not change. There are websites that promote other religions. I have been to many of them, yet I never once tried to change any of their answers. I just was looking to see if they answered MY questions. They didn't so I moved on.

This community seems to be very positive and open to people. I just wonder why other people find the need to be such a-holes when it comes to how I answer my questions?

Well first - Intelligent people often take a question as an attack on their position - both religious and nonreligious. In addition - since there are thousands of religions - and thousands of different Xtian religions - the religious take a "cafeteria approach" often by dismissing and not accepting some things - but then totally accepting others.

SO - Let US start - I do not want to convince YOU about religion - that is YOUR decision

First - the bible is claimed to be the INERRANT word of an ALL knowing - almighty god.

READ THE ENTIRE BIBLE - from cover to cover - every single word. Do not skip a single word. (Protestant - Catholic - any traditional Xtian bible will do)

Now - ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THAT - Be honest - can you actually say that EVERYTHING in the bible is true - that there are NO errors - contradiction - or disagreements with reality. (Hint - you should have found a disagreement with reality on the first page)

Second - DO you find the ENTIRE BIBLE to consistent in its message - and that is represents the highest morality - on every page? Has EVERY action claimed to be of the god - and every word claimed to be of the god consistent with HIGH moral character?

Next - the "christ".
Remember - the "christ" was supposedly born during the GOLDEN AGE OF ROME - when they produced MILLIONS of documents - inscriptions - and actual physical buildings - and object that we still have. There were actual Historians during the supposed time of the christ - one even lived in Jerusalem at that time.

Yet - a part of the most powerful thing in the Universe (Xtians claim ONE GOD) - left behind NOT a single personal writing - the bible came from other humans - humans we do not know (WE do not know who wrote virtually all of the bible - it was most certainly NOT written by an Apostle - the average lifetime of Fisherman and Farm workers was less than 30 years). There is NOT a single artifact of any kind - none at all - that can be dated to the supposed time of the christ - that mentions his name. Yet - according to the bible - he was seen by MULTITUDES of people - did lots of miracles - actually rose a rotting corpse from the dead - and was known to both Pilate and Herod before the claimed crucifixion.

If you were a god - and YOU wanted to get your message known - wouldn't you write it down PERSONALLY and send out the message far and wide? Wouldn't YOU have the power to be able to do something to PROVE that you exist - that you are the only god - and that there are NO others. ANd would you not strike down the people who claim to speak for you - since they all cannot actually be doing that.

Now - do not listen to the Xtians who claim that the OldTestament Does not apply - either the bible was and is the word of the god - or it is not.
There are instructions for how to treat your slaves in both the Old ANd the New Testament. Do you consider that MORAL and ETHICAL

READ 1 Timothy 2 from the New Testament

Do you accept that women should be second class citizens in the religion BECAUSE of the sin of EVE - when we KNOW that the story of eden is not true.
I am only pointing out the obvious - there are hundreds of reasons why I do not accept the bible to even be considered as the word of all ALL JUST _ ALL GOOD - and ALL KInd - god.

If you cannot find any - be an xtian

If you can - then don't

Well put! I accepted everything for years. It is when I started questioning some of the things you mentioned (and others) that I started to get answers that were not consistent with everything. One thing about science is if it is not consistent, then they try different ways to solve the problem, not say "one day it will all be explained"

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I find the thread title to be misleading. Can we please have some questions to answer?

I didn't mean to be misleading, I was stating that each person answers their questions differently and I believe the questions are different for each person.

I guess my question (to christians) is why do you befriend me when I fall in step with you for 47 years. But when I honestly ask questions about the bible (see above) you either tell me some shit that makes no sense or you get mad at me for daring to question anything.

[Brakeman]

I guess my question (to christians) is why do you befriend me when I fall in step with you for 47 years. But when I honestly ask questions about the bible (see above) you either tell me some shit that makes no sense or you get mad at me for daring to question anything.

Because they see it as you rejecting the god they create with their own ego.

[abaris]

Well put! I accepted everything for years. It is when I started questioning some of the things you mentioned (and others) that I started to get answers that were not consistent with everything. One thing about science is if it is not consistent, then they try different ways to solve the problem, not say "one day it will all be explained"

I didn't even do that. I was just stuck in my childish fears of going to hell, because that's what the priests of my childhood were very vocal about. And of course they created that image of that giant peeping Tom in the sky.

Come to think of it, if asked these days I would say I had this image in my head of god coding his own game of the Sims and since being an evil old bastard, would crush you when you cross the lines.

I have to say, they did a good job of screwing me up, when I was young. Even now, when I don't understand something about the universe, I have to struggle, not to fall into the god of the gaps trap.