Christian answering questions too!

[pocaracas]

Page 7 questions remain sans answers....

First, thank you for the questions!  All 3 were insightful and well presented.  This is partly what I was looking for in coming to the AF.  I needed some time to read and discern the authors intent, ha!  My time is limited it has taken me this long to get back to you; and it is still a work in progress.  Here’s what I came up with…

Forgive my use of red ink and not using the quote function.  I will try and suck less in the future.

I only did as requested...

As for the red... do newcomers still get the default crappy word-like text editor when posting?
Go in your "user CP", then "edit options" (or use this link: http://atheistforums.org/usercp.php?action=options) and on the bottom right, you should have the option "Put the editor in source mode by default". Tick that box and you'll have access to the "source mode" editor, where you use the normal BBcode tags to take charge of quotes and colors. It will make it possible (at least, easier) to split quotes and answer for each bit in a quote.

Welcome PETE!
 
I can ask a few questions...
1. Why is belief a requirement?  A belief alone is not a requirement for salvation.  Even Satan and the demons are aware God exists.  Believing is felt in the heart (not a scrap of knowledge held within the mind).  Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness”. 
A more encompassing question might be:  Why are there any requirements?  Answer:  Love.  Love can only be given; it cannot be coerced or taken by force.  It must be given freely from one to another, and that is not to say it is reciprocal.  Just because you love a person does not mean that love is returned.  God desires our love and a relationship with each of us, but it must come freely.  God will not force Himself on us.  It is entirely plausible that one could analyze the information at hand, determine it to be true, and still inform God that they are not interested.  I will readily admit I was a reluctant Christian.  An existence free from rules, laws, and eternal justice sure appealed to me better than anything that would place restrictions on me.    

I'm always struck at the circular reasoning...
I asked why belief is a requirement, and you gave me a reply that presupposes the existence of the God which is contingent upon that belief.

Belief is a requirement to acknowledge any part of the myth. Why is that?

1.1. Why believe in stories written long ago, in a time and place; by different religious and mythological beliefs?  One would not believe anything based on the metric that they were written long ago, in a time and place…
Why do I believe the Bible?  I have studied it and found it to hold truth.  I do not see where science and the bible contradict one another.  To the contrary, I see them complementing each other. 
 
On the surface the bible can appear to be contradictory and hard to accept; especially when taken out of context.  As the bible is studied, and one uses the Word itself to define and put into context the passages, it truly brings clarity and resonance to the reader of the authors’ intent.  This takes time!  Unless you are TheRocketSurgeon, who I am positive never had to study a day in school and made straight A’s.  I wish I commanded that level of understanding.

Well, I, for one, never studied any bible, I can't point to any verse, nor do I care to. The same applies to the Qur'an, the Vedas, and the old Norse tales, as well as the Aztec Quetzalcoatl and companion deities... I think you get the picture: all myths stand at the same level.
As for the truth in the bible in particular... meh
How do you ascertain its trustworthiness? (unless you mean to say that you previously accepted the premise that God and its accompanying magical powers are real... which brings us back to the belief question... and round and round we go...)

1.2. Why is your belief biased by your upbringing?  If I said this it is because I was initially exposed to Christianity and not some other religion.  I may have had an initial bend toward it but that’s definitely not why I am a Christian today.  What I was subjected to growing up is on par with many of the poor examples of “religion” many here lament from their past, and present experiences. 

Still.... christianity... from where I stand, a form of christianity is the same as any other: belief in the magical sky daddy, who got a sky son who had to be killed by humans to, somehow, atone for wrongdoings by those humans towards the sky daddy.
Tell me, is the story not the same in all christianities?

1.2.1. Had you been raised in China, or Indonesia.... do you think you'd come to hold the same belief you do now? why?  Absolutely!  As I aged and started looking into the big questions for myself:  Why am I here?  Where did we come from?  What is the meaning of life?  Is there a God?   What happens when my children die? (I use children as we are all too often ready to sacrifice ourselves or write our eternity off, not so easy when we think how this applies to our precious children)  None of the other “religions” could answer all of these questions in a coherent manner.  All other major religions were deeply flawed upon examination. 
Christianity makes some bold claims, and at times some aspects can be difficult to agree with.  However a disagreement with something that is found to be true and authentic does not render it invalid.
 I readily admit that I do not comprehend His motivation or actions in some cases; however I do fully accept it as truth.   Some profess they could not love or serve a being that does some of the things the Christian God has done.  This I fully understand.    

Now, now... those are some grandiose statements about christianity.
I've heard the same thing be said of Islam. Had you been born within an islamic backdrop, you'd probably (probably!!, not for sure, but most likely) say the same, but concerning that other religion.
You see, we are conditioned since pretty much birth to accommodate the underlying belief system in the society we are brought up.
Luckily, our current western society allows for an easy escape from such conditioning. That is not the case in many parts of the world.
Around here (Europe), you can say you don't believe any god exists, and no one will bat an eye.
In Indonesia, however.... I wouldn't be so sure...

1.3. How much of belief is a psychological crutch?  For many a huge one!  That is not to say a belief is valid or invalid.  Many nontheists and atheists would use disbelief in a God as a crutch for what enables them to live free unencumbered lives. 

What?
Disbelief as a way to rape and pillage as much as I want? Seriously? You think this?

I'll let Penn explain:

1.3.1. Is religious belief more than a psychological state? If not, then how do you explain all religious beliefs that mankind has held throughout the ages?    Yes, the intent is far deeper than a mere state of mind.  Being a good Catholic, Muslim, or Buddhist is eternally worthless.  Having a religious belief, or any belief for that matter, can only serve you in this life.  People have used different beliefs to justify and accomplish all manner of ends throughout history.
For many, their faith is the lens through which they view the world.  Viewing the world through a relationship with Christ has provided me with the answers to the questions I had. 

Would you say that this... prism through which you view the world can be a mere psychological function?
Your mind assumes something (not necessarily something true) and runs with it. The end result is unfalsifiable, so you accept it as answering your questions.
Other equally valid answers may be attainable, but your preconception of the divine realm got you stuck on those answers that you like...

1.3.2. What do you say to the possibility that belief became a desired trait in societies, thus became evolutionary selected in?... but it hasn't been around for enough time to clear out all the non-believing individuals... and is a trait now in decline...  To this possibility I say …wait for it…meh!
Seriously, I had a very long answer drafted but this seemed much more fun and I wanted to bring a little snark myself.  That’s right you heathens (term of endearment!!!), Christians can be snarky too!

LOL!
Here I thought you guys were all like the priests... all stuck up and pompous!

2. Are you aware of the Essenes?  Yes.
2.1. What do you say of the possibility that the historical Jesus was an Essene?  I would say he exhibited some of the same beliefs that are associated with the third major denomination of Judaism at the time.
2.2. Why, would you say, are the Essenes never mentioned in the bible? They were located in the proverbial "road to Damascus", after all...  I have asked the same question.  The Sadducees and Pharisees made up the Sanhedrin.  It appears the Essenes were not represented within their ranks.   

Indeed they weren't... kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?
The one figure in christianity, the main character in the book, shares some traits with the third major denomination of Judaism at the time (more than with the other two denominations, right?)... and that denomination gets no mention in that same book.
Why would that happen?
What sense does that make?

3. Why the KJV? Why not something better, like the Vulgate? If you want to go sola scriptura, you should go for the purest, closest to the original possible text.... at least, that's what I would go for. I'm not very fond of the result of the broken telephone game (chinese whispers?).  I also read the Holman Christian Standard Bible or HCSB.  However I do like the prose and flow of the KJV.  I only wish I could read the original texts.  I would struggle with attempting to translate the words and I am too old to learn a new language.

Foreign languages are a problem...
It's like the deity responsible for the Tower of Babel problem didn't think it through...

I hope this was insightful.  I wish I had the recall and command of the scriptures as many here at the AF enjoy.  The irony that many atheists possess a much deeper working knowledge of Gods revelation to us is not lost on me.  I thoroughly enjoyed some homework and getting into the scriptures for myself. 

 Good day to you sir and thank you again!

Enjoy your next homework!