My atheism religious faith is being shaken...

[robvalue]

I agree it is mind melting how we could get to the point where someone like Trump could be voted in; although I hear he didn't actually get the most votes. The stupid (in my opinion) voting system means that you can win while having less votes.

I don't understand what this has to do with the bible, or what point you're getting at there. If you're suggesting the book has the ability to predict the future then I'd say you're mistaken. Sure, you will be able to find similarities between real life and stories if you look hard enough. But even if they are very similar, I'm not sure what we're supposed to take away from that. There's no reason to think any further predictions written in the book will also come true.

I do agree that balancing how much power the individual has against protecting them from their own ignorance is a very tricky one. I don't think the public should have been given a vote on brexit, for example. When it comes to electing officials you have to give people some measure of control at some point, or else you enter a dictatorship. How there aren't protocols to stop people like Trump even becoming candidates, I don't know. Our political system in England is shit, but at least someone like Trump would never be considered even for a second.

I see what you're saying. I guess its just the fact that the interpretation of the prophecy was made clear by the writer of Daniel. He says specifically that the clay represents the common people mixed with iron and that is what makes it weak. We live in unprecedented times where people don't read but they react. Especially so in America.

And be careful what you say. EVERYBODY said that Trump was a joke candidate and NO ONE thought he could win the Republican nomination let alone the presidency. I'll admit that you brits are smart but you still have the lods of emone class

What does it matter how accurate the "prediction" is? If the writer did in fact know something, it doesn't tell us how they knew it, nor does it validate anything else they wrote. It would just be a mystery. The method by which they got the information is a separate claim which needs its own evidence. I don't personally agree that it's anything like detailed enough to be considered a match, but that is of course subjective. Any sufficiently vague prediction, especially one which makes use of human nature, is bound to come true eventually. Unless it's highly specific, including timescale, it's unfalsifiable.

Be careful what I say? I don't know what you're referring to. We Brits are not smart, we're also trying to destroy our own country as we speak.