(September 14, 2011 at 8:13 pm)DeistPaladin Wrote: Christianity didn't create democracy. Democracy came to be in spite of Christianity.Wrong, Democracy was created by one of the greatest Christian Reformers of all time.
Quote:The only thing the Reformation did was split up the power of Christianity, giving scientists the room to maneuver.
Wrong again, the writings of the reformers gave mankind a profoundly different view of nature, natural revelation, providence, and scripture thus giving birth to modern science. Scripture gave scientists a foundation for induction and the drive to “Think God’s thoughts after Him.” as Kepler put it.
Quote:The burden of proof is directly proportional to how extraordinary the claims are. Mundane claims are usually accepted at face value. Extraordinary claims are subjected to proportional levels of scrutiny and skepticism.
Sure, but that would only be true if a claim to miracles was an extraordinary claim, being that the majority of people on earth believe miracles do or have happened it is actually be definition the ordinary claim and the position that they cannot happen is the extraordinary claim. So where is your extraordinary evidence that miracles do not happen?
Quote: I'd venture you play by the same rules in all areas of life aside from your religion. If I told you I had lunch with a local friend, you'd accept the claim. If I told you I had lunch with my dead father who'd come back to life to tell me about the hereafter, you'd demand a great deal of proof before even considering the claim.
Not really, you seem like the kind of guy who’d make a claim like that.
Quote:How many historical documents contain accounts of zombies, faith healing, demons and magic?66 books.
Quote: Luke is held in high regard as a historian by whom?
"Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy, but he should be placed along with the very greatest of historians." - Archaeologist Sir William Ramsay
"For accuracy of detail, and for evocation of atmosphere, Luke stands, in fact, with Thucydides. The Acts of the Apostles is not shoddy product of pious imagining, but a trustworthy record, it was the spadework of archaeology which first revealed the truth.” - Professor of classics at Auckland University, E.M. Blaiklock
Quote: Do you regard the Iliad as a historical document?
Nope.
Quote:Did you read that passage? Your answer was a clear case of fail.
Yes I read it, and no it didn’t say anything that was not included in my answer.
(September 14, 2011 at 8:14 pm)Rhythm Wrote:
I asked you who John Calvin executed; he was not in power in Geneva when Servetus was tried executed. I agreed with the execution of Timothy McVeigh but that does not mean I executed him. So anyone else?