Pope Francis defends atheists

[BettyG]

Josephus is a 4th century forgery. No xtian writer mentions it prior even Origen who in spite of making specific reference to Book XVIII of Antiquities of the Jews knows nothing about the TF but who specifically states that "This writer" (Josephus) "did not believe in Jesus as the Christ" which sort of flies in the face of your pious forgery.

Tacitus is another work not quoted by anyone, xtian or otherwise, until centuries later. But, even if it is authentic, it does not mention any "jesus." "Jesus" seems to be a later development in your story.

Like Tacitus - Lucian of Samosata knows nothing of any jesus. Obviously, that part of the story had not been written yet c 160 but by 180 when Celsus wrote early xtians had invented "jesus."

Yes, I have one question.

What kind of double-digit IQ moron believes in fucking miracles just because the pervert parade that is the catholic church says so?

Just because someone is not quoted does not mean what they wrote is not true. That is an assumption. Would you also say no person existed except those who are quoted somewhere?
Professor Louis Feldman, professor of classics at Yeshiva University and translator for the Loeb edition of Antiquities, states about the Josephus passage I quoted, "Few have doubted the genuineness of this passage."
How about Suetonius, Pliny the Yunger, Thallus, Phlegon, Mara Bar-Serapion, and Babylonian Talmud? All of these non-Christian sources mention Jesus or "Chrestus" or Christians.

The reason I mention Catholic documentation of miracles is because the Vatican is the most scientific about it. They require that reports of miracles be confirmed by non-Christian doctors. Very few make it through their scrutiny. Of the thousand s of reported miracles at the shrine at Lourdes, France, only 70 have been authenticated as true miracles. The Protestants aren't scientific about it and don't keep records like Catholics do.
Like I said, you can go visit the places where the incorrupt bodies of saints are and see them with your own eyes. Their bodies did not decay as normal bodies do. Some of them have rosy skin like they did when they were alive. Or you can go see the tilma at Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Mexico City that has not rotted in five hundred years when it should have rotted a long time ago. It has a miraculous image of Mary on it.
Or go see the shroud of Turin in Italy the next time it is on display. It is the burial cloth of a crucified man who was scoured about 33 AD. It has pollen from the Jerusalem area. The image on it was not painted. Scientists have examined it (I discount the ones who did carbon testing on the wrong area of the cloth) and cannot explain any way a human could forge it.
However, I doubt any thing I say would convince you if you keep discounting the evidence I present. It is the combination of many facts that makes the case, not just a few I have cited. I suspect you have a hidden agenda for not being open to the truth, but I will not speculate on that.
Your foul language gives a black eye to non-Christians. If you want me to take you or non-Christians seriously, I prefer you mind your manners. Would you want me to paint all non-Christians with the same brush as your behavior the way you paint all Catholics as idiots and liars?

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BettyG, since you're new here, I'll lay down the reasons which lead me away from any faith.
1. There are several religions
2. Religions do not share gods... although some of those gods seem to have a common predecessor.
3. Any religion has origins in a very specific location, at a very specific time... often in a very small group of people. Sounds like a brewery of fiction.
4. I'd expect a god worthy of that title to present itself to everyone in a similar fashion.. instead, we get different groups of people with different sets of gods... a sign that someone in that group of people made it up... and spread the word. If you want to counter this with god showing up to different people in accordance with their local specifics, then you're full of it, because this god of yours would be just plain stupid to do that, for it would have (and has) resulted in inter-religious conflict.
5. All religions claim a few miracles that happened in the past and about that small group of people that made it up in the first place... Sounds like something made up with the sole intention of providing "proof" for the gullible.
6. All accounts of human-god interaction are remarkably similar to what is reported by present-day people who require psychological attention.
7. Religion evolution.... first we got animism and shamanism, then polytheism, then monotheism. If there was (an) actual god(s) that actually showed itself(themselves) to the people, then it(they) must have done so to those first shamans... so they would have to be ones who got it right... Everything else is just quackery.

There must be more points, but I can't remember more right now... those are enough

Now your present day miracles...
Miracles of treatments of misdiagnosed illnesses are just dumb. -..-'
I want proper miracles and no discrimination: all amputees get their limbs regrown overnight! That would be a proper miracle.

2. Religions have different concepts of who God is. Only one of them is true.
3. The Judeo-Christian faith begins with the creation of man and woman. Why would anyone want to make up a religion for ulterior motives? We are all seeking an explanation for why we exist and why the world exists. Christianity does not have the flavor of any myth. Thousands died defending the truth and refusing to convert to another religion. It does not make sense if they died for a lie.
4. God revealed Himself to man through the prophets. Finally, He sent His son to reveal God more fully. A God who loves us would not want to keep us in the dark.
5. Catholics have recorded miracles for 200 years. Why would they make it up and risk damage to their credibility? They have no motive to make it up. I have experienced some miracles myself. They happen all the time.
6 "require psychological attention." So you don't believe in anything that is supernatural? Anyone who relates supernatural events is crazy? Explain why supernatural things are not possible.
7. he Judeo-Christian faith goes back at least 6000 years. True, other religions have elements of truth, but that does not mean they have the whole truth the way Christianity does. Christianity is the most rational and logical of all of them. On top of that, none of their founders claimed to be God or rise from the dead like Jesus did.
It's late. I don't have time to write more tonight.