There are several threads running semi-concurrently on this forum that are basically of the same form, namely:
Can you explain x in the Bible?
This may take the form of apparent historical inaccuracy, moral indecency, contradictions, implausible stories and accounts and so on and so forth.
If I were to hazard a guess I would suggest that there are some tens if not hundreds of issues raised.
In just about all cases the resident theists have come up with answers - some rather good, some not so much.
Ultimately, for me and possibly other atheists, it comes down to - yes, you have explained x in a semi reasonable way, but, overall, does this strike you as reasonable?
What I mean by reasonable is, I suppose, in the legal sense as in "beyond a reasonable doubt" when deciding on guilt or innocence.
I don't want to raise specific issues as examples because it is too easy to lose focus and answer those rather than looking at the bigger picture.
In some ways it comes down to the simple question of why is God so bad at communicating? Why does so much of this stuff require jumping through hoops to explain it away?
And that ultimately becomes - is it reasonable?
Can you explain x in the Bible?
This may take the form of apparent historical inaccuracy, moral indecency, contradictions, implausible stories and accounts and so on and so forth.
If I were to hazard a guess I would suggest that there are some tens if not hundreds of issues raised.
In just about all cases the resident theists have come up with answers - some rather good, some not so much.
Ultimately, for me and possibly other atheists, it comes down to - yes, you have explained x in a semi reasonable way, but, overall, does this strike you as reasonable?
What I mean by reasonable is, I suppose, in the legal sense as in "beyond a reasonable doubt" when deciding on guilt or innocence.
I don't want to raise specific issues as examples because it is too easy to lose focus and answer those rather than looking at the bigger picture.
In some ways it comes down to the simple question of why is God so bad at communicating? Why does so much of this stuff require jumping through hoops to explain it away?
And that ultimately becomes - is it reasonable?
