(January 11, 2014 at 3:44 pm)Lek Wrote: Elisha was going to Samaria as a representative of God to oppose the apostasy of the king. By insulting Elisha, the youths were expressing their disdain and disrespect for God's representative Elisha. The curse which God sent was also a warning of the curse which he would also bring against the entire nation. Actually, God was very patient with the Samarians, giving them countless warnings which they ignored time after time. How many times did they need to be hit on the head before they realized what he was telling them? In new testament times, as well as atoning for our sins, he gives us countless warnings of what the future holds for those who reject him. If we choose not to go to him, then we spend eternity without him. He won't force us to take the gift that he lovingly offers to us. You can say what you want about God, but he is loving, and he is also just.
It is truly sad when a Christian is forced to surrender their morality in deference to their immoral bronze Age mythology.
Almost every time I've debated Christians in person on topics like this (slavery, genocide, etc in the Bible), their discomfort is palpable. You can see them squirm, you can hear them choke on their words as they say them, and they won't answer simple questions.
It is obvious that deep down, they know that they are supporting immoral acts. They are more moral than their god, and I wish they'd figure it out.
The few times I've run into Christians that don't show any discomfort when trying to support their god's immoral actions, I get worried. I am talking to a sociopath.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
