Misconceptions of Christian theology

[Cyberman]

It is wrong to compare Christianity to "Yog Sothoth" because Christianity is the most influential ideology that has ever existed, far more influential than any of the disciplines that you mentioned whose modern synthesis mostly goes back to the 19th century.

Really? I think the ancient Greeks would have a word or two to say about that.

[Esquilax]

You didn't prove that God has no explanatory power, you just claimed that God did.

Okay then, let me ask you this: how does saying "god did it" enhance our knowledge of anything? That's what I mean by explanatory power. How does saying "it was god what did that" get us any closer to explaining how that thing is true?

You say god created the universe. Alright, fine: how does saying that explain to us how the universe was made? Or why it was made as it is?

When you say that god did something, the problem is that you're using it as an excuse not to look any further. You're fine with just saying "space magic," because the moment someone actually investigates, historically they've found one hundred percent of the time that god did not, in fact, do it.

It is wrong to compare Christianity to "Yog Sothoth" because Christianity is the most influential ideology that has ever existed, far more influential than any of the disciplines that you mentioned whose modern synthesis mostly goes back to the 19th century.

Ah, so the thing that makes your religion true is its age and influence on the physical world? Sweet, I guess all those proto-religions that predate christianity are more true than it. And more influential, since there has to have been a first religion, and by necessity that would have been the precursor to all the others. Better go searching for some nameless animal deity before we do the same for your god, then.

[Ryantology]

You didn't prove that God has no explanatory power, you just claimed that God did.

It is wrong to compare Christianity to "Yog Sothoth" because Christianity is the most influential ideology that has ever existed, far more influential than any of the disciplines that you mentioned whose modern synthesis mostly goes back to the 19th century.

It is proper to compare Christianity to "Yog Sothoth" because they are equally based upon fiction.

You can't dismiss dictionaries by insinuating that a dictionary can't be 'philosophically accurate', then follow with a naked appeal to longevity to suggest that your terrible faith has any sort of credibility. Your religion is not even original. It's a highly syncretic religion and most of its tenets are derivative of Judaism (which was around many centuries longer).

Why was Christianity a world religion whereas Judaism properly remained the faith system of ignorant hicks in the boondocks of Mesopotamia? Simple. Christianity was spread by the sword and sailed across the world on oceans of blood. It was sold to barbarian princes who wanted an edge and shoved down the throats of helpless native Americans. It has nothing to do with its contradictory and misanthropic message, nor does it have to do with the legitimacy of the Christian faith. It has to do with Christianity being forced, violently, upon anyone who was too weak to say no. It was a religion established by kings and chieftains (which, itself doesn't make it unique). I can think of no examples of Christianity being introduced peacefully and accepted by non-Christian people of their own will.

[jstrodel]

I can think of no examples of Christianity being introduced peacefully and accepted by non-Christian people of their own will.

That is because you have never read a book about Christian missions in your life. Study the history of Ireland. Or the history of the Roman Empire. How the Christians spread the faith and died as martyrs. Yes, there has been bloodshed.

You use the connection between Christianity and Judaism against it. That is completely ridiculous. Judaism prophecies the existence of the Christian faith. Look at Isaiah 53. There is a deep continuity between Christianity and Judaism.

If there was a car company around for 2000 years, would that attach any credibility to it? Of course it would. Obviously that does not prove that Christianity is true, but it does attach credibility to it.

If the God of the Greeks was the true God, why would that God disappear? Wouldn't the God who created everything preserve himself?

[Cyberman]

The god of the Greeks..?

[Esquilax]

If the God of the Greeks was the true God, why would that God disappear? Wouldn't the God who created everything preserve himself?

Two things: one, I wish that you somehow become immortal. Or long lived enough that you exist into the future, so you can see your own religion fade away, as it inevitably will. And I wish that I similarly become immortal, so that when this happens I can ask you, "if your god is the true god, then why did he disappear?"

And two, we don't think that any of those gods exist, you understand that, right? We're just saying that relying on influence and age won't prove your god, because there are much older and more influential gods.

[Ryantology]

I can think of no examples of Christianity being introduced peacefully and accepted by non-Christian people of their own will.

That is because you have never read a book about Christian missions in your life. Study the history of Ireland. Or the history of the Roman Empire. How the Christians spread the faith and died as martyrs. Yes, there has been bloodshed.

Except, I have, and I still can't think of a single example of people accepting Christianity without it being forced on them by either their own rulers or outside forces. I'm sure there do exist a handful of obscure examples, but the fact that they are obscure says a lot, doesn't it?

You use the connection between Christianity and Judaism against it. That is completely ridiculous. Judaism prophecies the existence of the Christian faith. Look at Isaiah 53. There is a deep continuity between Christianity and Judaism.

Then, why are there still Jews?

(yes, I know the answer is "christians failed to slaughter them all" but A for effort, wot.)

If there was a car company around for 2000 years, would that attach any credibility to it? Of course it would. Obviously that does not prove that Christianity is true, but it does attach credibility to it.

A car company produces a tangible item. Christianity produces claims which nobody can verify and are at total odds with reality.

Does this mean that Hinduism and Buddhism are more credible?

If the God of the Greeks was the true God, why would that God disappear? Wouldn't the God who created everything preserve himself?

I get the idea that if I asked you why your god has disappeared and refuses to make his presence obvious, you will have no trouble rationalizing it, which I hope you will do with the understanding that any rationalization you can come up with for your psychopath God can easily apply to any other god or gods who don't make appearances. And, of course, that you can no more prove that the Greek gods are false than you can prove that your god is true.

Also, you shortchange the Greeks. They came up with an advanced system of government, the derivative of which is the dominant government type among the most successful and powerful nations in the world. They came up with ideas in medicine, mathematics and philosophy which will define humanity long after Christianity is discarded. Hell, they came up with the basics of the atomic theory, on their own, thousands of years before we had the tools to prove the existence of atoms, yet we still have Christards insisting we teach children in science classrooms that the world is six thousand years old. How many centuries ahead might we be now if Greek scholasticism had dominated Western civilization for as long as Christianity has.

It is not a religion, but I feel a great deal more pride in what my culture has inherited from that amazing culture, than I do of the artifacts from some ignorant shepherds in a cultural backwater of the ancient world. Why did the Greek gods vanish? Because they weren't needed to explain things anymore. And that is why your God will follow them right down the toilet.

[EGross]

Well what about the cases in which you don't have a body?

Can there be proof of a murder if there is no body? Under Christianity, obviously yes.

Also, there is archeological evidence for a lot of what happens in the Bible (e.g. David, what happens in the book of acts in the regions, etc).

The Israeli Ministry has shown that the stories of the Bible, are stories, and cannot be used as history. They cite actual findings done here by the ministry, not the strange claims made by believers. They also note:

The Bible is not - and was never intended to be - a historical document. A work of theology, law, ethics and literature, it does contain historical information; but if we want to evaluate this information we should consider when, how and why the Bible was compiled.

Click Here

[Minimalist]

Minimalist, what makes that dictionary authoritative?

Because it does not have an agenda to twist reality to make it fit with your preconceived notions.

The concept of God has power to explain a variety of problems.

Your entire ensuing diatribe thus boils down to wishful thinking. If you attribute all your questions to some imaginary sky-daddy you don't have to think about hard stuff.

It's a load of shit, my friend. And, of course, the "god" you believe in is real while all the others are just fantasies, right?

[Mister Agenda]

Meh, I've no complaints with Christians who try to conform their beliefs to science rather than the other way around. It's the fundamentalists who are bent on undermining science education and would impose theocracy if they could. The reason they can't is that most Christians aren't like them: we don't have the numbers to stop a theocracy if most American Christians were on the same page in that regard. I will no more argue that Christians have to be literal in interpreting the Bible than I will do the same with Muslims. I've never understood what advantage Islamophobes think they gain when they telll Muslims they can't be moderate and still be good Muslims. Any step in the right direction is a step in the right direction.