Fairly new and hoping for advice and help

[potch]

Hello all! I was a Messianic Jewish believer, and have recently turned Agnostic, thanks to reading part of Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion." (Which I am trying to finish now.) I am about to start the Orthodox Messianic equivalent of seminary, and I was hoping that I could come to the people here for help in my research, as I'm worried that the science classes will be heavily biased and possibly contain misinformation. I want to really address both sides of the issue, and I know I need to discuss things with both sides in order to use as unbiased an approach as possible.

[Minimalist]

I'm worried that the science classes will be heavily biased and possibly contain misinformation.

I think you can take that as a "given."

Finish Dawkins - go on to Hitchens "God is Not Great." You'll have to ask yourself the point of attending such a "school" if you don't believe in it any longer.

Welcome, btw.

[potch]

I still think the knowledge will be useful, whether I end up going back to faith, or using it to defend an atheistic worldview. The knowledge of the original biblical languages will be very useful, I feel, as well as being able to study the earliest greek and hebrew texts.

[Minimalist]

There is no atheistic "worldview." Take a look through some of the political threads.

[potch]

Will do. Thanks.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Kudos to you for seeking to address both sides. It is always a worthy endeavor to learn about all the angles on something you yourself are undecided upon before coming to a decision.
I have no advice to give because you're doing what I myself would do in you situation.

Hope you find what you're after here

[MindForgedManacle]

Ignore Dawkins', Hitchens', and Harris' work. Well, Maybe not Harris, but I see him as being a good starting point, not a place to end up. Dawkins is better on the biology (unsurprisingly), but on the God topic (and others), he's mostly a laymen. Hitchens was a great social commentator and was very witty, but was largely shallow in terms of an intellectual case against God.


Glad to hear you're looking at both sides. I'm not sure exactly what I'd recommend in the way of extensive books on the topic, so I'd just recommend you pick up acclaimed works on both sides (in terms of the arguments present) and see what convinces you more.

[KichigaiNeko]

[Godscreated]

Hello all! I was a Messianic Jewish believer, and have recently turned Agnostic, thanks to reading part of Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion." (Which I am trying to finish now.) I am about to start the Orthodox Messianic equivalent of seminary, and I was hoping that I could come to the people here for help in my research, as I'm worried that the science classes will be heavily biased and possibly contain misinformation. I want to really address both sides of the issue, and I know I need to discuss things with both sides in order to use as unbiased an approach as possible.

You changed your belief after reading part of a book, you even read any scripture, if part of a book written by a man who shows no real knowledge about who God is convinced me to change my belief, I would have considered I had no real belief. It's good you are trying to answer questions you have, be careful what material you choose, but keep up the search and don't be so fast to give up your belief.


GC

[Minimalist]

Yeh, G-C but you profess profound belief in an ancient book of old horseshit so your opinion is largely worthless..... as usual.