In Defense of God.

[The Grand Nudger]

Are you tired of being dicked with by religious trolls?  Have you heard about as much of "science can't explain" as you can handle?  This thread is for you.  

In this thread I (and anyone else so inclined) will be offering bullshit free (even khemikal bullshit free..I promise to be super nice, lol) rebuttals of common and popular atheist arguments against god - as those arguments are presented by those interested.... and I strongly encourage believers to supply them as well as atheists.  It's an exercise in craft, it's a way to generate the luls, it's every thing to every man....just like jesus intended.

Ready set go?

[Chad32]

Usually when I ask why we should pick the bible over other holy texts that may include people who had stories similar to jesus, a christian will mention prophesy. Except the prophesies are either vague, or just didn't work out right. a big one is Israel becoming a country again, but the bible also says King David will rule that land. So now we're waiting until some guy named David becomes leader of Israel, and crowns himself king?

[The Grand Nudger]

That's a question that only you could answer.  If you read the bible and agree with some part or the whole of it's message, it follows that you should probably live your life according to that message, that you agree with.  If you don't, then obviously there's no reason that you should pick it over any other book, or live you life according to it and not any other book.  

There's also no reason that you would -need- the bible to live a good life according to that message, nor does agreeing with or believing in the bible or it's message ensure that you will lead a good life -or-, in that belief system ensure you will get to heaven over and above and regardless of whether or not you lead a good life. Many who call themselves believers will be turned away.  

Many of the bibles "prophecies" are social commentary of then relevant events, and this is backed up time and again by secular, evidence based scholarship.  In wishing for a return of the jewish king the authors merely expressed what many of us express to this day.  "Gee, I really wish one of us was in charge for a change".  

None of this, mind you, has any bearing on whether or not there is a god.  We're just talking about a book.

[vorlon13]

Usually when I ask why we should pick the bible over other holy texts that may include people who had stories similar to jesus, a christian will mention prophesy. Except the prophesies are either vague, or just didn't work out right. a big one is Israel becoming a country again, but the bible also says King David will rule that land. So now we're waiting until some guy named David becomes leader of Israel, and crowns himself king?

IANMTU, the Mormons have been caught red handed retconning prophecies to make them true.

They forget publishing original versions of prophecies in official church publications (which people have an unfortunate tendency to keep) and then when the prophecy misses the mark, they update it to fit and issue the revised version, without, of course, noting they are fudging the rules on prophesizing.

[The Grand Nudger]

People have been known to engage in all sorts of silly shit like that, especially when it matters to them.  That says something about us (in this case the morman administration), but nothing about god.

[Mister Agenda]

If God is real, he/she/it/they probably isn't as bad as scripture writers make out.

[The Grand Nudger]

Most scripture believers are likely to hold that position as well, even though they may not express it as-such.  Consider the tendency to find a generous interpretation over some sticky issue?  This suggests that the believers themselves feel that god is better than he;s being made out tto be, either by the scriptures or by whomever is interpreting the scriptures.  

There's no need to be a scriptural literalist, or even to believe in scripture at all, to believe in god, though.

[vorlon13]

People have been known to engage in all sorts of silly shit like that, especially when it matters to them.  That says something about us (in this case the morman administration), but nothing about god.

The Mormons are quite sure all their perfidy and connivance is God inspired and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

[The Grand Nudger]

So it seems, but people have been sure of themselves in a great many mistakes before.  Still, if there is a god, and that god is a good god..regardless of what they or anyone might say that good god is unlikely to look kindly upon them in doing -that-, even if that good god is -their- good god.

[vorlon13]

South Park has endorsed Mormonism as the One True Faith.