If theists understood "evidence"

[Amarok]

And the record keeps spewing nonsense

[Jehanne]

The Romans were federalists; of course, they granted authority to the local government, in the case of Palestine, that is, the Jews!  And, that's my whole point!!

Paul was not an authority!

He could not have done what he claims to have done; either the Romans would have arrested him (and, eventually, they did just that), or, the local Jewish authorities would have done so.  Instead, Paul was doing a bit of "storytelling"; as such, he is not a reliable witness to history.

[RoadRunner79]

The Romans were federalists; of course, they granted authority to the local government, in the case of Palestine, that is, the Jews!  And, that's my whole point!!

Paul was not an authority!

He could not have done what he claims to have done; either the Romans would have arrested him (and, eventually, they did just that), or, the local Jewish authorities would have done so.  Instead, Paul was doing a bit of "storytelling"; as such, he is not a reliable witness to history.

Well, without some historical facts to back up your claims, I think that you are just story telling.  Trying to make a judgment seemingly by wrongly comparing it to modern practices.

---

The Romans were federalists; of course, they granted authority to the local government, in the case of Palestine, that is, the Jews!  And, that's my whole point!!




He could not have done what he claims to have done; either the Romans would have arrested him (and, eventually, they did just that), or, the local Jewish authorities would have done so.  Instead, Paul was doing a bit of "storytelling"; as such, he is not a reliable witness to history.

Well, without some historical facts to back up your claims, I think that you are just story telling.  Trying to make a judgment seemingly by wrongly comparing it to modern practices.

This doesn't fit with my understanding of the turbulent nature of the relationship between the Jews and Rome at the time.  So I look for more information than just "I think this wouldn't have happened"

[Mister Agenda]

We'd all be believers.  

As it is, believers confuse evidence for delusion.  

No surprise there.

A group of four Jehovah's Witnesses knocked at my door a couple of months ago. When I asked them what evidence they had for God's existence, one of them made a sweeping gesture toward the woods in back of my house, saying, "There's your evidence right there!"

"No," I replied, "that's only evidence that I own several acres of wooded property. Evolution is a perfectly adequate explanation of how all those trees and woodland creatures got there."

"What is your religion?" their leader asked.

"I have no religion or god," I replied. "I'm an atheist."

They all shrugged their shoulders and left. Intellectual cowards!

I wish my JWs had written me off as soon as I told them I was an atheist....

[OakTree500]

A group of four Jehovah's Witnesses knocked at my door a couple of months ago. When I asked them what evidence they had for God's existence, one of them made a sweeping gesture toward the woods in back of my house, saying, "There's your evidence right there!"

"No," I replied, "that's only evidence that I own several acres of wooded property. Evolution is a perfectly adequate explanation of how all those trees and woodland creatures got there."

"What is your religion?" their leader asked.

"I have no religion or god," I replied. "I'm an atheist."

They all shrugged their shoulders and left. Intellectual cowards!

I wish my JWs had written me off as soon as I told them I was an atheist....

I had some come round recently, on separate occasions.

First time was two older gentlemen, politely said there is an evening on and that I was free to attend or not, and here is some information. I gladly took it, looked it over and didn't attend.....as it was some sort of "lets talk about god event". However I appreciated their "come, or don't, it's your choice" approach.

Second time, an older chap, a teenage boy and a young (maybe 5 year old) girl appeared at my door all over dressed for what they were doing. I was asked if I'd read the bible, and I politely informed them "yes I have, and its not for me". This started the older guy off "..but....why?" as if it's not easy to understand, despite all the bullshit (ranging from actual lies to various atrocities the go on), where I just repeated myself and closed the door. The thing that bothered me most was that, while this old guy is too far gone to probably get him to understand that theism is total garbage, but that he had a young lad and an even younger girl with them, I presume for training purposes. These are young fragile minds, and should be out learning about the world/playing with other kids, and not trying to sell me some stupid religion on my door step. It's insane.

[Drich]

We'd all be believers.  

As it is, believers confuse evidence for delusion.  

No surprise there.

how short sighted you are..

or maybe you don't know..

Remember the jews were captives of egypt and the 10 plagues moses called down remember manna from heaven and when they tired of the manna they were given birds to eat, and when they got sick the just needed to look at a serpent moses raised on a pole, they saw him strike a rock and produce water, they saw God as a great pillar in the sky, they saw miracle after miracle after miracle and still when God said have faith and go claim your land they buckled and back out...

Remember all the people who surrounded Jesus who saw the miracles who saw people being raised from the dead who saw him turn 5 loaves and 2 fish into enough food to feed 5000. the religious leaders saw and acknowledge these very things and ever went so far as to say they knew him to be from God, otherwise they knew he would not be able to do these things... yet these same people had him murdered because he threatened their way of life.

No body in this life see God as God unless they ask, seek and knock for Him. The reason we are here is to make a choice if evidence demands... then the choice is made for us. here it is always a question until you ask seek and knock then God will show up and the questions get answered.

[The Grand Nudger]

None of that shit happened, lol.

[Minimalist]

I'm sure you find them tiring.  In addition to threatening.  I simply want you to admit that you put your bible bullshit on a pedestal.

Ancient history is full of nonsense.  Read Pliny's Natural History for an example.

You simply choose to accept what suits your pre-determined beliefs.  You are a cherry picker.  Like every other religitard in the world.

LOL   Nope... I've been through this before (probably with you); and we never seem to get to your point, and just keep hopping to one thing from another.  So I'm not going to do a bunch of research for you, if you can't state what you are arguing about directly (and like a civil adult).  I don't find it threatening, because I'm not inconsistent like you seem to be.  And I'm not going to do a bunch of research for you to hop about to something else.   You need to narrow your scope, and make your point clearer; if you want to have a discussion.  Otherwise, my answer is that I don't know; and I'm skeptical.  Make your case.

You don't do research for anyone.... including yourself.

[RoadRunner79]

LOL   Nope... I've been through this before (probably with you); and we never seem to get to your point, and just keep hopping to one thing from another.  So I'm not going to do a bunch of research for you, if you can't state what you are arguing about directly (and like a civil adult).  I don't find it threatening, because I'm not inconsistent like you seem to be.  And I'm not going to do a bunch of research for you to hop about to something else.   You need to narrow your scope, and make your point clearer; if you want to have a discussion.  Otherwise, my answer is that I don't know; and I'm skeptical.  Make your case.

You don't do research for anyone.... including yourself.

I take that to mean, that you are not going to make your case and you don't want to discuss.

[Minimalist]

Your boundless stupidity thrives by insisting that any time someone tries to bring additional evidence to an argument they are somehow "moving the goalposts" on you.  I get that. You are a guy who thinks that everything can be explained by a silly bible verse but reality is not that simple.

Just as an example, when Caesar wrote that his army surrounded Alesia with a double wall to keep Vercingetorix  and a relief force out there were historians who looked at the site and doubted that such a thing was possible.  Archaeologists swung into action and found the remains of those fortifications.  But if I bring up archaeology your little brain can't handle it and you accuse me of "moving the goalposts."  Well, fuck you.  Science involves the utilization of many disciplines and your bible is not one of them. 

We know we cannot question the authors who wrote your bullshit any more than we can question Josephus or Tacitus or Suetonius.  But we can research the works of other writers at the time and we can employ archaeology.  When we do so your bible comes out looking like fucking bullshit.  Sucks to be you but it is your choice.