It is relevant to the group of Christians as well. Lets take your apple example. A group of Christians can see a single apple and see that it is red, can each take a bite and know it is sweet and juicy and will see the core of the apple when it is eaten; all Christians within that group will completely agree on the single apple.
I don’t think your apple example works here. The “common” Christian believes in the trinity, which simply consists of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. This is the Godhead, One God. If you want further clarification on the Trinity I’d recommend this website:
http://www.carm.org/doctrine/whatisthetrinity.htm
If you want to call them Gods, fine, we can agree to disagree.
No.
Again, you’re missing the point entirely. I’ve never been to Australia yet I know it exists. I can look at pictures, hear descriptions from other people, look at a map or globe to know Australia exists. Everyone can easily agree to the descriptions and existence of Australia.
You’re basing this fact on other people’s experience. I too haven’t been to Australia but know it exists even though I might never ever go there. I can’t produce the immense evidence that can be produced for the existence of Australia for God, as he isn’t physical.
The same can be said about the apple to the people in the village but cannot be said about gods for each individual. Do you get it now?
I realise my example didn’t touch down.
I see little difference from the scriptures and other works of fiction. Many of the stories it contains are too fantastic to have actually happened or to have existed in nature.
Ok.
What does love have to do with gods? If someone does not believe in gods, does that mean they are devoid of love?
A lot. It is my belief that it’s because of Love that we are here today.
Allegedly, a man was arrested and crucified, so were tens of thousands of other people. No one really knows what he did or the claims he made. The story of this event was written some 80-100 years after the fact, so it’s not likely the story is accurate.
I don’t think I’ll be able to change your opinion here, as I believe the bible is inspired by God but you don’t.
Me neither.
I treat my friends and neighbors with respect.
Sound’s cool. Did they have to earn the respect?
This is a sociological issue that has nothing to do with gods.
What is causing this issue? Evolution or something?
Civilizations existed all over the world that had never heard of Jesus or his god, yet managed to get along with one another.
Nice. How are they doing now?
They also did not kill in the name of their gods, something Christians cannot claim.
I don’t think any Christian alive today would condone what happened in the crusades for example, in fact I find it hard to believe now, so anti-christ like behaviour.
If the scriptures contain common sense, perhaps they were written by men who came to the same conclusion any rational man would. Again, this is a sociological issue in which the intervention of gods is not required.
The bible was written by some 40 people from different areas, in a period of over 1500 years, and still comes together well. Is this not a bit more of an achievement compared to the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy (some might disagree here)?
As a child, it’s not likely one is able to rationally decide what to believe. In fact, you were probably told to believe in god, it was crammed down your throat, so to speak. You really didn’t have a choice.
It wasn’t thrown down my throat, so to speak.
Perhaps your confirmation was formed to fit your childhood beliefs as opposed to what really happened. It could simply be a matter that you really wanted your confirmation to have ethereal meaning. There may also be numerous other possibilities, which you have yet to take into account or refuse to accept.
Well, like I said I won’t go into it, but what happened is enough for me.
No, I’m saying that gods’ interventions are not required to come to the same conclusions the commandments offer. Most of the commandments can be surmised from a sociological standpoint. And, they most likely were.
Well, give me the proof.
We can look at fossil records. But of course, that does not prove one way or another the feat claimed. Millions of species have existed long before man began to imagine gods. It is simply not possible anyone could round up all those species from all over the world and fit them on a craft the size of the ark. This story is equivalent to Santa Claus – didn’t you say you stopped believing in SC long ago? Why would believe an equally fantastic story such as the ark?
I stopped believing in Santa Claus because of proof. It's amazing how logical kids can be.
Yes, from simple observations. We know that the Earth is slowly spinning down due mostly in part to the moon being tidally locked with Earth and the fact that it is slowly moving away from the Earth. In that case, days were actually slightly shorter in the past than they are today, not longer, as the scriptures claim.
Oh, so we have a time machine to observe the earth in Noah’s time?
But that’s not what is observed in evolution. There would be clear evidence of these mutations and advanced evolved species. That evidence simply does not exist. Again, these are clear contradictions to the scriptures.
Ok. Could we be looking in the wrong place? I don’t know, I’m not a scientist.
Or, gods had nothing to do with the story whatsoever. The story could simply be an inaccurate, exaggerated account of a huge flood. In times of disaster, people have a tendency to come together for a common cause, including the wicked. Perhaps the wicked were not washed away at all.
You seem to be a somewhat expert on human behaviour. What is the benefit from writing this story after it happened, a while after it happened? and by Mose's I think. Do you think Moses had problems, wanted to sell a good book or something?
Everyone knows that it is the duty of all Christians to spread their faith. That could be your agenda here – I don’t know. Regardless if it is or not, there are many who may wish to understand why people believe in gods, considering there is nothing to warrant the belief aside from a single book written by men many years ago that has little basis in reality.
There is much wisdom to be had from the Bible imo, a lot of it has got basis in this reality. Like forgiving others makes you feel better.
Sure, the Bible has some nice stories that give one a ‘warm and fuzzy’ feeling, but so do Aesops fables and Grimms fairy tales. What’s the difference?
You know, since reading the bible I have never had these ‘warm and fuzzy’ feelings…
Dave
