Part 9 of Post Your Tough Questions Regarding Christianity

How does a "pocket of fresh water" form in a world-wide flood of salt water....or vice-versa?

And how "plausible" can you make it...to yourself.

 

BTW, from another thread...as we approach Christmas and this claim of "extra-Biblical evidence for the historicity of Jesus"....


why is there NO record whatsoever of Caesar Augustus degreeing that "all the world is to be taxed"? And NO tradition in Roman law of a person having to travel to their "home-town" to pay it?

(Luke 2:1)

 

Can't, but apparently basic chemistry is also not particularly religion friendly either.

 

Interesting myth.

Are you at all familiar with the study of lingusitics and language development? the Babel story is yet another primitive attempt to explain something that the explainers were completely and totally ignorant of.

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you should refresh your understanding of the genetics. Modern geneticists agree that there is only one race - the human race. Old racial concepts based on minor physical characteristics are unfortunately still socially relevant, but as far as genetically speaking we all originate from the same source.

Perhaps you can gain further enlightenment about human migration from our origin by visiting this site:

https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/human-journey/

Of course it does start out with the premise that it began some 60,000 years ago so perhaps the biblical literalist in you will completely reject it.

 

is it any wonder?

science, in its even-handed, unbiased, and unemotional way, relentlessly demolishes their foundations. they can't stop it (they tried that a couple of hundred years ago, when science was small enough to crash tackle), so all they can do is 'shrink' it, in the hope that the young and/or impressionable will regard it as a practical means to an end and nothing more. a bit like carpentry, or lawn care.

 

And this just out.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/09/health/oldest-human-dna/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

There were no genetic tests 400,000 years ago, so our ancient relatives didn't know as much about themselves as we know about them now.
Scientists have reconstructed a nearly complete mitochondrial genome of an ancient human relative, whose remains were found in Sima de los Huesos ("pit of bones") in northern Spain. It is the oldest DNA to be recovered from an early humanlike species, authors of a study wrote in the journal Nature.
The ancient species that has revealed some of its genetic secrets, via bone fragments from a femur, is probably not directly linked to your family tree though.

 

Did Jesus approve of rape because He did not explicitly condemn it? Hardly. Rape as we know is a crime, a sin. Our Lord Savior does not approve of any sin.

Jesus did not consider women to be property, it was the Jews at the time that considered women property.

Before Jesus came on the scene the Jews had a dim view of women. Jewish women were not allowed to receive an education. Hence, they were largely uneducated. Their only training was in how to raise children and keep house.

They were treated much like how the Taliban treats women in Afghanistan today.

But when Jesus came we find God’s view of a woman. Not man’s view for we know what man's view is towards women throughout the entire world, but God's view.

In His earthly life, Jesus was the visible expression of God Himself. By His actions and His words, we discover God’s view of a woman. And that view was utterly contrary to the prevailing view of His day.

As Jesus ministered, He ripped down all social conventions that were pitted against women. On one occasion, He rose to the defense of a woman caught in adultery. He became her attorney and saved her life.

In reading the New Testament Scriptures we see many more examples of the decent way that Jesus treated women.

Jesus is the Prince of peace & love!

 

What facts? You haven't presented any facts that discredits the holy bible . You may think you have but sorry that's not the case at all.

You're not even realizing it but here's a fact: you are also expressing your faith when you argue over anything to do with Almighty God.

It takes faith to believe Almighty God doesn't exist.

It takes faith to believe everything in the bible are just myths, fabricated by desert dwellers in ancient times.

And so you're right when you state, you can't argue with faith, I can't argue against your faith, and you can't argue against my faith...and as you stated, it is a useless exercise.

My thread wasn't intended to be a platform for rigorous debates, but merely a thread to answer questions concerning God/Jesus/Holy Bible, for example to explain what a particular verse in Scripture was trying to convey over to the reader, if a person had such a question for me.

But for the most part it has turned into debates and so I'm not just going to sit back and allow anything that falsely discredits my faith, I'm going to respond to those falsehoods and defend my faith with total conviction.

 

homo heidelberensis and homo denosvian have not been proven to be direct descendents, but dead end branches of the homo family tree from all diriving from a common ancestor millions of years prior.

 

Jesus did not consider women to be property, it was the Jews at the time that considered women property. [/quote]

Might want to do some research on that one.
It wasn't just the jews, it was basically every other culture of the time. Rape as in forced sex wasn't even a crime in ancient rome until the third century, long after Jesus was dead.

Even western society made women second class citizens.
the last symbolic measure of their subjegation was not being allowed the vote. IN america it took a constitutional amendment to give them the vote and it happened less than 100 years ago.

What planet published your history books?

Lets see. there was the romans, the greeks, the egyptians, the chinese, the japanese the babylonians, the canninites, the phonecians, the gauls, the celts, the visigoths, the vikings, the danes and on and on and on.

And you dare pick on the jews?

I do agree that the taliban and other islamists treat women much the way that ancient cultures did. Of course the male dominated Islamic society ignored Mohammed's teachings and the role of his second wife Aisha in establishing Islam.

Jesus didn't change squat in regards to male treatment of females. Not even remotely. And he rose in defence of the adulteress who was about to be stoned to death "let he who is without sin" etc. to hold up a mirror to her accusers. Not to defend her sin. Unless of course you are suggesting that Jesus rejected the adultery commandment.

 

I am not here to school you on geology, climatology, genetics, linguistics, hydodynamics, archeology, history, chemistry, evolution, paleo and cultural anthropology, cosmology, chemistry, zoology, engineering etc.

Fact is that the only evidence you have of the veracity of biblical mythology is the bible itself. Circular arguments are illogical.
Meanwhile back in the world of science, the rejection of biblical mythology does not revolve around a single science or data point. Multiple sciences support and reinforce the evidence derived from the other sciences.

No, it is the absence of faith that makes me believe that god does not exist.

Nope. As a matter of fact, archeology and history have pretty much proven that the bible WAS written by ancient primitive desert (or at least arid conditions) dwellers. You are familiar with the dead sea scrolls are you not?

And even according to biblical scholars, the new testament was written by ancient primitive dwellers in the middle east.

Okay let's clear this up once and for all.

Oxford dictionary:

Faith:
1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something:
this restores one’s faith in politicians

2. strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof:

According to the above I do not possess faith in the non-existence of god.
1. I do not have complete trust or confidence in god's existence

2. I most definitely reject religious belief and associated dogma.

One cannot argue with somebody who does not require evidence to support their religious beliefs.
The extraordinary claims of theists are not supported by any extraordinary evidence.

If I have uttered any falsehood, then please point it out to me.

Like I said before you appear to reject any facts that discredit your faith.
If one refuses to accept facts, then what one claims as "truth" is more than a little suspect.

 

I will answer your question by giving you a passage in Scripture, it pretty much answers your question from a biblical viewpoint.

The Wisdom of God:

"The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent."

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs in heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense."---1 Corinthians 1:18-23 NLT

Christianity was never about fixing the world's problems. Where have you heard that? It never claimed to have the ability to solve the world's problems. Those kinds of statements is coming from one who doesn't know anything about the Christian faith.

Jesus did not come into to world to judge the world or correct the world (society). The main purpose He came into the world was to save mankind from sins, that's why we Christians refer to Jesus as our Lord Savior. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him." John 3:17 NAS

In Matthew 28 the passage dealing with "The Great Commission" Jesus did not say to His disciples go out there in all the world and correct society. This is what He told His disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of age." Matt. 28:18-20 NLT

So we Christians have not been commissioned to make the world right, we are to call people out of this world (a fallen world), we are to transform their lives by faith in Christ and give them hope of heaven.

Just think for a moment, suppose the world would believe the gospel, all these errors, evils would be corrected. And that is the only way to do it. The Bible never suggests we get on a crusade and we have protest marches and so forth. That will get nowhere.

Whether it’s against homosexuality, against abortion, etc. Now if people want to preach against it which we should to point out all the evils of a fallen world then there is nothing wrong with that.

 

The Great Commission.This was a later addition to scripture.


'So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.'

If God created man with free will and wisdom, and then limits man's ability to use them except in the way God wants him to, what's was the point?

 

How can their be falsehoods if nothing is proven or not proven?

 

Also, If man with wisdom is doomed must mean you must remain ignorant to be saved.

 

Poor argument. Even the Bible shows where the wisdom of man will not necessarily be an automatic condemnation to eternal torture or hell or damnation. Search it out in the Bible..."here is wisdom"...

"Rev 13:18

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."

Figure that one out and then you can truly say that you have 'wisdom'.

 

How many sciences (chemistry, physics, biology, geology, astronomy, etc.) have to be utterly and completely ignored to see to it that the Bible is "literally true"?

- - - Updated - - -

Figure out how wisdom is "bad"....and how wisdom is "good"...and BOTH ideas are in the Bible...and you hae real wisdom.

Of course honest, logical figuring out of a contradiction isn't possible.

 

What, specifically, are you referring to as a contradiction? As to your opening comment: Real simple. Wisdom used in a manner that is not in accord with the Will of God is "bad" and wisdom that is used in accord with Gods will is "good". I suppose 'application' would be the appropriate word. Depends on the application of that 'wisdom'.

 

all of them?

 

It's about Nero. I figured it out, I did, I did!

 

Good! Now prove it is 'true'. Show your "PROOF".

 

Show my evidence, you mean? We already have come to the conclusion that you aren't swayed by any formal argumentation like most people living in reality.

I'll be providing evidence that the 666 (or 616) number, as well as the mark of the beast, likely is describing Nero and the currency used the Roman Empire, respectively.

The Greek version of Nero transliterates to נרון קסר, or Resh Samekh Qoph Nun Vav Resh Nun. This yields a numerical sum of 666 in Hebrew. The Latin version of Nero transliterates to נרו קסר, or Resh Samkh Qoph Vav Resh Nun. This sums up to 616 in Hebrew.

The word that translates to "mark" in Greek is χάραγμα, which also simply means coin. Considering that Roman coins at the time bore images of Roman emperors, many Christians refused to use these because they considered them idolatrous images.

This fits in perfectly well with Revelation which was written around the time of Nero's reign, which saw an increase in Christian persecution. Not to mention that there was also a rumor spreading around after Nero died that he was going to resurrect one day and come after Christians.

 

Well, guess what..... I am not convinced by your explanation. Want to try again?

 

Nope. Want to stick your head in the sand some more?

 

Please join part 10 here

http://www.politicalforum.com/showthread.php?t=335268

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