Part 36 of Post Your Tough Questions Regarding Christianity

Ah. Brother to Ming the Merciless. At least Ming had a good taste in women. Good job they're both fictional.

 

Well, the Dawkins quote is not about biological evolution, which is Dawkins' area of expertise. He is not a theologian or a scholar of religion. Still, that sentence from the beginning of Chapter 2 of The God Delusion is quite accurate, although I can think of a few other unpleasant fictional characters that might rival the Abrahamic God.

 

Ashurnasirpal II (Assyrian King) 883-859 BCE. His harshness prompted a revolt that he crushed decisively in a pitched, two-day battle. According to his monument inscription, while recalling this massacre he says "their men young and old I took prisoners. Of some I cut off their feet and hands; of others I cut off the ears noses and lips; of the young men's ears I made a heap; of the old men's heads I made a minaret. I exposed their heads as a trophy in front of their city. The male children and the female children I burned in flames; the city I destroyed, and consumed with fire". Following this victory, he advanced without opposition as far as the Mediterranean and exacted tribute from Phoenicia.
I wonder why?

 

Your claim that there is no reference in the OT to the "Son of God" or the concept of a Son of God is incorrect:

Dan_3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.


Though yes this is a NT reference, but it points out what is understood in the case of Adam’s original relationship with the Lord God, that was “lost”, that A&E died to. Note the word “was” but the Christian view Jesus is the Son of God. There is a school of thought that uses the term as Jesus as the second Adam. Hence through one all are fallen and through one all are restored.

Luk 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.


Also, it is understood that God is a Spirit, therefore what is of a spirit? Even though Adam and Eve were flesh they were also spirit. Mankind is spirit and flesh, but what spirit is the question that is the concern in the relationship with the Almighty and His people.


Hence the flesh is substance of place to be, whereas spirit is the life therein. There is Spirit that is in the Light that is Light, and there is spirit that is in darkness that is darkness.

Also in the Gospels, they were also angry because Jesus said His Father was in Heaven referring to God made Him equal to God. And the first chapter in the Gospel according to John states plainly the relationship of Son of God and God the Father. The Son of God is the Word of God made flesh, hence God’s Word from and of Him.


The Presence of God (Holy Spirit) is God and is as powerful as God, the Word of God that goes out from the Presence of God is of God and is as powerful as God. The three are one and the same, but all three are not without the other and are God to anything else in existence.

 

Genesis 6:4. Job 1:6 There are plenty of sons of god in the OT. In fact the Jews consider themselves as sons of god.


כה עָנֵה וְאָמַר, הָא-אֲנָה חָזֵה גֻּבְרִין אַרְבְּעָה שְׁרַיִן מַהְלְכִין בְּגוֹ-נוּרָא, וַחֲבָל, לָא-אִיתַי בְּהוֹן; וְרֵוֵהּ דִּי רביעיא (רְבִיעָאָה), דָּמֵה לְבַר-אֱלָהִין. {ס}
25 He answered and said: 'Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.'

 

Nah mate, Jesus would have been just as big without the Old T to back him up because people could see with their own eyes he was something special, and here's why..-

The 37 MIRACLES OF JESUS
"..even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."- John 10:38
Bringing little girl back to life
Bringing widows son back to life
Bringing Lazarus back to life
Stilling the storm
Feeding 4000
Walking on sea
Feeding 5000
Coin in fishes mouth
Withering fig tree
Big catch of fish
Water into wine
Another big fish catch
Healing leper
Healing Centurions servant
Healing Peters mother-in-law
Healing sick at evening
Healing paralysed man
Healing haemorraging woman
Healing two blind men
Healing mans withered hand
Healing Canaanite womans daughter
Healing boy with seizures
Healing blind man
Healing deaf and dumb man
Healing another blind man
Healing crippled woman
Healing man with dropsy
Healing 10 lepers
Restoring a cut-off ear
Healing noblemans sons fever
Healing crippled man at Bethesda
Healing a born-blind man
Casting out demons into pigs
Curing a mute lunatic
Casting out dirty spirit
Curing a possessed blind-dumb man
Appeared to his followers after his death

http://www.bcbsr.com/survey/jmrcls.html
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If they thought themselves to be sons of God then why did they seek to crucify and or kill Jesus Christ who was also a Jew in the following incident? not to mention other incidents documented in the Gospels.


Joh_5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

they continually pressed Jesus to tell them if He was the Son of God or not. and even though in their accusations that the Son of God wouldn't be or do as they interpreted what Jesus was doing, they still acknowledged that there is such a thing as the "Son of God", the coming Messiah, they just didn't want it to be Jesus. their expectations were something else.

 

Jesus spoke in an easy way that needed no "interpretation"-
"And the common people heard him gladly" (Mark 12:37)

Same with the atheist Dawkins-

 

A&E, Noah, Abraham and Moses are all fictional characters. Just study Egyptian, Mesopotamian history and culture against the Bible and it obvious. To believe that a 'Moses' wrote the Torah and was able to give the details of family generations over a long period, a thousand years after they existed is ridiculous.

Of course teacher Jesus quoted them. He was a good Jew who had been 'educated' from the age of 5 in the Tanakh. He believed because he had no reason not too. We have far more knowledge than he ever had.

You've seen God? All we have are human attributes to a god who seems to be omni everything, yet actually no-one can describe him

The rest is purely your doctrinal interpretation.

 

What are you talking about? Science hasn't demolished anything regarding the foundations of the Christian faith. First off, science can't prove/disprove God/Holy Bible, and it never will.

Science has no explanation on how the universe came into existence. So why hasn't science given us a thorough explanation of how the universe and everything in it came to be? Well it's because they just can't, all they have are theories, speculations, guesswork.

For a long time scientists believed that the universe was eternal, it always existed, it never had a beginning. Well our ancient ancestors told us several thousands of years ago the universe had a beginning, and only now our beloved scientists agree with our ancient ancestors that indeed the universe had a beginning, so it took science several thousands of years to catch up to what our ancient ancestors had told us all along that the universe had a beginning.

The universe having a beginning means it is not eternal and so it had a cause. So the question is, what/who caused the universe to come into existence? The Christian faith answers the question by saying Almighty God the Creator is the cause. He is the uncaused Being that caused the universe and everything in it to come into existence. He is uncaused because He is the Eternal One, having no beginning, having no end.

Philosopher J. S. Mill (not a Christian) summed up where we have now come to: “It is self-evident that only Mind can create mind.” The only rational and reasonable conclusion is that an eternal Creator is the one who is responsible for reality as we know it. Or to put it in a logical set of statements:

• Something exists.
• You do not get something from nothing.
• Therefore a necessary and eternal “something” exists.
• The only two options are an eternal universe and an eternal Creator.
• Science and philosophy have disproven the concept of an eternal universe.
• Therefore, an eternal Creator exists.

We read in Scripture:

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." ---Romans 1:20 NLT

 

If ancient tribes needed zapping, God did it, just as the Allies zapped the nazis, japs and now ISIS..
Oh, and Dawks isn't all sweetness and light either-

 

They didn't acknowledge that there was such a thing as the 'Son Of God'. The fact that they knew there wasn't 'the Son of God' so it was blasphemy. The first charge brought against him.

You really have little idea of Palestine in the 1st century. You're so keen for the Bible to be right you ignore anything that might prove it true.

 

Prove they're all fictional..
Of course he knew the scriptures, and because he was filled with the holy spirit he knew that they referred to himself-
"All things about me in the law of Moses,the Prophets and the Psalms,must be fulfilled" (Luke 24:44)
"The scriptures testify about me...Moses wrote about me" (John 5:46)
And God himself confirmed it-
"This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, listen to him" (Matt 17:5)

 

Quote If ancient tribes needed zapping, God did it, just as the Allies zapped the nazis, japs and now ISIS.. Quote

As usual you ignore the people who posed no threat to the Jews, the people who were quietly going about their lives when they were violently attacked by the Jews wanting their cities in Palestine. God condemned them to satisfy his promises to 'his people'.

Of course this didn't really happen. But if you do believe it, what does this make god?

You pick and chose what you reply to, to suit yourself. You keep posting lists of miracles for which there is no proof, and ignore the fact that your quotes from the OT are simply out of context. You're too tied up in believing what you want to believe to bother to actually study.

 

• How did he know what form is like the son of God?
• Were the other equal to the fourth in that they also walked unhurt in the midst of the fire?

 

Christianity would be so much easier if Marcion had won out.

 

Of course we can't see him because he's not a material being!
"God is Spirit, and his worshippers must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)
He's a 'Force' that fills the universe-
"Am I only a nearby God? Can you hide? I fill heaven and earth" (Jer 23:23/4)
Christians have 'tapped into' that Force which is why they're cool, calm, goodnatured and fearless.
And although we can't see God, we can hear him speaking through the ancient prophets and Jesus..
Jesus said - "I say nothing of my own accord, I only say what my father tells me to say.." (John 12:49)

 

I've already explained the ridiculous stories in terms of known and proven history. And why Jesus believed them. Your teacher at school drummed many things into you still believe, and other things you no longer believe because we have more knowledge today. Jesus had no reason not to believe.
Anyone who has STUDIED these scriptures knows they DO NOT refer to Jesus.
And how do you know Jesus was filled with the holy spirit. Because the Bible tells you?

Transfiguration? believe what you wish.

 

1- If the Jews attacked other peoples, why are you blaming God?
2- Who do you think it was who all the eyewitnesses saw doing miracles, Nanny McPhee?..
"Large crowds from Galilee, the Ten Cities, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him" (Matt 4:25)

 

We read in Scripture:

17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.​

Science has disproved that a flood that covered the entire earth and wiped out all but Ark riders ever occurred.
Chinese history disproves that a flood that covered the entire earth and wiped out all but Ark riders ever occurred.

So much for your "foundations of the Christian faith".

 

A force? A good 'term' but it has no meaning because no-one knows god. There are many forces in the Universe. Is god one of these?.

 

Did Matthew personally hear the voice of God or is he telling a story of a story?

 

We can't see him, but Matthew heard him. Hmmm.

 

1- I was expelled from school because I didn't believe in the useless gunk my teachers were trying to drum into me like algebra, geometry, technical drawing etc..
2- Of course we know Jesus had the holy spirit in him, here let him tell you himself..-
"..even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10:3

 

He heard God speaking through Jesus..
Jesus said - "I say nothing of my own accord, I only say what my father tells me to say.." (John 12:49)