Here is a question in which I was tagged from another post. Im sharing my response below, but please (non-Christians & Christians) feel free to share YOUR response: -------------------------------------- *** Q: If Youre A Believer, Please Explain: Why Sinners Will Burn In Hell For Eternity, Although Jesus Died For Our Sin? *** A: Before “Believers” answer the question of this post, I would really appreciate if they would first explain some other Biblical inconsistencies first, such as: Why is the Bible not internally consistent? It is not even one book...it’s 66 books, with thousands of contradictions and discrepancies. In fact, there are even contradictions in the basic theology. For example, the Old Testament predicts a Messiah who will become ruler of the Jews and establish a physical kingdom on Earth. Jesus didnt do that. What the New Testament writers did was reinterpret everything in the Old Testament to make it fit in with their beliefs: The Serpent became Satan. Satan became evil. Lucifer became Satan. The OT praises and psalms became prophecies of Jesus, although they werent. ...please explain why how most of the alleged fulfilled prophecies by Christians were either (1) imaginary ones that were never intended to be, (2) ambiguous, or (3) didnt even come true (such as prophecies of Tyres destruction, Moses and the Promised Land, etc). ...please explain why they believe a book to be “holy”, when it was simply decided on by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD (this council decided which books were to be included as canon and which were to be thrown out). Am I to believe that this council is infallible? ...please explain why the Bible does not REALLY claim to be Gods word, or divinely inspired, although this is what many Christians believe. If you look at several books of the Bible, you will see that they are simply letters sent to some group or church. In fact, there are only 3 verses that are used to claim that it is Gods word, but they don’t even claim to apply to the whole Bible. The funny thing is that Christians heavily emphasize Biblical inerrancy and divine inspiration, while the Bible itself does not. But even if it did make that claim, so what? I could write a book and at the beginning start with, This is the word of God... But that does not make it so. Besides, EVERYONE knows that the napkin religion is the only true religion (LOL)! ...please explain why you’ve come to accept the Bible as that which is historically, archaeologically, and scientifically sound. Just because a written work contains real places and cities, does not make it all true. Greek mythology mentions Mt. Olympus (which is a real place), but does that mean all the stories about the Greek Gods were true? Any book can include historical events and places, but that doesnt make it “Gods word”, or infallible in any way. It is easy to mix fact and fiction together...this is a no-brainer. For example, the story and film, The Wizard of Oz features Dorothy in Kansas. Just because Kansas is a real place does not mean the entire story is true and accurate. You see what I mean? Plus many historical events described in the Bible are unproven and ambiguous, such as the captivity of the Israelites in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the resurrection, King Herods census in Bethlehem, etc. ...please explain why no one “truly” knows who wrote the Gospels. There are different theories. So you gotta ask, Why would anyone writing such an important book to save the world be anonymous, rather than put his full name to it?! Does such an anonymous writer expect to be taken seriously? Again, just because its written in a book, doesnt mean its true. Why not take the Quran or Book of Mormon as truth by default too? I can write a book that says that you have to believe in me to go to heaven too, but would that mean its true? Besides, the gospels were written 40 -70 years after the crucifixion, which means that most of what we read about Jesus in the Bible was handed down orally for two to three generations before one word of it achieved written form. The gospels were also first written in Greek, a language which neither Jesus nor his disciples spoke or wrote! How can anyone claim inerrancy for such material? As to the resurrection witnesses, well, they simply exist only in the Gospels. There is no independent verification of them, or of the resurrection itself. There are no non-Christian sources who attest to them. Paul says that there were 500 witnesses, but one man claiming that there were 500 witnesses is not the same as 500 people actually claiming to be witnesses. Again, this is a classic case of Christians using fiction to support fiction, and a horrid case of circular reasoning. I could use the same arguments to prove that Superman had super powers. For instance, I could say that Superman stopped a runaway train by grabbing it and slowing it to a halt. When he did so, there were many passengers on board who were eyewitnesses to what Superman did. This proves that Superman had super powers. See how easy that is? Moreover, even if a person with supernatural powers were to come and do amazing things, including seemingly dying and rising again, that doesnt mean he is God, or infallible, or controls the eternal souls of everyone. Magicians could do seemingly such things (e.g. David Blaine, David Copperfield), and Extraterrestrials with advanced technology could come and do amazing things with their technology which defies our explanation, but that doesnt mean that they are our ‘Gods’. ...please explain why Jesus didnt write down anything (at least nothing of which we’re aware). All that you know about him were written by others...his alleged followers. We do not even know if any of his direct disciples wrote anything down. Therefore, the stories about him are all hearsay... by unknown sources. No one knows who Jesus really was, what he said, or if he even existed - since he has so many resemblances to ancient Pagan Gods and mythologies, and his teachings have so many parallels with Buddhism (many of which came WAY before he dawned upon the scene). This is why secular historians, while they believe in a historical Jesus, do not believe that the Jesus depicted in the Gospels even existed. Regarding Christians’ personal testimonies, changed lives, and miracles... well, they exist in ALL religions. Christians seems to insinuate that their faith is unique in this regard, but it is not. Many Muslims and Mormons will tell you that God touched their hearts too, and that theyve experienced him in their souls as well, which proved to them that their faith was true. So what? Even Scientologist members have made such claims. I dont doubt that some kind of spiritual or psychological purification happened to these people. The point is, since testimonials and changed lives are NOT unique to Christianity, they cannot claim it as proof that their faith is the only way to God or truer than others. After all, why is a Christians testimony more valid than a Muslims? Each calling the other deceived by Satan is not a valid reason at all. ...please explain why God would need people to write down his word. If he had a word cant he write it himself, or materialize it like ‘Q’ does in Star Trek? Or better yet, just appear in person and tell everyone his word? That would be much fairer than being invisible and judging people by their willingness to give blind trust and faith in unseen things, which is not reasonable at all. There are hundreds of questions like this I could ask because, outside of the realm of allegory and Metaphysics, the Bible version of reality makes no sense at all, and it contradicts the notion of an all-loving, all-wise, omnipotent, and perfect God. ...please explain why, when you have run out of absurd excuses and impotent defenses for Christianity, you implement ‘Pascals Wager’ and the ‘Trilemma argument’. Pascals Wager states that if you deny Christ and you are right, then you lose nothing. But if you deny him and you are wrong, then there will be eternal consequences. So, youre better off betting on Christ, just in case you are wrong if you dont. Wow. I could spin that around and say to Christians, Youd better accept the Quran just in case, because if you dont, there may be eternal consequences. So what should you do then? Become both Christian and Muslim, which both say the other is false? Beloveds, you cant really believe in something out of fear of punishment. The heart simply doesnt work that way. As to the Trilemma argument (“Lord, Liar or Lunatic”, originally proposed by C.S. Lewis - author of the Narnia Chronicles)...GIVE ME A BREAK! I know Christians think this one is irrefutable, but its not. Again, it takes a fictional story, and proposes three choices (with the assumption that the story is real). What Christians forget, is that historians believe in a fourth explanation: the Gospels are myths and not historical events. Therefore, it should be a “Quadrilemma” - Lord, Liar, Lunatic, or Legend – and legend is the most logical conclusion, since no historical evidence or sources support these alleged events. Once the Christian believes that the Bible is infallible truth and authority, his/her mind becomes HIJACKED in that such a belief will place Christian teaching at the TOP of the hierarchy in their mind, with Truth becoming subservient to it. In other words, Truth must serve the Bible, not the other way around, so that all facts and data MUST conform to the Bible or be rejected. What this means it that the Bible and their beliefs can NEVER be questioned, even if its false, because it has occupied the highest seat of power in their minds. However, if Christians were to place Truth at the top - above the Bible - then they could question and analyze the Bible, and see the obvious errors, contradictions and irresolvable problems with it. But, instead, they place Christianity above Truth, so that their beliefs can never be questioned no matter how absurd, thus creating a completely closed and circular loop. This is the epitome of brainwashing. Thus, in a sense, the Gospel is like a trojan horse that offers the new convert everything, at the expense of hijacking and imprisoning their own mind. No thanks...I will remain the ‘happy heretic’ that I AM.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 01:07:59 +0000
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