Ask a Christian philosopher a question

[oi_antz]

Yes, generally speaking, making a claim without appropriate evidence is not the best way to navigate reality.

Can you please explain why you have believed I am wrong to apply the same judgement to this statement:

Much like any religion proliferates, I suppose. In the case of Christianity, Constantine seems to have single handedly resurrected a pretty much dead religion.

 

[oi_antz]

Here is a good example.

Indeed.

Davian, do you think it is not possible that Genesis accounts did transpire generations? Please explain why.

 

[anonymous person]

Which part of "racist, sexist, genocidal, slave-driving rapists" is in doubt? Racist? "Philistine" has become a derogatory term in Judeo-Christianity. Sexist? Hah, do I even have to bother? Genocidal? Well, have you read the book of Joshua? Slave-driving? There are plenty of well-known verses on this. Rapists? Well, they had 10 commandments and accidentally left out "Thou shalt not rape"? On a related note, did the ancient Jews even have a word for "rape"?

But here is some hard evidence for you:

Racist:

You could charge foreigners interest, but you could not charge a fellow Jew interest. Deuteronomy 23:19-20.

You could own a foreign slave indefinitely (Leviticus 25:44-46), but you could only own a Jew slave for 6 years (Exodus 21:2).

Jesus refers to gentiles as dogs. Matthew 15:22-28.

Sexist:

I won't even bother explaining these verses.

Genesis 3:16. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. Leviticus 12:2-5.

Genocidal:

How about the entire book of Joshua? Or if that's too much, read chapter 10.


Slave-driving:

You may beat your slaves as long as you don't kill them or cause permanent injury. Exodus 21:20-27.

Slaves are regarded as property and may be passed down as inheritance. Leviticus 25:44-46.

Rapists:

Deuteronomy 22:28-29.




Except that everything I listed above came straight from God.




And look where that approach got you.




Joseph Smith said he saw and did certain things. There is no real evidence to either substantiate it or falsify it, so you are clearly not using the methodology that you claim to be using.



Good evidence that Jesus' body was not in its grave and was never found? Even if true, what does it prove?

Also your "good evidence" came from second-hand sources decades after the fact.

I have some books that have helped me come to a better understanding of the Bible that deals with a lot of the points you have tried to make. I will send them to you for free. Would you like me to send them to you?

 

[Ana the Ist]

You have told me that there is no evidence for oi's beliefs.

What I am asking is why you think that.

Responding by saying that there is no evidence for oi's beliefs is simply arguing in a circle.

It would be like me saying that there is evidence for oi's beliefs and then you asking me why I thought that, to which I responded, "there is evidence for oi's beliefs."

One does not prove or demonstrate anything when they do this.

Lol are you asking for evidence that there's no evidence?

"It would be like me saying that there is evidence for oi's beliefs and then you asking me why I thought that, to which I responded, "there is evidence for oi's beliefs."

If you claimed there's evidence for oi's beliefs....the next step would be presenting that evidence.

If you claimed there's no evidence for oi's beliefs...the next step is for oi (or someone who believes they have evidence) to present any evidence that could refute the claim "there is no evidence".

If you're having trouble with this I can probably find you some links related to burden of proof and negative claims.

 

[bhsmte]

Are you happy for me to decode this as "no"?

You seem to need a lot of decoding.

 

[HitchSlap]

Can you please explain why you have believed I am wrong to apply the same judgement to this statement:

What??

 

[Davian]

Indeed.

Davian, do you think it is not possible that Genesis accounts did transpire generations? Please explain why.

Another good example.

 

[oi_antz]

What??

Ah I see what went wrong: I have jumped the gun. Can you please show me the evidence you have for the following claim:

Constantine seems to have single handedly resurrected a pretty much dead religion.

 

[oi_antz]

Anther good example.

.. The question was asked in order to obtain information.. yet you refuse to give the information, but also think you are right to do it, and that I am wrong somehow? Why?

 

[Ana the Ist]

Indeed.

Davian, do you think it is not possible that Genesis accounts did transpire generations? Please explain why.

What do you mean by "transpire generations"?

 

[HitchSlap]

Ah I see what went wrong: I have jumped the gun. Can you please show me the evidence you have for the following claim:

Seriously?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great_and_Christianity

 

[Nihilist Virus]

I have some books that have helped me come to a better understanding of the Bible that deals with a lot of the points you have tried to make. I will send them to you for free. Would you like me to send them to you?

Are they e-books or PDFs? If so then I would appreciate that very much. But I'm not going to "drop my dox."

 

[anonymous person]

Are they e-books or PDFs? If so then I would appreciate that very much. But I'm not going to "drop my dox."

They are soft back books.

 

[oi_antz]

Seriously?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great_and_Christianity

Thanks. Which words in that article do you see to support your words "a pretty much dead religion."?

 

[HitchSlap]

Thanks. Which words in that article do you see to support your words "a pretty much dead religion."?

It's generally accepted by all scholars that without the benefit of Constantine's insistence of using Christianity as a political tool, Christianity would not enjoy the popularity we see today.

 

[Aelred of Rievaulx]

It's generally accepted by all scholars that without the benefit of Constantine's insistence of using Christianity as a political tool, Christianity would not enjoy the popularity we see today.

There isn't just one situation which gave Christianity the political presence in Europe. There's a myriad of reasons why Christianity became the religion of Europe and they have more to do with the Early and High Middle Ages.

Christianity enjoyed a considerable presence in Asia and Africa deep into the Medieval period owing almost nothing to Constantine.

 

[Davian]

.. The question was asked in order to obtain information..

It appeared to be constructed so as to have me defend a position that I do not hold.

yet you refuse to give the information,

Information that I do not have.

but also think you are right to do it,

I did not see it as right or wrong.

and that I am wrong somehow? Why?

I don't know if you are even wrong.

 

[Chriliman]

Pure desires, get in the way of objectivity. If you simply desire badly enough to believe in something, your mind will figure out a way to convince yourself of the same.

I am quite certain, some Muslims strongly desire their religion to be correct and Hindu's strongly desire for their religion to be correct and they convince themselves, that it is.

Can you see the difference between desiring a perfectly good God to be true and desiring a particular religion to be true?

 

[Davian]

Can you see the difference between desiring a perfectly good God to be true and desiring a particular religion to be true?

I don't know. Show me a god that doesn't come bundled as a part of some sort of religion.

 

[bhsmte]

Can you see the difference between desiring a perfectly good God to be true and desiring a particular religion to be true?

Not really, no.