This Place Has Changed

[Tayla]

I think this is evidenced by the fact that Christianity, in general, is shattered and in constant disagreement with each other.

Christianity is not a monolithic system. Only the Trinity and the Nicene Creed are the true backbone. Everything else is added on and people are free to do so as they see fit. When Christians disagree about something I tend to de-emphasize it, figuring they don't know what they are talking about. I let the scriptures wash over me as I read them and don't worry about what some might say are contradictions. Of course there are no contradictions: The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God.

 

[Tayla]

the bible has never been proven wrong, In fact all the time there is something that archaeologist are discovering to prove it.

Yes, the archaeological evidence supports the Bible completely if you know how to properly interpret it. That is to say, when you interpret it in light of God's revealed word, the Bible.

 

[Tayla]

One instance is how can you describe the color red to a person that is born blind? We cannot comprehend the mysteries of God

Amen. How can you interpret the Bible properly unless you first believe it is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God?

 

[Tayla]

Some of us don't take parts of Genesis literally anyway

Or other things like "Joshua commanded the sun to stand still"

I don't think Samson picked up a donkey's jawbone and before he put it back down he had killed a THOUSAND Phillistines with it - kinda hyperbole

Of course these things literally happened. We should interpret the Bible strictly literally. Once you start interpreting certain passages as mere stories, you will not be able to stop, and one by one it will all unravel.

 

[Tayla]

I used to be a member here over ten years ago and things are looking different.

Are you on ReligiousForums? They are more friendly to Atheists.

 

[Tayla]

I had had a dramatic direct encounter with Jesus Christ the person, and I couldn't reason myself out of either that event, the truths he told me, or the impact it had on me. So over the course of 30 years the focus of my faith changed. I still use my reason - our minds matter to God - but I've found that "reason" (and logic) is heavily affected by often unrecognised assumptions and by perspective.

Yes, our reason must be informed by our faith, otherwise it can come to all sorts of "unreasonable" conclusions. Unaided reason simply cannot be trusted.

 

[Tayla]

a fair number of archaeological findings are to be expected. What isn't going to be found, and hasn't, will be the outlandish supernatural nonsense.

Neither science nor archaeology nor history are capable of detecting the supernatural. For example, if you see walls fallen over, you will assume they fell over for a naturalistic cause even if the cause was supernatural. Only when interpreted by the Bible can you know the true story.

 

[Tayla]

Correct me if I am wrong but it sounds like you came to realize you were never in the faith.

Yes, Calvinists have no other explanation for apostasy.

 

[Tayla]

Considering the historic Church never taught such madness, I can see why those outside the church may be scratching their heads.

Yes, we Christians should emphasize what the early church taught. After all, they were closer to apostolic teaching which is the authority for Christian faith (they wrote the New Testament, after all).

 

[Tayla]

I have a mental image in my head of everyone here aiming a fire extinguisher at me.

I don't have a fire extinguisher. Nor a flame thrower. Maybe some holy water is all I'll sprinkle you with.

 

[Tayla]

I look at the world around me and at the cosmos and it really does give me pause and fill me with wonder.

Yes. But it seems to me there is obviously something outside of this material physical universe. The subjective experience of consciousness for one. Science can't explain this except with nonsense such as:

1. It's an emergent property
   
2. It's an illusion

 

[Tayla]

It won't happen because he is the figment of the imagination of bronze age shepherds who couldn't even understand why it rained. They had an excuse to be so gullible.

I think this explanation of the source of the monotheism of the Israelites leading ultimately to Christianity; I think it's rather shallow. I think a better explanation is via revelation directly from God. Why would these people abandon their many gods for one true God who is so radically different otherwise?

 

[Tayla]

God is not here to solve our problems (as you said you need a God to solve problems)
when one becomes a Christian, it doesn't mean all of a sudden life becomes easy, often it even becomes more difficult but God give us the strength to get through

Actually, we need God to solve the biggest problem of all: our separation from him because of sin. But I don't think that's what you were referring to...

 

[Tayla]

By the way, I didn't see a hint of anger in Blue's post. He seems perfectly friendly and even keeled to me.

Yes, no anger. Some of the Christians seem angry.

 

[Tayla]

Those who adhere to that position are few in number and yet those who profess the indwelling of the holy spirit is quite large. Has the lord confounded their wisdom too or has he simply seen fit to withhold this breakthrough from them?

This is my problem with the charismatic movement. Everybody claims God is speaking through them, kind of like trance channelers. Why should we believe their utterances, yet we are supposed to sit there and say "amen".

 

[Shek]

There used to be an interesting group of atheists here. Not sure if there still are. Where you guys at?

Your opening post is intriguing.

I don't mean to pry, but I am curious....since I just vacated another Christian forum BECAUSE of atheists mocking believers.

What caused you to walk away?

My apologies if you explained already....I'll go back and see if you did.

 

[Shek]

Certainly the whole idea leads to some fun thought experiments i.e., what if we're all living in the matrix?

If you're being serious, quantum mechanics says that our known Universe is in fact a hologram.

And I have an interesting theory that you might enjoy? But sadly, for atheists....I use it to support what's written in the Bible simply because there are numerous instances that show it to be true or at least possible.

The 'theory' is a multi-level paradox.

The multiverse does exist in this theory as well as the Mandela Effect.

There's an apocryphal book (Thomas I think, if I remember right?) that records an instance of retro-causation and the multi-verse implied.

There's also a possible occurrence of time travel recorded in the NT, that being Jesus appeared in two places at the same time. This can only be possible if Jesus' body were all-light....

Einstein's theory of relativity can show how this event actually happened.