I’m one who likes to look at both sides of an issue.
Sometimes this causes me great indecision because I usually see the virtues and deficiencies of opposing perspectives and have a hard time completely settling on one side or the other.
And sometimes it frustrates my friends, because I don’t usually stand within the lines drawn by a particular convention. It’s part of my INTJ makeup.
Well, recently, my objectivity caused quite a stir because I decided to look over the fence and view the landscape from the atheist’s perspective and see what I could learn.
Lo, and behold! I discovered 10 rock-solid reasons for becoming an atheist.
- I don’t believe in God because I’ve never seen him. People are always talking about God, telling others they need to obey God, worship God, and even serve God, but just like Zeus, I’ve never seen him. And since I’ve never seen him, I can’t think of a single reason to believe he exists.
- I don’t believe in God because he didn’t answer my prayer. I prayed like the Bible said, and I prayed real hard too. But I didn’t get my prayer answered, and this one was real important to me. How can I believe in a God who tells people to pray but doesn’t answer my prayers? Either God doesn’t exist, or he’s playing games with people’s lives. There’s no other way to look at it!
- I don’t believe in God because the ordered universe is just a random act that created itself from nothing. Some really smart scientists have come to that conclusion; and even though it doesn’t totally make sense to me, they’re more intelligent than normal people, so I trust them completely.
- I don’t believe in God because I don’t need a crutch to get me through life. I can take care of myself. I can meet my own needs. People who believe in God are just weak, and desperate to make sense of the world so they can satisfy their own need to have a purpose for existing. I’m big enough to accept my life is a random cosmic accident without despairing over it.
- I don’t believe in God because there is injustice in the world. If there was a God, surely he would intervene and help all the innocent people. And if he did exist but let bad people do anything they wanted, I couldn’t respect him, anyway. Either God exists and I can’t respect him; or, he doesn’t, and injustice is just part of the natural selection process.
- I don’t believe in God because religion is the reason for most wars. Just look at the crusades in the middle ages. At least atheists live and let live. They tolerate everyone no matter what they believe. Just look at all the atheist leaders throughout the 20th century. That’s true morality.
- I don’t believe in God because science and God are mutually exclusive of each other. Since scientists have empirical evidence on their side, they have the whole truth. Furthermore, scientists are only motivated by the truth, so they always treat data objectively. That’s why I believe in science.
- I don’t believe in God, because I don’t want anyone being the boss of me—especially in respect to my sex life. The best thing for this world is to get rid of religion and just let people live their lives the way they want without interference. Besides, religious people think their morality is the only right morality. But we all know they just like to use guilt to control people.
- I don’t believe in God because there are so many different religions and denominations. They can’t all be right, obviously. Who is the authority on matters of faith anyway? By its very virtue, faith is totally blind and subjective. If there was a God, he would have revealed himself and made the truth plain. There wouldn’t be any mystery to his existence.
- I don’t believe in God because the ancient texts can’t be trusted. Just because a message about God, or from God, was written down doesn’t prove it’s true. Besides, the manuscripts of the Bible are just translations of copies of copies of copies, anyway. Who knows what the originals even said? Furthermore, the Bible is full of contradictions. That much I’m sure of because I studied it out once. And, who even knows if the writers were telling the truth? They probably just made the whole thing up to get rich or take advantage of people.
What do you think? I’d love any advice you have for me? Let me know in the comments.
Grt. questions, Pastor Scott! Can you answer ea. of them in 25 words or less? L. 🙂
I couldn’t. Ha,ha!
Grt. questions, Pastor Scott! Can you answer ea. of them in 25 words or less? L. 🙂
I couldn’t. Ha,ha!
Great test! Thanks!
1. I would ask you, have you looked for God? Do you see order and meaning in the world? What do you think about morality?
2. What was the problem you prayed about? What happened? Do you mind if I pray for you?
3. If the universe as you say, is random, then there really is no order. How then can we trust our own brains? Or the brains of those scientists? Aren’t their thoughts just random chemical reactions to random stimuli? How is it then that we all percieve order alike or that we can recognise predictable patterns in the natural world?
4. Good for you. I admit, Jesus is my crutch. I lean on Him. But at least I am standing. Why does that make you uncomfortable? If you don’t care about God why do you care if I do?
5. Who says there is injustice in the world? So, are you saying that there is indeed a universal law that some obey and others violate? Imagine what a world would look like if no one ever could do anything wrong. There would be no such thing as free will. Do you belive people have free will? Have you ever made a mistake in judgement or done a selfish thing? What did you learn from that expirience? Isn’t it possible that God knew, when He created mankind, what it would take to make us really like Himself? That is, willing to freely choose the right way, and forgive when wronged, and be kind to the undeserving?
6. I don’t want to be merely tolorated, do you? Stalin was an Atheist, as was Hitler and Pol Pot. But mankind throughout history have used religion to control people, you are right there. From Pharoes to Caesars to Kings. That is not a new idea, Machiovelli wrote about it. But that is not true religion; or as you say true morality. True morality is between you and God and your neighbor. Again I ask, where does this true morality come from?
7. So you believe all scientists are completely objective? I would argue the contrary. All people see things from their own point of veiw. How can we not? Science can tell us a great many things about how the universe works, but not why. It cannot tell us why the world is arranged as it is or why the solar system is as it is. All it can do is state facts that say that this or that thing is as it is. And certainly it is apparent from your other arguements that you do believe in morality; science cannot explain morality. Why should a person jump in the river to save a drowning child even though it is safer to stay on land?
8. Do you believe it is wrong to use other people for personal gain or pleasure? So you believe in personal autonomy. What about when you need to have another person involved to exercise your right to do what you want? What about their right not to be used in that way? What is wrong with guilt? Doesn’t guilt sometimes motivate us to treat others better?
9. If there was an Authority on matters of faith and right and wrong, would you be willing to submit to that Authority? If God has revealed His will, what would that mean to you? I think we are all on a journey to learn the truth about Him, which is why, I think, there are so many religions. I believe there is evidence all around us and we need to use our minds to interpret what we see, and think, and expirience. If there is an overarching law of right and wrong, that all people recognise, it is strong evidence of a Lawgiver.
10. Would you be willing to die for a cause? Many are, many aren’t. But, what if you saw something that would really change peoples’ lives if they knew; you knew it was true and were then told to say you didn’t see it on pain of death; to lie. Would you? Do you believe in Caesar Augustus? Do you know that there is much less evedence for the historicity of Caesar Augustus than there is for Jesus of Nazareth? We do not have autographs of Plato’s writings but yet we believe that he did write. Jesus is the most studied personality in history. That fact alone should give you pause. The Apostles did not profit from their testamony, they died for it. They felt it was worth the price. Have you ever asked yourself why so many people though the ages have followed Jesus? I mean regular people, like yourself; as intelligent as you, with feelings and hardships such as yours. Also ask yourself this: why do people feel so strongly about Him? Why do the Atheists get so mad about Him? Why do they care if people have a hope of heaven or not?
Thanks Mr. Postma for an excellent exercise. This was fun and challenging. Please feel free to critique my work, if you have the time, I want to improve as an apologist and Christian. Cheers!
Great test! Thanks!
1. I would ask you, have you looked for God? Do you see order and meaning in the world? What do you think about morality?
2. What was the problem you prayed about? What happened? Do you mind if I pray for you?
3. If the universe as you say, is random, then there really is no order. How then can we trust our own brains? Or the brains of those scientists? Aren’t their thoughts just random chemical reactions to random stimuli? How is it then that we all percieve order alike or that we can recognise predictable patterns in the natural world?
4. Good for you. I admit, Jesus is my crutch. I lean on Him. But at least I am standing. Why does that make you uncomfortable? If you don’t care about God why do you care if I do?
5. Who says there is injustice in the world? So, are you saying that there is indeed a universal law that some obey and others violate? Imagine what a world would look like if no one ever could do anything wrong. There would be no such thing as free will. Do you belive people have free will? Have you ever made a mistake in judgement or done a selfish thing? What did you learn from that expirience? Isn’t it possible that God knew, when He created mankind, what it would take to make us really like Himself? That is, willing to freely choose the right way, and forgive when wronged, and be kind to the undeserving?
6. I don’t want to be merely tolorated, do you? Stalin was an Atheist, as was Hitler and Pol Pot. But mankind throughout history have used religion to control people, you are right there. From Pharoes to Caesars to Kings. That is not a new idea, Machiovelli wrote about it. But that is not true religion; or as you say true morality. True morality is between you and God and your neighbor. Again I ask, where does this true morality come from?
7. So you believe all scientists are completely objective? I would argue the contrary. All people see things from their own point of veiw. How can we not? Science can tell us a great many things about how the universe works, but not why. It cannot tell us why the world is arranged as it is or why the solar system is as it is. All it can do is state facts that say that this or that thing is as it is. And certainly it is apparent from your other arguements that you do believe in morality; science cannot explain morality. Why should a person jump in the river to save a drowning child even though it is safer to stay on land?
8. Do you believe it is wrong to use other people for personal gain or pleasure? So you believe in personal autonomy. What about when you need to have another person involved to exercise your right to do what you want? What about their right not to be used in that way? What is wrong with guilt? Doesn’t guilt sometimes motivate us to treat others better?
9. If there was an Authority on matters of faith and right and wrong, would you be willing to submit to that Authority? If God has revealed His will, what would that mean to you? I think we are all on a journey to learn the truth about Him, which is why, I think, there are so many religions. I believe there is evidence all around us and we need to use our minds to interpret what we see, and think, and expirience. If there is an overarching law of right and wrong, that all people recognise, it is strong evidence of a Lawgiver.
10. Would you be willing to die for a cause? Many are, many aren’t. But, what if you saw something that would really change peoples’ lives if they knew; you knew it was true and were then told to say you didn’t see it on pain of death; to lie. Would you? Do you believe in Caesar Augustus? Do you know that there is much less evedence for the historicity of Caesar Augustus than there is for Jesus of Nazareth? We do not have autographs of Plato’s writings but yet we believe that he did write. Jesus is the most studied personality in history. That fact alone should give you pause. The Apostles did not profit from their testamony, they died for it. They felt it was worth the price. Have you ever asked yourself why so many people though the ages have followed Jesus? I mean regular people, like yourself; as intelligent as you, with feelings and hardships such as yours. Also ask yourself this: why do people feel so strongly about Him? Why do the Atheists get so mad about Him? Why do they care if people have a hope of heaven or not?
Thanks Mr. Postma for an excellent exercise. This was fun and challenging. Please feel free to critique my work, if you have the time, I want to improve as an apologist and Christian. Cheers!
Gosh…thanks. 🙂
Great post. Gives me peace knowing the truth about God and His existence. Scott, you are gifted… even though I am of another faith, I would totally love to hear you preach in your services on Sunday. You have a great spirit!
Lol!
Here are my quick thoughts:
1. Empiricism and argument from incredulity
2. Heremeneutical and theological issue. This is not an argument against the existence of God, but rather an argument against the God of the Bible and interpretation of writings about him.
3. Begging the question
4. Not a formal argument for or against anything. Just a statement of personal choice and reasons for that choice.
5. Fallacy of false cause and appeal to emotion
6. Genetic fallacy
7. Presenting a false dichotomy
8. Not a formal argument for or against anything. Just a statement of personal choice and reasons for that choice.
9. Argument from incredulity
10. Not an argument for or against the existence of God, but rather an inerrancy and textual transmission issue. Unrelated to an argument for or against God because even the faithful transmission of a religious text doesn’t prove or disprove the deity the text is about.
I enjoyed reading the responses as much as I enjoyed your article! You are amazing!!!
You’re my biggest fan 🙂
Great insights, Chris! Throw in a couple of false dilemmas, an argument from authority, a confirmation bias, and I think you covered most of them. I’m sure there are others if we look hard enough. Logic is a science that takes years to master effectively. But it’s something Christians should be more willing to develop. Be blessed, my friend!
Great article! And some insightful comments from your readers!
Thanks, Dan. Hopefully it provides some talking points to spur intelligent and apologetic dialogue about an eternal issue.
I wanted to try this for fun.Sorry if its to wordy. In an add stage last few days.I keep getting lost.By the end I felt like I was actually talking to a real person though. I was actually caring.It is not edited. I wanted the initial emotion inthere.
“I don’t believe in God because I’ve never seen him. People are always talking about God, telling others they need to obey God, worship God, and even serve God, but just like Zeus, I’ve never seen him. And since I’ve never seen him, I can’t think of a single to beleive he exists.
my answer- This may sound silly. but haave you ever asked to see him? And considered that he is a spirit, so you need to see him in a way thats not using your Eyes?It seems like that would be the first logical move here.
2.I don’t believe in God because he didn’t answer my prayer. I prayed like the Bible said, and I prayed real hard too. But I didn’t get my prayer answered, and this one was real important to me. How can I believe in a God who tells people to pray but doesn’t answer my prayers? Either God doesn’t exist, or he’s playing games with people’s lives. There’s no other way to look at it!- He always answwers . What I think many misss is when Jesus answered please for healing he often says” acording to thy beleive let it be done.”He alsogave one other explicit instruction if you have issues with someoen, like who you are prayfor I think, not sure, forgive them.Assuming the bible is not allowed for my point,I will not mention Mark 11 where it saysif the believe in your heart and do not doubt what you say will come to pass. I am not really passive aggressive.In anycase. Yes, he did answer. You just beleivede he would not answer.The proof is he did not.next time try really beleiving.
3.I don’t believe in God because the ordered universe is just a random act that created itself from nothing. Some really smart scientists have come to that conclusion; and even though it doesn’t totally make sense to me, they’re more intelligent than normal people, so I trust them completely.- So..have you ever triedto build a house by tossing lumber and sheet rock nails and tape and putty out of a plane and expecting to land exactly where it should? thats the only thing Ican think of thats pure chaos at the moment. As for intelligent, yeah I cannot argue. Although its hard to trust when you have 3 saying a quark is a wavs and a particle thats not bount to time and you have other equally educated and intelligent qualified smart guys saying the first 3 are quacks. Just saying.
4.I don’t believe in God because I don’t need a crutch to get me through life. I can take care of myself. I can meet my own needs. People who believe in God are just weak, and desperate to make sense of the world so they can satisfy their own need to have a purpose for existing. I’m big enough to accept my life is a random cosmic accident without despairing over it.-It is good you can take care of your self. Thats actually how he want it.I salute you.You should refine your attack on others dignity though. You BELIEVE those who beleive in God are weak.That is your right.It is also my right to beleive that being a carnivourse ladybug that aacts like its defensless is fun. because in this case what you do not see, ie the crutch, is actually the tip of a very big humogous universe sized sword.
5.I don’t believe in God because there is injustice in the world. If there was a God, surely he would intervene and help all the innocent people. And if he did exist but let bad people do anything they wanted, I couldn’t respect him, anyway. Either God exists and I can’t respect him; or, he doesn’t, and injustice is just part of the natural selection process.-So, you are against free will, is that what you are saying? Ok by this point, I must say something. First, I must say I admire your intense searching for truth. such good questions.Now, lets see how sincere.I cannot fully answer. You cannot understand God, because you look at him from a greek thought way.Let give a example.The Lord prayer begins, in english” Our Father…” thats tqwo worrds. This is what it really meant when Jesus said it, and how he may even have said it somewhat or with words that meant this…”Almighty creator, giver and sustainer of life”. Ok now look at this. We are not talking about a man limited by space. We are talking about the creator, the source of every linging thing, he is the existing one. He is only called he because the jewish languase has no gener neutral noun and so the noun happens to be masculine. And it has nothing to do with humanity man or woman. The almighty is much bigger than that.The Almighty is the very source of the oxygen you breath, of teh life in your soul , the sparks that keep your heart peeting. He is teh gravity that makes things work.The sun bows to the moon at night, the moon at day but both bow to him by rising only at their time. The almighty is why they do not rebel. Name it what you will. That poweer, That is the almighty.He isasgeless timless, if and wehen timce ceasesw, the Almighty will still exist because the almighty IS existance.If he did not there would be nothing.Now this is the God you want to judge as being morally bankrupt, unjust and not worthy of following. Look, he loves you, he cares for you. In the scope of time all history is a little more than a dot on a bed sheet, and your life is not even a hint of a fdor on that dot. But yet he knows you and loves you. How awesome is that. You want to reject him, its not his desire. He will allow you that choice though. Just know, if you are at sea and your boat and going down, and you decide you want his help, if you say” he big guy, look I am sorry, I was not thinking, alittlew help here, please” he is going to help..rprovided you beleive. Because his first action is always without fail, when addresing sinners” repent, do good, and I will receive you again, and heal you.”If I have not lost you, great. If I did, then you aske4d a question you really did not care about answering I suspect.
6.I don’t believe in God because religion is the reason for most wars. Just look at the crusades in the middle ages. At least atheists live and let live. They tolerate everyone no matter what they believe. That’s true morality.- 100 percent agree. Religion is evil. Keep in mind the crusades, and pretty much every war the Mother Church that makes its home in the City of the Seven hills, Is not one I will ever again choose to be associated with.They were antisemantic from their beginnings, forbidding their beleivers to even eat with Jews. No more. They are not representative of the Almighty. Ghandi liked Jesus but hate4d his Followers. I like Ghandi. Look at him for a more modern example. Martin Luthur king was like Ghandi if you want an american.
7.I don’t believe in God because science and God are mutually exclusive of each other. Since scientists have empirical evidence on their side, they have the whole truth. Furthermore, scientists are only motivated by the truth, so they always treat data objectively. That’s why I believe in science.
There is evidence. Thse scientists ignore it. There is evidence of highly advance civilizations all over the world. There are even some so old no one has any Idea what they wore call, with languages no one knows how to decifer.There are the writings of Josephus, who had access to the larges fount of the worlds knowlege in his day, the library at alexandria. Full access un restricted. Before it wasd destroyed. He quotes from people who were not even Jews. From syrans, egyptians. people who wrote about Abraham, naming places where things lke the ark landed, and naming it specifically as it still existed in his day. cirze is teh town at the base.I think its mount Hebo? its betreen turkey and seria, theres a noah temple there too. Anyway it isw in Josephus recordings 2000 years ago.There is evidence. The problem is, all your wise men choose to ignore it, or say it was debunked, though they seldom explain why they were qualified to debunk it.
8.I don’t believe in God, because I don’t want anyone being the boss of me—especially in respect to my sex life. The best thing for this world is to get rid of religion and just let people live their lives the way they want without interference. Besides, religious people think their morality is the only right morality. But we all know they just like to use guilt to control people.- I used to spend alot of time on thios. This my now stock answer to the issue.This is a fact. The bible says this, and in life it is a unainienable fact. Adam was 1 person. Then hw was two people. As in reverse clone two people.When a man and a woman join, they become one as adam was one before eve amd adam became 2.The proof? They have children. Now you mwant me to agree that two men can love each other? I can . David Loved Jonathan. The were righteous Jews so we know there was onething they did NOT do.but they loved each other.they bonded.Jesus loved one of those disciples. Love is not evil.But until you can show me a case where a man and a man join to gether and a man produces a man or woman from that union, there is no way you can say they are what the bible defines as what used to be called the sacred institution of Marriage, before it was stolen , defiled , and made common, trodden underfoot. That word has not connection with what is defined in the bible anymore.Its not hate. Its not jusdgeing. Love who you want. love is good.But biblically, a man and a woman are the only ones that can join and become one, and naturally without outside help, bear offspring, because man and women are clones of ead other, Men ..well they are not.
9.I don’t believe in God because there are so many different religions and denominations. They can’t all be right, obviously. Who is the authority on matters of faith anyway? By its very virtue, faith is totally blind and subjective. If there was a God, he would have revealed himself and made the truth plain. There wouldn’t be any mystery to his existence.
Again, religion is just personal choice. brushing your teeth or taking a bath every day is religion bydefinition look it up.Faith in english is blind and subjecting. In hebrew Faith is action. I have faith that light will turn on as I flick teh switch is jewish faith. Its a faith that is practical and active. Jewish faith sees a man being stabbed ansd if he can will try to savre teh victim. English faith will have a man who can drop to his knees and pray for the victim. Get that down. It will help.As to revealing…again have you asked, without doubt?oh, haver you forgiven him too for not answering that prayer? might want to do that.
10.I don’t believe in God because the ancient texts can’t be trusted. Just because a message about God, or from God, was written down doesn’t prove it’s true. Besides, the manuscripts of the Bible are just translations of copies of copies of copies, anyway. Who knows what the originals even said? Furthermore, the Bible is full of contradictions. That much I’m sure of because I studied it out once. And, who even knows if the writers were telling the truth? They probably just made the whole thing up to get rich or take advantage of people.
Which ones.The egytian texts ? The ones that document the history of egypt? Or the ones they may have found in mesopotamia? or are you talking about that beak they found that allowed them to tell the shape size coor of feathers, what it ate if it had teeth and how fast it ran bird? wait, sorry that last is not a text.Seriously, how are the dead sea scrools not as valid as any old egytian scrolls or the documented history of a jewish man who happens to have written sometning that goes against what you beleive? I thought your side was supposed to be neutral?
In the end I am convinced nothing I say will mastter. We aall live such short lives,that in the sceme of things we truely are nothing, which makes Gods mercy so amazing, its incomprehendable.You can do as you wish.When I do I will not care, except for myself, as thats teh instint I have been given jsut as you have.Good luck, wish you the best. Do think a bit more on this before making a final decision ..please. No preaasure. Its just a request.
I wanted to try this for fun.Sorry if its to wordy. In an add stage last few days.I keep getting lost.By the end I felt like I was actually talking to a real person though. I was actually caring.It is not edited. I wanted the initial emotion inthere.
“I don’t believe in God because I’ve never seen him. People are always talking about God, telling others they need to obey God, worship God, and even serve God, but just like Zeus, I’ve never seen him. And since I’ve never seen him, I can’t think of a single to beleive he exists.
my answer- This may sound silly. but haave you ever asked to see him? And considered that he is a spirit, so you need to see him in a way thats not using your Eyes?It seems like that would be the first logical move here.
2.I don’t believe in God because he didn’t answer my prayer. I prayed like the Bible said, and I prayed real hard too. But I didn’t get my prayer answered, and this one was real important to me. How can I believe in a God who tells people to pray but doesn’t answer my prayers? Either God doesn’t exist, or he’s playing games with people’s lives. There’s no other way to look at it!- He always answwers . What I think many misss is when Jesus answered please for healing he often says” acording to thy beleive let it be done.”He alsogave one other explicit instruction if you have issues with someoen, like who you are prayfor I think, not sure, forgive them.Assuming the bible is not allowed for my point,I will not mention Mark 11 where it saysif the believe in your heart and do not doubt what you say will come to pass. I am not really passive aggressive.In anycase. Yes, he did answer. You just beleivede he would not answer.The proof is he did not.next time try really beleiving.
3.I don’t believe in God because the ordered universe is just a random act that created itself from nothing. Some really smart scientists have come to that conclusion; and even though it doesn’t totally make sense to me, they’re more intelligent than normal people, so I trust them completely.- So..have you ever triedto build a house by tossing lumber and sheet rock nails and tape and putty out of a plane and expecting to land exactly where it should? thats the only thing Ican think of thats pure chaos at the moment. As for intelligent, yeah I cannot argue. Although its hard to trust when you have 3 saying a quark is a wavs and a particle thats not bount to time and you have other equally educated and intelligent qualified smart guys saying the first 3 are quacks. Just saying.
4.I don’t believe in God because I don’t need a crutch to get me through life. I can take care of myself. I can meet my own needs. People who believe in God are just weak, and desperate to make sense of the world so they can satisfy their own need to have a purpose for existing. I’m big enough to accept my life is a random cosmic accident without despairing over it.-It is good you can take care of your self. Thats actually how he want it.I salute you.You should refine your attack on others dignity though. You BELIEVE those who beleive in God are weak.That is your right.It is also my right to beleive that being a carnivourse ladybug that aacts like its defensless is fun. because in this case what you do not see, ie the crutch, is actually the tip of a very big humogous universe sized sword.
5.I don’t believe in God because there is injustice in the world. If there was a God, surely he would intervene and help all the innocent people. And if he did exist but let bad people do anything they wanted, I couldn’t respect him, anyway. Either God exists and I can’t respect him; or, he doesn’t, and injustice is just part of the natural selection process.-So, you are against free will, is that what you are saying? Ok by this point, I must say something. First, I must say I admire your intense searching for truth. such good questions.Now, lets see how sincere.I cannot fully answer. You cannot understand God, because you look at him from a greek thought way.Let give a example.The Lord prayer begins, in english” Our Father…” thats tqwo worrds. This is what it really meant when Jesus said it, and how he may even have said it somewhat or with words that meant this…”Almighty creator, giver and sustainer of life”. Ok now look at this. We are not talking about a man limited by space. We are talking about the creator, the source of every linging thing, he is the existing one. He is only called he because the jewish languase has no gener neutral noun and so the noun happens to be masculine. And it has nothing to do with humanity man or woman. The almighty is much bigger than that.The Almighty is the very source of the oxygen you breath, of teh life in your soul , the sparks that keep your heart peeting. He is teh gravity that makes things work.The sun bows to the moon at night, the moon at day but both bow to him by rising only at their time. The almighty is why they do not rebel. Name it what you will. That poweer, That is the almighty.He isasgeless timless, if and wehen timce ceasesw, the Almighty will still exist because the almighty IS existance.If he did not there would be nothing.Now this is the God you want to judge as being morally bankrupt, unjust and not worthy of following. Look, he loves you, he cares for you. In the scope of time all history is a little more than a dot on a bed sheet, and your life is not even a hint of a fdor on that dot. But yet he knows you and loves you. How awesome is that. You want to reject him, its not his desire. He will allow you that choice though. Just know, if you are at sea and your boat and going down, and you decide you want his help, if you say” he big guy, look I am sorry, I was not thinking, alittlew help here, please” he is going to help..rprovided you beleive. Because his first action is always without fail, when addresing sinners” repent, do good, and I will receive you again, and heal you.”If I have not lost you, great. If I did, then you aske4d a question you really did not care about answering I suspect.
6.I don’t believe in God because religion is the reason for most wars. Just look at the crusades in the middle ages. At least atheists live and let live. They tolerate everyone no matter what they believe. That’s true morality.- 100 percent agree. Religion is evil. Keep in mind the crusades, and pretty much every war the Mother Church that makes its home in the City of the Seven hills, Is not one I will ever again choose to be associated with.They were antisemantic from their beginnings, forbidding their beleivers to even eat with Jews. No more. They are not representative of the Almighty. Ghandi liked Jesus but hate4d his Followers. I like Ghandi. Look at him for a more modern example. Martin Luthur king was like Ghandi if you want an american.
7.I don’t believe in God because science and God are mutually exclusive of each other. Since scientists have empirical evidence on their side, they have the whole truth. Furthermore, scientists are only motivated by the truth, so they always treat data objectively. That’s why I believe in science.
There is evidence. Thse scientists ignore it. There is evidence of highly advance civilizations all over the world. There are even some so old no one has any Idea what they wore call, with languages no one knows how to decifer.There are the writings of Josephus, who had access to the larges fount of the worlds knowlege in his day, the library at alexandria. Full access un restricted. Before it wasd destroyed. He quotes from people who were not even Jews. From syrans, egyptians. people who wrote about Abraham, naming places where things lke the ark landed, and naming it specifically as it still existed in his day. cirze is teh town at the base.I think its mount Hebo? its betreen turkey and seria, theres a noah temple there too. Anyway it isw in Josephus recordings 2000 years ago.There is evidence. The problem is, all your wise men choose to ignore it, or say it was debunked, though they seldom explain why they were qualified to debunk it.
8.I don’t believe in God, because I don’t want anyone being the boss of me—especially in respect to my sex life. The best thing for this world is to get rid of religion and just let people live their lives the way they want without interference. Besides, religious people think their morality is the only right morality. But we all know they just like to use guilt to control people.- I used to spend alot of time on thios. This my now stock answer to the issue.This is a fact. The bible says this, and in life it is a unainienable fact. Adam was 1 person. Then hw was two people. As in reverse clone two people.When a man and a woman join, they become one as adam was one before eve amd adam became 2.The proof? They have children. Now you mwant me to agree that two men can love each other? I can . David Loved Jonathan. The were righteous Jews so we know there was onething they did NOT do.but they loved each other.they bonded.Jesus loved one of those disciples. Love is not evil.But until you can show me a case where a man and a man join to gether and a man produces a man or woman from that union, there is no way you can say they are what the bible defines as what used to be called the sacred institution of Marriage, before it was stolen , defiled , and made common, trodden underfoot. That word has not connection with what is defined in the bible anymore.Its not hate. Its not jusdgeing. Love who you want. love is good.But biblically, a man and a woman are the only ones that can join and become one, and naturally without outside help, bear offspring, because man and women are clones of ead other, Men ..well they are not.
9.I don’t believe in God because there are so many different religions and denominations. They can’t all be right, obviously. Who is the authority on matters of faith anyway? By its very virtue, faith is totally blind and subjective. If there was a God, he would have revealed himself and made the truth plain. There wouldn’t be any mystery to his existence.
Again, religion is just personal choice. brushing your teeth or taking a bath every day is religion bydefinition look it up.Faith in english is blind and subjecting. In hebrew Faith is action. I have faith that light will turn on as I flick teh switch is jewish faith. Its a faith that is practical and active. Jewish faith sees a man being stabbed ansd if he can will try to savre teh victim. English faith will have a man who can drop to his knees and pray for the victim. Get that down. It will help.As to revealing…again have you asked, without doubt?oh, haver you forgiven him too for not answering that prayer? might want to do that.
10.I don’t believe in God because the ancient texts can’t be trusted. Just because a message about God, or from God, was written down doesn’t prove it’s true. Besides, the manuscripts of the Bible are just translations of copies of copies of copies, anyway. Who knows what the originals even said? Furthermore, the Bible is full of contradictions. That much I’m sure of because I studied it out once. And, who even knows if the writers were telling the truth? They probably just made the whole thing up to get rich or take advantage of people.
Which ones.The egytian texts ? The ones that document the history of egypt? Or the ones they may have found in mesopotamia? or are you talking about that beak they found that allowed them to tell the shape size coor of feathers, what it ate if it had teeth and how fast it ran bird? wait, sorry that last is not a text.Seriously, how are the dead sea scrools not as valid as any old egytian scrolls or the documented history of a jewish man who happens to have written sometning that goes against what you beleive? I thought your side was supposed to be neutral?
In the end I am convinced nothing I say will mastter. We aall live such short lives,that in the sceme of things we truely are nothing, which makes Gods mercy so amazing, its incomprehendable.You can do as you wish.When I do I will not care, except for myself, as thats teh instint I have been given jsut as you have.Good luck, wish you the best. Do think a bit more on this before making a final decision ..please. No preaasure. Its just a request.
I’ve always admired your gift the Lord has blessed you with brother Postma, I really miss hearing you preach. I have heard every point mentioned and then some. Reading some of the comments gives validity to the need for people to exercise their God given brains. Thank you for being a great servant to our Lord.
Good to hear from you, Greg. Be blessed, my friend.