10 questions that every intelligent Christian must answer
If you are an educated Christian, I would like to talk with you today about an important and interesting question. Have you ever thought about using your college education to think about your faith? Your life and your career demand that you behave and act rationally. Let's apply your critical thinking skills as we discuss 10 simple questions about your religion. The answers will amaze you. -- http://whywontgodhealamputees.com
Comments
my two cents anyway
Many beliefs, not just Christian beliefs, but certainly Christian beliefs, are irrational. Most of our belief making comes out of the emotional parts or our brains/minds. I suspect that our filter/gate which tells us whether or not a statement or belief is rational is itself constructed out of emotions.
Hi, I am a Christian physician
---
Oh goody, yet a 3rd xtian with a claim to being a Doctor, arrives in our laps.
What's the chances?
> I believe that God acts in response to our prayers according to His will.
Well Doc, if you had some credible statistics from secular studies on this prayer topic, then you would have no need to "believe" that your god acts in response to prayers, now would you?
Alas, we both know that you do not have any such non-biased statistics.
Therefore, this belief of yours is a PERSONAL one and you probably reached that conclusion by some very unscientific means, didn't you?
Yes, we are suppose to be persuaded by YOUR belief, just because you SAY you are a Doctor, yes?
Next time, bring along some links to studies done that can backup your prayer claim, ok.
> All miracles are recorded in the Bible.
Yes indeed miracles are recorded in your bible book and what does that have to do with whether or not they were actual miracles, or simply stories of fiction?
I mean, Harry Potter does all kinds of magic and his magic is recorded in books to, so should I believe that Harry Potter exists and really performs magic tricks?
>The problem is you do not believe in the Bible due to your unbelief.
How's that again?
We don't believe, because we don't believe....is that what you're saying here?
How about you believe that god wrote the bible because the bible says god did...does that make sense to you Doc?
Do you have any idea what Circular Logic is, DOCTOR?
Didn't they teach that concept to you in medical school?
Please tell me you don't diagnose your patients using this same circular logic?
We don't believe in your bible and it's god, because the bible is human written, not god written and your god has zero proof that it exists anywhere in close proximity to this Earth of ours.
If you disagree, then please bring along any evidence you have for your god next time you pay us a visit, ok
ATF (Who wonders if this doctor uses medicine and lab tests on his patients, or just prays to god to heal them instead)
So what you are saying, truth matters, is that you don't know God's will since you haven't offered a reason why God won't heal amputees.
"All miracles are recorded in the Bible."
So what you are saying is that God does not do miraculous healing these days since none of today's events are recorded in the Bible.
So what you are saying is that God does not do miraculous healing these days since none of today's events are recorded in the Bible
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Hi Resonate,
Now that's a very interesting point you brought up here !
I guess god doesn't update his bible book, because he has nothing new to add to it.
Nothing has changed in 2000 years, imagine that.
Life is exactly the same as it was back in the sheepherder days I guess.
The fact that we have greatly advanced in knowledge, in many area's, must not be of concern to this jesus character.
He has nothing to tell us about space travel through his firmament, nothing to say about the atom, nothing to say about a spherical earth, nothing to say about the evolution of life on his planet, and nothing to say about our progress in the realm of diseases etc etc..
Odd that jesus had plenty of advise to hand out to the uneducated of that era, but now he gets strangely silent.
I guess jesus ran out of energy and/or compassion, from his adventure on earth, so he can't/won't perform any more miracles for us.
Gosh I would have thought his '3' day nap would have been enough to get his god-like energy back, but I guess not.
So if he doesn't do any more miracles and we assume everything about the human race is exactly the same as it was 2000 years ago, then that would explain why he hasn't bothered with a bible update then.
There are no new miracles, to have some human write about, in HIS book.
He has nothing to say on the great confusion over abortion.
He offers no leadership to his followers, that fight wars in his name and for his benefit.
He has nothing to add, to the ongoing 'debate' between xtians and muslims and jews.
Yet, we are suppose to believe this same jesus is healing xtians left and right, but in such a secret manner, that it goes totally unnoticed by the general population.
ATF (Who just checked his god written bible, and it has nothing new added to it)
Dear Dr. Matters,
When you say "His will", I understand it to mean precisely that. If it means something other than what it suggests, I'm waiting to be enlightened. Further, I won't be too shocked if it turns out to mean something other than what it suggests, because like the video says, you have to rationalize it somehow.
But back to the point---if "His will" is the suggestion that the future plays out in accordance with what God ultimately wants...i.e.. getting his future needs, and desires met, and knowing what's best for all of us, etc... then certainly, "His will" would take precedence over the will of us puny mortals. After all, "God has a plan", right?
Well, here's the rub: Say, if human beings acquire debilitating or deadly diseases according to "His will"(the will of "God"), then it really makes zero sense to practice the ritual of "prayer"..i.e..to get on your knees and beg, in an attempt to "second-guess" the will of the "Almighty".
"Truth Matters"
Yes, it does matter---which is why being skeptical, curious, and being open to new evidence, is a much more effective way to discover "Truth", than to believe that all the answers you'll ever need have already been revealed to you, via an ancient religious text.
You are a doctor of sorts... so, you should be able to write in multi-syllable words, right.
So, to be clear, what makes you an "expert" on a God's Will? Let me help you a little; your "medical" credentials give you zero credibility and “authority”. If you want to speak like you’re God, I mean, on behalf of a Christian God (because your God doesn’t exist right here and right now), then go get a degree in acting.
Hi, I'm the Christian, God! I trump your phony, physician moniker. It doesn't take an omniscient Deity, like Myself, to know you are a painfully, insecure, individual, who has to announce his bogus title, so as to gain, some much desired, but certainly, never earned, respect. I am the Lord thy God, and I instruct you, "doctor", move out of your parents basement and get a job, you are 41 years old, for Christ sake. And don't think I don't know what you have been doing with those dirty, panties and anal beads. You must repent.
YOUR LORD, GOD HATH SPOKEN!
BTW "doctor", since you are an imbecilic, moron, with the intellect of a baboon, fart; I just wanted to let you know what omniscient means -- I know it's a really, really, big word for you. This way you won't have to riffle through a friends dictionary or perform a search on the Internet, but we know what you really do on the Internet, don't we "doc."
Omniscient: One having total knowledge.
YOUR LORD GOD HATH SPOKEN AGAIN!
I really don't think we'll be hearing back from Dr. "Truth Matters".
I doubt his Mommy will let him on the family computer anymore, after pretending to be a Doctor online. Maybe he can pray to his god for Mommy to change her mind?
ATF (Who hopes a xtian doctor...."Never Cuts On Me")
of some kind of tribal witch doctor
going through his rituals and
praying to some invisible god to
heal someone from a disease or
injury. Yet, when he does the same,
its Christianity and then its OK.
Some have posted that these questions are too simplistic. I disagree. Questions that are to-the-point and simply but clearly stated get right to the heart of a matter. In my radio career, I've done a good bit of interviewing,
and I find this way quite effective.
Miracles are recorded in the Bible?
If they are miracles, why are they just in the Bible and nowhere else?
What about the thousands of people in China and Burma? Weren't there any Xians in those multitude?
I guess Gawd/Jeebus/Hokey Smoke is getting bored again.
I hope I never run into a "doctor" as stupid as you. How do you resolve transplant surgery w/the buy-bull? Kidney transplants aren't mentioned in the book.
Assuming your for real,you must know that doctors have the highest rate of suicide and drug addiction of any profession.
Could it be that non-delusional Md's see the horrible suffering and lack of intervention by a loving gawd towards their patients
and get depressed?
I'll wait for your dad to get off the computer for you to answer.
*Miracles and medicine are a horribly dangerous combination.
How could an educated(man?)not know this?
Wouldn't you - as a DOCTOR - be going against GAWD'S will by trying to cure the sick of the problems that GAWD "willed" into existence? I'm sure he spent a bunch of holy hours "intelligently designing" the various viruses and cancers that plague humanity. Who are you to try to undo what the holiest of holies whipped up in his workshop? I really hope you aren't practicing in Seattle. I'd hate to think that one of my friends are a patient of a nutter...
I had to sit through a sermon once where a visiting missionary told a story about how foolish the tribesmen were who believed in the power of their gods to harm people. Everyone laughed... then the pastor got up and told everyone how HIS god was going to avenge his TrueBelievers(tm) and save them all from the atheist baddies.
Dr. TurdHatter, please think slowly and, if necessary, repeatedly about this: Gods are like calendars. Ancient people used them to try and figure out what the hell was going on in the skies above them. People use calendars, horoscopes, and gods for the same reasons today. They cannot understand why there is no 'fairness' in life. Fairness, or justice, is a false idea that comes from selfish thinking. You want fairness? Real 'justice'? then every god should die a death for every life he/it/they have taken. Jail is not justice. Disease because of sin or lack of faith is not justice. Your tribal forefathers wrote that shit to try and explain why the world is how it is, instead of just accepting things as natural. It's called the evolution of intellect, my friend. Join us in the real world. Leave Jebus and Eostre Bunny and Sanity Clause and all the other imaginaries where they belong: in kindergarten or the loony bin.
Incidently for a doctor your grammer is pretty poor...it's disbelief not unbelief in the Queen's English.
Like all who have come to the conclusion that they have all the answers, before the question has been put, Dr. truth matters fails to realise that those who put the Holey Buy-Bull together have had centuries to refine their definition of everything that makes an individual human as sinful and attempt to induce guilt for mere existence. Doc. we who reject the circular religious arguments rest easy in the guiltless knowlege that we are responsible...it might shorten our lives but we never have to look over our shoulders to see who's watching.
LOL!
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks"!
Go on guys, post another 15 earnest replies to this and prove my point!
1) "The lady doth protest too much, methinks!"
2) Therefore, God exists.
Amen.
You think we protest too much? Here's a little analogy for you. In small words, too.
My friend has a doggie.
See the doggie.
The Doggie is not mean.
The Doggie has a favorite bone.
Try to take the bone.
Hear the doggie growl.
It's HER bone, not yours.
Why do we protest so loudly? Because EX-CHRISTIAN.NET is OUR fucking bone, you jackass. Quit reaching the fuck in if you don't want to get growled at... Do it much more and you're bound to get bitten. This is NOT your forum and it is not meant to be friendly to those who proselytize on behalf of their false, imaginary deities.
I, for one, happen to 'believe' in what you might call a 'religion'... yet I am very welcome here, even among those who do not have any spiritual or metaphysical belief at all. They are my compatriots and friends, because we all share the same desire. A desire to share our experiences with one another IN A PLACE WHERE THE DELUDED LEMMINGS WHO FOLLOW MAGICALLY UNDEAD SKY MEN ARE NOT WELCOME TO SPEW THEIR BILE.
Ask, question, dialogue... whatever. Just don't jab a pointed stick in here and expect a warm welcome, asshole.
1. I don't believe God heals today. Healings (imo) in the gospels and Acts were to demonstrate the entrance and truth of the Kingdom of God. Many NT scriptures outside of gospels and Acts would suggest this.
2. The world has enough food to supply meals for all. Unfortunately some hoard it from others. (christian and nonchristian)The call of the church is to feed to hungry. Maybe if we did that you would only ask 9 questions.
3. The churchy answer would be to show the significance of sin. It seems the way it was written gave allowance for Israel to choose not to carry out the penalty. (Jesus did not allow the women to be stoned)
4. The bible is not a science book. The point of the creation narrative is not how old the earth is, how long it took, how it happened, etc. The point is that God created it.
5. Those scriptures regarding slavery were written by people who probably could not imagine a world without slaves. It is important to note that the same authors also prescribe equality between slaves and masters. (I realize that sounds ridiculous to my modern ears, but it made sense in that world)
6. Bad things happen. While trying to not go "CS Lewis" on here who exactly gets to decide what is bad/good, fair/unfair, etc.
7. The Christian movement after Christ's death is a major evidence for miracles imo.
8. I have no good answer for this.
9. This question is pretty lame imo. It contains more sarcasm than an actual point. Yes this ritual is gross to our ears but it was simply eating a meal in a community which believed in Jesus.
10. I hate divorce. I hate violence. I hate adultery. You are correct that the church has failed in these areas.
I assume maybe we could have a more specific discussion about a few of these. Please believe me that these are only gut reactions and not my attempt at proving these questions as unimportant. I feel 9/10 could be very good conversations in which I would be very challenged to answer well.
The video shows no real interest in discussion or persuasion with assertion that a rational person can reach only one conclusion. Quite rational people can reach more than one logical conclusion on a variety of subjects, including theology. If there is genuine intent here to convince people that their beliefs harm themselves and others, this is probably not an expedient or effective way to achieve that goal.
If I may, this immediately comes to mind: If one exercises "intelligence" to arrive at their beliefs, then why "faith" in the first place? That could be one point that the video is implicitly trying to make, yes?
Heavenslaughing...... these questions, mostly revolving around theodicy, would only confront the most naive of Christians with a previously unconsidered dilemma.
This assumes that only "the most naive of Christians" are capable of compartimentalization. In fact, it seems to me that "the most naive" of the bunch would only continue to unquestionably cling to their "faith".
Heavenslaughing...If there is genuine intent here to convince people that their beliefs harm themselves and others, this is probably not an expedient or effective way to achieve that goal
So then we can logically infer that you are not a Christian. After all, if you had a priori knowledge of an "effective" argument that would convince you that your beliefs are harming others, etc., but yet, you chose to ignore that knowledge, then you'd be guilty of compartmentalizing, would you not? If I'm correct in my assessment(that you are not a Christian), then let's hear what you might consider "expedient" and "effective" ways to get through to Christians.
'Best,
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