Questions atheists are sick of answering. Aaaand Biscuits again, of course.

kylith wrote: »

Such as?



I think that any parts of the bible which are not outright fabrications are massively exaggerated. For example, there is some evidence for a flood at about the time Noah might have been around, if he existed, but it certainly wasn't global.

LOL - Just bare with me here, you say "Fabrication or exaggerated"...
OK I can agree, I too doubt very much that the entire plannet was flooded...

But let's say you lived a few thousands years ago and you witnessed a huge flood and all the land you could see had flooded, you might therefore come to the crazy conclusion that "God flooded the plannet"...

Now I am pretty sure they could not call on their weather satelite to confirm this, so this is what was written... Now I would think any intellgent person understanding well the entire world did not flood, would at least understand why it was written or the point of view of the source.... Do you not think?

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

LOL - Just bare with me here, you say "Fabrication or exaggerated"...
OK I can agree, I too doubt very much that the entire plannet was flooded...

But let's say you lived a few thousands years ago and you witnessed a huge flood and all the land you could see had flooded, you might therefore come to the crazy conclusion that "God flooded the plannet"...

Now I am pretty sure they could not call on their weather satelite to confirm this, so this is what was written... Now I would think any intellgent person understanding well the entire world did not flood, would at least understand why it was written or the point of view of the source.... Do you not think?

I don't think anyone's really disputing that many (if not practically all) stories may have some genuine origin.

But as you yourself have said, this gets rewritten and retold and interpreted and reinterpreted over the years until a simple story about a really bad flood becomes a story of how a man had God talk to him, built an impossibly large boat and before the flood hit, gathered all of the animals into it and set sail.

What probably happened through retelling was that a big flood became a large flood, became a flood wiping out everything except for one man and his family and his farm animals, which itself through retelling became the story of Dr. Doolittle with a very big boat.

At that point, the story is far removed from whatever origins it had, it is a made up story for all intents and purposes. It's fiction because it didn't occur.

If one accepts that the bible is itself a product of exaggeration and retelling, then you can't really turn around and say that believing in it is OK because the stories likely started from primitive origins and therefore had some semblence of truth at some point. Otherwise you need to give the same level of authority to Greek and Roman mythology as you do to Christian mythology.

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Sarky is definitely a scientist, possibly an academic but human...well yes, there is a hint of the sapiens about him.

Define 'hint of'!

Provide a link!

Yeah?!? Well, that's just your opinion, like.

lazygal wrote: »

I've meet plenty of people who calls themselves scientists, because its more easily understood than going into a detailed explanation of what they actually do all day.

They sit on boards all day and call themselves academics

seamus wrote: »

I don't think anyone's really disputing that many (if not practically all) stories may have some genuine origin.

But as you yourself have said, this gets rewritten and retold and interpreted and reinterpreted over the years until a simple story about a really bad flood becomes a story of how a man had God talk to him, built an impossibly large boat and before the flood hit, gathered all of the animals into it and set sail.

What probably happened through retelling was that a big flood became a large flood, became a flood wiping out everything except for one man and his family and his farm animals, which itself through retelling became the story of Dr. Doolittle with a very big boat.

At that point, the story is far removed from whatever origins it had, it is a made up story for all intents and purposes. It's fiction because it didn't occur.

If one accepts that the bible is itself a product of exaggeration and retelling, then you can't really turn around and say that believing in it is OK because the stories likely started from primitive origins and therefore had some semblence of truth at some point. Otherwise you need to give the same level of authority to Greek and Roman mythology as you do to Christian mythology.

Agreed, many Vikings died thinking they would go to Valhala, who am I to say otherwise!

You are taking the point of view that the bible cannot be factually correct therefore none of it is valid.
Some might look at it and say, these are allegories and not intended to be litteral but simply used to make a point, then some might say it is a culmination of the two, who knows?
I know I don't, and I am clever enough to know that neither does anyone else.

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

Agreed, many Vikings died thinking they would go to Valhala, who am I to say otherwise!

You are taking the point of view that the bible cannot be factually correct therefore none of it is valid.

Therefore none of it is valid to be called the revealed word of a creator-god, nor a valid text upon which to base morals or systems of government, as some in this crazy old world of ours are wont to do.

People can believe every word of it, from humans having been created both after and before all the animals in Genesis to the alleged fiery world-death in Revelation, if it pleases them. But the second they use it to justify oppression, misogyny, and the attempt to force Christian ideals and morality on people who are not Christian then we have a problem.

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Excuse me?

Your excused.

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

Your excused.

You arn't.

Bannasidhe wrote: »

You arn't.

I did not ask to be excused :P

Bannasidhe wrote: »

You arn't.

Just don't bother with 'em Bannasidhe, not worth your time.