Please help me understand Christianity

[Compassionist]

The Biblical God allegedly made all the angels and all the biological organisms including the first pair of humans. Why didn't God make everything he made equally all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful? That would have prevented all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths. All-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful beings harm no one through malevolence or ignorance or incompetence. Also, no one and nothing can harm them. That would have been the best outcome for everyone. Instead of doing this, despite being allegedly all-knowing and all-powerful, the Biblical God allegedly made Adam and Eve ignorant about Good and Evil and allegedly told them not to eat the fruits from the Tree of Knowledge. How can eating fruits make one knowledgeable about good and evil? When Adam and Eve allegedly ate the forbidden fruits, God punished them and all the other biological organisms by kicking them out of Eden. He also punished all of their descendants by not letting them live in Eden. Why punish all the other organisms for Adam and Eve's mistake? Why punish their descendants? He also punished Eve and all her daughters with painful childbirth. How is any of these actions fair and morally correct? I consider all of these actions by the Biblical God to be totally evil. Also, the whole idea of Jesus dying for only three days in order to save us from an eternity in hell is absurd. Why didn't God just forgive Adam and Eve? How can the death of one individual be the redemption of all Christians? What about all the non-humans and non-Christians? Jesus was dead for only three days. He didn't spend an eternity in hell. How can being dead for only three days be the substitution for people being in hell for an eternity? Do non-human organisms also go to hell for not accepting Jesus as their Saviour? What about those who died before Jesus allegedly died on the cross? What happens to people who never heard of Jesus or have heard of Jesus but believe that he is not the Saviour (e.g. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Agnostics, Atheists, etc.) How can it be ethical to punish people with eternity in hell for not accepting Jesus as Saviour? Christianity does not make any sense at all. Please help me understand Christianity. Thank you very much.

[Compassionist]

...Yes, this life is a terrible and undeserved punishment. I didn't ask to be conceived. I wish I never existed. I have suffered so much already. If I could go back in time and prevent my existence, I would have done so a long time ago....

Sorry to hear that. I think it is interesting, if you can't see anything good.

Yes, I do want you and everyone else to know everything about me. Also, I want to know everything about everyone else, too. I want to make all living things equally all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful and I want to give all beings an infinite number of universes each.

Interesting, I think it is not all-loving to want to know everything about others.

I tried to be all-loving by not breathing, not drinking any fluids and not eating anything but I was not able to sustain it because it is not possible for a living thing to be a non-consumer for very long. I hate myself for all the carbon dioxide I have exhaled and burped and farted in my life and for all the methane I have farted in my life. I hate myself for having an ecological footprint. Every second I am making climate change worse. I am a vegan but I want to be a non-consumer but I can't be a non-consumer without killing myself and I can't kill anyone because killing any living thing is unethical in my view. So, people can't be all-loving. All-loving beings don't consume anything and have no ecological footprints.

I think it is very sad that people have been tricked to believe carbon dioxide is a problem. Without it, all plants would die. So, by breathing CO2, you have saved many plants, you should be happy about that.

I don't think killing plants, or animals, is wrong, unless it is done unnecessarily.

Also, biological organisms don't have free will. are both determined and constrained by our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences. My definition of free will is a will that is free from determinants and constraints. To prove me wrong, you would have to do the following:

1. Live forever without consuming any oxygen, fluids, or food.
2. Do things other organisms e.g. tardigrades, dolphins, chameleons, etc. can do.
3. Be able to teleport everywhere and everywhen.
4. Prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths.
5. Make all living things (including the dead ones and the never-born ones) forever happy.
6. Be all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful and make all the other beings also all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful.
7. Own an infinite number of universes and give all beings an infinite number of universes each for free.

It is interesting that you seem to think that free will is same as being omnipotent. I think it only means person is free to want whatever he wants.

If the Bible is true, then the Biblical God is real and evil. Please see https://www.evilbible.com If the Bible is false, then the Biblical God is imaginary and evil. What the Bible says does not match what we know from astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, medicine, genetics and neuroscience. That's why I think that the Bible is false.

I think modern information that is in contradiction with the Bible, is false. And I don't think Bible God is evil, I think He is the only good one.

All females have painful childbirths. Many mothers and babies have died due to the complications that arise because of having a narrow birth canal.

By what I know, all females don't have painful childbirths. At least that is what some atheists claim, when they try to prove Bible wrong.

99.9% of all the species to evolve so far on Earth are already extinct. All the extant species form only 0.1%. That means life is 99.9% evil and 0.1% good.

Please prove that the Biblical God is real and good. Please explain how the Biblical God is good given his failure to prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths and given all the atrocities he committed in the Bible through his words and actions. If you don't know about these atrocities please see: https://www.evilbible.com

What an organism wants is not free from its genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences. Please read "Determined: Life Without Free Will" by Professor Robert Sapolski and "Free Will" by Sam Harris. Also see:



Yes, plants use carbon dioxide to live but if all living things were all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful then they would all be non-consumers which is much better than being a consumer. Climate change is happening and humans are the main drivers for the current climate change. There are not enough plants to use up all the carbon dioxide due to deforestation caused by humans.

I think it is wrong to kill any organism for any reason.

Please prove that the Bible is true and that what we know from science is false.

Why is wanting to know everything about everyone not all-loving? I think every being should be all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful and own an infinite number of universes each.

If Jesus can forgive sins, why was he crucified? Why didn't God just forgive Lucifer, Adam and Eve?

Every single mother I spoke with had painful childbirths. Which mothers did not have painful childbirths? How was this possible? I witnessed many childbirths when I was a medical student. Every single one of them was painful for the mother. We don't know if it was also painful for the baby or not as babies can't tell us. I am not an atheist. I am an agnostic.

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." - Romans 8:29,30, The Bible (NIV). How is predestination by God fair?

[1213]

99.9% of all the species to evolve so far on Earth are already extinct. All the extant species form only 0.1%. That means life is 99.9% evil and 0.1% good.

I don't believe in evolution theory. But, it is true that lot of people and animals have died. I don't think that means life is evil.

Please prove that the Biblical God is real and good. Please explain how the Biblical God is good given his failure to prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths and given all the atrocities he committed in the Bible through his words and actions. If you don't know about these atrocities please see: https://www.evilbible.com

I think Bible God is good, for example because He has given life, freedom and the advises in the Bible for good life. The reason for suffering is that people wanted to know evil. I think it is good that God let us to know what evil means. But, it is obviously unfortunate that many people love evil more than good and cause lot of suffering.

Why is wanting to know everything about everyone not all-loving?

If person doesn't want you to know about him something, then I think it can be non-loving to demand to know.

If Jesus can forgive sins, why was he crucified?

Because people are evil murderers. And it was allowed to happen, because it would show to disciples of Jesus that death is not the end, so that they would not fear anymore.

Why didn't God just forgive Lucifer, Adam and Eve?

If person continues in evilness, forgiveness is not useful.

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." - Romans 8:29,30, The Bible (NIV). How is predestination by God fair?

I think that predestination means, anyone who is righteous, is predestined to eternal life. I don't think it means it is predestined who becomes righteous. People have chance to choose what path they go. Everyone is called, but only righteous chosen.

for many are called, and few chosen.
Matt. 22:14

[Compassionist]

99.9% of all the species to evolve so far on Earth are already extinct. All the extant species form only 0.1%. That means life is 99.9% evil and 0.1% good.

I don't believe in evolution theory. But, it is true that lot of people and animals have died. I don't think that means life is evil.

Please prove that the Biblical God is real and good. Please explain how the Biblical God is good given his failure to prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths and given all the atrocities he committed in the Bible through his words and actions. If you don't know about these atrocities please see: https://www.evilbible.com

I think Bible God is good, for example because He has given life, freedom and the advises in the Bible for good life. The reason for suffering is that people wanted to know evil. I think it is good that God let us to know what evil means. But, it is obviously unfortunate that many people love evil more than good and cause lot of suffering.

Why is wanting to know everything about everyone not all-loving?

If person doesn't want you to know about him something, then I think it can be non-loving to demand to know.

If Jesus can forgive sins, why was he crucified?

Because people are evil murderers. And it was allowed to happen, because it would show to disciples of Jesus that death is not the end, so that they would not fear anymore.

Why didn't God just forgive Lucifer, Adam and Eve?

If person continues in evilness, forgiveness is not useful.

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." - Romans 8:29,30, The Bible (NIV). How is predestination by God fair?

I think that predestination means, anyone who is righteous, is predestined to eternal life. I don't think it means it is predestined who becomes righteous. People have chance to choose what path they go. Everyone is called, but only righteous chosen.

for many are called, and few chosen.
Matt. 22:14

Evolution is not a religion that you either believe in or not. It is a fact. Please read "Why Evolution is True" by Jerry A. Coyne if you don't know about the evidence that evolution has occurred in the past and is occurring in the present.

You keep making claims about God and the Bible without proving them. Please prove that the Bible is true and ethical. Please prove that the Biblical God is real and good.

According to the Bible, God murdered a sentient animal in Eden after Adam and Eve allegedly ate the forbidden fruit. That was evil of God. It's not ok to murder living things. God ejected Adam, Eve, their descendants and all the other species from Eden. That was also evil of God. God could have chosen to make all the angels, humans and other organisms equally all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful and given everyone an infinite number of universes each but he failed to do this despite being allegedly all-knowing and all-powerful. This failure makes the Biblical God evil.

"Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?" - Job 38:4-7, The Bible (NIV)

The Earth is a planet. It does not have any foundation or cornerstone. Stars are not alive and can't sing. These verses show that the author of the Bible is not an all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful God. I think ignorant people wrote the Bible. I think the Biblical God is imaginary and evil.

Did you study the https://www.evilbible.com website I asked you to? Did you read the two books about our lack of free will that I asked you to? Did you watch the YouTube video about our lack of free will that I asked you to?

You said, "If a person doesn't want you to know about him something, then I think it can be non-loving to demand to know." If your premise is true, then God is being non-loving by knowing everything about everyone when not everyone wants to be known completely. There may be criminals who don't want anyone to know about their crimes. So, is the police being non-loving by asking them questions about whether or not they committed the crime?

Please see this video:



This video discusses predestination by the Biblical God.

[1213]

Evolution is not a religion that you either believe in or not. It is a fact.

Strong opinions and beliefs don't make it a fact, sorry.

You keep making claims about God and the Bible without proving them.

Please give one example of such claim?

Please prove that the Bible is true and ethical. Please prove that the Biblical God is real and good.

"Ethical" is subjective opinion. I think it depends on how person wants to see things. Also good seems to be just a subjective opinion. I think Bible God is the only good one. And I believe He is real, but, how could love be proven?

He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:8
We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
1 John 4:16

According to the Bible, God murdered a sentient animal in Eden...

How do you know it was sentient?

The Earth is a planet. It does not have any foundation or cornerstone. Stars are not alive and can't sing. These verses show that the author of the Bible is not an all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful God. I think ignorant people wrote the Bible. I think the Biblical God is imaginary and evil.

In Bible earth means dry land, not the whole planet. It can be understood as a continent. And a continent can have foundation and cornerstone.

And about "while the morning stars sang together", Jesus is also called a mornings star. It does not necessary mean star star. But, I have not been in space, I think it could be possible that they cause some sound that could be called singing.

Did you study the https://www.evilbible.com website I asked you to? Did you read the two books about our lack of free will that I asked you to? Did you watch the YouTube video about our lack of free will that I asked you to?

No, because by what you gave from them shows great lack of understanding.

You said, "If a person doesn't want you to know about him something, then I think it can be non-loving to demand to know." If your premise is true, then God is being non-loving by knowing everything about everyone when not everyone wants to be known completely.

Unless He has a good reason for that.

[Compassionist]

Evolution is not a religion that you either believe in or not. It is a fact.

Strong opinions and beliefs don't make it a fact, sorry.

You keep making claims about God and the Bible without proving them.

Please give one example of such claim?

Please prove that the Bible is true and ethical. Please prove that the Biblical God is real and good.

"Ethical" is subjective opinion. I think it depends on how person wants to see things. Also good seems to be just a subjective opinion. I think Bible God is the only good one. And I believe He is real, but, how could love be proven?

He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:8
We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
1 John 4:16

According to the Bible, God murdered a sentient animal in Eden...

How do you know it was sentient?

The Earth is a planet. It does not have any foundation or cornerstone. Stars are not alive and can't sing. These verses show that the author of the Bible is not an all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful God. I think ignorant people wrote the Bible. I think the Biblical God is imaginary and evil.

In Bible earth means dry land, not the whole planet. It can be understood as a continent. And a continent can have foundation and cornerstone.

And about "while the morning stars sang together", Jesus is also called a mornings star. It does not necessary mean star star. But, I have not been in space, I think it could be possible that they cause some sound that could be called singing.

Did you study the https://www.evilbible.com website I asked you to? Did you read the two books about our lack of free will that I asked you to? Did you watch the YouTube video about our lack of free will that I asked you to?

No, because by what you gave from them shows great lack of understanding.

You said, "If a person doesn't want you to know about him something, then I think it can be non-loving to demand to know." If your premise is true, then God is being non-loving by knowing everything about everyone when not everyone wants to be known completely.

Unless He has a good reason for that.

You said, "I think Bible God is good, for example because He has given life, freedom and the advises in the Bible for good life." The Biblical God is the most evil being I know of. The Bible is the most evil book I have ever read. How can you call such a being good? He commands genocides, rape, enslaving and robbery in the Bible. Please see: https://www.evilbible.com

Now you are reinterpreting what the word "earth" means. The word "continent" doesn't appear in the Bible. Even if it did, continents don't have foundations or cornerstones. Buildings have foundations and cornerstones.

God is not love. If God was love, why didn't he make all the beings he allegedly created, all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful? God could have prevented all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths but he chose not to. God's alleged omniscience and omnipotence make him omniculpable. You have called God the only one to be good. How is he good when 99.9% of the species are extinct? How is he good when the world is full of suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths?

“Ethics, too, are nothing but reverence for life. This is what gives me the fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, promoting, and enhancing life, and that destroying, injuring, and limiting life are evil.” – Albert Schweitzer, “Civilization and Ethics”, 1949.

"And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." - Revelation 20:15, The Bible (ESV). No ethical being would create hell to punish sentient humans. Hell is eternal torture. That is totally unjustifiable. Hell is an infinite punishment for finite "crimes". That is totally evil and disproportionate to the alleged "crimes". Hell is yet another reason I consider the Biblical God to be evil. Here are many more verses about hell in the Bible: https://www.openbible.info/topics/hell

What you said about evolution does not make sense. Are you even aware of the evidence for evolution? If so, please explain what makes you deny evolution.

You refuse to learn new things even though I am trying to expand your knowledge. I don't blame you. If I had your genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences I would make the same choices as you and if you had my genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences you would make the same choices as me. All living things are prisoners of causality who are doomed to die. Believing in Jesus won't save you or anyone else from dying.

The Bible does not say that the animal was a philosophical zombie. I have never met an animal that was not sentient. Hence it is logical to conclude that the animal was sentient. The Biblical God demands burnt offerings many times in the Bible. It's totally evil to command people to murder sentient animals.

If you can obtain a lock of hair from Jesus, you can run a paternity test. Many companies offer this service. If the father of Jesus is human, then Jesus did not have a virgin birth. If the paternity test proves that the father of Jesus is the Holy Spirit, then that would prove the claim in the Bible. This would convince me that God is real and evil instead of being imaginary and evil. The only thing that would convince me that a real and good God exists is if that God prevented all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths and made everyone equally all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful and the owner of an infinite number of universes each. Since that has not happened I remain convinced that the Biblical God is imaginary and evil.

[The Tanager]

Thank you for your reply. Your question is irrelevant for living things because we are not free from our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences. Only beings who are all-knowing and all-powerful are free. Biological organisms make choices according to their genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences.

I agree that our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences influence us. We aren’t radically free in that way, but that isn’t what free will is. What is your support that only all-knowing and all-powerful beings can be free? That our choices are determined by these things and not just influenced by them? I think it is less reasonable to believe these things determine our choices rather than simply influencing them. That means my question is very relevant.

That's if these things are real and not illusions. Please see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_(religion) I can't even tell what is actually real and what is illusion.

Logical possibility isn’t enough. What do we have more reason to believe? I think it is more reasonable to believe we aren’t an illusion of some other reality.

The alleged flaws in Adam, Eve, Lucifer and other organisms are 100% the fault of God who allegedly made them. If God had made them all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful and the owner of an infinite number of universes each, there would have been no suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths.

Yes, God is responsible for how reality is. The question is whether that was a good choice or not. Which goes back to the question I said was paramount.

Many social species e.g. chimps, monkeys, dolphins, etc. have rules the way we have rules. Rules are not unique to humans.

Having rules and having objective morality are two different things.

Can you prove that the Biblical God is real and good? Have you looked at https://www.evilbible.com ?

With 100% certainty? No. And hardly anything is 100% certain so that just isn’t a big deal. Pure math, definitions, that’s about it. Everything else is about what is the most reasonable belief to hold. I’ve looked at evilbible.com (among many other critiques and sources) and I am still convinced that the Biblical God is real and good.

[POI]

I am still convinced that the Biblical God is real.

I have to ask... After your studies, what exactly keeps you remaining in this belief?

[The Tanager]

I am still convinced that the Biblical God is real.

I have to ask... After your studies, what exactly keeps you remaining in this belief?

Everything. The Kalam, fine-tuning, morality, consciousness, the intelligibility of reality, the case for the historicity of the resurrection, reliability of the gospels in giving us Jesus' teachings, etc. I remain a Christian because I think it is the most reasonable worldview to hold when everything we know in reality is considered both scientifically, historically, and philosophically. That's a very incomplete overview, but I don't know how to better answer your broad question. I welcome any follow up questions, if you had a more narrow meaning to your question.

[POI]

I am still convinced that the Biblical God is real.

I have to ask... After your studies, what exactly keeps you remaining in this belief?

Everything. The Kalam, fine-tuning, morality, consciousness, the intelligibility of reality, the case for the historicity of the resurrection, reliability of the gospels in giving us Jesus' teachings, etc. I remain a Christian because I think it is the most reasonable worldview to hold when everything we know in reality is considered both scientifically, historically, and philosophically. That's a very incomplete overview, but I don't know how to better answer your broad question. I welcome any follow up questions, if you had a more narrow meaning to your question.

This is where you and I diverge severely. I'm not 100% opposed to 'deism/other', but maybe not even that? I think it's reasonable to believe that when you die, that's it. Why? Well, simply for starters, no one is coming back to tell us what the afterlife is like; unless you wish to believe claims floating around -- (Bible included). But I do not find the Bible a trustworthy collection of books, so there's that... Nor do I believe the other claims floating around, as they do not appear to hold water either, when pressed.

I trust you have studied the other side to all these claims/arguments you listed (i.e.) the rebuttals to the Kalam, fine-tuning, morality, consciousness, etc? Assuming so, why do all the rebuttal arguments fail? Is it maybe instead because none of these arguments are what really makes you believe? Shameless plug to this thread --> http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... hp?t=41274

[Compassionist]

Thank you for your reply. Your question is irrelevant for living things because we are not free from our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences. Only beings who are all-knowing and all-powerful are free. Biological organisms make choices according to their genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences.

I agree that our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences influence us. We aren’t radically free in that way, but that isn’t what free will is. What is your support that only all-knowing and all-powerful beings can be free? That our choices are determined by these things and not just influenced by them? I think it is less reasonable to believe these things determine our choices rather than simply influencing them. That means my question is very relevant.

That's if these things are real and not illusions. Please see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_(religion) I can't even tell what is actually real and what is illusion.

Logical possibility isn’t enough. What do we have more reason to believe? I think it is more reasonable to believe we aren’t an illusion of some other reality.

The alleged flaws in Adam, Eve, Lucifer and other organisms are 100% the fault of God who allegedly made them. If God had made them all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful and the owner of an infinite number of universes each, there would have been no suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths.

Yes, God is responsible for how reality is. The question is whether that was a good choice or not. Which goes back to the question I said was paramount.

Many social species e.g. chimps, monkeys, dolphins, etc. have rules the way we have rules. Rules are not unique to humans.

Having rules and having objective morality are two different things.

Can you prove that the Biblical God is real and good? Have you looked at https://www.evilbible.com ?

With 100% certainty? No. And hardly anything is 100% certain so that just isn’t a big deal. Pure math, definitions, that’s about it. Everything else is about what is the most reasonable belief to hold. I’ve looked at evilbible.com (among many other critiques and sources) and I am still convinced that the Biblical God is real and good.

I am completely certain of the following:

1. I am conscious.
2. I am typing in English.
3. I am not all-knowing.
4. I am not all-powerful.
5. I change.
6. I can't do lots of things I really want to do e.g. go back in time and prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths and make all living things forever happy.
7. I do some things even though I don't want to do them. Here are some things I have done, currently do or will do even though I don't want to do them:

1. Breathe
2. Eat
3. Drink
4. Sleep
5. Dream
7. Pee
8. Poo
9. Fart
10. Burp
11. Sneeze
12. Cough
13. Age
14. Get ill
15. Get injured
16. Sweat
17. Cry
18. Suffer
19. Snore
20. Think
21. Feel
22. Choose
23. Be conceived
24. Be born
25. Remember some events that I don't want to remember
26. Forget information that I want to remember
27. Die

I am almost certain of the following:

1. I and all the other organisms currently alive will die. Every second brings all organisms closer to death.
2. My body, other organisms, the Earth and the Universe really exist and they are not part of a simulation or hallucination or dream or illusion.
3. Other organisms e.g. humans, cows, dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, lions, elephants, butterflies, whales, dolphins, etc. are sentient beings who feel pain.
4. Being a non-consumer is more ethical than being an autotroph, being an autotroph is more ethical than being a vegan/herbivore, being a vegan is more ethical than being a vegetarian, and being a vegetarian is more ethical than being an omnivore or carnivore.
5. Gods do not exist.
6. Souls do not exist.
7. Reincarnation does not happen.
8. Resurrection does not happen.
10. Organisms evolved and were not created by God or Gods.
11. 99.9% of all the species to evolve so far on Earth became extinct in 5 mass extinctions long before humans evolved.
12. Humans and other organisms do not have free will. Our wills are determined and constrained by our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences. The reason I have put this one in the almost certain category is that it is possible that bodies, genes, cells, stars, planets, moons, galaxies, and universes may not actually exist. These things could be part of a simulation or dream or hallucination or illusion. It is impossible to know with complete certainty. I could be a solipsistic soul experiencing the illusion of being in a human body on a planet in a universe or I could be a body without any soul - I don't know these things for sure, hence I am an agnostic. There are many hypotheses that can't be tested e.g. simulation hypothesis, illusion hypothesis, dream hypothesis, hallucination hypothesis, solipsism hypothesis, philosophical zombie hypothesis, panpsychism hypothesis, pantheism hypothesis, etc. Just because a hypothesis can't be tested it does not mean it is true or false. It just means that it is currently untestable.

The only thing that would convince me that a real and good God exists is if that God prevented all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths and made everyone equally all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful and the owner of an infinite number of universes each. Since that has not happened I remain convinced that the Biblical God is imaginary and evil.

Did you read "Determined: Life Without Free Will" by Professor Robert Sapolski and "Free Will" by Sam Harris? Did you watch the following video?



My definition of free will is a will that is free from determinants and constraints. To prove me wrong, you would have to do the following:

1. Live forever without consuming any oxygen, fluids, or food.
2. Do things other organisms e.g. tardigrades, dolphins, chameleons, etc. can do.
3. Be able to teleport everywhere and everywhen.
4. Prevent all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths.
5. Make all living things (including the dead ones and the never-born ones) forever happy.
6. Be all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful and make all the other beings also all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful.
7. Own an infinite number of universes and give all beings an infinite number of universes each for free.

Once you have done the above tasks, I will be convinced that you have free will. If I had free will, I would have already done the above tasks.

You said that you find "The Kalam, fine-tuning, morality, consciousness, the intelligibility of reality, the case for the historicity of the resurrection, reliability of the gospels in giving us Jesus' teachings, etc." convincing. I find none of them convincing. If there are an infinite number of universes then it is inevitable that some of them will have living things in them. The universe is not adapted to us. We are adapted to the universe. In fact, we are adapted to a tiny fraction of the universe as we need oxygen, water and food to stay alive. If the universe were adapted to us, we would have been able to live everywhere in the universe.

Morality has evolved in many species.

We don't understand lots about reality. We can't even test many hypotheses, never mind understanding everything. Only about 5% of the observable universe is made of normal matter and energy. 26% is made of dark matter and 69% is made of dark energy. We know little about 95% of the observable universe. Never mind the unobservable universe and other universes outside our universe. Our enormous ignorance is an excellent reason to be an agnostic.

The Bible is not evidence. The writings of Josephus are not evidence. People have believed in all kinds of Gods throughout the centuries. Please see this video:



If you can obtain a lock of hair from Jesus, you can run a paternity test. Many companies offer this service. If the father of Jesus is human, then Jesus did not have a virgin birth. If the paternity test proves that the father of Jesus is the Holy Spirit, then that would prove the claim in the Bible. This would convince me that God is real and evil instead of being imaginary and evil. The only thing that would convince me that a real and good God exists is if that God prevented all suffering, inequality, injustice, and deaths and made everyone equally all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful and the owner of an infinite number of universes each. Since that has not happened I remain convinced that the Biblical God is imaginary and evil.