Why Should Anyone Care What the Bible Says?

[POI]

For eons, theists will quote Scripture, with the presupposition that it is authoritative in some kind of way. I contend that the Bible is no better or worse than any other collection of writings. Meaning, it may appear to have some 'good' things to say, some 'bad' things to say, some 'strange' things to say, some 'wrong' things to say, some untenable things to say, some contradictory things to say, etc etc etc....

Any of us can produce passages and quotes from anyone, or any publication. To many, the Bible is just another one of those tools for use, where applicable.

For Debate:

Why should one more-so care what the Bible says? Is it because....

1. It is the inspired word of God? If so, how do you know?

2. Another reason(s)? If so, what, and why does this make anyone care what the Bible says?

[1213]

it is wiser than atheists.

Give me your best example?

Atheist see it as contradictory, which it is not.

And I have to explain once again. Atheists aren't the only ones honest enough to realize that it is contradictory, which it is.

I don't think there is any contradiction. Please show one example of contradiction in the Bible.

[1213]

Your statement is not true. In the slavery thread, you acknowledge contradiction,...

In that case I think you have misunderstood what I meant. Sorry, if I was not clear enough. Please tell, what contradiction I acknowledged?

[1213]

...
Does this mean you are an atheist?

Of course he is - about every god other than the one he believes in.

I don't claim other gods don't exist. It is possible that they have existed, I just wouldn't keep them as my God.

[TRANSPONDER]

...
Does this mean you are an atheist?

Of course he is - about every god other than the one he believes in.

I don't claim other gods don't exist. It is possible that they have existed, I just wouldn't keep them as my God.

Then you are still an atheist Do you believe those gods do actually exist or do you just say you don't deny the possibility

[Tcg]

it is wiser than atheists.

Give me your best example?

Atheist see it as contradictory, which it is not.

And I have to explain once again. Atheists aren't the only ones honest enough to realize that it is contradictory, which it is.

I don't think there is any contradiction. Please show one example of contradiction in the Bible.

Sure, we could play this game. I'll point out a contradiction and then you'll provide a convoluted failed rube Golberg bible apologist pretzel logic explanation for why a contradiction isn't a contradiction. It's a total waste of time especially given that the major problem of the bible isn't the contradictions, but rather the unsupportable claims it makes. Claims like the existence of a God or the fantasies of an afterlife. None of which can be proven. People accept the bible because it helps them reject reality. No reasonable person would read it as anything other than mythology. At least no reasonable person not driven by their emotions.


Tcg

[POI]

Your statement is not true. In the slavery thread, you acknowledge contradiction,...

In that case I think you have misunderstood what I meant. Sorry, if I was not clear enough. Please tell, what contradiction I acknowledged?

I already directed you to the contradiction between yourself and god. Post 76 of the slavery thread.

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

Here is how it works for me. God revealed himself to me and granted me the faith that he is real in such a way I could not deny. I could not bring myself to believe in this God idea because it seemed so stupid once realized why God is fake. God became as unreal to me as Santa. But God changed that in one moment.

The last thing I ever thought I would ever believe was in Catholicism, but that is where God led me.

Then the minimal facts argument shows me that Christ rose. To an atheist, no, they will just reject the obvious answer because they cannot accept miracles. However, a theist has no issues with miracles, so the best explanation is that Christ rose.

If Christ rose, then I think, okay, he is worth listening to and he says he was God, so I take his words seriously. I take his followers' words seriously.

The OT is another story.

[Tcg]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

Here is how it works for me. God revealed himself to me and granted me the faith that he is real in such a way I could not deny.

Oh boy! How many times have we heard this. Sure, God revealed himself to you, but of course in a way that you can't provide any evidence that this God exists. I guess we'll all just have to wait around for God to consider ourselves as special as he considered you to be. By the way I'm an atheist and I won't run away from your responses, but I may get too bored by them to waste my time responding to useless claims I've heard countless times.

"Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the"... well, not all of them... just the extra special ones.


Tcg

[TRANSPONDER]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

Here is how it works for me. God revealed himself to me and granted me the faith that he is real in such a way I could not deny. I could not bring myself to believe in this God idea because it seemed so stupid once realized why God is fake. God became as unreal to me as Santa. But God changed that in one moment.

The last thing I ever thought I would ever believe was in Catholicism, but that is where God led me.

Then the minimal facts argument shows me that Christ rose. To an atheist, no, they will just reject the obvious answer because they cannot accept miracles. However, a theist has no issues with miracles, so the best explanation is that Christ rose.

If Christ rose, then I think, okay, he is worth listening to and he says he was God, so I take his words seriously. I take his followers' words seriously.

The OT is another story.

One of these days I should like to hear how your evidently sound realisation that manmade religious ideas are fake got turned around in a moment. I have never heard one that was a convincing argument which includes the various Ontological arguments. Why it was the Christian god (apparently) I would put down to cultural spoonfeeding. That you found your way to Catholicism isn't too hard to understand (the original and still the best) but how a supposedly rational skeptic can suddenly see the light....as i say, the few conversion stories I have heard stank of sham.

Yes, if what the Bible says is true, then it is worth listening to, but if it isn't (and you evidently reject the first half of it) then it isn't worth listening to.

[POI]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

Here is how it works for me. God revealed himself to me and granted me the faith that he is real in such a way I could not deny. I could not bring myself to believe in this God idea because it seemed so stupid once realized why God is fake. God became as unreal to me as Santa. But God changed that in one moment.

Out of curiosity, did you ask for God to reveal himself to you, or was it random? And, more importantly, HOW do you know Jesus-God revealed himself to you, verses anything else at all?

The last thing I ever thought I would ever believe was in Catholicism, but that is where God led me.

I was Catholic too. Because, this was how I was raised. How exactly did God lead you to Catholicism? And how do you know?

Then the minimal facts argument shows me that Christ rose.

Cool. So basically, since it cannot be falsified, it is unfalsifiable. Hence, you can safely retain your belief, that he rose from a grave, because of this....

I guess this is also why a Muslim can also retain belief, without falsification, that Muhammad flew to heaven on a white horse.

If Christ rose, then I think, okay, he is worth listening to and he says he was God, so I take his words seriously. I take his followers' words seriously.

Sounds like a round-about way around Pascal's wager. What do you have to lose, right?

However, such an if/then proposition can be applied to any god(s). It's a good thing you've opted to worship the real one

The OT is another story.

Yea, I've met and debated Christians of all types and flavors, (Catholics, protestants, etc etc etc etc), who rationalize all sorts of stuff about the OT. Nothing new there....