A Bit Of A Hiatus But Finally Done It

[nailit]

A bit of a hiatus (lockdown, work, personal things etc) but finally read the Bible all the way through, again!
How on earth can anybody read this mess and believe its the word of (any) God is beyond me.
Read about a 3rd of it and left of for a bit. (TBH the unrelenting slaughter was getting to me a bit) Picked up again and read whole books at a time. The contradictions alone had me questioning, never mind the bloodshed etc (That was before I got to the new Testament).
Then the New Testament accounts doent agree with each other.
I tried.
The bible is a crock.
Different books, Different authors, different theologies.

Modern church...
We'll try to reconcile them all and call it the bible...
Good luck with that one.

[naomi24]

Mozz, //Are you going to keep ignoring Naomi's question, Theland?//

Although Theland declares he’s ignoring me - hence his few pointedly puerile posts here - he did respond to my question when he thought he had a valid answer. Sadly, he failed to take his own advice and do his own research. No surprise he’s ignoring me again.

Theland to Nailit, //A point that may interest you regarding prophecy.
Look up
Isaiah 19:5. The Nile will dry up.
Now check the documentaries on YouTube. Type in Ethiopian Dam.//

How’s your geography? Do you have any idea of the source of the Nile - or just how long that river is? Dam or no dam, the Nile is not about to dry up.

Never mind your Christian YouTube videos. Have a read.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ethiopian_Renaissance_Dam

[Mozz71]

Oh, so his "Who?" response to me was down to his ignoring you, rather than confusion as to my question.

That's a level of immaturity I didn't anticipate from an adult, even one with Theland's track record.

[naomi24]

Mozz, Yes, similarly his posts at 16:06 Sat and 17:14 Sat.

[fiveleaves]

Atheist, You have missed my point. If Nailit walks into hell that it entirely his choice based on the decisions he made during his life on earth. God doesn't say to someone who hates Him, Right you now have to spend eternity with Me. That would be cruel and unfair.

[Mozz71]

You and I have had many disagreements over the past year, but I'd like to think that we never sunk to that level. My 9 year old son is more mature.

[nailit]

//If Nailit walks into hell that it entirely his choice based on the decisions he made during his life on earth//
And here come the veiled threats. What kind of decision are you talking about? A decision to make myself believe in something that I find patently absurd maybe (God/Jesus)?

//God doesn't say to someone who hates Him, Right you now have to spend eternity with Me//
How many times does it take to get through believers skulls that atheists DONT hate God. We cant hate something that we dont believe in.

But I will tell something that I DO hate. I hate how believers will try to justify disgusting laws and barbaric savagery because its in their holy book and then condemn people who question it to eternal torment.

[Theland]

I think its time I left you all to backslap each other and massage each others egos.

[andy-hughes]

fiveleaves - // If Nailit walks into hell that it entirely his choice based on the decisions he made during his life on earth. God doesn't say to someone who hates Him, Right you now have to spend eternity with Me. That would be cruel and unfair. //

Surely the entire ethos of God's love is saving the sinner - leaving the ninety-nine sheep to find the lost one, if I remember the parable correctly.

Unless of course God is actually thin-skinned childish and vengeful, in which case he would cast all atheists away from him for their failure to believe in him while alive.

Given the way God runs the earth, and his chosen people, I would suggest that the second option is actually more likely.

Since he has spent two thousand years making mankind suffer in order to be frightened enough to bow down to him, there is little evidence of the love and compassion that Christians believe is coming to them as a reward for not only accepting that, but regarding it as no less than their due.

[andy-hughes]

Theland - // I think its time I left you all to backslap each other and massage each others egos. //

It must be tough, living with fundamental differences with your fellow Christians, and arguing night and day over digma, when the atheists cheerfully agree on their absence of belief, although your perception of 'backslapping and 'ego massage' is probably a by-product of your envy than anything else.

Pity you can't come back and reply to me - unlikely that you would anyway - because you have flounced, yet again.

[fiveleaves]

Nailit- I as a believer am not condeming anyone to eternal torment. I have nothing to do with it

[Theland]

Andy - How nice to hear from you again.
But you say, ''flounced,'' and I have been called, ''puerile,'' and, ''copping out.''
Not exactly a friendly discission is it?
I am quite happy with my faith by the way, it brings me peace in the face of life's problems.

[Theland]

Andy, by the way, I don't argue night and day regards dogma.
Don't know where that came from.

[naomi24]

fiveleaves, //I have nothing to do with it //

But you're eager to tell us how it all works. Knowledge of life after death. That's quite something for a mere mortal.

[SparklyKid]

Hi Theland, I face life's problems with common sense, strength of character and an ability to think for myself. I have no need to seek comfort from a work of fiction, that would be the bible, .

[Theland]

Fiveloaves - I entirely agree with you.
God gives us free will.
We can use it to accept His free gift of forgiveness, and inherit eternal!life with Him, or we can reject it, and then God gives us what we want, eternity without Him.
Being without Him, our choice, is so horrible that it is the subject of many metaphors to describe it's misery. Bit either way it is our choice.

[naomi24]

//Being without Him, our choice, is so horrible that it is the subject of many metaphors to describe it's misery.//

How do you know?

[Atheist]

There seems to be a fundamental difference between the atheists and the religionists here. The atheists don't assume that the religionists will suffer everlasting pain and torment if they wilfully ignore the atheists' 'message'. But the religionists constantly hint in a self-righteous way that 'atheists' will so suffer. If I was an agnostic, I would feel more sympathy for the atheists' attitudes than the religionists. I have never heard a religionist express any warmth or kindness or pity for the atheists, only a rather smug (almost gloating) warning of what will befall them if they disagree with religionist assertions. I feel no kindness from the likes of Theland or Fiveleaves (fiveloaves?). Having said which, I truly hope that the religionists have happy lives and at least I know that they will never endure eternal torture because of their misguided beliefs.

[Mamyalynne]

I for one hold no animosity to atheists, they may indeed be freer than those of us hooked up to a faith - who knows?

I get along with nice people,kind and caring people - their faith or lack of it doesn't bother me at all.

[nailit]

//I get along with nice people,kind and caring people - their faith or lack of it doesn't bother me at all//
Thats because you're not a fundamentalist like Theland and fiveleaves Mamy.
Ive found that the more dogmatic and fundamental a religious person is, the more judgmental and hateful they can be.
Ive known many different 'types' of Christian over the years from liberals to conservative believers. Give me the liberals anytime, at least they have some love and compassion for humanity while fundies get their rocks of at the thought of unbelievers writhing in pain in the pits of hell.

[Theland]

Atheist - You are misreading me so much.
You are so wrong.
I wish all of you very best lives, health wealth and comfort and peace.
I can only ever tell you what I believe from the scriptures, what they say.
I am not being smug, certainly not deliberately so.
I only wish you the best.