From point 19...
Evolution has a lot of problems with it. It seems to me that it takes a lot of faith to believe that you developed out of ocean slime, simply by chance. At least as a Christian I have the evidence of the resurrection of Christ from eye witnesses as recorded by them in the gospels. Evolution or not, Jesus rose from the dead, said He was God, and forgave sins. I'll put my faith in Him instead of evolution.
The Gospels are not historical documents, faithfully recounting every event and sayings. They are stories, based on real events perhaps, but stories nonetheless written decades after Jesus death. The very word 'gospel' means good news. Eye witness accounts in the gospels are thus not evidence.
One of the keys to Christianity is the ressurection and it clearly demands faith.
An agnostic says he doesn't know if there is or isn't a God. (Usually after saying this I challenge them to explain the prophecies of the Old Testament fulfilled in the New. I state how the Bible is unique that way and that only God can make prophecies that are 100% accurate. Then I ask him to explain how that could be done if there is no God.)
Just as highlighted in the past point, the rest of the bible is not historical fact either. So taking a prophesy written in the distant past and claiming it was fulfilled just because it says so in the same book is not proof.
The only way to truly prove biblical prophesies are accurate is to take something written in the past and for that event to take place in the present or future. Unfortunately, all those prophesies are vague and not time-specific. Some did try to decode them and predict when and where they would take place but they fail. Just ask the Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses.
If there is no God as you say, then in the end I lose nothing. But if there is a God like I say, in the end you lose everything.
I lose nothing believing in Santa either. No Santa surely means no gifts.
Why don't you believe in God? Is there any reason for you to intelligently reject His existence? Or, do you simply desire not to believe in Him?
I guess it depends on each individual, but for myself:
- I find proof of God in a book that simply claim to be his word as laughable.
- I disagree with God on certain issues. Oh yes, I'm using my intellect and moral compass he supposedly gave me and am actually using them, reaching this unavoidable conclusion. And Abraham did the same, but being a moral tale for the believers, Abraham was proven wrong of course.
- If God seeks a relationship with all of his children then his way of doing it is truly flawed using the method other religions and false prophets are using. The arguments that make the Bible superior to other books are convulated and self-serving.
- Most often in life, the simplest, most logical explanation usually explains most mysteries. In the case of the Bible, there is so much that points to a pure human invention rather something divinely inspired.
The Bible doesn't attempt to prove that God exists. It simply speaks as though He does. Maybe I can't prove to you there is a God, but I can introduce Him to you through His Son Jesus Christ and you can judge for yourself if the Words of Christ in the Bible convince you of His existence.
Weak.
