tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24870650160820928842024-03-18T00:46:11.535-07:00Brain Hulk - Logic SmashBrain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.comBlogger558125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-87858048779784067902015-06-27T21:26:00.001-07:002015-06-27T21:26:36.987-07:00Love Wins!Friday June 26th, 2015 was a historic day here in the USA. The Supreme Court finally made the ruling that made same-sex marriage legal nation-wide. Because, you know, people should have to go through years of court cases in order to gain equal rights in a country that claims to guarantee it's people equal rights...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/marriage-thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/marriage-thumb.jpg" height="298" width="320" /></a>While this was a huge victory, it wasn't long until I saw people with their underpants in a knot because gay marriage clashes with their personal religious beliefs. Well there is an easy solution to that... If they don't believe in gay marriage, don't get gay married.<br />
<br />
Then there's those that claim this is a religious rights issue, or claim that the government is now telling churches that they have to perform same sex-marriages. This is simply false. Churches did, and still do, have the right to not perform marriages that clash with their religious beliefs. If they want to, they can marry same-sex couples, but they aren't forced to. Legal and religious marriage are two very different things. But some people just don't want to hear that.<br />
<br />
There are those that also cry that marriage is being redefined. They pretend that Christianity invented marriage, and that biblical marriage has always been one man and one woman. I simply ask those people to actually read their own damn holy book.<br />
<br />
The fact that my wife and I got married (not same religion) means that marriage has been redefined.<br />
<br />
The fact that people of different races can get married means that marriage has been redefined.<br />
<br />
If you don't think a man can just give a woman's father some goats and a cow and now have a wife, you've redefined Christian marriage.<br />
<br />
If you don't think a man should be able to rape a woman and then just pay the father and marry the rape victim as punishment, you've redefined Christian marriage.<br />
<br />
If you don't think a man should have to marry his brother's wife should he die before she birthed him a son, you've redefined Christian marriage.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/a7a656fbedb8ebb51f8d2c0fc2bdae90_zps7jdsy6rm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/a7a656fbedb8ebb51f8d2c0fc2bdae90_zps7jdsy6rm.jpg" /></a>If you don't like polygamy, you've redefined Christian marriage.<br />
<br />
If you don't think woman should be taken as wives as prizes of war, you've redefined Christian marriage.<br />
<br />
If you don't think a man should keep sex slaves as well as a wife/wives, you've redefined Christian marriage.<br />
<br />
If you don't view marriage as a property transaction between a father and husband to be, you've redefined Christian marriage. <br />
<br />
I could keep going, but it should be clear by now that 'Christian marriage' is a concept that is far from as clear cut as some would have you believe.<br />
<br />
Then some ask, "What about polygamists?", "What if someone wants to marry a horse or a dog?" For the first one... I actually don't have a problem with people being in a relationship with multiple wives or husbands if it's all consensual. Obviously, this requirement would block the religious cults where the leader takes multiple child brides and the like. It's also ironic that these are also the biblical marriage types, yet they aren't aware that polygamy <b>is</b> biblical.<br />
<br />
As for marrying an animal... I don't know what's worse. That the person making this argument doesn't know how bad it is, or that they are at least subconsciously equating homosexuals to the same status as other 'lower' animals. But lets get back to the obvious problem with this absurd argument. A horse can not consent to marriage. There are obviously other issues, but this should be an argument that gets stopped before it even starts. But some seem to let their hate run their mind rather than logic.<br />
<br />
But luckily sanity prevailed, and marriage equality is now a reality across the United States. Love won. And that's what marriage is really about. Love. Nothing more, nothing less, and isn't that really enough?<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Be-Back-Soon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Be-Back-Soon.jpg" height="320" width="306" /></a>Other than that though, I haven't really been feeling up to writing much lately. My job has been stressing me out beyond belief. Despite not having a very physical job, I find myself coming home exhausted most night. This means that the weekends end up needing to be a time of recharging rather than one of enjoyment for the most part. Considering the fact that I write these almost exclusively on the weekends, these tired weekends have left me without the time or desire to write like I used too.<br />
<br />
So I surmise that I will have to scale my posting back even further (my book remains nameless and coverless, but at least it is at the waiting for edits stage...) , or even take a break. How long this will last is anyone's guess because, quite frankly, I hate my job. I dread going in each day. The environment is beyond toxic. The stress, stupidity, and incompetence I face regularly have left me feeling empty on any given work day (possibly even entering depression at times). Sadly, I can not afford to just leave, and there are no viable alternatives for me to move on to in this area. Two years looking, and I'm still there...<br />
<br />
But then this all gets more complicated. I hate my job, but this job has caused me to no longer enjoy the career that I once loved. There is no more drive or desire left in the tank when I think of the projects I once loved undertaking. Just the other week I took on what used to be by far my favorite task. But it was just another job that felt like work. This was a realization that answered a question I've been asking myself for a while. Do I just hate this current situation, or is it more than that? The sad answer is that the passion is now gone. The career I choose over more lucrative paths due to the enjoyment factor is now nothing to me.<br />
<br />
So I guess now not only do I need a new job, but a new career. That only complicates things so much more since I can't afford to go back to school. That's it I guess. Unappreciated, underpaid, and stressed the hell out... Now if you see me not posting as much, or not at all, you know why. But while you're here, anyone know any minimum 50k dollar jobs a fast learner can jump right into without having to go back to school?<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">The Glendive School District has bowed down
to threats by the group Americans United for Separation of Church and
State (AUSCS), which argues that allowing students to take the secular
tour at the Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum violates the alleged separation of church and state clause of the U.S. </span></i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/dinosaur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/dinosaur.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Constitution.</i></span></blockquote>
That just doesn't sound right at all. Atheist groups are all for preserving the secular nature of our government and schools. So this claim seems very odd and off the wall to me... Something just doesn't add up. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">The museum, the second-largest dinosaur
museum in Montana, is the only one that teaches the biblical account of
creation. Operated by the Foundation Advancing Creation Truth (FACT).</span>..</i></span></blockquote>
Well there's your problem. A biblical creationist museum is not even close to being secular! Also, I love the irony of the parent organization being called FACT since creationism isn't at all related with the term...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">the museum offers public schools a
"secular" tour that doesn't promote a biblical account and religious
views. This differs from the private sector tours that include teachings
on a young Earth, the coexistence of dinosaurs and humans, biblical
history and Noah's Ark — all represented through various displays.</span></i></span></blockquote>
Huh, maybe I spoke too soon. So does this museum have a separate religious wing and a scientifically factual wing? If that's the case, maybe there really isn't an issue. (more on that later)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">Lincoln Elementary School principal John
Larson says the field trip to the museum has been held annually over the
past several years with virtually no complaints.</span></i></span></blockquote>
The number of complaints doesn't matter. Illegal is illegal. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> <span class="spanwrap nopad">"[The museum gives] a different point of
view than kids are exposed to in school," expressed Larson, who noted
that even though he never attended a school tour, he has visited the
museum and trusts his faculty's professional judgment. "This presents an
alternative idea to what kids are going to hear throughout the
curriculum. I guess, personally, I'm okay with that."</span></i></span></blockquote>
So Larson is fine with his students receiving information that isn't rooted in fact during school hours? Why is this? Is it because this 'museum' is teaching his personally preferred brand of superstition? Sorry, but a person who can say that they are fine with his students being taught false teachings that are counter to the curriculum as part of a school trip is not fit to be the principal of a public school.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>FACT vice
president Robert Canen could not understand why the district caved to
the atheist group, especially considering the museum has gone out of its
way to customize its tours to not promote a biblical worldview. </i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">
</span></i></span>
<br />
<div class="selectionShareable">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"[We are] disappointed for the students of our school district," Canen told <i>The Christian Post</i>.
"While our museum is based on biblical history and all of our exhibits
are set in that context, we provide a tour that focuses on the fossils
displayed in the museum and the characteristics of those fossils."</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
Wait, wait, wait... So the 'secular' tour uses the same exact displays as the religious tour. The students are surrounded by signs and displays promoting creationism and they somehow think this makes it a secular tour? Sorry, that doesn't cut the mustard. Everything is still right there for the kids to read. The placards openly contradict what the children are being (rightfully) taught in the classroom. Standing students next to a large image depicting Noah's flood claiming that it totally happened but <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/1236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/1236.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shit never happened!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
stopping just short of pointing it out to the kids does not a secular tour make.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">Canen states that the museum based in
Glendive, Montana, is careful to not attack the problematic theory of
evolution or stress the scientific biblical account.</span></i></span></blockquote>
Um, evolutionary theory is not problematic at all. Maybe Canen's understanding of evolution is problematic. But evolution is about as close to a scientific certainty as is gets. I often find that those that contest evolution are usually those that understand it the least. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">"We mention complexity and design, but we
stay away from any discussion of the Bible for public school tours,"
Canen continued. "We understand that our signage refers to special
Creation and the biblical timeline, but we don't draw attention to those
signs for public school tours."</span> </i></span></blockquote>
Wink, wink, nudge, nudge... We have these signs <b>everywhere </b>that promote what we aren't allowed to promote on a secular tour. But simply not reading them to the kids makes it all okay? What if this school was to hold an art show in a mosk and go there for a fiend trip. The mosk still displays all the usual Muslim displays. Qur'ans are left open and accessible to be read... I can guarantee that most of these Christian parents would be up in arms about that trip, yet the situation is no different than this <i>museum's</i> tour that they hilariously claim to be secular.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">"In the past, the Glendive schools have
brought students with little or no complaint," Canen contended. "We
would encourage people to come to the museum to learn about the message
we present and how the fossils fit into the biblical timeline."</span></i></span></blockquote>
Again, the number of complains isn't what matters. It's what's legal that matters. Oh, and how do the fossils fit into a Biblical timeline? If you are using the honest facts, the truth is that they don't come close to fitting into the biblical timeline at all. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">AUSCS claimed that a school-run event visiting the creation museum violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.</span> </i></span></blockquote>
Because it does... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="spanwrap nopad"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>teachers explicitly teach Darwinian evolution as the sole explanation for the creation of the universe.</i></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></blockquote>
Someone is either quite confused or has been misquoted, because evolution has absolutely nothing to do with the creation of the universe. Evolution is all about the change of, and diversity of life. Universal origins are in the realm of the Big Bang.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">"If evolution makes a claim and the claim
is refuted by science, then I have no problem saying that, because
that's the truth," Kline informed to the <i>Gazette</i>. "We don't make things up here."</span></i></span></blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/adam-eve-dinosaurs1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/adam-eve-dinosaurs1.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a fairytale, not science!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Actually, you are making things up. First, evolution has not been refuted or even threatened by science. The more science looks at evolution, the more it is being found to be supported by an unquestionable mass of evidence. Furthermore, creationism has been thoroughly refuted by science, so where is the consistency? Kline is super eager to embrace science threatening evolution, but when it comes to the fact that science has refuted his, and his museum's beliefs/teachings he just looks the other way and ignores the science. To me, that's just dishonest.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">Kline says the alternative tours for public
schools strictly stick to scientific fact — not religious teaching —
but emphasizes that he doesn't lie to students when secular geologic
records declare that all animal species appeared at once or that life is
simply too complex to be created by chance.</span></i></span></blockquote>
What is this man on about? No secular geological records claim that all species appeared at once, nor do they claim that life is too complex to occur naturally! It sounds to me like Kline is certainly lying to students, or is very very poorly educated on the topics that he is talking about...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">Kline explains that he only mentions the
biblical account if students directly ask them about topics that can't
avoid it — such as fossil ages, which can be explained by a global
flood.</span></i></span></blockquote>
Sorry, I don't buy it. In my experience, I've found that creationists of Kline's ilk are all too eager to shoehorn their beliefs in whenever they get the slightest chance... Especially when it comes to trying to convert or recruit new believers. As for the claim of fossil ages being explained by a global flood. This is again completely false. And any attempt to do so requires completely ignoring all the factual evidence that we already have at hand. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">"It's perfectly legitimate for me to do so,
because it's not the teacher who asked me, it's not the bus driver who
asked me," Kline said. "The student is not a representative from the
school."</span></i></span></blockquote>
Wrong again buckaroo! By leading a school field trip, Kline is acting as a representative of the school. As a representative of the school, you must also abide by the standards of the curriculum. If leading a school field trip and sticking to the facts is a problem, then Kline shouldn't lead these tours.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/3214902942_88020159ca_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/3214902942_88020159ca_z.jpg" height="320" width="272" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="spanwrap nopad">"Apparently, a few disgruntled individuals
in our community have precedence over your permission for your child to
attend," the faculty's letter reads. "Big city issues have come to
Glendive."</span></i></span></blockquote>
To borrow a line from the amazing movie <i>Hot Fuzz</i>, "<i>With respect sir, geographical location </i><br />
<i>shouldn’t factor in the application of the law.</i>" Also, no one is saying that children can't go there, just that the school can't take them. If a parent wants to take their child to a terrible museum on the weekend, these parents are perfectly able and allowed to.<br />
<br />
So the answer to this whole issue is very simple. Follow the law. If they want to take their kids on a fun trip to learn about dinosaurs, then just take them to the another museum. There are several dinosaur museums in the state, and there is even another one in the same town for crying out loud!<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<br />Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-36692510154378615822015-06-05T07:00:00.000-07:002015-06-05T07:00:01.222-07:00Billy Graham: Science and God<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>DEAR REV. GRAHAM: As far as I'm concerned, religion is based on
superstition and myth. I think people dreamed up the idea of "God" just
to help them deal with their fears. Now that we have science, we don't
need God. Why should we keep believing in something that doesn't exist?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-- R.H.</i></span></blockquote>
The answer is really very simple. We shouldn't believe in things that don't exist. Yet for a myriad or reasons, many people do. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/tumblr_lpht0bjq0a1qeoff1o1_r1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/tumblr_lpht0bjq0a1qeoff1o1_r1_500.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>DEAR R.H.: Let me ask you a question: If we no longer need God because
of science, then why do so many scientists and other intellectuals still
believe in Him? Some don't, of course, but over the years I've been
privileged to meet many who do -- and who not only believe in God but
are also committed Christians. </i></span></blockquote>
Yes, plenty of scientists are believers. But a <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/2009/11/05/scientists-and-belief/" target="_blank">2009 study</a> found that while 83% of the general public believe in God, only 33% of scientists do. So that right there tells you that scientific knowledge can and does erode the need for belief. But why is the number 33% and not 0%? Well that is due to a few reasons. Many still believe due to emotional reasons. But the most important factor is compartmentalization. Religious scientists tend to not subject their religious beliefs to the same rigorous scrutiny that they apply to their scientific work.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>In fact, many of these men and women have told me their scientific investigations actually had led them to faith.</i></span></blockquote>
Billy must not talk to very many scientists... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>As they studied the world around them, they realized it was far more
logical to believe in an all-wise Creator than to believe everything
happened by chance. </i></span></blockquote>
Or apparently any good ones either. The conclusion that 'magic' is a more logical conclusion than the scientific one that is rooted in evidence is not logical, and is not good science in the slightest.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>They also began examining the life of Jesus Christ and weighing
carefully His claim to be God in human flesh, sent from heaven to save
us and change us. As they did, they came to realize He was not a myth,
but that in Him alone "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge" (Colossians 2:3).</i></span></blockquote>
So they studied all the evidence for Jesus' existence (that is none by the way) and concluded that a magical man that left no evidence of his existence wasn't a myth? Right... Sorry, but this is either a case of scientists that were believers first compartmentalizing, if he's actually talking about actual scientists at all.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I suspect your real problem is that you want to run your own life, without God to interfere with whatever you might want to do.</i></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/923db77d2001e987210c07e0a74a5a2acc5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/923db77d2001e987210c07e0a74a5a2acc5.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>I love how Billy loves to throw this gem around. "You just want to run your own life." His reasoning presupposes that we do believe in God but are acting in defiance. But here's the thing, if we did believe, we would know he is all-powerful and that the price is steep. We would know that if God (being all-powerful) wanted us to do X, Y or Z, there's nothing we could do about it anyway. We would also believe that we are going to Hell because of our actions. So who would believe in God yet consciously choose to pointlessly try to defy this all-powerful being, and choose the outcome of eternal torment?<br />
<br />
The real answer is really much simpler. We actually don't believe in God, and it's usually because there is no good reason to believe in a God that is not evidenced in the least.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="first-paragraph"><span class="paragraph-0">QUESTION: I saw a
survey the other day claiming that some of the most prosperous
countries in the world are also the least religious. Do you think that’s
true? Why is it? – Mrs. J.U.</span></span></i></span></blockquote>
For the most part this is very true. The main outlying exception being the USA. Why is that? There are a couple main reasons that I suspect this is the case.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/sweden-because-any-country-with-a-n.jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/sweden-because-any-country-with-a-n.jpg.png" height="153" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="paragraph-1">ANSWER: I don’t know how accurate a survey
like this is; I certainly can think of some exceptions, including the
United States. Although secularism and materialism have made serious
inroads into our society, the majority of Americans still believe in God
and regularly attend a place of worship.</span></i></span></blockquote>
Sorry to burst your bubble Billy, but America isn't facing secularism making inroads into society. America was founded as a secular nation for crying out loud. And while America is the one obvious exception, a closer look will show that America may be rich overall, but is actually a bad example when we look on a more individual basis.<br />
<br />
As for the accuracy of these studies, I have found that they are usually done with a large sample size and are actually pretty accurate. A <a href="http://www.li.com/docs/default-source/publications/2014-legatum-prosperity-index.pdf" target="_blank">2014 study</a> ranked the top most prosperous countries as such: <br />
<br />
1) Norway (22% believe in God)<br />
2) Switzerland (44% believe in God)<br />
3) New Zealand (43.47% Christian)<br />
4) Denmark (28% believe in God)<br />
5) Canada (67% Christian)<br />
6) Sweden (18% believe in God)<br />
7) Australia (61.1% Christian)<br />
8) Finland (33% believe in God)<br />
9) Netherlands (28% believe in God)<br />
10) United States (70.6% Christian)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/russelteapot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/russelteapot.jpg" height="400" width="317" /></a>But why do I feel the fact that many of the least religious nations are actually more prosperous that the USA? Education. Our education system is woeful, and further behind other nations than it really should be. For some reason , it seems our lawmakers typically want to take money away from education rather than trying to address the problems that cause us to usually rank around the 27th position in national rankings against the rest of the world.<br />
<br />
And one thing that many statistics have shown is that the more educated a person is, the higher the likelihood is that they don't believe in a god. If the lest educated believe the most, that should really tell you something about that belief.<br />
<br />
Earlier I mentioned that the USA isn't that great of an example. Why is that exactly? Income equality. Let's take a look at the GINI coefficient of that top ten again. 0 = total equality and 100 = total inequality.<br />
<br />
1) Norway (GINI of 25)<br />
2) Switzerland (GINI of 29.6)<br />
3) New Zealand (GINI of 36.2)<br />
4) Denmark (GINI of 24.8)<br />
5) Canada (GINI of 32.1)<br />
6) Sweden (GINI of 23)<br />
7) Australia (GINI of 30.3)<br />
8) Finland (GINI of 26.8)<br />
9) Netherlands (GINI of 30.9)<br />
10) United States (GINI of 45)<br />
<br />
What this shows us is that while the USA may be prosperous as a nation, there are many many more individuals that are not prosperous than in the other nations in the list. So if countries that believe in God less tend to be more prosperous and more equal, while the most religious parts of the USA are also the most impoverished, either God has terrible aim when he's smiting, or not believing just got even more attractive.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: What does God look like? My sister tried to draw a picture of God once, but my parents said they weren’t sure if she got it right. She made him look kind of like the sun. I am 9 years old. — Z.H.</i></span></blockquote>
You have to love kids sometimes. Nine years old and what is the pressing matter that ZH writes in to the newspaper about? 'Is my sister's drawing of God accurate?' The funny thing is that his sister did kind of get it right though, so long as she was trying to draw one of the many solar deities.<br />
<blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/god_made_us_in_his_image_why_arent_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/god_made_us_in_his_image_why_arent_.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> DEAR H.N.: God isn’t like anything we will ever see around us, because he doesn’t have a physical body or a physical nature. Instead, God is a spiritual being, and he is everywhere. (This is one reason the Bible commands us not to make idols.) Jesus said, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).</i></span></blockquote>
So wait... is the kid ZH or HN? Also has Billy ever read his own Bible? Because some of what he just said is contradicted by his very own holy book. For example, Genesis 1:26-27...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so
that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky,
over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures
that move along the ground. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.<span class="p"></span></i></blockquote>
But here's the thing. If God doesn't have a physical form, then there was no 'image' for him to fashion mankind after. Also what about when God shows himself to Moses in Exodus 33:18-23?<br />
<blockquote>
<i>And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.</i></blockquote>
So according to this not only does God have a form and a face, but he also set it up to moon Moses in some sort of divine peep show. <br />
<br />
And on the idols bit... That was actually more about worshiping other gods. But Christianity pissed all over that commandment anyway what with every church being filled with statues of Jesus, Mary, saints, etc...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Does this mean we can’t know anything about God, since we can’t see him?
No, not at all. God made us, and he loves us and wants us to know what
he is like.</i></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/e4293470ff4ba111e61dc1ae716a85d3f18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/e4293470ff4ba111e61dc1ae716a85d3f18.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>How the Bible says he's like, or how the evidence says he's like? Because the Bible shows him to be a murderous, genocidal, sadistic, egomaniac. And the evidence simply shows no trace of his existence at all. <br />
<br />
So was this little boy's sister's drawing accurate? No. In fact her drawing was already more accurate before she ever started. That blank page was already a perfect representation of God. This is because the absence of the drawing perfectly mirrors the high likelihood that he doesn't exist. Likewise, the second pencil meets paper she, like people throughout history, started creating her own god. All gods are human creations that have traits given to them by their creators. Just like we create the drawing, we have also created our gods.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-3703500499746261302015-05-29T07:00:00.000-07:002015-05-29T07:00:00.325-07:00Atheist Babies Have a God?Rev. Christopher Benek wrote<a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/babies-are-not-born-atheists-139423/" target="_blank"> a piece</a> for <i>The Christian Post</i> titled "Babies Are Not Born Atheist". Seeing as his title is factually false, I don't have high hopes for the contents of his article, but lets have a look anyway...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Benek-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Benek-4.jpg" height="320" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can I interest you in a used car? Take a look at<br />
this fabulous '88 Chevy. They don't get any<br />
batter than this beauty!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It is a popular claim by Atheists that
eventually science will somehow eliminate the need for religion. Many
even argue that, in our present age of exponentially advancing
technology, we are already beginning to see the numerical decline of
religious persons in the United States</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>.</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
It is true that science has been steadily showing that the claims of many religious are false. It has <br />
replaced incorrect religious explanations with ones rooted in fact and backed by evidence. Science has been able to explain happenings that were once assigned to a supernatural deity, and reveal what is actually going on. So yes, as religions and their claims have been show time and time again to quite simply be wrong, it has resulted in some leaving those religions.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This,
they claim, is evidenced in such studies as the Pew Research Center's
recent Religious Landscape Study. I disagree with such assertions. What
we are actually seeing isn't the initial stages of the demise of
Christianity. Instead, what we are witnessing is the reoccurring
periodic rise of societal arrogance and immaturity.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Already with the name-calling? We don't agree with you so we are automatically arrogant and immature? Personally, I consider that reply rather immature. Furthermore, how can Christian's of Chris' ilk call anyone arrogant. I'm going to go out on a limp and say that he would probably say that there is absolutely no chance he could be wrong about Jesus, or that he would never even consider changing his mind. That is pure arrogance. Yet most atheists (like myself) am always open to being wrong. I don't think that I am, but if you can show that I am, I will listen.<br />
<br />
Also, what Chris is arguing can be said of every time people started leaving one faith for another. The Jews probably said that this Christianity will never catch on. The Catholic church would have said that there new Protestants won't go anywhere. While these religions didn't disappear, they were still quite wrong in regards to the new upstarts. But go back further and there are religions that faded completely. Will the same happen with Christianity? Perhaps, but it will take a while if it does. But the fact is that the trend shows that the 'rise of the nones' isn't a trivial one.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>American
Christians seem to be baffled as to how "nones" - those persons who
identify themselves as religiously unaffiliated Atheists, agnostics or
"nothing in particular" - have grown in number so rapidly in the United
States.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
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Probably because religions and their claims have often been found to be wrong. The fact that being religious doesn't statistically make one a better person than they already were, or the big fact that there is no proof that these religions are at all rooted in actual verifiable proof. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>We
are quick to blame politicians, celebrities, technology or even other
Christians with whom we disagree theologically for this increasing
trend. But as I see it, the problem resides not with the "nones" but
with the church universal's growing lack of religious formational
training and nurture.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Or maybe because there's no proof! And seriously... Chris is opining that the church isn't being vocal enough? I have churches come to my door pretty regularly, mass-mail cards, hand out papers at events, and basically make themselves seen and heard anytime they get a chance. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>At
a very rudimentary level we as Christians seem to be growing
increasingly dismissive of our children's religious developmental needs.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
So you're going to stop forcing kids to go to church and allow them to make up their own mind instead or brainwashing them and asserting that the child is a Christian from birth? That would be awesome!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It might serve us well to remember though that babies are not born atheists. </i></span></div>
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Actually that's incorrect. An atheist is a person who lacks a belief in God(s). Babies haven't learned about God yet, so they lack belief. By definition they are atheist. Atheist by default, but still atheist.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Furthermore, if we push the point, there really is no such thing as an atheist because technically everyone has a god.</i></span></div>
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</blockquote>
How can everyone have a god when no god has ever been shown to absolutely exist? And if Chris means 'believe in a god', than that's outright false since atheist don't believe in any gods. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>While
this may seem an unfamiliar concept to some, by definition, a god is
just "a person or thing that is excessively worshiped and admired; an
all absorbing passion, pursuit, or hobby - something idolized." Since an
excess of anything is simply "an amount or quality greater than is
necessary" and worship, in its most basic form, means "to have an ardent
devotion, or adoration for something" - one must simply have actual or
substantial concern for a passion, pursuit, or hobby that is slightly
more than needed for it to be considered a god. It thus quickly becomes
evident that, although it may not be personified, everyone has a god.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Sorry, but this is simply false. A god is defined as... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>1) (in Christianity and other monotheistic religions) the creator and
ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme
being.</i> <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>2) (in certain other religions) a superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity.</i></blockquote>
What Chris is doing here is actually quite dishonest. He's attempting to arbitrarily redefine words to fit his claims as he pleases. That's not the way it works!<br />
<br />
But what if we grant Chris' claim. In that case, he's screwed because that would mean that almost everyone would have multiple gods. And God demands that you have no other gods, so Chris' claim would actually damn everyone.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This
fact that people aren't born atheists matters when we consider our
religious development because it suggests that we are biologically
oriented toward embracing religious training and nurture.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Yeah, babies aren't born atheist at all... As long as you have no clue at all what 'atheist' actually means, that is!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>When
babies are born they understandably worship the source of their basic
needs – such things as their mother's milk, their parents, or a maybe
even a favorite toy. But as a child grows older, and develops as a human
being, their needs evolve and expand and their focus of worship then
changes. </i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
None of this makes babies believers in God though. At that age they can't even consider the concept, let alone conclude that they believe in Jesus. The only way this means what Chris is claiming it means is to dishonestly try to redefine terms on a whim to fit his needs.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/definition-of-deception.jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/definition-of-deception.jpg.png" height="102" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like Chris' definition for 'god'...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Whether
or not a child matures into understanding that it is more logical to
worship a God who champions love, peace, compassion and justice as
opposed to a deficient idol usually has less to do with the child and
more to do with how those who are caring for the child model behavior
for them.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Wait... So Chris wants children to grow up to believe in a god who 'champions love, peace, compassion and justice'? It's kind of odd hearing a Christian wanting children to <b>not </b>become Christians. But okay, works for me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Of
course, capital "A", Atheists – those who lack belief in a supernatural
or personified God or who, more likely, have critiques of the
misappropriations of organized religion - do exist.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Actually, it's 'atheist', not 'Atheist'. The word is not a proper noun. So Chris is now claiming that only miss-spelled atheists exist? Just for the record, all atheist lack belief in God, not just some. Additionally, most atheist do have critiques on religion, but that isn't necessary to be an atheist.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>But,
divergent from popular opinion, their critiques of the church also are
not what ultimately convince persons to leave organized religion.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Yeah, usually it's because there's no proof of religion's claims, or that science has all too often proven religious claims wrong.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>To
the contrary, it is our failure as Christians to humbly hear and
respond to constructive criticism that demonstrates to the younger
generation that we aren't really willing to work for Christ's redemptive
purposes.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
At least he got the 'humbly respond the criticism' part right. All too often I've witnessed religious people simply shout down any criticism or questions. Critiques that are very valid, yet the believers have no good answer to. This fact alone should raise even more questions.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And
often times, instead of repenting from our failure to guide our
children into religious maturity as human beings, we shift the blame to
others for our irresponsibility and arrogance.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/religious-brainwashing-hatedandlove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/religious-brainwashing-hatedandlove.jpg" height="276" width="320" /></a>Wait, wait, wait... irresponsible and arrogant for <b>not </b>doing a better job of blindly brainwashing your kids to think exactly like you instead of for themselves? I think Chris has that backwards.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Put
succinctly, it isn't science or technology that is dissuading persons
away from God. Nor is it politicians, celebrities, Atheists or persons
who hold fringe religious positions.</i></span></div>
</div>
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</blockquote>
Its the seemingly wholesale failure of religion.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It
is each of us who confesses Jesus with our words and then denies him
with our lifestyles. Our large-scale idolatry of self-arrogance and
religious immaturity is growing the population of "nones" whose primary
hope is simply that there is a better way of living than what we are
modeling. Fortunately for them, and us, there is a better way. It is in
and through the person of Jesus Christ.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
We already have a way better than the horrible book called the Bible. A free secular society that grants the people amazing and oh so valuable rights. A system that could use improvement in some details, sure. But one that is sadly under threat from those that would like to replace it with the terrible and barbaric Bible.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Why did Jesus come to Earth?</i></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>To save the world?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>To rule the world?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>To conquer the world?</i></span></blockquote>
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None of the above! The obvious answer is that he came to Earth to become the undisputed hide and seek champion.<br />
<br />
Think about it... Two-thousand years later and people are still asking random strangers if they have found Jesus. (Is someone offering a reward?)<br />
<br />
There are people who have claimed to have found Jesus, but none have ever been able to prove it.<br />
<br />
In fact he's so good at hide and seek that he hasn't even left any historical records behind to prove his existence or provide a clue as to just where he's been hiding.<br />
<br />
But in all seriousness, the real question shouldn't be why did Jesus come to Earth, but did he ever come to Earth at all? After all, there isn't any actual proof for his existence, so that certainly is a fair question to ask.<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/brain.hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">facebook </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">| </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116167676611926523234/116167676611926523234/posts" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">google+</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Brain_Hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">twitter</a>Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-7653769567701453902015-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:002015-05-22T07:00:01.548-07:00Billy Graham: Living Together<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="first-paragraph"><span class="paragraph-0">QUESTION: I want
to get married, but my boyfriend says we need to live together to see
if it’s going to work out. He says all our friends do it, and I guess
he’s right, but I’m not sure I want to go down this road. What is your
advice? — K. McG.</span></span></i></span></blockquote>
In my opinion, what your friends are doing doesn't really matter. But with that said, I agree with K's boyfriend. Marrying someone is a big decision, so isn't it a great idea to make sure you really know that person and are truly compatible before deciding to spend the rest of your like with that person?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/art.jpg" /></a>I didn't move in with my wife, but I did stay with her on the weekends when we were dating. By spending so much time with her, I was able to get to know her incredibly well. This knowledge made it clear that we were very compatible, and that living together post-marriage wouldn't be a problem. And more importantly, it underscored that marriage was a good idea, and not something that would immediately blow up in our face.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="paragraph-1">ANSWER: It may be popular with some of your
friends, but for both practical and spiritual reasons I strongly urge
you not to go down the road your boyfriend is urging you to take.</span></i></span></blockquote>
For terrible religious reasons no doubt... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="paragraph-1">On a practical level, the problem with simply
living together is that there’s no real commitment, either to each other
or to marriage. What’s to keep your boyfriend from deciding he doesn’t
want to be tied down, and suddenly casting you aside? Or what’s to keep
you from leaving after a minor disagreement (as happens in almost any
relationship)? The answer is simple: precisely nothing.</span> </i></span></blockquote>
What world is Billy From? Moving in together is a big step in a relationship. It is a step people take after they have already been dating for a while. How is there no commitment? It is usually the last step prior to a proposal, so by time a couple lives together, they are pretty damn committed to one another. And what of Billy's scenarios? They are also silly because they can happen if you without moving in together too. Couples can split ways, have a relationship with another, or fight whether they are living together or not.<br />
<br />
But here's the point Billy doesn't seem to realize. Even if this does happen, it was a good thing. Isn't it better to find out that you can't live with someone before you get married rather than after? Billy often speaks ill of divorce, so he should be in favor of moving in together since it can actually help avoid divorce. But perhaps that's too much logic for him to comprehend...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>But I also hope you’ll avoid this for spiritual reasons. God gave
marriage to us for our happiness and mutual help, and in His eyes it’s a
solemn commitment to be faithful to each other, no matter what happens.</i></span></blockquote>
No, for the one-thousandth time,God didn't give us marriage. Marriage far predates Christianity, and may even predate religion of any type. And if it's supposed to be such a solemn commitment, why does God allow divorce if the man finds his wife displeasing?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This is why the Bible commands us to avoid sexual relations outside of marriage. </i></span></blockquote>
Here's the thing though... It doesn't. Well, if you are a man that is. The Bible only commands sexual 'purity' from women. But that's partially because a virgin is worth more than a non virgin daughter. Dad has to make money off this after all. But do men have to practice sexual purity? A reading of the Bible doesn't place males with the same requirement. Heck, a man can rape an unwed woman and his only punishment is to pay her father and marry her. The Bible does talk about about the vague subject of fleeing 'sexual immorality'. But that could include any number of things.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/before-you-marry-a-person-make-them.jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/before-you-marry-a-person-make-them.jpg.png" height="222" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Only then can true love flourish, and only then will your relationship grow stronger over the years.</i></span></blockquote>
But love can flourish by saving sex until after marriage and finding out that you aren't compatible at all? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>At the moment, your boyfriend’s suggestion may be very tempting, but
it’s filled with uncertainty and great risk, as many have discovered, to
their sorrow. </i></span></blockquote>
How the hell is wanting to move in together a decision filled with uncertainty? It's a choice one makes when they are sure they want to take the relationship to the next logical step. Yes, there is risk, but so is marriage. But what will create more sorrow... Moving in together and having it not work out, or getting married and having it not work out? I think that the answer to that one should be rather obvious.<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
-Brain Hulk</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="first-paragraph"><span class="paragraph-0">QUESTION: I own a
small business that hires a lot of young people, but I’m frustrated
because I can’t find very many who are reliable and actually want to
work. Doesn’t the Bible say we’re not supposed to be lazy? — D.E.</span></span></i></span></blockquote>
As far as DE's staffing troubles go, the Bible does have one solution. But it's far from a pleasant one... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="paragraph-1">ANSWER: Yes, the Bible certainly urges us to
be responsible and diligent in our work, no matter who we are or what
we’re doing. The Bible says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with
all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).</span> </i></span></blockquote>
To be fair, all that really says is to do your best when you do do something. I can get behind that. But it doesn't really have anything to say about laziness so much as quality of work... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/HandyGuidetoSlavery_zpsznbodqcd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/HandyGuidetoSlavery_zpsznbodqcd.jpg" height="259" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One reason is because laziness will never give us the things we want, or
even the things we need. More than that, others will suffer because of
our slackness – not only our families, but society as a whole... But the Bible warns us against laziness for another reason: a lazy
person isn’t making use of the abilities and gifts God has given them.</i></span></blockquote>
Too bad all of this doesn't jive with parts of the Bible. Remember that unsavory solution I mentioned for DE's staffing issues? The Bible has an answer in Leviticus 25:44... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves.<span class="p"></span></i></blockquote>
That's right! Slavery is the answer! I don't know about you, but I don't think that it gets much more lazy than slavery. And what's more, the Bible comes to the rescue when your slaves don't do as you tell them in Exodus 21:20-21... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished.<span class="p"> </span>If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.</i><span class="p"><br /></span><span class="p"></span></blockquote>
Maybe it's just me, but all of this sounds like God approved laziness that causes others to suffer. Exactly the kind of thing that Billy is actually claiming that the Bible is against.<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<br />Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-60793751381620232772015-05-18T07:00:00.000-07:002015-05-18T07:00:02.934-07:00Billy Graham: Prejudiced God<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>QUESTION: I enjoy my friend’s company, but sometimes he gets off on racial issues, and his intolerance and bigotry really make me very uncomfortable. I tried to say something to him about it once, but it just made him angry. How should I handle this? — W.J.</i></span></blockquote>
It sounds to me like WJ tried to do the right thing, and maybe has to give saying something about it another go. If he continues to react so strongly then there is a choice to be made. How often does this happen, and how much does it bother you? The answers to those questions will determine if you should just try to deal with it, try to reason with them, or cut ties completely.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/dt20_16-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/dt20_16-17.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nope, God is totally against ethnic prejudices. He would never<br />
put one people above another, much less order one destroyed,<br />
right. Right...?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I can understand the confusion of people always being drawn toward certain issues. I know people that can and will turn any unrelated conversation on it's head and just bring up '<i>illegals</i>', gays, or people on food stamps completely out of the blue. I have more than once found myself flabbergasted by the abrupt change of topic to something so unrelated. In many cases, I find that it's a case of people believing misconceptions, or watching too much Fox News. So don't feel disheartened. Sometimes the solution is just a few corrections to falsehoods they may have heard brandied about as fact from suspect sources.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="paragraph-1">ANSWER: Racial or ethnic prejudice is a sin in God’s eyes,</span></i></span></blockquote>
What?! Seriously, what!? Has Billy ever read the Bible? It is rife with God commanding <b>his </b>people to kill and conquer other peoples. Actually, the fact that he even chose one group of people to be his chosen ones and condemn those that were worshiping other gods is an obvious example of the Christian god playing favorites.<br />
<br />
And when he's not telling his people to kill, he tells them to take their slaves from the nations around them. This is yet another example. One that was used by southern Christians to justify their claimed right to keep African slaves. Furthermore, holy books have even been used to claim that 'darkness of skin' was either the curse of Kain, or the curse God bestowed on Noah's son Ham and his descendants. The latter has been a common teaching in some Jewish and Christian sects (though it is far less common now).<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="paragraph-1">and it should be wrong in our eyes, as well.</span></i></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/the-crusades-in-a-nutshell_o_242779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/the-crusades-in-a-nutshell_o_242779.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a>And to a lot of it it is wrong. The problem that religions have that Billy is ignoring, is that they can and are used to justify the very prejudices that he is claiming they are actually against... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>How do we know this? We know it for many reasons, but most of all
because Jesus Christ died on the cross to save people from every race
and ethnic background. Even some of the earliest Christians had a hard
time understanding this at first, but in time they did, and God
confirmed it by bringing all kinds of people into His kingdom. </i></span></blockquote>
Sorry, but allowing anyone into Heaven doesn't make up for condoning the owning of people from other nations or ordering the slaughter of other peoples for incredibly petty reasons. The Bible still promotes ethnic prejudices any way you slice it.<br />
<br />
What's more, God separates people for ridiculous reasons once more by destining some to Heaven and some to Hell. While this may not be ethnic or racially motivated, it is certainly proof that God certainly doesn't love everyone the same.<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/brain.hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">facebook </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">| </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116167676611926523234/116167676611926523234/posts" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">google+</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Brain_Hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">twitter</a>Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-73265706799396987022015-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:002015-05-15T07:00:00.875-07:00Outspoken Atheist?I'm sure we've all heard the joke in a few different formats, but it generally goes like this: A vegan, an atheist, and a crossfitter walk into a bar. I only know because they told everybody within 2 min.<br />
<br />
Okay, I guess it's a bit funny, but it also doesn't make much sense. As far as the atheism part goes, the joke would have you think that we go about bringing up religion constantly out of the blue. But this <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/1162015232191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/1162015232191.jpg" height="136" width="320" /></a></div>
hasn't been my experience at all.<br />
<br />
By and large, many atheists are closeted. Depending where we live, just letting the fact that you don't believe can have serious ramifications. That said, when it comes to religious discussion, I am almost never the one to start the conversation. I know how annoying it can be when a believer brings Jesus and the Bible up out of nowhere, so similarly I don't bring up my non-belief unless it is relevant. Because of this there are many in my life that have no idea that I'm an atheist.<br />
<br />
Perhaps believers act as though we are shouting our atheism from the rooftops because when the topic of religion does come up naturally in conversation, it is a topic that we tend to be very interested in. I know that I love talking theology. It's a topic that genuinely interests me. Sometimes I even find myself hoping the other party asks a certain question so that I have a chance to share a particular thought. But if that question or comment isn't uttered, I save that opinion or though for another day.<br />
<br />
But the main reason I think believers may think that all atheists are outspoken is that we are memorable. Out of all the people they meet, we stand out because we have the <i>audacity </i>to not hold the same belief as them, or worse yet, we don't keep it to ourselves. It's comical in a way that a believer may consider me answering a question about belief with "Actually, I'm an atheist." as forcing my beliefs or being too vocal. How is that the case?<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/57404837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/57404837.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
If I was asked by the door-to-door proselytizers if I know if I'm going to go to Heaven, isn't their outrage amazingly ironic? I simply honestly answered a question that they asked of me. And here they are going door-to-door, handing out tracts at a festival, or constantly asking anyone who will listen if they've heard the 'good news'. So please tell me... Which one of us is that one who can't shut up about our beliefs? <br />
<br />
So, yes... It is a funny joke. But the reality is that it doesn't match up with reality. Perhaps the joke should be 'a Christian, rich man, and a show dog owner walk into a bar...'<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/brain.hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">facebook </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">| </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116167676611926523234/116167676611926523234/posts" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">google+</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Brain_Hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">twitter</a>Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-53831960239642366732015-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:002015-05-12T17:42:34.231-07:00Billy Graham: True Christians?<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Q: Several of my friends are active church types, but I can't see that
it makes any difference in the way they live. How do you explain this? I
don't think they're any better than I am. -- C. McK.</i></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/tumblr_m8k1jy3Y681qfxkqoo1_500.jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/tumblr_m8k1jy3Y681qfxkqoo1_500.jpg.png" height="266" width="320" /></a>To tell you the truth, none if this surprises me. In fact research has shown that societies that believe in an unforgiving god tend to be more peaceful that those that believe in a forgiving god. And should this really surprise us? Christianity teaches that any sin a believer commits will be forgiven. It's this flawed system that would see murderers enter Heaven, and serves as no deterrent to bad behavior if <br />
they truly believe they will be forgiven.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A: If someone is sincerely committed to Jesus Christ, it will make a difference in the way he or she lives.</i></span></blockquote>
Like rapist priests and a Pope that tried to cover the whole thing up? Like the majority of US prisoners, who are Christians? Like the insanely devout who bomb abortion clinics and protest funerals? Sure, belief made a difference for them. But it wasn't a good difference.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It may only be in small ways at first, but over time that person's life
will be different because Christ now lives within them. The Bible says,
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come" (2
Corinthians 5:17).</i></span></blockquote>
Christ lives within them? Does that mean Jesus is going to pull out the Alien chestbuster routine, or is he more the explosive diarrhea type?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Only God knows, of course, whether or not your friends have truly
believed in Christ. However, the Bible warns us against claiming we are
following Christ, when in reality we aren't. We may claim to be
Christians... we may say we're trying to live by the Ten Commandments or
the Sermon on the Mount... we even may be active in a church, but we've
never allowed Christ to take control of our lives. The Bible warns,
"Faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26).</i></span></blockquote>
You see, all Billy is trying to lay out here is the No True Scotsman Fallacy. It's a simple claim, but one that is easily combated with any amount of honest examination. Billy claims that belief will always make you a better person. But when presented with evidence that this isn't the case for someone, how is he to respond? Simple! Just claim that they aren't 'real Christians' and move on as if nothing ever happened. But this is dishonest. It ignores whether their belief is actually sincere. It ignores that by the very definition of what is required to be a Christian, they undoubtedly are.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/LogicalFallacy17-NoTrueScotsman_zpsu6xdid7f.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/LogicalFallacy17-NoTrueScotsman_zpsu6xdid7f.png" height="203" width="320" /></a>It's but a sad attempt to try and redefine what something means in order to keep up the illusion that the initial claim is still true. But the truth is that the claim that belief always results in a positive change in the believer's life and actions is patently false.<br />
<br />
History is full of believers and non-belivers alike who were good people and bad. Who lived rich lives or financially depressed ones. Belief has led some to end their life in hopes of Heaven, and it has drove many an innocent child to end their life because believers bullied them endlessly for being gay. Likewise, some claim that non-belief leads to an empty meaningless feeling toward life. This has not been my experience, but I don't pretend to speak for everyone.<br />
<br />
So in the end, it's no surprise that there are believers that don't live saintly lives. That's because when you get right down to it, it's not your beliefs that matter but what kind of person you are independent of them.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/brain.hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">facebook </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">| </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116167676611926523234/116167676611926523234/posts" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">google+</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Brain_Hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">twitter</a>Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-67923451400180911112015-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:002015-05-05T17:17:28.194-07:00Random Bits of Nerdiness<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Avengers-Age-of-Ultron-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Avengers-Age-of-Ultron-Poster.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a>This was a shorter weekend for me, plus I didn't really see many stories I felt like writing about, so lets do something a little different today and talk about a few bits and pieces of things from this weekend and recent weeks...<br />
<br />
Sunday was the day that my wife and I went to see the movie we have been anticipating since the first Avengers movie. <i>Thor: The Dark World</i> and <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> were great, and filled the gap nicely until <i>The Avengers: Age of Ultron</i>. This movie had a lot to live up to after the first Avengers, so I went in hopeful that it was going to be good, but worried that it might not live up to the hype.<br />
<br />
Let me just say that I had no reason to be worried at all. This movie was awesome! The action was great, the comedy was perfect, James Spader as Ultron was amazing, Paul Bettany as the Vision was so much more awesome than I ever could have imagined. While this movie delivered on the action and comedy, it also developed in ways I didn't expect. Hawkeye is much more pivotal this time around, we learn things about each of the characters, and there is even deeper meaning that is explored beneath all the fighting, explosions and jokes.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/age-of-ultron-vision-hd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/age-of-ultron-vision-hd.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a>I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone, but there is one thing that I couldn't help but notice. If you haven't watched to movie yet and don't want to hear even the slightest spoiler, stop reading now and skip to the next paragraph. To me, there are clear comparisons between the god of the Bible and Ultron. Ultron is created for the purpose of rotecting humanity. But he views humanity as humanities greatest threat. So he wants the human race to fundamentally change of face annihilation. Something he plans to bring about by way of a global catastrophe. Of course he never really intends to give them any realistic chance to change. Noah is even referenced in case anyone missed the parallels. And just like the god of the Bible, Ultron sincerely believes that everything he is doing is just and good. But to any rational mind observing from the outside, it's obvious that he is simply mad and warped. Intentional or not, I felt like that was a great Easter egg.<br />
<br />
Okay, with that out of the way, let's move on... Fueled by the awesomeness that was <i>Age of Ultron</i>, we decided to stay in nerd mode and stop at a local toy store to see if they had this collectable figure that i had been searching for. As luck would have it, they had it and I purchased it to add to my collection. The figure? The new Marvel Legends figure of Spider-Man 2099.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/B9mW0oPCAAADWGL_zpsijslpozo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/B9mW0oPCAAADWGL_zpsijslpozo.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who the hell is Miguel O'Shea?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In <a href="http://brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/2014/11/looking-back-comics.html" target="_blank">an earlier blog</a>, I talked about comics and how this future Spider-Man has become a favorite of mine. But when I was looking at the packaging when I got home, I noticed this description on the back... "<i>With ninja-like stealth, Miguel O'Shea fights against a dark future in the year 2099!</i>" Wait, wait wait... Miguel O'Shea? The character's name is Miguel O'Hara. O'Hara, not O'Shea! How did that error make it past quality control? Are they all printed like this? Has the packaging since been corrected? Whatever the case, Hasbro just plain goofed!<br />
<br />
And while we're on the topic of Spider-Man 2099, the last issue (2015 #11) featured confirmation of something that I have suspected, and makes me relate with the character even more. Miguel O'Hara is an atheist! He is directly asked if he believes in God and says no. And in his internal speech he goes on to say again that he doesn't believe. This is important because likeable atheist characters are in short supply throughout the various entertainment mediums, especially heroes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/2099%20%20god_zpspcyqtbb9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/2099%20%20god_zpspcyqtbb9.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And finally, lets conclude this randomness with a return to nature... My four <a href="http://brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/2014/04/ginkgo-prehistoric-survivor.html" target="_blank">Ginkgo tree seedlings</a> are still doing quite well. A re-potting this spring found that they had a very healthy root system.<br />
<br />
Also, last Summer I built and <a href="http://brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/2014/06/save-bees.html" target="_blank">installed a bee house</a> in my garden to attract and help increase the numbers of (indigenous to my area) Mason Bees. Far too late in the season to actually get anyone to move in, but it got me ready for this year. Well, watering the plants Saturday I saw my first Mason Bee enter the house! And Sunday I saw it leave and return again. Monday saw confirmation in the form of a mud plug on the hole. That means shes layed at least a few eggs chambers in that hole. So here's hoping that it'll stocking more holes with eggs that will translate into an increase in local pollinators.<br />
<br />
Okay, I think that bit of random nerdiness may be it for me this week, so until next time, never stop thinking!<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/brain.hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">facebook </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">| </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116167676611926523234/116167676611926523234/posts" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">google+</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Brain_Hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">twitter</a>Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-61041348788639383552015-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:002015-05-01T07:00:05.119-07:00Billy Graham: Perfect God?<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Q: Can God make mistakes? I suppose you'll say He can't, but why not? I
wonder about this when I see how messed up the world is. Maybe God
didn't quite get it right when He created the earth. -- S.C.L.</i></span></blockquote>
There isn't a God that created the Earth to begin with. But it is clear that if there was, he's either not very caring, or is grossly incompetent. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A: No, God doesn't make mistakes or do anything wrong because He is absolutely perfect, holy and just.</i></span></blockquote>
So Billy thinks that the world is perfect then? Because by definition, if God is perfect then he can only create a perfect creation... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Nor does He ever lie or give us false promises, because "I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right" (Isaiah 45:19). </i></span></blockquote>
But what about those times that he did? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/stars-falling-degrasse-tyson-1024x5.jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/stars-falling-degrasse-tyson-1024x5.jpg.png" height="180" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-Genesis 2:17</i></span></blockquote>
God is supposed to be all-knowing. Adam and Eve don't die the very day they ate from the tree. So God lied to them. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and
will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations
on earth will be blessed"</i></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-Genesis 26:4</i></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(also referenced elsewhere)</i></span></blockquote>
This is a false promise on God's part. There are an estimated 13-14 million Jews in the world (who the verse was talking about). Yet there are up to 400 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy. And the observable universe contains a conservatively estimated 100 octillion stars. To put that info perspective Earth contains up to 14,000,000 Jews. Yet the universe contains at least 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars. That's quite a big margin of error. Sounds like a false promise to me.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind"</i></span><br />
<span class="p"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-Revelation 6:13</i></span></span></blockquote>
Another false promise. This one is because it proves that the people writing the Bible had no idea what stars where, or where they are (and obviously, how many there are). So this one is false because it's not even possible. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Why, then, is the world so imperfect, and even evil? Is God responsible for this (as you suggest)? No! </i></span></blockquote>
Actually, yes... Yes he is!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="p"><br />-Isaiah 45:7</span></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span class="p"></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Anu-sky-god-and-fatherking-of-the-g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Anu-sky-god-and-fatherking-of-the-g.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a>Seeing how even the Bible claims that God created evil, I feel pretty safe in saying he's responsible for evil. He could have just not created it, but nope...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>When God created the world it was absolutely perfect. But something
terrible happened -- and that "something" is what the Bible calls sin.
The world was no longer perfect; evil and death had invaded God's
perfect world, and they have been with us ever since. Never forget: Sin
isn't just some little thing we do wrong; sin is ultimately rebellion
against God.</i></span></blockquote>
There's two problems here. For starter, 'sin' is all part of God creating evil. Secondly, this comes back to the claim of God being perfect. If he's perfect, he can only create a perfect creation. If his creation can go wrong, it wasn't fully perfect. If the creation wasn't perfect God can't be perfect. So is this really the road Billy want's to be heading down?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>But listen, part of God's perfection is that His love is perfect!</i></span></blockquote>
As long as you meet the conditions of his 'love'... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>That's why He didn't destroy the world or abandon it. </i></span></blockquote>
Except for that one time he supposedly did. I'd count killing almost the entire planet with a global flood as destroying the world. In fact, Genesis 9:11 even confirms that God considered the flood to be 'destroying the Earth'.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Instead, He has done everything possible to bring us back to Himself by coming into the world in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. </i></span></blockquote>
Well, not everything. He could scientifically prove his existence, or at least in a way that was accurately and historically documented. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>By His death and resurrection, Christ conquered evil and sin and death,
and some day His victory will be complete and all evil will be
destroyed. </i></span></blockquote>
Because the all-powerful God of the universe just didn't feel like doing away with it himself without attaching some arbitrary condition/act to it? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Is your hope in Christ? Or have you given in to despair and hopelessness? </i></span></blockquote>
Why is this phrased as if it's a question of either or? Research has shown that in the USA, the areas with the most financial despair also tend to have the most faith. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>If so, I invite you to see God as He really is </i></span></blockquote>
Non-existent? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-- perfect not only in His justice and holiness</i></span></blockquote>
Has Billy even read the Bible? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>, but perfect also in His love. </i></span></blockquote>
*Some conditions may apply. <br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/brain.hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">facebook </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">| </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116167676611926523234/116167676611926523234/posts" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">google+</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Brain_Hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">twitter</a>Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-36367331428991031862015-04-29T07:00:00.000-07:002015-04-29T07:00:00.514-07:00Billy Graham: Relationship With God<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Q: I hear people talk about having a personal relationship with God, but
I don't understand what they mean. I believe in God, but I can't say I
feel like I'm particularly friendly with Him. -- Mrs. M.D.</i></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/a06c6785727a366be0e50e01431fe788ccc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/a06c6785727a366be0e50e01431fe788ccc.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>Confirmation bias, wishful thinking, and possibly a bit of delusion mixed in for good measure? What people mean when they say that they have a relationship with God varies. Some just feel a warm fuzzy feeling, while some think God is talking to them. But to be clear, none of them are an actual relationship in the literal sense.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A: Not only is it possible to have a close personal relationship with God, but He actually wants it to happen! </i></span></blockquote>
Easy! Then he should just reveal himself and make it happen! <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Think of it this way. I note from your letter that you're married. How
did you get to know your husband? Perhaps you'd heard of him before you
actually met, or possibly someone introduced you. But whatever the
situation, at first you only knew he existed; you didn't really know
him. Then you spent time together and your relationship grew.
Eventually, you committed your life to him in marriage, and since then
(I trust) your relationship has grown even deeper. Now, you not only
believe he exists but you also have a close personal relationship with
him. </i></span></blockquote>
Pardon, but what the hell doe that have to do with anything? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This is how it is with God. Yes, you believe He exists, and that's good.
But it's only the first step. Now, He invites you to discover who He is
and how much He loves you through the pages of His Word, the Bible.
Then, He invites you to commit your life to Jesus Christ by asking Him to come into your life. </i></span></blockquote>
Oh, I get it now! Billy's demonstrating that he has no idea what he's talking about!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/06e3c0bd21e828d6b4d4cc60cd743739612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/06e3c0bd21e828d6b4d4cc60cd743739612.jpg" height="320" width="242" /></a>You see, as much as he wants it to be the case, the two examples Billy gives aren't at all comparable. In the relationship with her husband, she knew he existed. She met him and interacted with him. She didn't just 'believe in him', she knew he was real. None of this reaches any form of equivalency in regards to God.<br />
<br />
You can believe in him, and you can think he is real. But that's where the analogy is forced to end. The problem is that God has not been proven to actually even exist. Believers haven't actually met God, and interacted with him. At best, God is a blind date that is destined to disappoint since the only basis by which we are given to extrapolate his character are stories that claim he is perfect in every single way.<br />
<br />
Sorry, but until God reveals that he actually does exist and removes any doubts that Christianity is just a myth there is not having and actual relationship with God. Because at present, he can't even be considered a pen-pal, since he never actually writes back.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/brain.hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">facebook </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">| </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116167676611926523234/116167676611926523234/posts" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">google+</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Brain_Hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">twitter</a>Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-9615904752196327612015-04-27T07:00:00.000-07:002015-04-27T07:00:00.246-07:00Billy Graham: Heavenly Devil<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Q: My friend told me about a passage in the Bible that says even the
devil believes in God. Does this mean even the devil will be saved and
go to heaven? I'm not sure I like that idea. -- Mrs. A. McL.</i></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/20080714-killcount.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/20080714-killcount.jpg" height="250" width="320" /></a></div>
Will he? No. But that's because he doesn't exist. But could he? According to the Bible's screwed up salvation criteria he easily could. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A: The devil and his servants certainly believe God exists because
Satan's sole purpose is to oppose God and do everything he can to block
God's plans. The Bible says, "You believe that there is one God. Good!
Even the demons believe that -- and shudder" (James 2:19). </i></span></blockquote>
The simple idea that an all-powerful being even needs to worry about any possible opposition is laughable.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>But I can assure you that you won't see the devil in heaven! </i></span></blockquote>
No Billy, you can't. Christianity's deeply flawed system for salvation really does mean that even Satan could go to Heaven if he wished to meet the asinine entrance criteria. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>For one thing, Satan would never want to go there, because heaven stands for everything he hates. </i></span></blockquote>
Fair enough. In the Bible, Satan is against overbearing control, and for people having actual personal freedom. And that really is in direct opposition of what God seems to want.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/look-at-my-kill-count.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/look-at-my-kill-count.jpg" height="152" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satan is for sorrow and death, but in heaven those will be banished.</i></span></blockquote>
Wait... But if we go by the Bible, God has killed orders of magnitude more than Satan ever did. Consequentially, God has caused far more sorrow as well. In fact, Satan hardly shows up to do anything 'bad' in the Bible at all. So maybe God's name is Satan. Or at the very least, he's a better devil that the Devil is...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satan is for sin and evil, but in heaven we will worship God and serve Him alone.</i></span></blockquote>
How is Satan for sin when God was the one that created it in the first place. I suppose God is for sin too? And evil? Anyone that bothers to read the whole Bible will know that God comes across far more evil by quite a long stretch.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/3649b6fcf5d8e78596f3d15b576b8a81599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/3649b6fcf5d8e78596f3d15b576b8a81599.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satan is for hatred and strife, but in heaven there will only be love and peace.</i></span></blockquote>
Is that why God and his book has caused so much hatred and strife through the years? Seriously... The only act in the Bible where Satan actually causes harm to anyone or kills is when he makes a bet with God. And even then he has to get God's permission to screw over Job and his family.<br />
<br />
And it was all ultimately pointless. God is supposed to be all-knowing. This means that he already knew Job wouldn't curse him. Thus God allowed Satan to inflict needles suffering on Job and his family for no good reason at all. God is just as much, if not more culpable for that suffering.<br />
<br />
If you ask me the question shouldn't be whether Satan could possibly go to Heaven, but does God even deserve to be there?<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Q: We're devastated, because the doctor has just told us our 3-year-old son is autistic and will never have a normal life. What did we do to deserve this? We'd looked forward so much to having a normal family. God must hate us. — Mrs. D. McL.</i></span></blockquote>
Of course God doesn't hate Mrs. D. But not because he's loving, but because he doesn't exist! But I know that the usual theistic response is to blame it all on sin. But tell me this... What could a child do before his birth to warrant them being born with such a life altering disability? And what about children born with lethal conditions?<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/7161418495_caf1816d1c_zpsgg6q50g8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/7161418495_caf1816d1c_zpsgg6q50g8.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lets not forget that time God sent bears to kill kids for making<br />
fun of a bald man...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I find it unlikely to accept that they popped out of their mother one night, became a despotic drug <br />
lord that engaged in a bit of ethnic cleansing, then climbed back into the womb without her ever noticing. There are only two option here. Either their is no god, or there is, but he's a monstrously cruel one.<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A: No, God doesn't hate you, nor does He hate your son — not at all. I don't know why He has allowed this to happen to you, but I do know this: God has not abandoned you, and He wants to help you become the best parents you can possibly be to your child. Your son needs you, and you need God.</i></span></blockquote>
So special needs child equals closer, more attentive parents? If that's the case shouldn't every child be born with some type of condition so that all parents have this same supposed 'opportunity' to become the best parents they can possibly be? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Hard as it may seem right now, may you come to see your son for what he
really is: a gift from God. The Bible's words include every child:
"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him"
(Psalm 127:3).</i></span></blockquote>
It would be nice to believe it was that cut and dry. But the fact of the matter is that the Bible is far from clear on the topic of every child being a gift. Hell after the Psalms talk so fondly of children, they go on to promote infanticide! Don't believe me? Take a look at these ugly verses:<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-1 Samuel 15:23</i></span></blockquote>
Ordering the killing of infants and children is an odd way to show that you think all children are a gift...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open.<br /><br />-Hosea 13:16 </i></span></blockquote>
Wow, that can only be described as gruesome. Yet more ordering to kill children. And remember kids, God totally hates abortion... Except for when he forcefully demands it of course.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="p"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-Psalm 137:9</i></span></span></blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/12780664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/12780664.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah yes... Kids are gifts, but God manufactures a situation<br />
where he kills a ton to make a point.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yup, Psalms jumps from all children being gift from God to glorifying those who would smash them to death against rocks... The Bible is certainly one very disturbing book. <br />
<br />
But how can the same book really tell two very different narratives? Unlike many Bible contradictions, the context explains this one. But it's a very troubling explanation. <br />
<br />
You see, when the Bible says that all children are a gift, what it really means is that all <b>our </b>kids are a gift. It's a case of separating the in-group from everyone else. The in-group could be cultural, national, or religious. In this case, it's a bit of them all.<br />
<br />
But what these verses are telling us is that the children of your group/religion are special (Unless they talk back. Then you have to stone them to death. -Leviticus 20:9) , but those that are outside the group aren't. More than that, their murder is sometimes demanded.<br />
<br />
Sadly, this isn't the only case of stressing harmony within the group and demonizing those outside, but that's for another time. But this is a very dangerous precedent. This kind of in-group vs out-group thinking (especially as drastically different as it is in the Bible) is a perfect recipe for xenophobia, racism, and other prejudices.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="first-paragraph"><span class="paragraph-0">QUESTION:
Doesn’t the Bible say somewhere that the angels in heaven rejoice
whenever someone turns to God? But why would they do that? Wouldn’t they
already know that this person was going to repent? — Mrs. C.L.</span></span></i></span></blockquote>
It does sound odd. After-all, why would anyone rejoice someone being sentenced to something as terrible as an eternal existence?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="paragraph-1">ANSWER: You’re probably thinking of what Jesus
said in two of His parables, which tell first about a sheep that was
lost, and then about a coin that was lost. (You can read them in Luke
15:3-10). In both instances, something very valuable had been lost, and
their owners searched diligently until they found it. And when they did,
they not only rejoiced, but their friends and neighbors rejoiced also.</span></i></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/a52d2dbb746ee92cc6cf3c4f96412adf17d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/a52d2dbb746ee92cc6cf3c4f96412adf17d.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>And lo, he had lost his car keys and was distressed. But the lord smiled upon him, and he found them next to the mail. Trumpets blared, and all the town rejoiced...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>In a far greater way, Jesus said, we are infinitely valuable to God, and
when we are lost and separated from Him, He searches for us and does
everything He possibly can to rescue us. </i></span></blockquote>
Maybe he should either prove his existence or just forgive those that are good people regardless of belief.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And when we finally realize
just how lost we are and turn to Him in repentance and faith, He
rejoices – and all heaven with Him. Jesus said, “I tell you, there is
rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who
repents” (Luke 15:10).</i></span></blockquote>
Just imagine how much rejoicing there will be if the murdering, psychotic, sadistic, torture freak they call God ever repents!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Why do they rejoice? Not because they’re surprised, but because a great
victory has been won! Someone has been snatched from the jaws of Satan
and death and hell,</i></span></blockquote>
Personally, I wouldn't call the Heaven in the Bible a victory by a long stretch. But how is it a victory over death? You still have to physically die first. And if you count Heaven as victory over death, you're forced to classify Hell in the same category.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>so why wouldn’t all heaven rejoice?</i></span></blockquote>
Because many of those people aren't deserving of 'eternal reward'. Those supposedly going to Heaven would include murders, rapists, and child molesters. If you were an angel in Heaven, would you celebrate the man who murdered your parents in front of you before raping and killing you entering Heaven just because they believe in Jesus?<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Dear Dr. Graham: Now that I’m older, I think about heaven all the time, but I’m afraid I won’t go there when I die. I know I haven’t been perfect, so maybe God won’t let me in. How can I know? Or do I have to wait until I die? — N.M.</i></span></blockquote>
You can't know for sure. After all, there's not even proof that there is a God or Heaven, and that's a pretty big oversight by a supposedly all-knowing deity.<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Dear N.M.: Salvation isn’t a game of chance; God doesn’t want us to sit around constantly wondering if we’re going to go to heaven when we die. Instead, He wants us to know — really know — that we will go to be with Him in heaven forever.</i></span></blockquote>
Then maybe he should, I don't know... prove that this isn't anything more than a silly old story of wishful thinking.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/9ffdbd54f139c13af691ca13314c340e_zpseqqdg2li.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/9ffdbd54f139c13af691ca13314c340e_zpseqqdg2li.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="paragraph-1">And we can know, once we understand what God has already done to make our salvation possible.</span> </i></span></blockquote>
Okay, great. Lay it on me!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You see, you and I have a problem that can be summed up in one word: sin.</i></span></blockquote>
* Also not proven. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>God is absolutely holy and perfect, and even one sin...</i></span></blockquote>
Because nothing says holy and perfect like murdering the entire world, women and children included... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>— just one —would be enough to keep us out of heaven. </i></span></blockquote>
So God isn't in Heaven? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>But God loves us in spite of our sin, and because He loves us has
provided another way for us to be saved. That way is Jesus Christ. </i></span></blockquote>
Um, wouldn't it be infinitely easier and more moral to just forgive those that deserve it? I can do it. You can do it. Why can't God do it?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>He was without sin </i></span></blockquote>
Except that even according to the Bible, he wasn't! <a href="http://brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/2014/10/ray-vs-himself-vs-jesus.html" target="_blank">See for yourself.</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Now God offers us salvation as a free gift — free, because Christ has already paid for it. Accept that gift by turning to Jesus Christ and trusting Him alone for your salvation.</i></span></blockquote>
By definition, requiring you to do something to receive this 'gift' means that it can't be a 'free gift'.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>When you do, He’ll come to live within you, and someday He’ll take you
to heaven. God’s promise is for you: “The gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).</i></span></blockquote>
Did I miss the part where he proves that you can know that you're going the Heaven or even that there is a Heaven? Because it looks to me that he only laid out the claim and nothing more.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<br />Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-27046729751385453832015-04-17T07:00:00.000-07:002015-04-17T07:00:00.887-07:00What is the Bible?The Jehovah's Witnesses left another leaflet at our door with the title <i>How do you view the Bible?</i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Would you say it is...</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>• a book of human wisdom?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>• a book of myths and legends?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>• the Word of God?</i></span></blockquote>
Well that's an easy one. It's a terribly outdated book of myths, and a poorly written one at that. With all the self contradictions, errors and absolute absurdities, how could one think it was anything else?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>What the Bible says</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"All scripture is inspired of God."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-2 Timothy 3:16</i></span></blockquote>
And all of the Qur'an is inspired by Allah, and all of Book of the Dead is inspired by Osiris, right?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>What that can mean for you</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>•Satisfying answers to life's big questions. -Proverbs 2:1-5</i></span></blockquote>
Questions like, 'How much can I beat my slaves?'<br />
<br />
<i>"Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result,<span class="p"> </span><span class="p">but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property."<span class="p"><br /></span>-Exodus 12:20-21</span></i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>• Reliable guidance for day-to-day living. -Psalm 119:105.</i></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/bible-with-question-mark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/bible-with-question-mark.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Useful stuff that everyone follows like don't eat bacon (Leviticus 11:7), don't wear blended fabrics (Leviticus 19:19), torn clothes = death (Leviticus 10:6), no trimming your beard or rounded haircuts (Leviticus19:27), Never wear gold (1 Timothy 2:9), how much to sell your daughter for, and many other <i>useful </i>guidelines! <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>• Real hope for the future. -Romans 15:4. </i></span></blockquote>
Nothing says hope like Jesus returning and burning the Earth to the ground, or most people being sentenced to eternal torment...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Can we really believe what the Bible says?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yes, for at least three reasons:</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>• Amazing harmony. </i></span></blockquote>
Nothing is more harmonious than the 63,779 cross reference contradictions in the Bible!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>• Honest history. </i></span></blockquote>
Because you know you can rely on the history of a book that includes a global flood that didn't happen, the sun standing still in the air (didn't happen), a resurrection that is not supported by any evidence, or the many other stories that are not supported by evidence. Not to mention the many many facts that it gets wrong...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>• Reliable prophecy.</i></span></blockquote>
Yeah... Because even though there are some rather pedestrian <i>prophecies</i> that were thought to have been fulfilled.... But here's the thing. There are <a href="http://faithskeptic.50megs.com/prophecies.htm" target="_blank">plenty that were never fulfilled</a> as well. <br />
<br />
So what is the Bible? In my opinion it is a very unimpressive book that has no right to be considered the basis of any modern moral society.<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<br />Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-85244311915342935672015-04-14T07:00:00.000-07:002015-04-14T07:00:00.992-07:00Billy Graham: End of the World<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Q: How will the world come to an end, according to the Bible? I worry
about things like nuclear war, asteroids crashing into the earth, and
things like that. Is this the way the world will end? -- Mrs. L.T.</i></span></blockquote>
How will the world end? Well that kind of depends on what you mean. If you mean the end of humanity, the end will probably either be due to war or climate change. But if you mean the literal end of the world, that will happen when our Sun expands into a red giant. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A: The Bible doesn't say exactly how the world will come to an end, but
it does stress that someday this will happen, and when it does, the
destruction will be total and absolute. The Bible says, "That day will
bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements
will melt in the heat" (2 Peter 3:12). </i></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/cat_meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/cat_meme.jpg" height="315" width="320" /></a></div>
Now, now Billy... Let's look at a bit more of that verse: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will
disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the
earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.<span class="p"> </span>Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives<span class="p"> </span>as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day
will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the
elements will melt in the heat.<span class="p"><br /></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-2 Peter 3:10-12 </i></span></blockquote>
I suppose that someone never told him about a little thing called the Law of Conservation of Energy. In short, energy can not be created or destroyed. But there is also the mass-energy equivalency. All the elements can't be 'destroyed by fire' since while energy/mass may transition into different forms of matter or energy, their totals actually remain constant.<br />
<br />
Also, let's assume that this fire can destroy the elements. This still poses this verse a huge problem. For if all the elements were destroyed, the Earth would not be laid bare... It actually wouldn't be there at all. Actually, nothing physical would be. Elements make up just about everything (but not photons, neutrons...). <br />
<br />
Then there is the issue of melting all the elements with fire... And that problem's name is Carbon. This robust element actually has no melting point at atmospheric pressure. It does have a sublimation pointy (the hottest one of all elements) of 3,642°C. An Oxygen and Acetylene fire burns at 3,480°C. Close, but no cigar. So that leaves us jumping to the hottest fire... Oxygen and Dicyanoacetylene. This combination burns at an impressive 4,990°C. <br />
<br />
But does it even matter? Carbon's sublimation point of 3,642°C means that it transitions directly from a solid to a gas without ever melting. So no fire of any magnitude actually melts carbon.<br />
<br />
And what about the Sun becoming a red giant and consuming the Earth? Well this doesn't fit either since the Sun isn't a ball of fire, and is actually plasma. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>But the Bible says two other things that are equally important. First,
it tells us that this will happen only at God's command, and in God's
time. Wars may rage; power-hungry despots may terrorize; accidents and
natural disasters may destroy, but the future is in God's hands, and He
alone will bring an end to the world.</i></span></blockquote>
It never ceases to amaze me that people can believe in a god that sits back and does nothing, just waiting to one day destroy the world, and somehow describe this god as 'good'...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/glowing-sun-prominence_6594_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/glowing-sun-prominence_6594_600x450.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Second, the Bible tells us that the end of the world -- will not be the
end! God will create a new world, one that's perfect and free from sin,
sickness, death and fear.</i></span></blockquote>
Or, if he was real and gave a damn he could have just done that the first time, or just fix this one. Why allow so much death and suffering? Just stand by taking no action, watching the world burn with some apparent sadistic pleasure while just waiting to hit the reset button?<br />
<br />
If I was an all-powerful deity, I'd just fix the world if I thought it was broken instead of just standing idly by. If you ask me, God seems pretty clueless, as well as a horrible planner.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/brain.hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">facebook </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">| </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116167676611926523234/116167676611926523234/posts" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">google+</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Brain_Hulk" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">twitter</a>Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-79035999352242854602015-04-10T07:00:00.000-07:002015-04-10T07:00:00.895-07:00Five Atheist Argumentsbeliefnet.com published a story that claims the reveal <a href="http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Galleries/5-Atheist-Arguments-You-Can-Beat.aspx?b=1&utm_campaign=GlobalScope&utm_medium=paid_distribution&utm_source=JesusChristPageDesktopAtheistPromoJun" target="_blank">'5 Atheist Arguments You Can Beat</a>'. But does it deliver on that promise?<br />
<br />
<b>1) Jesus Never Existed</b> <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/MENTION20JESUS_zpsbptpcb64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/MENTION20JESUS_zpsbptpcb64.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>“How do you know that Jesus even existed?”
is a surprisingly common argument. Since the release of Bill Maher’s
documentary, Religulous, it’s become popular to compare Jesus to other
deities, such as the Egyptian Horus. After connecting a few exaggerated
similarities, Maher’s claims have led resurgence in the doubts of Jesus’
existence at all. Fortunately, scholars overwhelmingly agree
that Jesus of Nazareth did exist. These aren’t just Christian scholars,
either. Professor Bart Ehrman of the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, many of whose books debate conservative Christian thinking,
has recently published a book addressing and debunking the claims of
Jesus’ non-existence. In addition, many ancient sources outside of the
Bible, such as the Roman historian Tacitus and the Jewish historian
Josephus, mention Jesus in ways that align with the biblical story.</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
I hate to break it to belief net, but the question of if Jesus ever existed at all is much older than Maher's (quite good) film. The fact that Jesus seems plagiarized from earlier deities really should raise many questions. <br />
<br />
But it seems that belief net is seriously misunderstanding what some scholars are opining. First off, the belief among scholars that Jesus probably existed is a thought that has been losing subscribers as time has gone on. Why is that? Because as time continues to pass, there is still no actual proof of <br />
Jesus' existence.<br />
<br />
Back to belief net's misunderstanding though... Of those scholars that feel that Jesus actually existed, his existence isn't of the sort Christians typically assume. You see, most feel that either Jesus (the man) existed or someone the story was based on. What isn't being claimed is that he definitely existed as the supernatural son of God. We know Joseph Smith actually existed. But does that mean Mormonism is actually true? Also, many likewise think that Muhammad existed. So should we assume that Islam is also true? You see, even if a religious figure is found to have existed, nothing is proven until the claims of this figure of are also shown true. So the proving of a purely human Jesus would actually destroy Christianity.<br />
<br />
<b>2) You Can’t Trust the Gospels</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>An area of research that is debated to
this day is the authorship of the gospels. Many Christian academics
believe that the gospels were not written as eyewitness accounts, but
later after hearing oral traditions. If even Christian scholars believe
that the disciples weren’t the actual authors of biblical texts, then
how can Christians possibly believe in their accuracy? There are two equally intelligent responses here.</i></span> </div>
</blockquote>
I've never heard one intelligent response to this, so two would be amazing! I'm all ears... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>While there is some scholarly material available such as Richard Bauckham’s Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
that defends the gospels were eyewitness accounts, the precise date of
publication ultimately doesn’t matter as much as skeptics claim. </i></span></div>
</blockquote>
Someone can call them eyewitness accounts all they want. Muslims claim the Qur'an is made of eyewitness accounts. So do Christians trust that the Qur'an is reliable then? Also, the facts show that the gospels can't be eyewitness accounts. The publication dates are too new. They couldn't have been written by those that they are attributed to (if they even existed). They are internally contradictory. So if they were eyewitness accounts, they were accounts recorded by people with a terrible memory. Reading them honestly and examining their history easily shows that they are at best, unsubstantiated stories that were passed on and later recorded. In short, the gospels are nothing but hearsay.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Bible_Contradictions1-530x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/Bible_Contradictions1-530x300.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sciencebasedlife.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/biblecontradictions-reasonproject.png" target="_blank">The full resolution is WELL worth a download and look!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>In his
Word on Fire series, Father Robert Barron compares the Gospels to modern
history to add a bit of context. Suppose, he says, you were to read a
newly written book about the JFK assassination. Even though the book
itself may not have been written by someone who witnesses every moment,
we don’t automatically assume that the information has been corrupted
and has lost its reliability. The same applies to the Gospels.</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
I thought that these were supposed to be intelligent responses... The JFK assassination comparison is a terrible one. You see, the JFK assassination has something the gospels don't. Mountains or evidence that it happened. Anyone can easily have tons of video and historical evidence at their fingertips in the matter of moments. But when it comes to the gospels, there is absolutely zero proof that it's claims actually occurred. So the two aren't comparable at all.<br />
<br />
<b>3) The Crucifixion</b> <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>If Jesus was really God’s son, why would
God want him to die? Christopher Hitchens, a prominent member of the New
Atheist movement, writes “Once again we have a father demonstrating
love by subjecting a son to death by torture, but this time the father
is not trying to impress god. He is god, and he is trying to impress
humans.” If the crucifixion were simply God showing His strength, then
we really might be in trouble... Fortunately, this is not the case. Brian
Zahnd, pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missiouri, notes
that “the crucifixion is not what God inflicts upon Christ in order to
forgive. The crucifixion is what God endures in Christ as he forgives.”
Jesus is our model for God’s character, and as Christians we worship a
God who forgives even those who crucify Him, “for they know not what
they do!” This is not God demonstrating His power over us, but His love
and power over death.</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
Actually it is not a show of love at all. It is a display of control, and nonsense. The crucifixion has many problems...<br />
<br />
1) There's no proof that it happened.<br />
2) It was immoral.<br />
3) It was entirely unnecessary.<br />
4) Requiring the acceptance of Jesus as your savior as well as the crucifixion means that his 'forgiveness' is not true, but rather blackmail.<br />
<br />
But remember, you can say that this was God's plan in order to forgive sin. But it is a terribly sick plan! And a pointless one too. For if God wants to forgive he could simply do so without all the pageantry, or an unnecessary and brutal human sacrifice. <br />
<br />
<b>4) The Miracles are Impossible</b><br />
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>People often doubt the miracles of Jesus,
ranging from virgin birth to his resurrection and everything in between.
No rational-minded person, skeptics claim, could possibly believe in a
man who fed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and fishes or
who raised a man called Lazarus from the dead.</i></span></blockquote>
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/fc6a7bf6bd86a4891658810db0a92df3_zps6fm1kdpr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/fc6a7bf6bd86a4891658810db0a92df3_zps6fm1kdpr.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Correct, no rational mind can believe such a thing without evidence that it occurred. Supply evidence, and that's another story. But it's oddly suspicious that these supposedly great miracles were not deemed as important enough for anyone of that time to bother recording historically.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>That’s what’s so special about miracles:
they don’t make sense! Frankly, miracles wouldn’t be miracles if they
were physically possible. Whenever Jesus performs a miracle in the
gospels, the crowds or disciples are in awe precisely because of how
unbelievable these actions were.</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
Wait, wait, wait... The argument is seriously that they don't make sense? Talk about weak! So do Christians believe that Zeus actually throws lightening bolts? That Poseidon actually controls the seas? That Muhammad actually rode a winged horse up to Heaven? That Joseph Smith really did have magic seer stones and golden tablets? That Ganesha actually has an elephant head? That Prometheus literally gets disemboweled by an eagle over and over every day? That scientology is correct about alien souls in humans and atom bombs in volcanoes?<br />
<br />
None of these things make sense, so by the argument given, all the wild claims of every religions must be true. Yet, Christians will typically laugh at these claims made by other religions. But why? They really shouldn't since the Christian claims are just as absent of evidence as these other claims are.<br />
<br />
<b>5) Christians are Hateful and Bigoted</b> </div>
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>What about the crusades? Or the Spanish
Inquisition? Religion has always driven people to commit horrible acts
of violence that would have never occurred if people weren’t so easily
brainwashed, right? This is another common argument the seeks to
discredit God and religion, but interestingly it does so by attacking
human sin, the very problem Christianity seeks to remedy.</i></span></blockquote>
As the old saying goes, "With or without religion you will have good people doing good, and bad people doing bad. But for a good person to do bad, that takes religion." Obviously this is overly simplistic, as religion is not the only thing that can cause good to do bad. But it does take some sort of closely held belief or opinion. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="copy-paste-block">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Certainly not everything done “in the name
of Christ” is truly Christlike. Since the time of Constantine,
Christianity has been a significant part of Western culture, often
intertwined with politics and government. As author David Robertson
notes in his book Magnificent Obsession, it’s difficult to divorce
Christianity from the dominant position it’s held in society. This often
unfairly places the blame on Christianity for the misdeeds of men
acting out of fearful intolerance and greed, both of which Jesus
adamantly opposed. The best thing we can do is pray for the grace to
live out Jesus’ commandments the best we can, and show the world what
God’s love can truly mean.</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
The problem is that what is 'Christlike' is not clearly defined. And that is because just like most of the Bible there is much contradiction at play. If Jesus was only about forgiveness, love and acceptance, that would be one thing. But the problem is that Jesus also spoke of bringing a sword, bringing division and that the old law still stands. So one can easily point to a section of the Bible to show that the Crusades actually were 'Christlike'.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/5-600x489_zpsgds8icay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/5-600x489_zpsgds8icay.jpg" height="260" width="320" /></a>The Nazi's thought they were doing God's work when they were exterminating Jews and other <br />
minority groups. Southern slave owners claimed that the Bible showed that slavery was their God given right. The witch burnings were justified by the Bible by it's perpetrators. Christians today point to the Bible when they try to openly discriminate against homosexuals. Christians in third-world countries swear they are following the Bible when they are beheading people for being gay or a non-believer, or burning them alive under suspicion of witchcraft to this very day.<br />
<br />
And then there are those that feel that say that it's Christlike to feed the hungry, to love your enemies and turn the other cheek. That you shouldn't judge, shouldn't be greedy, and to love all. But here's the problem. <b>Both</b> sides are right. The Bible is a text that is so fractured and contradictory that it condones and promotes just about everything. This includes promoting direct opposites. And that's a huge problem. A text that condones everything ultimately restricts nothing. Worse yet, it can justify terrible acts by those that feel they are following their God's will. And the sad truth is, there's almost always a verse that they can point to to self-justify their motivation.<br />
<br />
Obviously all Christians aren't hateful and bigoted. But it's clear that being sufficiently fanatic or immersed in the theology can easily lead to those ends.<br />
<br />
So in conclusion, we ended up with a list that didn't deliver on it's claims one iota. Sure, five arguments were presented, but none were defeated.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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Brain Hulkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08541156872289112138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2487065016082092884.post-83234122766224824772015-04-08T07:00:00.000-07:002015-04-08T07:00:00.711-07:00Is Atheist a Tragic Word?<a href="http://www.independentmail.com/news/atheist-is-a-tragic-word" target="_blank">Steve LeMay</a> over at the <i>Independent Mail</i> seams to think so...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>“Atheist” (no Creator God) is not a “dirty word” to a true believer as posed by a frequent evolutionist writer on March 27. </i></span></blockquote>
No, 'atheist' is not a dirty word. Nor does it mean what Steve thinks it means. 'Atheist' does not mean 'no creator god'. It means the lack of belief in any gods. There is no distinction made between creator gods and non-creator gods. We don't believe in any gods whatsoever. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Rather, it is a very tragic word since an atheist has to reject both the
general revelation of the Creator in the creation itself and the
special revelation of His Word in the Holy Scriptures. </i></span></blockquote>
While atheism does mean not believing in gods (creator gods included), that doesn't mean that atheists can't believe in a different kind of creator. While I don't personally hold to the belief, it is possible for an atheist to believe that humanity was created by an advanced alien race.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/atheist-agnostic.jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/atheist-agnostic.jpg.png" height="290" width="320" /></a>But may I ask what is tragic about Steve's assertion? How is not believing in the revelation of a supposed creator god tragic? Has he read the Bible? It's a terrible compilation of absurdities and falsehoods framed by the insane murderous bragging of a genocide leading god that defines monstrous.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Einstein acknowledged the first, but rejected the second — he was an “agnostic.”</i></span></blockquote>
Yes, he was. But so am I. But like Einstein, I'm also an atheist. You see, 'atheist' and 'agnostic' aren't mutually exclusive terms. They answer two different questions, so being agnostic doesn't preclude one from being an atheist. Atheism deals with belief. Agnosticism deals with knowledge. I do not believe in gods, so I am and atheist. But I do not know for a 100% fact that there is no god, therefore I'm also agnostic. Like Einstein, I am and agnostic atheist.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>To claim that Jesus worshipped [sic] the Old Testament God shows the writer’s
ignorance of Scripture. Jesus claimed to be God, accepted worship,
manifested that truth by His miracles, and was declared to be God by His
resurrection. He authenticated the Old Testament as the word of God
that man is to live by.</i></span></blockquote>
Isn't interpreting the Bible fun! This is one area that splinters Christianity into different sects. Some think that Jesus was God. Some thing they were separate beings. And some still think that they were both the same and separate. But it seems that Jesus must have at least thought he was at least temporarily a separate being from God since he prayed to him, and even pleaded with him. If he thought he was God in the flesh, then he would have no need to pray to God or bargain with him.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>If the writer has found the truth, as he claims and will give us his
best “logical scientific question” he touts, we shall see which side has
truth on its side.</i></span></blockquote>
Pro Tip: Just calling what you believe 'the truth' doesn't actually make it the truth. So even though Christianity calls Jesus 'the way, the truth, and the life' that doesn't prove anything. That's just marketing.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Instead of hiding behind a naturalistic “brick wall” and dissing Jesus
and the Bible, how about giving us valid evidence of evolution truth.</i></span></blockquote>
There's an entire field called biology. Every heard of it? Ever seen a museum? There is so much evidence for evolution that one has to be extremely close-minded or willfully ignorant to completely deny it.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Explain the logic of how energy and matter created themselves out of nothing.</i></span></blockquote>
No one ever claimed that it was necessarily out of nothing, but that scenario has been compellingly explained by Lawrence Crouse (for starters). As for everything else... Ever hear of the Big Bang?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Then explain the logic of intelligent life apart from an omniscient
Creator since a law of science is that life can only come from already
existing life!</i></span></blockquote>
Intelligence is an emergent property of the brain. Also, science never said that life can only come from life. Life from life is obviously much much easier. But life can come from non life. When you get right now to it, life is all about chemistry. Very complicated chemistry, but still chemistry. Obviously someone needs to read up on abiogenesis.<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Dear Dr. Graham: The other day, I bought one of those sensational newspapers you get at the supermarket. It had a story about someone who claimed they died and then came back to life, and they said this finally proves there really is life after death. Is this right? — Mrs. V. McF.</i></span></blockquote>
Wait... She read a tabloid newspaper and is seriously reflecting on the veracity of it's claims? Sure, Mrs McF already believes the (unbelievable) Bible, but this is taking things a bit far, don't you think!?<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Dear Mrs. V. McF: Such stories surface from time to time, but they can’t be confirmed, and even if they could be, they wouldn’t prove there is life after death. Nor would they give us any reliable data about what life is like after we die.</i></span></blockquote>
Huh... Its odd to hear that coming from Billy, but he's correct. One person making claims that aren't confirmed proves nothing. Also, science already has a pretty good explanation for these claimed experiences.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/o-LIFE-AFTER-DEATH-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/Guinness_2006/o-LIFE-AFTER-DEATH-facebook.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Only one event confirms beyond all doubt that there is life after death...</i></span></blockquote>
Dionysus? Persephone? Osiris? Odin? Ganesha? Lemminkainen? Tammuz? Attis? Adodis? One of the several other deities that are said to have died and come back to life?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>...the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. </i></span></blockquote>
I thought Billy discounted the tabloid story due to it's claims not being verified? So why the double standard with Jesus? Maybe Billy wasn't paying attention, but the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus hasn't been verified by any stretch of the imagination. Christianity has exactly what the tabloid has... just a story and nothing more.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Death is our final enemy, and it came into the world because of sin.</i></span></blockquote>
Death may not be fun, but I wouldn't say that it is an enemy. Enemies can be overcome, but death is an unfortunate and inevitable necessity. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sin is rebellion against God, and when that rebellion first took place,
death followed in its wake. Since then, all creation has been enslaved
by death. As the Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans
6:23).</i></span></blockquote>
So according to Billy there was no death before sin? If that's supposed to be the case, it makes God look like one hell of an idiot! Does that include animals that eat one another? If so, how does that work without death? Even if we are to assume that everything was a vegetarian before sin, there is still a huge problem. Reproduction.<br />
<br />
If there is no death, all living things would be reproducing and reproducing without death keeping the numbers if check generation to generation. That would lead to animal and human populations skyrocketing exponentially. It wouldn't take long for things to get very crowded. But overpopulation would raise more that a real estate problem. There's also the issue of resources being stretch thinner and thinner until ultimately reaching depletion. So once there's no food left, how exactly do they not die? Or are we supposed to believe in the starving immortal?<br />
<br />
<br />
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-Brain Hulk</div>
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