All righty then. Let's move on. There were over 300 prophecies fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible has many that were written thousands of years before Jesus was born! Precise, detailed prophecies such as; where He would be born (Micah 5:2), how He would be born, (Isaiah 7:14) how He would die (Psalm 34:20), etc. And history has PROVEN, without ANY doubt whatsoever, they were fulfilled EXACTLY as the Bible had prophesied, hundreds of years earlier! In the book, Science Speaks, mathematician and scientist, Peter Stoner, applies the rules of probability to these prophecies. The chances of just eight of these three-hundred prophecies being fulfilled are one in 10 to the 17th power - that's 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000! Can you imagine that, ole danny boy? In the book, Professor Stoner, illustrates: Let us try to visualize this chance. . . Suppose that we take 10 to the 17th power silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly. . . Blindfold a man and tell him. . . he must pick up one silver dollar . . . What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man. (Science Speaks, pp. 106 - 107) Professor Stoner, then took 48 of these over 300 fulfilled prophecies. The chances of 48 being fulfilled are 1 in 10 to the 157 power - that's 1 in 10 with 157 zeros! Here's how he illustrates: Let us try to visualize it. . . The electron is about as small an object as we know of. It is so small that it will take 2.5 x 10 to the 15th power of them laid side by side to make a line, single file, one inch long. If we were going to count the electrons in this line one inch long, and counted 250 each minute, and if we counted day and night, it would take us 19,000,000 years to count just the one-inch line of electrons. . . With this introduction, let us go back to our chance of 1 in 10 to the 157th power. . . Let us make a solid ball of electrons, extending in all directions from the earth to the distance of six billion light-years (the distance that light will travel at 186,000 miles a second in 6,000,000,000 years). Have we used up our 10 to the 157th power electrons? No, we have made such a small hole in the mass that we cannot see it. Now, one of these electrons was marked and thoroughly stirred into the whole mass; blindfold your man and ask him to find the marked electron. (The electron, in fact, is so small that it cannot be seen with a powerful microscope.) To the extent, then, that we know this blindfolded man cannot pick out the marked electron, we know that the Bible is inspired. (Science Speaks, pp 109 - 111) And in case you think Professor Stoner's statistics are exaggerated or without scientific substance the "Foreword" of the book, Science Speaks includes an acknowledgement by the prestigious American Scientific Affiliation stating, "The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way." Professor Stoner concludes, "This is not MERELY EVIDENCE. It is PROOF of the Bible's inspiration by God - PROOF DEFINITE that the universe is not large enough to hold the evidence." These are just a few examples (of thousands) that prove beyond any shadow of doubt that a supernatural hand, far greater than what you and I can possibly imagine, was guiding the men who wrote that Amazing Book.
I prefer, "Did your mother have any children that lived??" [Full Metal Jacket] -or- "Hard to believe that he beat out millions of other sperm!"
Sad to think that this is how Thunderstruck plans to become an "elite " member! I still am waiting to find out WHAT this guy, who makes more than all us "newbies," trades!!!!
HuH? Tbolt...you know I have tried to be respectful of your beliefs. I have really tried to keep an open mind and to be objective. Tell me if I am deluding myself. But.... What are you talking about here? What is your definition of a NOVEL? What makes you think that I cannot write about what has already happened and say I actually wrote it 50 years ago, but I did not want to release it until now for whatever reasons? (I wanted the internet bubble to myself?) What proof do you have that the bible was written before the events it refers to transpired (if they actually did....) What makes you think that the bible is even supposed to be taken literally? What makes the bible more dependable or truthful or accurate than the Koran? The teachings of Buddha? The mythology of the Greeks (oops, I bet they didn't call it "mythology" back when it was in vogue)? The religions of the Aztecs, Myans, Ancient Egyptians? Native Americans? The Sikhs? The Hindus? The Diasporics? Why do the Jews, of which Jesus was one (if he existed) reject him as the messiah? Do they really have horns? How is it possible that only one religion can be right and all the rest wrong? And even if Christianity is the way to go, how do you know which sect is on the money? Are the Catholics right and Protestants wrong? If the Protestants are right, which ones are REALLY right? Rounded off to the nearest hundred, how many versions of Protestantism are there anyway? What about the Greek and Russian Orthodox? Who is wrong? And who is right? But most of all, who is the MOST RIGHT? Do they get to the front of the line when trying to get through Heavens Gates? Or does it matter? What about this....let's say one sect of one religion is actually 100% on the money. Does someone bad who subscribes to that sect get preferential treatment by God as opposed to someone good that in their misguided life worshipped at the wrong place? Just curious. Thanks, and peace; Rs7
You know, I always feel kinda bad when I come back to this thread after a break away from the computer. Obviously my position is completely sound from a logical and philosphical point of view - there is little doubt about that. Yet I feel bad cos of the way I put the point across; in an argumentative form. I feel bad because such an approach requires you to totally crush the opposition point of view - which my arguments, and those of other atheists here, do extremely well. I don't really have anything against people like Thunderbolt. They're happy with what they think is (and what, on the surface, appears to be a) "beautiful", loving religion they've found. They're all happy because it helps to understand and make ok all the suffering in the world (which is the prime of job of all religions). Unfortunately, they don't seem to realise the horrific damage organized religion HAS caused and continues to cause in the world. I can understand why, when the big bad atheist comes along and takes away their crutch, they prefer to close their eyes to reality. Unfortunately for them, reality is not best dealt with by closing one's eyes and hoping it goes away. Thunderbolt and other christians, i'm sorry, but christianity (and all organized religion) is just bunk. Harmful, dangerous bunk.
nope, I got bored with you. The incessant quotations and bible study is infantile and pointless. You've already been told it's meaningless yet you continue to churn it out. The bible is riddled with inconnsistencies. Here's a bit of your PROOF formatted in your rather childish fashion Exodus. 34:6 God is abundant in goodness.... Ps. 145:7 "his goodness is great " Ps. 145:9..."and he is good to all " Wait though incontrovertible PROOF that you should beleive in capital punishment.... Numbers Chapter 31: And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites... (vss. 1-2) Moses and the children of Israel obey: And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. (vs. 7) The slaying continues in verse 8. Then in verse 9, the children of Israel take captive all the Midianite women and children, confiscating as well "the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods." Eventually, the captives are brought before Moses, who condemns to death all the male children and all the unvirginal women: Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. (vs. 17) Moses then encourages his men to use the female children for (presumably) sexual pleasure: But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. (vs. 18) In these "PROOFS" God condones sanctions and encourages murder, rape and child abuse. Do you like that kind of "PROOF "?? You want to listen to that type of rubbish? There's PROOF that God is not so abundant in goodness You could hurl Bible passages around all day and for every one you put up there is one that contradicts it. That is NOT proof that is garbage
I get no pleasure at all from displaying how ridiculous and stupid Bible text can be. All Religions and their "Bibles" do nothing but hijack the words and phrases of Goodness Kindness Love Peace which belong to humanity itself, not to a gang of jumped up self appointed self important god creators and their followers.
>>Why do the Jews, of which Jesus was one (if he existed) reject him as the messiah? Do they really have horns?<< Did you know that the Jews are still looking for their messiah? They rejected Jesus as being so because he didn't come in a grand fashion as did David and Salmon. They wanted an EARTHLY KING to bring them out of bondage from Rome. Jesus came just as he was prophesied, but the Jews--as you--don't like what he represented--humility, righteousness, love, mercy and judgement. I think the judgement part is what deters most. Nonetheless, it's part of the grand scheme set forth by God. While we are on the topic, I must say, the Jews have suffer the most excurciating pain as a people than any other people to have ever lived. They were God's chosen people but rebellied and later rejected him. Not only have they suffered from earlier bondage from Egypt and Rome, but eventually suffered the holocaust and today they are sitting around vile enemies who wish nothing more than to destroy them.