Ok, we read this story called Gilgamesh if you haven't read it, google it. But basically its about this guy who wants to be immortal, and his dad tells him that one of the gods told him that a giant flood was coming to wipe out humanity.
(sound familiar?)
well... guess what he did? yep, he made a boat, filled it with his family and animals. then, when they grounded, he set out a bird to find land. blah blah blah, he repopulates the earth.

ok... now tell me that doesnt sound familiar.

I think the bible is full of crap. Whoever wrote it (probably a group of ppl) just got ideas from old stories. and dont say that the bible was written before Gilgamesh because Gilgamesh was written in early the BC's (like 2000bc)

anyone care to argue

i dont want to hear all you all calling athesiest and crap... cuz im not .

i believe in... a higher power, but i just think the bible is a bunch of nonsense

first of all, its athiest.

2nd of all, the people that believe in the bible have faith in it. theres no evidence to support anything in it.

and, the old testament still could have been written before the Gilgamesh. jews were there first. and the only aspect of the bible that you're attacking is noah's ark, which is part of the old testament, which was at first a jewish belief.

uhh.....did u not just read what he said, he said he's NOT atheist. atheism isn't denying belief in god, it's not acknowledging one and he just said he believes in a higher power

Actually, it's both. In a loose sense, it can be simply not believing in a god; in a strict sense, it can refer to the assertion of a lack of existence of gods.

i guess so, but that's not the point! lol

i was just spelling the word right!

oh.....my bad

sorry for bein dumb :]

You have made a judgement without any real evidence ... the bible is true ...

check this site if you have the time and consider christianity please...

http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/b_proof.shtml

wow. thats one of the most ignorant things ive ever seen.

nice job trying to convert me!

It's cute how the historical evidence from the time of Jesus they present are things that I discussed and casted a great amount of doubt upon in the "Jesus... gay??" thread.

They use the highly scrutinized and controversial passage in Josephus' Antiquities. Why? If they know as much as they claim to know they shouldn't be presenting such a weak and dubious source. However, they do.

It's apologetics. Apologetics is all about defending a certain position that you have adopted. It isn't about objective logical or scientific investigation; it's about proving what you set out to prove. Instead of starting with observation and moving towards a conclusion, most apologists begin with a conclusion and set out to observe evidence for said conclusion. This creates a rather significant bias and predisposed nature in an apologist's intellectual and investigative process. Because of this, contrary evidence is ignored, thrown out, or distorted to appear noncontradictory. Normal intellectual studies are thrown out for those studies that support the predetermined conclusion.

Because of these practices, "apologetics" tends to carry negative connotations.

um.. no the jews WERE NOT first...
secondly i am NOT athiest ok?

quit being judgemental

ok, heres a very quick answer to that.

jesus was jewish.


judiasm has existed for thousands of years. long before jesus was born.

im almost offended. if you're going to make a topic about the truths of religion, know about those religions you're attacking!

someone please close this topic.

Judaism was established before Christianity.

Jesus was Jewish. (Bible)

I hear people of the faith using science and physical evidence to always back up the existence of their faith. But really, I don't think they should use science. Religion is religion, you have faith in it. Faith isn't converting after physical evidence is shown. (Thomas wanting to see Jesus' palms after resurrection). Faith is the belief without physical evidence.

Thus there shouldn't be any attempt to prove to naysayers that the Bible is true to its stories. If you don't believe in its stories, you just don't believe. That's that.

Umm but I think if you repent all sins and then convert it's faith.


I think...the Bible is a good read. Good for contemporary morals.

alright, ive been proven wrong.

This topic has 1) more or less been made before, 2) really is not going anywhere. Those who follow the Bible obviously think it to be true, those who don't have a reason, probably not thinking it's true.

If you can show me it has a place here, even after the many threads on religion (mainly Christianity vs. atheism), then I'll leave it open.

I'll be judgemental for just one moment:

Okay, okay, I'm done.

Topic starter, I think you should learn a little bit more about world religions before putting your foot down on something you have no basis for support. Also, read the rules of the forum. There were so many topics with intent like yours that are still opened on this forum, and it really doesn't take a rocket scientist to search for them.

Now then, within the context of what I quoted above, Jeff (DaTru KataLYST) said it all. Read it.

That's a joke and a half.

(2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

(Deuteronomy 13:13-19 NLT)
Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors. "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him."

(Deuteronomy 13:7-12 NAB)
If your own full brother, or your son or daughter, or your beloved wife, or you intimate friend, entices you secretly to serve other gods, whom you and your fathers have not known, gods of any other nations, near at hand or far away, from one end of the earth to the other: do not yield to him or listen to him, nor look with pity upon him, to spare or shield him, but kill him. Your hand shall be the first raised to slay him; the rest of the people shall join in with you. You shall stone him to death, because he sought to lead you astray from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.

(Ezekiel 9:5-7 NLT)
"Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! Kill them all – old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin your task right here at the Temple." So they began by killing the seventy leaders. "Defile the Temple!" the LORD commanded. "Fill its courtyards with the bodies of those you kill! Go!" So they went throughout the city and did as they were told."

You'll find better morals in Mein Kampf.

"Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon that the Word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and for my own part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel."
-- Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason (1794)

^touche good sir, I was shallowly referencing to the parables of Jesus.

in response to that, all i have to say is that some people believe that god is a vengeful god, not a benevolent one.

eh.

i completely agree with you. i just like to see both sides of an issue.

Of course. I was simply responding to the "contemporary morals" comment.

^ It's still a good read.

It depends on what you are reading it for.

A laugh? Sure. It's perfect for a few gut busting laughs.

For historical significance? Maybe if you are studying women's rights, slavery issues, nazism, witch burnings, the infancy of science, or the crusades. Sure.

For cultural significance? If you unfortunately live around that. I'm sure most of us do. Sure.

For a solid drama? Good plot and characters? Maybe if you're still seven years old and can't spot one-dimentional characters, stale rehashed and borrowed plot lines, a nasty bundle of plot holes, contradictions, and inconsistencies, bad guys portrayed as good guys, a surplus of seemingly worthless tangents, and just an altogether failure of literature. Sure.

For your faith? Trust me, unless you have a psychosis, you're much better off not reading it. Unless you're trying to become an atheist, Sure. Start with Genesis.

For a moral compass? You would be better off joining your local Klan, spitting alot, and practicing your hardcore flying spin kicks.

What a joke.

dont simplify the bible to pure violence.

i was raised jewish. although i dont believe in anything that the old testament says, i always.. thought that what they said taht happened was really good.

so theres a lot of wars, and violence. most of that is in there... to guide people along their faith. most people dont even believe that anything in the bible actually happened; they think that its in there to guide them.

ugh.

thats what i used to think.

w/e... close it then

-u guys have like... idk taught me something thnx

well..i mean, just understand that before you make a topic about religion, saying that one religion is false, understand that religion.

in this case, you were ignorant about judiasm.

its ok though.


and i have something to add now.

in almost every religion, there is a description of a great flood, where the world is almost completely underwater except for a small piece of land.

yea. so, honestly, its just a common religious tale, most likely having no factual basis, with the only purpose of teaching a lesson to..that religions people.