A Tripolation

...I find pretty girls attractive??? Oh...Oh God! I never knew!!!

...REALLY? That EXCUSES their APPALLING behavior?

You really don't. If your god is the Judeo-Christian God, then it doesn't matter if you feel called or not. You're supposed to actively try to gain converts. Anyways, you are proselytizing. And this proves God how? Unless the universe actually IS the result of cumulative natural processes and no such entity that could be described as "God" exists. And before you accuse me of being a close-minded atheist, know that I'm a Christian. I do not think that belief in a divine entity, or lack thereof, makes you any better or worse than someone who holds the opposite view you do. I doubt my belief in God will suddenly gain me the insights into math and string theory that Brian Greene has. That's what you're saying. You realize it's quite obtuse, correct?

There is no support for creationism. None.

I'm strongly biased as well, but I do not let that bias control what I know to be fact, and what I know to be fiction. The fact is, creationism is lies and deceit masquerading as science. It doesn't matter if it's a major belief. It is wrong. Simple as that. Like others have said, it SHOULD be taught in religion courses, but not in science courses. Because it is NOT science. It's anti-science for this reason. There is a major disagreement between relativity and quantum mechanics. Both are amazing at describing what is within their scope, but they are incompatible. Compare this incompatibility to the "gaps" in evolution. Offering a course that talks about how a pink dinosaur that cannot be observed or tested in any way is the answer to everything related to space and time IS NOT going to help anything. This is what the proponents of creationism would have you do. Why would you think that was a good idea? In ANY capacity?

...did you read the article?

Hahahahahaha. No. You can't. Love is a beautiful thing. Something you will never feel if you continue to think as you do.

I openly admit on this forum that belief in any deity is irrational all the time. But rationalizing religious beliefs is NOT the focus of this thread. It is to state what your justification is. I stated mine as being a hope for some sort of afterlife/permanence and a guide to morality, and how I should act on this Earth. Yes. A mistake of mine. Mathematics is inherently abstract. But still, an answer to a math question needs math. An answer to a religious question needs religious beliefs. Yes. I did. As a matter of fact, I went to such a horrid church one time (around 12 or so) that I was actually poisoned against Christianity. But I found religion later, and of my own volition. Jesus existed historically. It's not a stretch to me. Something that you hold to be true, regardless of the evidence for, or against, said belief.

No, because that is a purely empirical problem. The algorithm used to solve it should be empirical as well. Are you going to sit there and tell me the "God" concept is an empirical one? It is not. It is emotional, pandering to our base fears and curiosities. Nope. In a world where immorality is excused so long as the ends justify the means, it's nice to have a consistent moral compass. ...it is. Thanks for agreeing with me. So, by definition of context within the Bible, your heart would be hardened and you refuse to accept God based on faith. Simple concept. It is. But given the fact that Jesus existed historically, the Judeo-Christian God seems a tad more plausible than that. That is a manifestation of your autonomy. I do not claim that your choice is not justifiable, so why do you insist on imposing the same standards on me?

Justification is a purely subjective term. It justifies my belief, in my opinion. And that's all that matters. It's really not that hard a concept. I do not think that the comparisons you made are very fair. At all. It seems wholly plausible to me that out there there exists an entity that is so far beyond us that "God" would be an applicable term. Very plausible, given the size of the universe.

Funny thing is...that IS my justification for belief. So. Where do you go from here? Are you going to attempt to tell me that my reason for believing in a deity isn't my reason? I don't really care what you think is justifiable and isn't. It is my reason. No more, no less. Which would definitely place you under the "hardened hearts" category. Religion is faith. Blind faith. You see this as ignorance and narrow-mindedness, if I recall correctly. Ergo, your heart is hardened by your own wish for clear, logical mechanisms in something as supernatural as religion.

No.

I just think that it would be a terribly sad if this is all there was. And Jesus' words are quite agreeable to me. His moral code is something that is quite beautiful.

...I...really? I have tried to make this as clear and simple as humanly possible. I have attempted to explain it to you multiple times. And each time, you retaliate with some sort of incomprehensible nonsense. So. Pay attention this time. Your god(s) is(are) no more logical or rational than any other god(s). ALL BELIEF IN ANY TRANSCENDENTAL ENTITY OR ENTITIES IS IRRATIONAL.

Then you lose. God is the ultimate form of goodness. There are consequences for disobeying Him, and the actions are always justified by his inherent righteousness. That is what Scripture says, and it overrides any "particular verses" you're about to dig up from evilbible.com.

I refuted every point you made. If you can't understand that by reading my post, then that is your problem. You're like the people who post in Speculations who try to disprove relativity, when they do not even understand all that relativity implies. I don't think they will have a choice when they die. They choose heaven or hell while on Earth. Good, loving, compassionate people have helped to fulfill Jesus' wish, and in doing so, they are as Christians. They will go to heaven. Those who were malevolent, hurtful, and violent have done nothing but prove that they are unworthy of God's final promise. Again. Your point is refuted by one variation of Christianity.

Patently false. I suggest you reread. It is quite clear that the judgements will befall ALL the Earth, newly-converted Christians and unbelievers alike. There are some judgements which only target those who blaspheme God and refuse repenting, but most are not selective. How could you get such a fundamental concept incorrect? Praying for the return of Christ and the Millenial Kingdom is not the same as wishing God's judgement on the world. You have a real problem with fallacies of equicovations. You often try to equate things that are not even remotely similar. Everything you say after this is irrelevant because we AREN'T in the old tribal days anymore. I'm honored to be the one to tell you this fact. Again. None of this is true. Where do you get the thoughts for these ill-conceived rants? Do you know anything of the history of Christianity? According to modern interpretations of the Bible, everyone has a choice. The decision is theirs. It's a REALLY simple concept. Just think about it for a few minutes. I know that, even you, will be able to understand it. There are some fundamentalists in Christianity, yes. They are full of hate, like all fundamentalists everywhere. This does not prove your point as the vast majority of Christians only concern themselves with Jesus' promise of salvation. If you had actually read Scripture, you would see that they do not fit the descriptions of the Antichrist, the beast, or the false prophet. Your point is refuted by a remedial understanding of end-times theology. The horsemen are accepted metaphors for world wars, droughts, famines, and widespread diseases. All the fault of man. I can recommend several good books that explain Revelation in high school terms, if you wish.

Way to copy-and-paste directly from www.evilbible.com. Tell me, have you ever actually read the Bible?

Indeed. Though the Apostles were supposedly gifted with the Holy Spirit to grant them some powers, this isn't what I would consider Jesus killing anyone. The commentary in my Bible states that this is a story to show that lies to God are held in the highest severity, and that it was God's judgement when he died. They claim it to be at Satan's instigation (I do not think this is true), but they are still held accountable.

Nope. John 14:28 - "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." This verse is oft used to show that the trinity isn't distributed. That while Jesus was a human on Earth, He served God, because God is the ultimate. Yes. The etymology is quite simple. Mono meaning one, and theistic meaning of a religious nature, or pertaining to a deity. Jesus' words are the primary focus of most Christians. Love, compassion, and forgiveness. I'd like you to show me an example of Jesus killing anyone.

Nope. John 14:28 - "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." This verse is oft used to show that the trinity isn't distributed. That while Jesus was a human on Earth, He served God, because God is the ultimate. Yes. The etymology is quite simple. Mono meaning one, and theistic meaning of a religious nature, or pertaining to a deity. Jesus' words are the primary focus of most Christians. Love, compassion, and forgiveness. I'd like you to show me an example of Jesus killing anyone.

I did answer who should die. It should be the one that can make the sacrifice. I finished telling you the accepted interpretation of the words by men who claimed to be close to God. Everything that Christians believe comes from the Bible. And from interpreting the words written in it. You asked, and I gave the answers that the Bible stated. You didn't like that they were consistent and made sense, so you choose to go the way of personal insults. I do not know his policy. I think much of the Bible is incorrect and fallible. I think men used God as a reason to kill those that were different. Most leaders would. It is a highly intellectual one, capable of thought and logic and math. What's your point? You try to act so superior. Your arguments are old, tired, and cliched. And your "godhead" is no more rational than my God. So stop pretending your religion is something it's not.

True. This is precisely why good deeds alone are not enough to get into Heaven, according to the Bible. You need to admit that Jesus died for you, and that you would be nothing without him. That He is your Savior. Yes. We are. And the punishment for those sins is to be separated from God. Or Hell. But God offers a way out, via His sacrifice. It's not scapegoating. And I agree, Jesus should not have been punished. Every Christian thinks that. He was purely innocent. Yet, He chose to die for us so that we might be free. That's where the beauty in Christianity lays. It is pure love and forgiveness, when we do not deserve it. It's either accept God and be with him, or be separated from him. That's fairly logical. I agree with you about the OT thing. I do not like the Old Testament God. I think he is human and God at the same time. I think this clearly shows through when He is being crucified, and he shouts "Father, why have you forsaken me?" He was only a man. And the pain would've been intense. In that moment, his mortality shined through, and he was afraid. He accused God of leaving Him, though that never happened. It is because of that moment that I can logically see Jesus as being only a man, who was inhabited by the full power of the Holy Spirit. He was not God, per se. But he was as God. If only my son could save billions of people, I would send him. No hesitation. I disagree with the modern interpretation of the words in a book that was written by man. I do not presume to know the mind of God. But it seems unreasonable to me that someone who is nothing but love and forgiveness would be unable to forgive the people who never believed in him, but showed love and forgiveness in their own life. It seems unreasonable to me that He would punish devout Muslims and Hindus who lived pure, loving lives. I agree. But again, I am only a man. I cannot purport to knowing God's mind, or His reasoning.

Your second paragraph holds some truth. I could remove a valve from an engine, or cause the spark plugs to fire out of alignment. And the engine would still run. At a diminished capacity, of course, but it would still be better than no engine at all.

It's disputed by me as well. I was simply stating the view of mainstream Christians. A God that values free will above all. And no, he can't. But Jesus was human. And humans can die. If he wasn't human, his sacrifice would've meant nothing. Jesus is God manifesting himself in human form, and being nothing but love and forgiveness. And what would be harder, a father dying in place of his son, or having to watch his son die? God created a way for humanity to be redeemed from their awful nature. I find it hard to believe that that means he is not stepping up to his responsibilities. Well, if only my son could make the sacrifice, then yes, I would send him. Sacrifice [math] \ne [/math] Suicide I do think it strange. And also terribly wrong. Which is why I disagree with the concept of Hell for people with good souls.