A Debate With A Theist
Recently I had a small debate on a comments section of The Bible Blogger Bible Blog. I kept my arguments short (because I hear theists don’t read a lot of opposing views) and used the Bible for a change (because they still believe stuff in the Bible are facts). So here is the entire unedited uncensored debate:
- edwinhere:
- We are called to imitate Jesus. (John 8:12)
- You would stop me if I were going to inject malaria into your children.
- Jesus does nothing about the mosquitoes that inject malaria into thousands of children every year.
Do you still think, Jesus is doing a “good” thing?
- thebibleblogger:
- Christians are, yes.
- Of course.
- How do you know that?
- edwinhere:
3. A child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.
Source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/index.html - thebibleblogger:
How do you know He hasn’t stopped children from getting infected?
You’re making the assumption that just because a child gets sick and dies that He’s not doing anything. - edwinhere:
4. We know a tree by its fruit. (Matthew 7:16-20)
Hope this answers your above question. - thebibleblogger:
You didn’t answer anything at all.
You have no way of knowing that He hasn’t protected children from getting malaria. You’re just anti-God so you’re throwing up anything you can think of to try and smear Him without realizing that you’re making no sense.
Categories: faith
You still haven’t answered the question.
You’re being dishonest with the people who read your blog. There was no debate here…you came in with an agenda, I showed you made giant leaps that were not logical and instead of responding to the question at hand you just back out of it and make a posting on your blog.
I read your “opposing view.” Your logic was flawed.
I am sorry about my prejudice about you not reading opposing views.. It was an honest mistake.
I just thought, the more I present my case in FOX News style sound bites it wouldn’t be ignored like the rest of the material out there.
Yes I did make giant leaps and was not logical. All I wanted to do is to create the slightest bit of cognitive dissonance. I feel that will help us all in future.
Excellent. I loved the way you used Bible verses, especially the “We know a tree by its fruit” part. The reply was funny too. I remember many conversations I have had with people in my family, when they use Bible verses to get out of answering difficult questions or just quote a completely stupid and irrelevant Bible verse in a completely inappropriate situation and then pretend that it answers everything…
And yes, I agree with your “opposing views” statement. I think religious people think that it is sinful to even read or consider opposing views.
Thank you.
MP I think religious people think that it is sinful to even read or consider opposing views.
Only all the opposing views are dealt with in the Bible.
The malaria example is not a good one. Malaria had been defeated until we decided birds were more important than humans. God lets us reap what we sow. It’s our education, not God’s injustice.
Don’t you find it absurd that an almighty God who so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son up for the greater good of mankind, waits for the human freewill to set things right when it comes to 2 deaths per minute from a curable disease?
“You have no way of knowing that He hasn’t protected children from getting malaria. You’re just anti-God so you’re throwing up anything you can think of to try and smear Him without realizing that you’re making no sense.”
And you have no means of knowing that he did. When facing an array of possible explanation those of a speculative or supernatural nature should be disregarded first. Naturalistic explanations are more probable, and should always be considered first. When in doubt, the most likely and least complicated hypothesis, that is, the one that makes the least number of assumptions, is preferable. I have not evidence that a disembodies goat unicorn hybrid didn’t create the universe, but that doesn’t mean I should believe thats how it happened. We have no reason to think that Jesus cured or prevents malaria…so why should we? I don’t disbelieve though. I believe that access to medical treatments and environmental surroundings play a major role in determining who gets malaria because we have evidence to believe that they do. A lack of evidence does not justify a belief, nor does it justify a disbelief. You want people to believe that Jesus cure, then provide the evidence. If ignorance is good enough justification for you, why don’t you believe Hermes is curing these people?
- Chalmer
Chalmer, Thanks for visiting my blog. The original debate occurred in the comments section of this post: http://thebibleblogger.com/2008/07/02/it-depends-on-what-your-definition-of-bad-is/
I just reposted it on my blog.
Oh, well thank you
I find that this well researched site says all that needs to be said about the origins and consequences of the would be world conquering power and control seeking POLITICAL “religion”, or world-wide scape-goat cult called Christianity
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com
The question is not that Real God does not exist but that the christian cult has nothing whatsoever to do with Real God. It is an archaic relic of an ancient tribalistic cult created long ago in the child-hood of humankind. The mommy-daddy santa claus goodluck “creator”-deity.