Question for Aethists/Evolutionists

[inmate running the asylum]

Mick,

So if you are a believer in the Bible, Mick, why havent you refuted my other posts on Biblical scripture? It doesnt matter to me whether you agree with me or not, but dont say I have predetermined my beliefs. I have spent more years researching the Bible AS A BELIEVER, then I did getting a 4-year degree. Then after 5 years or more of research, I realized I had been deceived and changed my mind. I have no problem admitting that I was initially wrong in my beliefs on the Bible. Have you even read the entire Bible you profess to believe in?

I concluded that the Bible was motivated as much by politics as religion, and had too many falsehoods and other things wrong with it, to be the word of any god. I have books up the gazoo, both pro and con on the Bibles, but I believe I am still open-minded. So if you can show me "evidence" or proof as you claim that the Bible is true, I will listen. But dont just drop some links on me and then disappear. I dont want to debate some phantom writer who cant answer back. I want to know why YOU PERSONALLY believe something is true. Faith is not proof of anything.

posted by Mick

One scientist found evidence of Noah's Ark's remains at Mt Judi, that was strong enough that the Turkish government endorsed it as the actual remains.

I have read about a number of expeditions to look for Noah's Ark, but none have succeeded in proving anything. And I know for a fact with the Turkish government being Islamic, they sure as hell didnt "endorse" any scientific finding of Noah's ark in their country! Common sense should tell you that. Finding a scrap piece of wood 3,000 years old doesnt prove its part of Noah's ark.

Whats so ridiculous about the Noah's ark story, is that archaeologists know that it is really a version of the Epic of Gilgamesh story, that floated -- excuse the pun -- around the Middle East for hundreds of years. Do you really believe they could have crammed two of each animal species into that little boat? And if so, explain how just one species -- say a fresh-water South American caiman -- swam across the Atlantic Ocean and then survived to crawl yet hundreds of miles through desert to get on that boat! And then I presume crawled and swam back to South America after the flood was over! :doh: So prove it to me then. Im sure all the other readers here would like to know about this revelation you discovered.

posted by Mick

In addition , here is a small excerpt which strongly supports the Red Sea crossing :

Hey, Im not disputing someone crossed the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aquaba. I am not even disputing that someone named Moses crossed the Red Sea or the Sea of Reeds. What I dispute is that the God portrayed in the Bible supernaturally parted the Red Sea for Moses and wiped out the entire Egyptian army. Or that he crossed with 600,000 men as the Bible claims, which would be over 1 million people if you add in the women and children. And then you add up the number of herds of goats or whatever they needed to feed a million people, and then we are told they all lived 40 years in the Sinai off a few waterholes. If you have ever been in the middle of the Sinai as I have, you would know what I mean, and know how absurd that is.

And as one archaelogist pointed out, Egypt was the most powerful nation in the region for centuries and there are extensive records from many nations during that period. And yet no one else mentions the entire Egyptian army being wiped out?

Egypt had many enemies. You mean to tell me their enemies hear about the Egyptian army getting wiped out, and then they are not going to march into their unprotected land and grab all that wealth that the pharaohs were known to have. As this archaelogist stated, this would have been the equivalent of the U.S. losing its entire military force in WWII, and this story would have spread around the Middle East like wildfire. And after the Egyptian army was destroyed, why didnt the Hebrews just turn around and go back into Egypt and take over everything? Afterall, Moses had previously been the number two man in Egypt. But instead, they go wandering in the Sinai desert for 40 years without a country, most of the time starving to death? This is an insult to any one with any common sense.

As far as chariot pieces winding up in the Red Sea, I have no problem with that. I could think of a hundred ways chariot pieces could wind up in the Red Sea. It still doesnt prove they are the chariots connected with a Moses Exodus.

Posted by Mick

But for you to say that bible believers can show NO proof or rational explanation is FAR from being true.

Ok then, also show me your PROOF and rational explanation for talking animals, invisible gods, angels and devils, heaven and hell, and dead people coming back alive for starters.

Speaking of prophecies, now you do me a favor. On the last post of Religion II, I show where God's prophecies did not come true. As a believer then, you surely can explain why God's prophecies there never came true. Or give me a rational explanation for my last post on Religion III, which shows a fraud in the Biblical verses. It appears that no other Christians on this board are willing to tackle them.

What really interests me, Mick, is how or why YOU PERSONALLY came to believe these stories or the Bible to be true? Also, understand I have never claimed that EVERYTHING in the Bibles is not true. My contention is that enough is false, to convince me that they are "not the word of any god," but were written by superstitious scribes and priests.