Christianity

[Jimmy]

well, let's see



Right here you are raising a rhetorical question that suggests that because people all over the world preach about Christianity, it's true. This is argumentum ad populum



Right here you are removing money as a convincing factor for why Christianity is true, so this isn't a factor in your argument (though this is in fact arguable since money and influence definitely did shape the spread of Christianity into what we see today in a very central way)



Right here you are asking another rhetorical question but this time suggesting Christianity has far fetched ideas that seem ridiculous, so you are removing the ideas Christianity preaches as a factor for why Christianity is true



Then here is a non-answer about how it's true because it's so obviously self evident if one just "knows how to see it," yet in just the previous statement you tried to argue that Christianity's ideas were unconvincing which removed that as a factor for why it's true, so how does that work? Seems contradictory. Is this the point you were talking about? "One just has to know how to see it" is an incomplete argument that risks begging the question

I’m sorry, but if you don’t know what I’m trying to express I can’t help you.

 

[Ajax]

I never denied it.

You are correct but I don’t call him Jesus. In the real world I do, but on here I tell people what I truly believe. The Jesus story is very similar to my true beliefs.

Again you contradict yourself claiming that because so many people believe Christianity, it must be true.
How many people follow your belief? 10? 100? 500 or much less?

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

I’m willing to bet that some people who don’t believe that Christianity symbolically supports the truth secretly believe that it does but reject it because it doesn’t speak the real truth.

None of the religions speak truth when they make unfalsifiable claims about gods, angels, souls, reincarnation, or afterlives. For me, it is inappropriate to call anything truth, knowledge, fact, or correct unless it can be demonstrated to be correct empirically. What you have can be called belief, but not truth.

Why would Christians believe such nonsense?

They believe by faith. Your nonsense is their truth. That's the problem with faith-based thought. Anything can be believed by faith, and so can the opposite. Faith provides no method for distinguishing correct ideas from false ideas and unfalsifiable ('not even wrong') ideas.

4 billion people believe that Jesus will return and that Jesus raises the dead and that they will see their loved ones again in heaven after they die. These things sound like a mental illness yet 4 billion people believe it. What does that tell you?

They're faith-based thinkers. If one is willing to believe without evidence, that idea is as good as any other. Or it's opposite. Just pick an idea and believe it. It's that easy.

Let me share something I recently posted on Facebook in response to this meme:

My reply:

"Sure you do. With faith, you just choose to believe something then believe it.

"You might not have the courage to face life without your religious beliefs. Atheism isn't for everybody. It's easier to believe in a god than not. Being an atheist means that there is no devil to blame, no expectation of reuniting with deceased loved ones, no personal protection from the cosmos, only one life to live, personal responsibility for one's choices, nobody watching over you or answering your prayers, marginalization in a theistic society, and no easy explanations for our existence.

"To the theist I say, try standing up like the bipedal ape you were born to be, and look out into the universe, which may be almost empty, and which may contain no gods at all. And then face and accept the very real possibility that we may be all there is for light years, that you may be vulnerable and not watched over. Accept the likelihood of your own mortality and finitude, of consciousness ending with death, of maybe not seeing the departed again. Accept the reality of your likely insignificance everywhere but earth, and that you might be unloved except by those who know you - people, and maybe a few animals. Because as far as we know, that's how it is.

"Do you have that in you?"

 

[Ajax]

I don’t know his name. All I know is that he’s a man.

Can you tell us how do you know, meaning where and how did you get this knowledge?

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

How many? 4 billion people believe that Jesus will return and that Jesus raises the dead and that they will see their loved ones again in heaven after they die. These things sound like a mental illness yet 4 billion people believe it. What does that tell you?

Where did you find the statistic that there are 4 billion people on earth who believe that Jesus will return and that he raises the dead?

I'd like to see your source, because I didn't find any such statistics online when I searched for them.

 

[PureX]

You really think people from all over the world would spread Christianity and preach things like Jesus coming back and the resurrection of the dead if it weren’t true? Don’t tell me it’s about money because that’s ridiculous. These are pretty far fetched ideas if you ask me. Do you think people would really spread these far-fetched ideas if they weren’t true? Think about it. It’s so obvious. There is truth in it imo. One just has to know how to see it.

I think the mistake is in thinking that we have to choose 'true' or 'false' to a question that no one can answer.

 

[Jimmy]

Can you tell us how do you know, meaning where and how did you get this knowledge?

15 years ago I contemplated How we got here and where we’re going. The answer just came to me. It makes perfect sense.

 

[Jimmy]

Again you contradict yourself claiming that because so many people believe Christianity, it must be true.
How many people follow your belief? 10? 100? 500 or much less?

No I don’t.
I don’t think anybody believes what I believe but 4 Billion people believe the story of Jesus, which is basically the same thing.

 

[Jimmy]

None of the religions speak truth when they make unfalsifiable claims about gods, angels, souls, reincarnation, or afterlives. For me, it is inappropriate to call anything truth, knowledge, fact, or correct unless it can be demonstrated to be correct empirically. What you have can be called belief, but not truth.

They believe by faith. Your nonsense is their truth. That's the problem with faith-based thought. Anything can be believed by faith, and so can the opposite. Faith provides no method for distinguishing correct ideas from false ideas and unfalsifiable ('not even wrong') ideas.

They're faith-based thinkers. If one is willing to believe without evidence, that idea is as good as any other. Or it's opposite. Just pick an idea and believe it. It's that easy.

Let me share something I recently posted on Facebook in response to this meme:

View attachment 93950

My reply:

"Sure you do. With faith, you just choose to believe something then believe it.

"You might not have the courage to face life without your religious beliefs. Atheism isn't for everybody. It's easier to believe in a god than not. Being an atheist means that there is no devil to blame, no expectation of reuniting with deceased loved ones, no personal protection from the cosmos, only one life to live, personal responsibility for one's choices, nobody watching over you or answering your prayers, marginalization in a theistic society, and no easy explanations for our existence.

"To the theist I say, try standing up like the bipedal ape you were born to be, and look out into the universe, which may be almost empty, and which may contain no gods at all. And then face and accept the very real possibility that we may be all there is for light years, that you may be vulnerable and not watched over. Accept the likelihood of your own mortality and finitude, of consciousness ending with death, of maybe not seeing the departed again. Accept the reality of your likely insignificance everywhere but earth, and that you might be unloved except by those who know you - people, and maybe a few animals. Because as far as we know, that's how it is.

"Do you have that in you?"

I think your last paragraph is complete nonsense. But if it works for you, it’s all good

 

[firedragon]

You really think people from all over the world would spread Christianity and preach things like Jesus coming back and the resurrection of the dead if it weren’t true? Don’t tell me it’s about money because that’s ridiculous. These are pretty far fetched ideas if you ask me. Do you think people would really spread these far-fetched ideas if they weren’t true? Think about it. It’s so obvious. There is truth in it imo. One just has to know how to see it.

Do you know there are more atheists in this forum? It's called "religious forums" but there are more atheists here or at least they are the most active.

Try and apply the same logic you are using on that fact. Just apply it and think about the outcome.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Do you know there are more atheists in this forum? It's called "religious forums" but there are more atheists here or at least they are the most active.

Try and apply the same logic you are using on that fact. Just apply it and think about the outcome.

So bad of us - we tend to huddle together for warmth - in this much conflicting world where we are the football.

 

[Jimmy]

Do you know there are more atheists in this forum? It's called "religious forums" but there are more atheists here or at least they are the most active.

Try and apply the same logic you are using on that fact. Just apply it and think about the outcome.

Yeah I know.

 

[rocala]

4 billion people believe that Jesus will return and that Jesus raises the dead a

Really? Looks good on paper doesn't it. Over the years I have spoken to quite a few 'Christians'. In a private conversation very many fall short of saying they do believe that. A shrug or a "don't know is a frequent response.

 

[Jimmy]

Really? Looks good on paper doesn't it. Over the years I have spoken to quite a few 'Christians'. In a private conversation very many fall short of saying they do believe that. A shrug or a "don't know is a frequent response.

You’ve spoken to 4 billion?

 

[Jimmy]

Really? Looks good on paper doesn't it. Over the years I have spoken to quite a few 'Christians'. In a private conversation very many fall short of saying they do believe that. A shrug or a "don't know is a frequent response.

Give em time. They will. I bet most of them were really young too, huh?

 

[firedragon]

Yeah I know.

Good. Then apply the same logic you are using in the OP!

 

[Jimmy]

Good. Then apply the same logic you are using in the OP!

How many people are on here at any given time? Like 500. lol

 

[rocala]

They will. I bet most of them were really young too, huh?

You lose your bet. Your readiness to jump to conclusions without any proof is readily apparent throughout most of your posts.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I think the mistake is in thinking that we have to choose 'true' or 'false' to a question that no one can answer.

I think of an answer between: good and bad
Even in Eden the choice was between good ( everlasting life on Earth ) or the bad ( eternal death )
Jesus gave a New Commandment (John 13:34-35) to choose to have a self-sacrificing love for others as Jesus demonstrated
Choose the good meaning to now love others MORE than love of self, more than the old Golden Rule of Leviticus 19:18

 

[URAVIP2ME]

...................... Your readiness to jump to conclusions without any proof is readily apparent .................................

.... and jumping to conclusions seldom leads to happy endings !