I'm quite content to set these "little difficulties" aside for the moment, as I don't believe that they're anything more than icing on the cake.
Even without them, the existence of a god or gods still hasn't been demonstrated.
Doesn't each Christian denomination represent a single
(and quite often superficial) interpretation?
As opposed to what?
A Latin translation?
Oh ... for those good old days when only
the right sort of people had access to the word of God! If only we could somehow exhume
Tyndale and
Wycliffe and burn them both all over again in a fit of pique for the unforgivable act of daring to translate the Bible into English! If only!
It isn't up to me to explain what is meant by heaven or paradise or "other afterworld descriptions" because I'm not claiming that any such things exist. The most I'd venture is that some people claim that these places exist ... although they certainly cannot agree over the properties of these alleged locales.
"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." ~
Proverbs 30:5-6
Before you object, I know: Citing the Bible as evidence for the claims made in the Bible is circular.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." ~
John 1:1
That would seem to suggest that any irregularities in the word trace back to irregularities with God. Of course, there are centuries of human fingerprints all over the evidence ... so who can tell?
And was John a Protestant?
I'd declare that a fallacious
appeal to authority, but I think we'd both be obliged to agree that the Catholic Church is only one interpretation out of …
how many again? There are thousands of differing Christian denominations today. So whatever claims the Catholic Church had to primacy went out the window centuries ago.
Granted where?
In a book? Allow me to ask you your own question: Who told anyone that the Bible is the final authority?
The Church has the answers because the Church says the Bible says the Church has the answers?
Is that a fair summary of your position on this issue?
Again ... isn't the Catholic interpretation just one of these different translations of the Bible?
Given that the many differing and often contradictory claims made by the sundry proponents of the Christian faith haven't been demonstrated to be true, isn't it rather absurd to state that any of them can be utilized to reach valid conclusions?
Emptily insisting that a thousand difficulties do not make for one doubt somehow fails to convince.
Which is? Wait. Let me guess:
Suspending my disbelief and buying into the fairy tale without question?
Who doesn't have an agenda? Certainly, theists have an agenda. They're all the time busily defending their claim that God has an agenda.
By issuing blanket statements on behalf of himself, you, a thousand saints and millions of "souls?" Your definition of "humble" must be a unique one.
Instead of simply revealing himself to everyone, correct? You know, it's almost as if this god wishes to remain anonymous.
Undoubtedly.
And his burden of proof
also exceeds my own. As does his responsibility to answer for all the misdeeds of his church.
How?
Personal revelations or scriptural revelations? And who told him that the Bible was the final authority?
Known?
How exactly? I mean
aside from subjective claims of personal revelation or appeals to a book that is one grand, unsubstantiated claim of divine revelation?
There's really only one "little difficulty," which is that God's existence hasn't been substantiated. We're still just dealing with assertions of varying degrees of windiness.
You don't need to research it for me anyway. You are free to dispense with the excuse-making.
On what
other terms are you suggesting that God should (or even could) speak to us?
Does God allow some to be deceived, or are these people victims of the
delusion sent by God himself?
Presumptive and unsubstantiated.
Presumptive and unsubstantiated.
Yes. It's too bad that the scriptures were translated into English. Too bad.
I cannot believe that which is unbelievable. Sorry.
Presumptive and unsubstantiated.
Well, it does appear that
you're not proving anything. About the lightning? Who knows?
Unsubstantiated.
How convenient that the Bible should come equipped with passages aimed at anyone who'd disagree with it?
Is that a question or a statement?
That's one theory, I suppose.
Why stop at 100 million?
I don't believe that God's existence has been demonstrated, so to attribute wisdom to such an entity would be absurd.
What was this alleged sign again?
Aren't Catholics best advised to avoid making open references to inducing blushes in eighth-graders?
The operative word there is "might."
You
might be right about that as well. But if Jesus loves me just as I am ... why would any of the earthly claptrap and window dressing be required?
I don't believe that there's anything to pray
to, so any prayer that I might offer up would
(by definition) be insincere.