What's the justification for believing in the soul?

[Grandliseur]

But the point is that the books of the Bible reflect the views and understandings of the people of the time they were written.

Not if God inspired their writing, and that is what things are about. It is not a book originating with men, but with God. Again, it is about focus and perspective.

Like *all* historical texts, it has to be read in context and from the viewpoint of those who wrote it.

Wrong. It is to be viewed as information God gave men.

many of the stories in the Bible clearly come from older Babylonian stories, adjusted for location.

Your beliefs, and the beliefs of unbelievers who claim to be scholars, scholars of unbelief.

These statements aren't even controversial: they are common knowledge among Biblical scholars

Higher Bible criticism is the work of satan, mildly said. If you are an unbeliever, scholar or not, your viewpoint has no relevance at all.

Recent evidence suggests that the 'sun standing still' was a misreading and it described an eclipse.

What else would one expect from unbelievers. Again, the intelligence of those calling themselves wise is astounding, an eclipse that lasts about a whole day. Go for it. The funny factor just keeps growing.

There really is no discussing the issues here. Your reality and ours are not equal. This really will go nowhere at all. Your unbelief is yours, not mine. Your gospel is no gospel at all, though, your zeal for it equals mine for my gospel of Christ. Your truths are no truths at all, but your beliefs only. That the world in general share your beliefs is neither here nor there.

At first Jews persecuted Christians; this was followed by Rome persecuting us -- which was followed by the church of Rome killing people who translated and read the Bible, and it is followed by those calling themselves scientists in this new-world religion that keeps on attacking the Bible and its believers on sites like this. The ones who deny Christ, he shall deny when judgment comes around. It is that simple. I myself will not willingly be found denying Christ and in turn be denied myself by him.

 

[Polymath257]

Not if God inspired their writing, and that is what things are about. It is not a book originating with men, but with God. Again, it is about focus and perspective.

But before you can know it is from God, you have to know it was from a particular area and time. So the *first* thing to investigate about it is whether it agrees with the views of that area and time. If it does, that is the simplest explanation.

Wrong. It is to be viewed as information God gave men.

And, based on what is in it, that information was quite poor.

Your beliefs, and the beliefs of unbelievers who claim to be scholars, scholars of unbelief.

Higher Bible criticism is the work of satan, mildly said. If you are an unbeliever, scholar or not, your viewpoint has no relevance at all.

I see. If they agree with you, they are fine. If they don't, they are from Satan. Sorry, but that is hardly a reasonable way to approach *any* text.

What else would one expect from unbelievers. Again, the intelligence of those calling themselves wise is astounding, an eclipse that lasts about a whole day. Go for it. The funny factor just keeps growing.

We should expect believers and unbelievers alike to accept the evidence from reality.

There really is no discussing the issues here. Your reality and ours are not equal. This really will go nowhere at all. Your unbelief is yours, not mine. Your gospel is no gospel at all, though, your zeal for it equals mine for my gospel of Christ. Your truths are no truths at all, but your beliefs only. That the world in general share your beliefs is neither here nor there.

And the same can be said about your beliefs and your holy book. They are your beliefs and your interpretation. But that doesn't make them reality.

At first Jews persecuted Christians; this was followed by Rome persecuting us -- which was followed by the church of Rome killing people who translated and read the Bible, and it is followed by those calling themselves scientists in this new-world religion that keeps on attacking the Bible and its believers on sites like this. The ones who deny Christ, he shall deny when judgment comes around. It is that simple. I myself will not willingly be found denying Christ and in turn be denied myself by him.

it isn't persecution to have your ideas questioned. It isn't persecution to consider the evidence with an open mind and go where it leads. if that isn't towards your 'Christ', then so be it. Reality and truth is more important than faith.

 

[Polymath257]

Why don't you look at the link to the scientists from Cern supplied! It is common knowledge that matter and antimatter should have cancelled each other out at the Big Bang, and this is being examined in that link.

Yes. And this showed that one possible asymmetry doesn't hold up. But we also know that matter and anti-matter are NOT perfectly symmetric: the decay modes of the neutral Kaon show that.

This was more hype than science.

Scripture tells me.

Theologians, and church teaching, dogma, is not what it is about. Many theologians may even be atheists since their studies included Biblical criticism. Who cares!

Well, it seems to me that if you think the Bible is that important that you would want to learn where and how it came into being.

I know what the Bible teaches having both studied it personally and professionally. We are clearly shown that God exists in his own reality and that he created this one. Even the beginning of time is given, and it didn't begin when this universe was created, though naturally when this universe came into being, its clocks started ticking.

Not necessarily. But, the Bible has shown itself to be true. Therefore . . .
But, whether you believe or not is not my problem.
The Bible is my foundation, my crucible for testing what is true.

No matter what, choosing *one* source for truth is a bad play. Looking at *all* the available evidence is a much more reasonable approach.