Atheism Sucks

I just saw a video irreverently called "God Sucks" by a YouTube user calling himself "The Amazing Atheists". I had to wonder how could anyone come up such a hostile and mean title! The video goaded me into responding. I can't resist because there are several assertions made without proof. Here is what the Bible has to say in answer.

1. That there are people who do not know that God exists because they are not genetically pre-disposed to faith.
2. A person ignorant of God does not go hell.
3. Only non-analytical, dim-witted people have faith

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. - Romans 1:18-20


But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. - Romans 3:21-26

The passage truly explains that we have no reason for not recognizing God's existence and we are fooling ourselves thinking otherwise.


4. Life is a test of faith.

We are not being tested because God does not know what we are capable of but it's "testing" in terms of "trying" in the way that precious metals are purified in fire.

So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. - Romans 2:3-5

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. - Romans 8:28 - 30

Recall that God chooses our genetics and place of birth, we don't.

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' Acts 17: 24-28

The only desirable character trait the faith have that non-believers don't have is that they believe. No one on their own is good enough or righteous enough to relate to God on our own. We need Jesus.

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" - John 11:24-26

And the you have it: the only thing that separates unbelievers and believers. The one thing that makes all the difference between heaven and hell. It's not unreasonable faith. It's faith founded on evidence. I invite anyone to search out the evidence and see that the Bible is true and all of it's claims.

Apparently, the video author has written a book called In Defense of Evil and here is the blurb summarizing it's contents:

A manifesto against all expectations and a criticism of all moral certainty, IN DEFENSE OF EVIL is a biting dissection of popular American ethics and the exoneration of society's so-called villains.

This reminds me of what Bible says.

To those who say, "Let God hurry,
let him hasten his work
so we may see it.
Let it approach,
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come,
so we may know it."

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight. - Isaiah 5:19-21

People who think the morality given to us by our creator is something we should abandon are the ones going against our genetic programming.

72 Year-Old Tasered

I just heard about last week where a 72 year-old grandmother was tasered by a cop during a traffic stop. I think it's shocking that a person that age would be tasered but after seeing the video, if a young man acted that way would certainly be tasered.

Is Israel Being Oversensitive?

I just heard that based on a picture taken in the Oval Office of Obama talking on the phone with the Israeli Prime Minister that people in Israel are angry. They feel insulted by the soles of Obama's shoes being prominent in the foreground. Re-calling that in the Middle East, to the Arabic Mindset, showing the soles of your shoes to someone is a huge, disrespecting insult.

I'm amazed that Jews would make this connection. I mean:
1. These are Jews, not Arabs complaining.
2. Given that Obama is not an Arab I'm certain he did not think he was insulting anyone propping his feet on his desk - I mean it is his desk!

The article I read about this in pointed out that the sensitivity could be coming from the tensions in the Middle East now and with the way Obama so glowing talked of Islam in his recent speech in Cairo last week I'm sure it makes those who recognize that Fundamentalist Muslims are never going to play nice with others very nervous. It's those people who have their finger on buttons to attack Israel they are concerned about - not the the Muslims President Obama addresses in Cairo. I also think that if Obama had a more "western" name (ie "White") they wouldn't have went there.

Christianity and the Tradition of Marriage

Some one by VorJack has written an essay on Christianity and the Tradition of Marriage. He talks about how people's ideas of women and marriage has changed over time. I'm not going to respond to everything in his article. I want to respond to an assertion that he made:

Christianity was born into a greco-roman world, and the first Christians accepted the structure of Roman marriage. Marriage was monogamous and heterosexual, but divorce was possible and the husband might have a concubine before marriage. Marriage and procreation were considered civic requirements, and Augustus found it necessary to legislate marriage for Roman citizens.

By the time of Imperial Rome, marriage was relatively fair to women, who were able to control their property and most aspects of their life. In light of this, it’s probably not surprising that rich wives and widows were able to contribute financially to the early church, and that some women could preach and lead rituals.

People who based their lives and worldview on the Bible cannot fit the the points that were made could not agree with the point: "divorce was possible and the husband might have a concubine before marriage." Jesus said in Matthew 19:3-12 the following.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."

Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."

The church even today allows divorce easily. But that is not what Jesus said.

Just because a person is a Christain does not mean that he or she knows everything correctly. The author cites some quotations from Christian "fathers" however they they fly in the face of what the Bible says.

The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the devil’s gateway: you are the unsealer of that (forbidden) tree.
-Tertullian

But the Bible says:

For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 1 Timothy 2:13,14

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. - Romans 5:19

Tertullian may have well blamed our sinful state on Eve, but Paul didn't. Along with the Old Testament, the accountability was on the man. Not the wife. Centuries of blaming women for the fall is just what Adam did, but God would not buy that. If it comes down to the word of Tertullian versus the inspired words of Apostle Paul, I'll take Paul's.

I praise wedlock, I praise marriage, but it is because they give me virgins.
-St. Jerome

The Bible also praises marriage but for far different reasons. Because the marriage relationship symbolizes the way Jesus loves the church. It's not for the purpose of providing clergy with fresh virgins/children to molest.