Debunking Christianity: Quote of the Day, by articulett

I realize that atheists and Christians are just not going to see eye-to-eye on the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible, and the accountability that goes with that.  We can't.. It's not going to be possible to come to terms but both  positions can't be true simultaneously.  John Loftus posted the following quote from one of his collaborators and I think it's important because it demonstrates more than I think the author thought she was saying.

It's not that science has ever been wrong... it's that religion has never been right. Science has an error correcting mechanism; faith does not. That's why there is one science-- and it's the same for everybody no matter what they believe.



I would say that the problem isn't with "science". The thing is that scientists can indeed be wrong. Just like one would make a distinction between science and scientists, we need to make a distinction between religion and those who practice it. For example, just because someone claims to be a Christian does not mean that they really believe and follow what the Bible says. For example, if someone denies the Resurrection, can they be a Christan? Nope,

I don't think any evil things have been done "in the name of science" (nor do I even know what that means); although scientific advancements have caused suffering of others along with giving us longer healthier lives and computers and air travel and so cell phones-- things that would make us gods to your bible writers. It's also brought us knowledge that even the smartest people could not know during biblical times-- see DNA and atoms and germ theory, for example.

I find this telling. Does she mean that she does not know what evil is? She seems to be making a distinction between "suffering" and evil and I agree there should be a distinction made. However I would point to the way some "scientist" use science to make money driven by greed despite the suffering it causes. The pharmaceutical industry comes to mind as an example.Not everyone in it is driven by greed but decisions like what gets researched, funded, and released are influenced by finances and greed.

What do you think is the probability that the 3-in-1 god of the bible who became his own son is the "uncaused cause" of the universe? What is the probability that an omnibenevolent omnipotent being would make a place of infinite torture? What for? Why should anyone believe such a thing?

I'd like to know what is the probability that an atheist would phrase the trinitarian doctrine in such a way that it shows that they they understand what it is? I also would like to know if an atheist can understand what the Bible says when it explains the existence of hell? I also would like to know  why Atheists think it's okay to deny the Bible but butcher its teachings - demonstrating that they don't even seem to know what they are denying. I mean they would get upset and want to be correctly represented if some one said that they believed that human beings were descended from monkey.  I agree. If you are going to deny something then at least correctly state what it is you are denying.

Religious people are forced to fit the scientific facts into their religion or to ignore them. They imagine some god will punish them forever if they don't. Science cannot afford to be handicapped by such vested interests. Science doesn't work unless you are on the right track. Any track involved invisible beings (gods, ghosts, demons, angels, fairies, etc.) is the track of magical thinkers. It never leads anywhere and is not a useful guide for those who are interested in what is true.

No where in the Bible are Christians commanded to turn their brains off and ignore evidence. We are supposed to think and reason. I would say that it is the Atheist that  is handicapped because when one chooses to ignore/deny possibilities just because you think they are improbable you can't also pretend to be open-minded. There are many scientific discoveries that seemed completely improbable at first, like the earth revolving around the sun, or a complete accident like the discovery of penicillin.

You pray for John; we'll THINK for you.

Link.

Again God expects us to think and reason...he gave us our minds in the first place. Without God was have no minds.

¹⁸Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18

Debunking Christianity: Quote of the Day, by articulett