Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunderball
Good points.
However, the Bible itself is full of contradictions, and if you will, signs of change in mentality. God is wrathful, vengeful, petty (look at the story of Job) and very rule based, essentially, very human, in the old testament. Then, in the New Testament, its all about love, tolerance, forgiveness, self-sacrifice. He sacrifices his own son for the sake of humanity. Jesus replaces the Ten Commandments with one overriding rule, love thy neighbor. Does that not constitute a serious dogmatic change? God changed over time, why can't the church?
By strict definition, that isn't atheism though, what I am arguing is more agnostic theism. Atheism is by definition the absence of faith. It says there's no god, and all belief systems are wrong. Agnostic theism is the belief that the existing religions can and may likely be horribly misguided, because there is too much uncertainty. Thus, a degree of rational thought is required to bridge faith and reality. Nothing says there isn't a God, simply that we know too little to be sure, and if there is a God, such hypocrisy, contradiction and hatred that has been demonstrated by some of these churches must be wrong.
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As has been stated by others, that is not atheism. It is not even close to what atheism is.
I do not understand how god could have changed over time? If god changed over time than he was at one time worse than he was before or after those changes. IF that is the case he is falliable and flawed and therefore not worthy of being believed in.
I am not going to argue the bible is not full of contradictions, obviously it is. A rational person would realize it is likely so convoluted because it was written by a bunch of different generation's quack jobs over many generations with many different agendas, none of which had anything to do with a future 2000+ years away and that they should just be atheists and rationally see the world around them for themselves rather than listen to the superstitions of a long dead cleric educated by our standards to the level of an 8 year old who lived his entire life within 20km of a sand temple in the desert 2000+ years ago.
If you want to make sense of that mess go ahead, just don't be surprised when rational people get a bit pissed off when you are condemning child incest rape victims and pardoning father-rapists! OR WORSE, when you SAY you don't agree with that ruling yet still associate yourselves with them. (For example: Being a Nazi is bad enough, but saying that nazi's leaders are wrong while supporting Nazi's and the Nazi agenda makes you a Nazi AND a hypocrite. --- And for perspective i bet not even nazi's would have blamed the 9 year old.....)
Claeren.