Win Prizes Ask an Atheist - Shoe's on the other foot now!

May 1, 2016
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Alright, we're going to have a change of tack.

As I'm sure you can see, the thread title has been changed to Ask an Atheist. People who have a question to ask of the atheists who populate this thread - more than the christians do - should feel free to ask questions of them.

If you've still got a live question posted to a christian, feel free to continue conversing for the time being.

Standard board rules apply.
 
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Aug 19, 2004
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Proves nothing.
How do you know they thought his return was imminent? Wishful thinking maybe. Jesus just told them to prepare, witness, make disciples in every nation etc. He said He would return like a thief in the night. Be prepared.
We still believe Jesus will make that return sometime. Maybe not in our lifetimes. Time will tell.
Time for you to read the Bible, again. Or read the posts i made about a 100 times here stating the passages.

There's a reason why Christians been at it for 1,600 years. The authors of NT believed dooms day is near.
 
Time for you to read the Bible, again. Or read the posts i made about a 100 times here stating the passages.

There's a reason why Christians been at it for 1,600 years. The authors of NT believed dooms day is near.
I read it daily; no need for Anything except to be prepared to give a reason for faith, and to be ready for that return at anytime- much easier said than done
 
Jul 5, 2012
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Kidding, right?
Proves nothing.
How do you know they thought his return was imminent? Wishful thinking maybe. Jesus just told them to prepare, witness, make disciples in every nation etc. He said He would return like a thief in the night. Be prepared.
We still believe Jesus will make that return sometime. Maybe not in our lifetimes. Time will tell.
Every generation has its Christians who are convinced Christ’s return is imminent. For years there was a permanent illuminated sign outside a gospel chapel in East Sydney saying Christ is Coming Soon. It’s wearing a bit thin.
 
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I read it daily; no need for Anything except to be prepared to give a reason for faith, and to be ready for that return at anytime- much easier said than done
You don't believe the words of Jesus? who said himself that he will come back to these men who are standing there then right now, without a generation passing away? He said that multiple times in the Bible in many different Gospels. You are denial, if you don't think the writers of Gospels thought doomsday is close. Of course all of it is fiction but i thought you would atleast believe in what Jesus said?

Since then Christians are predicting doomsday every 10 years btw. While you have done the same, so will the next 500 generations and all of them, before you and after you, will be wrong.

You read your Bible with your heard, clearly not seeing the failed prophecies by the so called 'son of god.

Some god he is.
 
You don't believe the words of Jesus? who said himself that he will come back to these men who are standing there then right now, without a generation passing away? He said that multiple times in the Bible in many different Gospels. You are denial, if you don't think the writers of Gospels thought doomsday is close. Of course all of it is fiction but i thought you would atleast believe in what Jesus said?

Since then Christians are predicting doomsday every 10 years btw. While you have done the same, so will the next 500 generations and all of them, before you and after you, will be wrong.

You read your Bible with your heard, clearly not seeing the failed prophecies by the so called 'son of god.

Some god he is.
I question why it means so much to you thst some of us have faith. Nothing we say will ever convince you et al. It's your choice- you don't have to believe, nobody is coercing you. So please respect that those of us who believe will not be convicted by what you deem to be inescapable facts. Despite what you dredge up, the Bible and the gospels are alive, meaningful and believable to us.
What is reading the Bible with HEARD-? a variant of heart and head?

See there are also other interpretations that don't sit well with you, but so be it- He certainly is yet to return.
 
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travelli

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I have a Christian question.

What happened to Lazarus?

Jesus raised him from the dead, of course. Very impressive.

But is he still alive? Probably not. I'm unaware of any currently living person claiming to be over 2,000 years old.

So presumably he eventually died a second time.

So what does this tell us?

That Jesus's awesome powers had their limits? (Well, obviously. Every day, people who die stay dead. Jesus is clearly not in the business of raising everybody from the dead.)

That Jesus used his awesome powers sparingly? (Presumably predicated on who he cast his piercing super power gaze on?)

That the chroniclers of Jesus's life didn't feel that the ongoing saga of Lazarus's travails were relevant to the meta narrative of Jesus? (Everything in the bible is so relevant, of course. Not an ounce of padding.)

Or perhaps that, somewhat embarrassingly, Lazarus re-karked it shortly after being raised from the dead, and his corpse was quickly whisked from view?

The problem always with "miracles" is deciding where do we draw the boundary aroun d them. (Sometimes I think it's actually much better to just stick to reality and established fact.)
Perhaps Lazarus was lost, dejected, down trodden, without purpose, but Jesus message gave him self belief and purpose again. Made him alive.
 
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He eventually returned...

I have watched HOURS and HOURS of Gary Ablett highlights, but not these 2 !
Thankyou very much.
Will always be the very best player I have ever seen, I believe.
 

carltonchelsea

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Proves nothing.
How do you know they thought his return was imminent? Wishful thinking maybe. Jesus just told them to prepare, witness, make disciples in every nation etc. He said He would return like a thief in the night. Be prepared.
We still believe Jesus will make that return sometime. Maybe not in our lifetimes. Time will tell.
Well he was a convicted theif.
 
Jul 5, 2012
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Kidding, right?
Could be. I wasn't there, so I am happy to come at it from many perspectives.

Jesus did like to explain with parables though and the bible is full of them.
I reckon when a religious book claims a leader raised someone from the dead it’s meant literally and it’s up to its followers to prove it happened.

But I also think the whole concept of miracles is fatally flawed from the outset.

If something happened, it happened.

And if it’s inexplicable, it’s simply inexplicable, not a “miracle”.

Also the story of Lazarus was not one of Jesus’s parables. Jesus is not the narrator.
 
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So his raising from the dead was merely metaphorical?
With respect to Lazarus…and according to the book, old mate had been dead for four days, his sister had wanted Jesus to come and heal him but he hung back two extra days, rolled up and brought him back to life. Was the last of his “miracles” as I recall, along with ”water into wine”, “loaves and fishes“, “healing the paralysed man”, ”walking on water“, “healing the blind man”. You could interchange the word “miracle” with another of your choice. Obviously as a practising atheist, I would suggest to you that all of the events never happened.
 

travelli

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I reckon when a religious book claims a leader raised someone from the dead it’s meant literally and it’s up to its followers to prove it happened.

But I also think the whole concept of miracles is fatally flawed from the outset.

If something happened, it happened.

And if it’s inexplicable, it’s simply inexplicable, not a “miracle”.

Also the story of Lazarus was not one of Jesus’s parables. Jesus is not the narrator.
Jesus had parables.... can't the bible as well?
 

Markfs

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i was wanting to ask the Dubbs if he thought the changes in the abortion laws in the US signalled a turnaround for christianity in the US?
 
Jul 5, 2012
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Kidding, right?
With respect to Lazarus…and according to the book, old mate had been dead for four days, his sister had wanted Jesus to come and heal him but he hung back two extra days, rolled up and brought him back to life. Was the last of his “miracles” as I recall, along with ”water into wine”, “loaves and fishes“, “healing the paralysed man”, ”walking on water“, “healing the blind man”. You could interchange the word “miracle” with another of your choice. Obviously as a practising atheist, I would suggest to you that all of the events never happened.
I think the biblical “miracle” I find the most laughable is the virgin birth. Just stop right there folks. Don’t even……. aiee, too late.
 

Evolved1

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Sure it can. But I’ve seen nothing to suggest the story of Lazarus was intended as a parable.
What if the whole lot is a book of parables? There never was a god, Jesus, or any of it. It's a bunch of stories designed to scare teenagers into picking up their dirty laundry from the bathroom floor.

I can go with that.
 

travelli

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Sure it can. But I’ve seen nothing to suggest the story of Lazarus was intended as a parable.
What works for you? If it is easier to see Lazarus "resurrection" as an example of a person moving from a place of hopelessness and despair to a life of love, hope and purpose, then go for it.
 
Jul 5, 2012
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Kidding, right?
What works for you? If it is easier to see Lazarus "resurrection" as an example of a person moving from a place of hopelessness and despair to a life of love, hope and purpose, then go for it.
I’m all for more love, hope and purpose but I simply don’t think there’s anything in the Lazarus story to do with any of that.

The story is clearly supposed to demonstrate that Jesus should be followed because he had super powers.

If you want to read love, hope and purpose into it, go for it, but you might just as fruitfully read love, hope and purpose into the story of Dick Whittington’s cat.
 
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