what is silly, my friend, is that people don't know the difference between the written word and the Living Word which speaks to one's soul.

peace...is a written word, but offered to you nonetheless.

Nietzsche? Geshuntheit!

Wasn't he one of the dudes upon whose philosophies Naziism was founded? Great guy. Wonderful folks. God is Dead, he said. Well, he certainly was to the Nazis and they did try to kill him off, gave it a good shot and where did it get them? Nietsche is dead and we killed him -- God.

Try praying to God and asking him if he's real or not. Ask him to prove himself to you. Walk into an Assembly of God church or a Christian church. You will find him there.

Good luck to you.

And I like your quote of Nietsche. That's pretty cool. I used to love it when the Profs quoted people in class. It really spiced things up.

Now there is a fair question!

I did. He did. I was "radically saved" as a result.

Far out! Good testimony, Zapchaser!

Spinoza was also a believer, and attempted to provide an inductively sound argument for the existence of 'God', which he did...

Although one will not get the Christian 'God' out of that argument, for in order for a creator 'God' to exist then 'God' must be first and indivisible...

The source of all things known and unknown...

mother goose

I always find believers using that type of reasoning with me in a debate that were displayed in that link..but it is a way to navigate through that type of defense ..since no believer can follow the bible to the letter without appearing like a raving lunatic I simply find something in the bible that they disagree with or one of God's laws that it's impossible for them to follow and that in itself will knock down that defense and they will then either have to use logic in their reasoning or claim faith ....and once they claim faith then the fun really begins

I thought it was spelled ear-elephant!

God & The Bible




Is the Bible true? Certainly the Bible is a remarkable book -- unquestionably the world's all-time bestseller with countless millions of copies in print. A single Bible distribution organization reported delivering over 627,000,000 Bibles worldwide in one year alone the Bible is a compilation of 66 books written by over 40 separate authors from a variety of backgrounds (from lowly peasants to noble kings) over a period of at least 1,600 years. These 66 books are divided in two principle parts, the "Old Testament" (39 books) and the "New Testament" (27 books). The Bible was completed in its entirety nearly 2,000 years ago and stands today as the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity with over 24,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts discovered thus far. Compare this with the second best-preserved literary work of antiquity, Homer's Iliad, with only 643 preserved manuscripts discovered to date.

Is the Bible True? - "…By inspiration of God"
So, is the Bible true? If the Bible is indeed what it claims to be, the implications for us are considerable. The Bible candidly claims to be "given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). Of course, the Bible is not the only book to claim divine inspiration, but it is unique in that it offers substantial evidence to back its claims. It even goes so far as to challenge its readers to put it to the test, exhorting us to "Test all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Is the Bible True? - The Test of Prophecy
Is the Bible True? Unquestionably, the single greatest evidence lending to the veracity of the Bible's claims of divine inspiration is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Consider this: if man were able to clearly and consistently foresee the future, would the billion-dollar Las Vegas gambling industry exist? We're willing to bet it wouldn't. As man by himself is unable to foresee future events, prophecy is a reasonable indicator of supernatural inspiration. The Bible purports to contain more than a thousand inspired prophecies. The vast majority of these prophecies have already come to pass and can be verified by secular history. Consider, for example, Ezekiel's prophecies concerning God's judgment against the ancient Phoenician capital of Tyre (Ezekiel, chapter 26). The prophecy states that Tyre would first be razed by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Later, it would be utterly destroyed by a coalition of nations, flattened like the top of a rock, its ruins (and even its dust) scraped and thrown into the sea, becoming a place for fishermen to spread their nets. The surrounding nations would witness Tyre's fate and surrender without a fight. It's a rather odd prophecy. Amazingly, the conditions of Ezekiel's prophecy were fulfilled, even to the tiniest detail. Nebuchadnezzar sacked Tyre. Later, Alexander the Great led a coalition of nations against Tyre, demolished it, scraped it to bedrock and threw its ruins into the sea. The ancient site became (and remains to this day) a place for local fishermen to spread their nets to dry. (For secular confirmation, see General History for Colleges and High Schools, Boston, Ginn & Co., p. 55).

Prophecy is not just a phenomenon of the ancient past. Bible prophecy is being fulfilled today before our eyes. Consider the nation of Israel. The Jews were "the least of all peoples" (Deuteronomy 7:7), without a homeland and without freedom, serving as slaves in Egypt. At the time, Egypt was the dominant world power. However, because of a promise God made to a man named Abraham, his son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob centuries earlier, God rescued the Israelites from their bondage "with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders" (Deuteronomy 26:8). God gave the Israelites a homeland of their own, made a covenant with them, and entrusted them with the Bible. Israel was a nation set apart for God -- God's testimony to a world that turned its back on the One who created them. Sadly, Israel's history, like that of the world's, was one of constant rebellion against God. Over and over, the Jewish people would rebel, suffer God's wrath, humble themselves, regret their rebellion and turn back to God, and receive God's blessing again - then start the process all over again… Finally, God sent nations upon them (like He did with ancient Tyre) and drove the Jews from their homeland. In 70 AD, Roman legions decimated Israel, dispersed the Jews throughout the world, and banned them from ever reentering their homeland. The Jews were without a homeland for 1,900 years! Nevertheless, God promised the Jews that though He would remove them from the land, they would remain an identifiable people and would return to their land again. (see, for example, Leviticus 26:13-16; Nehemiah 1:8-9; Deuteronomy 30:1-5). It is a miracle in itself that the Jews have survived and remained an identifiable people without a homeland for 1,900 years. All other nations who have ever lost their homeland became assimilated into the surrounding nations and lost their identity within a few hundred years. Yet the Jews have remained and miraculously returned to Israel as their official homeland in 1948.

Consider, for example, the biblical account of Israel's exodus from Egypt. Pharaoh, Egypt's monarch, chased the Israelites with an army of chariots, cornering Israel at the Gulf of Aqaba (the Red Sea). God miraculously parted the Red Sea allowing Israel to pass through over a land bridge. The Egyptians followed in close pursuit, but after the last Israelite made it across, God released the parted water and drowned the Egyptian army. Archaeologists have discovered a number of evidences vindicating the Bible's exodus account, including chariot wheels embedded in coral along the land bridge at the bottom of the Red Sea. (Exodus Revealed, video documentary by Discovery Media Productions.)

Is the Bible True? - The Authors
Is the Bible true? Consider the integrity of the Bible's authors -- men who claimed to be inspired by God. Take for example Luke, who authored approximately one-quarter of the entire New Testament. Luke is regarded as an authoritative historian -- one of the greatest of antiquity. "The general consensus of both liberal and conservative scholars is that Luke is very accurate as a historian. He's erudite, he's eloquent, his Greek approaches classical quality, he writes as an educated man, and archaeological discoveries are showing over and over again that Luke is accurate in what he has to say."

Sir William Ramsey, one of the greatest archaeologists of modern times, declared, "Luke is a historian of the first rank." (Sir William Ramsey, The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament, 1915, p. 222.)

Now, let's consider the martyrdom of many of these authors. According to sources and traditions outside the Bible, many of the Bible's writers died brutal and horrible deaths in defense of their written testimony. In fact, all but one of the New Testament's authors were executed for proclaiming and defending their testimonies (John was spared, but forced into exile by Roman Emperor Titus). Of course, martyrdom in itself is not unique -- many people throughout history have died willingly for their beliefs. What makes the New Testament authors' martyrdom special is that these men were in a position to know the truth of their written accounts.

Think about it -- no one knowingly dies for a lie! For example, the September 11th suicide hijackers may have sincerely believed in what they died for, but they weren't in a position to know whether their beliefs were absolutely true. The hijackers put their faith in religious traditions passed down over many generations. In contrast, the Bible's martyrs were in a position to know the truth. They were eyewitnesses to the historical events they recorded. Either they saw what they claimed to see or they didn't -- plain and simple. Nevertheless, these men clung to their testimonies, even to their brutal deaths at the hands of their persecutors, and despite being given every chance to recant their stories. Why would so many men knowingly die for a lie? They had nothing to gain for lying… and everything to lose.

Is the Bible True? - Judge For Yourself…
Is the Bible true? For those of us who don't believe that God inspired the Bible, how do we explain it? What compelling reason do we have to reject the Bible as God's divine revelation to man? We should lay aside our philosophical disposition, examine the evidence objectively, and weigh the facts for ourselves… And then ask: Is the Bible true?

AND THEN READ IT......STUDY IT......LEARN ALL OF THE ASPECTS OF IT.....THEN JUDGE FOR YOURSELF.

The Bible is False

The Bible is false? Certainly the Bible is a unremarkable book -- unquestionably the world's all-time bestseller with countless millions of copies in print. A single Bible distribution organization reported delivering over 627,000,000 Bibles worldwide in one year alone the Bible is a compilation of 66 books written by over 40 separate authors from a variety of backgrounds (from lowly peasants to noble kings) over a period of at least 1,600 years. These 66 books are divided in two principle parts, the "Old Testament" (39 books) and the "New Testament" (27 books). The Bible was completed in its entirety nearly 2,000 years ago and stands today as one of the worst-preserved literary works of all antiquity.

Is the Bible False? - "…the inspiration of man"

So, is the Bible false? If the Bible is indeed what it claims to be, the implications for us are ridicules. The Bible candidly claims to be "the violent diatribe of “God” and is profitable for nothing. Of course, the Bible is not the only book to claim divine inspiration or even a violent tempered “God”. It even goes so far as to challenge its readers to "Stone her to death" (Deuteronomy 22:21).




Is the Bible False Prophecy
Is the Bible False? Unquestionably, the single greatest evidence lending to the veracity of this claim. Consider this: if man were able to clearly and consistently foresee the future, would the billion-dollar Las Vegas gambling industry exist? We're willing to bet it wouldn't. This shows how gullible men can be, they will put their faith in anything even slot machines. . The Bible purports to contain more than a thousand crazy prophecies. The vast majority of these prophecies are written in one book to support itself, how funny is that. Consider, for example, Ezekiel's prophecies concerning this “God's” judgment against the ancient Phoenician capital of Tyre (Ezekiel, chapter 26). The prophecy states that Tyre would first be razed by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Later, it would be utterly destroyed by a coalition of nations, flattened like the top of a rock, its ruins (and even its dust) scraped and thrown into the sea, becoming a place for fishermen to spread their nets. The surrounding nations would witness Tyre's fate and surrender without a fight. It's a rather funny prophecy. Not too amazingly, the conditions of Ezekiel's prophecy were fulfilled, even to the tiniest detail. Nebuchadnezzar sacked Tyre.


Prophecy is just like a magic trick. Bible prophecy is being fulfilled today before our eyes in the same way. Consider the nation of Israel. The Jews were "the least of all peoples" (Deuteronomy 7:7), without a homeland and without freedom, serving as slaves in Egypt. At the time, Egypt was the dominant world power. However, this “ God” made a man named Abraham sacrifice his son Isaac, to him. Thus showing again how evil and devious this ”God” really is. , This “God” supposedly rescued the Israelites from their bondage this “God” gave the Israelites a homeland of their own, made a covenant with them, and entrusted them with the Bible. Israel was a nation set apart for this “God” – this”God's” testimony to a world that turned its back on the One who created them. Sadly, Israel's history, like that of the world's, was one of constant rebellion against this “God”. Over and over, the Jewish people would rebel, suffer this “God's” wrath, humble themselves, regret their rebellion and turn back to this”God”, and receive this God's” blessing again - then start the process all over again… Finally, this “God” sent nations upon them (like He did with ancient Tyre) and drove the Jews from their homeland. In 70 AD, Roman legions decimated Israel, dispersed the Jews throughout the world, and banned them from ever reentering their homeland. A “God” that acted more like a spoiled child then a great and loving deity. The Jews were without a homeland for 1,900 years! Nevertheless, this“God” promised the Jews that though He would remove them from the land, they would remain an identifiable people and would return to their land again. (see, for example, Leviticus 26:13-16; Nehemiah 1:8-9; Deuteronomy 30:1-5). It is not too surprising then that the Jews have survived and remained an identifiable people. Other wise we wouldn’t have the book. The book is it’s own self fulfilling prophsecy.

Consider, for example, the biblical account of Israel's exodus from Egypt. Pharaoh, Egypt's monarch, chased the Israelites with an army of chariots because this “God” had killed all the first born in his nation, guilty and innocent a like, This “God miraculously parted the Red Sea allowing Israel to pass through over a land bridge. The Egyptians followed in close pursuit, but after the last Israelite made it across, this “God” released the parted water and drowned his Egyptian children. For some reason this “God” shows his love for all his children in strange ways. Archaeologists have discovered a number of things vindicating the Bible's account, that chariots existed at some time in history.

The Bible is False? - The Authors
Is the Bible False? Consider the integrity of the Bible's authors -- men .Take for example Noah, his story is impossible in every way. The water alone cannot be held by the earth. They would not be able to fit one tenth of the animals on board. Once they filled it up what would they do for food for all the animals. So on and so on. Obviously the book is nothing more then fairy tales.
Many of the Bible's writers died brutal and horrible deaths in defense of this book. In fact, all but one of the New Testament's authors were executed for proclaiming and defending this book (John was spared, but forced into exile by Roman Emperor Titus). Of course, martyrdom in itself is not unique -- many people throughout history have died willingly for stupid ideas. What makes this' martyrdom special is that these men were not in a position to know the truth of the written accounts. They died for a lie! How many more have to follow in that same path.

the Bible is False? - Judge For Yourself…
Is the Bible False? For those of you who believe that God inspired the Bible, how do we explain it? What compelling reason do we have to reject the Bible as God's divine revelation to man? You should lay aside your philosophical disposition, examine the evidence objectively, and weigh the facts for yourselves then you will see how false it is.

ONLY LET TRUTH BE YOUR GUIDE

With one exception.......mine is backed up historically......you my friend are just a silly wabbit. And to just go in a change the bible is false.....shows me that you have no concrete evidience to back up your nonsense.....where I have time and time again shown evidence.......

Just goes to show that no mater how many times you post something that is ridicules it doesn't make it true.

Oh it's true.......for the Lord my God says so.

Psalm 103 (New International Version)


Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Ditto!!

I've been trying to get a strait answer from Christians for three centuries and have not gotten one strait answer.

eeerrr.. did I say centuries? I meant decades.

I have given you nothing but straight answers. I am who I am and believe what I believe for one simple reason.....Because God showed me.......And he showed me in a such a way that I could nor would not deny him anymore. I am not who I am because of my parents, dad athiests, mom just went along with what family believed. I am what I am because of what I have personally experienced. I have seen God's miracles with my own eyes. I have listen and been given gifts beyond compare. I follow now the path the Lord God has set because of experiences and through visions......And that is all.....nothing more, nothing less......

Believe as you wish, but I know that God is, was, and always will be....I know that Christ is my Salvation, and I know that the Bible is the inspired word of God and a life lesson book that can show all what he wants from the world, and from each and every one of us. Read it.....study it.....take it apart scripture by scripture and absorb what it truly is saying......And yes if the Lord God has not truly touched your heart and soul.....you will never get it....until you open your heart to receive it.

But the Cartoon makes a good point which has yet to be addressed.

And how do you know it was God?

Understand me when I say this. I have seen miracles too. I believe in the universal God. I have had personal experience too, and I understand it differently than you do.

The politics of the lower worlds, (the bargains and blood sacrifices etc.) are of the lower worlds and involve lower beings and administrators of creation. That is my perception.

JB

JB