God's Will To Kill - Eli's a'coming

Eli was the high priest around 11 century B.C. Like most minister's kids Eli's boys were unruly because their father was more interesting in the Lord's work rather than them. His kids were having sex. God saw this as another great opportunity to getting some killing done (like the plot of horror films - have sex, get killed) so He prevented the kids from repenting. It was His Will To Kill.

1 Samuel 2:22:23-25

Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the LORD’s people. If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.

A Deconversion Story - lovingdoubt

Does God Exist? Hitchen v Turek Debate

Video

Creationism - Still Crazy After All These Years

Eugenie Scott, AAI 2009

The Power Of Prayer - edward current

Does a Good God Exist?

A recent debate with Christopher Hitchens.

Dr. William Dembski and Christopher Hitchens

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Hitchens and Dembski debate

What a brilliant debate. I really enjoy rational men challenging each other. In contrast, politics in America have become so embarrassing with quick jabs and sound-bites. It is quite boorish. It is so nice to see Christopher Hitchens with all his faculties, that his disease has not hampered that.

I am grateful to see the curtain drawn back with Dr Demski in respective to the discussion from 1 hour 45 minutes onward. At mark 1:53:00 he expresses he has issue with some Christian theology, that it is messy. He is not comfortable with hell, the exclusivity of Jesus and that "we are stuck with a package deal". I so identified with that on my path. Dr. Demski may have some regret because this is not the face that Christians are taught to show and that is his expression at 1:54:47 to 1:54:49. Kudos to his honesty which is very refreshing. With my experience as a former believer and minister I expect he will be told never to let that out again. Acknowledging that we are human with doubts and being skeptical is one of our better qualities. Protecting the institution is one of our worst qualities which is readily seen today with Roman Catholic & Jehovah Witness pedophilia coverups. One of St. Paul's more disturbing comments is 1 Corinthians 6:1-7, where church member are to overlook wrongs within the church so the outside cannot see their dirty laundry. I am grateful for honest people who do not tolerate such things.

Grateful to the Prestonwood Christian Academy for making the debate entirely available without edit.

God Is An Abortion Doctor

If you find a pro-life person who believes abortion is not allowed even in the case of rape, pose this question.

Suppose a married woman gets pregnant by a man who is not her husband, can she have an abortion?

No? Well, it is all right by God. In fact that is exactly what he did. King David saw Bathsheba, she was hot, he was horny. Her husband Uriah was off to war for David and Jehovah. Well, she got pregnant. David called Uriah back and wanted him to stup his wife, hoping that would be a good coverup. But Uriah was devoted to his king and refused to do that. Killing good, sex bad. Make War Not Love. David called in his commander and told him to put Uriah out on the front line. When the enemy attacked drop back and let them kill Uriah. And so it was done. God spoke to Nathan, His prophet, about this and told him to tell David of his sin and what David's punishment will be. Does David get the punishment? No, God kills an innocent baby. It was full term. Note God's biggest problem is what others think.

2 Samuel 12:13-14

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt,the son born to you will die.”

A bit later in the book of Samuel, God aborts seven of King Saul's kids which David, his successor, would have never done (wink, wink). Hmmm... What to do? What to do? God speaks to David telling him the past 3 years of famine were because of what Saul had done to the people of Gibeonites. So they need some kind of restitution. What could they possibly want? They reply they couldn't possibly take gold from Saul's kids because that wouldn't be right. But rahter they want his children dead as if that was a lesser punishment. You know, God could have struck down all these children but instead He (or rather David) used a contorted way to get rid of H(h)is rivals and H(david)e wouldn't do the direct killing. Just an example of an after-birth abortion for unwanted children. Yes, they were adults, but it was done with hate as in thou shalt not murder. Mothers who abort don't do it with hate, but great sadness.

To say that God is against abortion doesn't line up with the "facts" of the BuyBull.

God decides when the earth will end

So great we have idiots like this in congres - Rep. John Shimkus

Where Do Bad Folks Go When They Die

The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood (guitar/vocals), his brother Cris Kirkwood (bass guitar), and Derrick Bostrom (drums).

Where do bad folks go when they die

They don't go to heaven where the angels fly

Go to a lake of fire and fry

Don't see them again 'till the Fourth of July

I knew a lady who came from Duluth

Bitten by a dog with a rabid tooth

She went to her grave just a little too soon

flew away howling on the yellow moon

Where do bad folks go when they die

They don't go to heaven where the angels fly

Go to a lake of fire and fry

Don't see them again 'till the Fourth of July

People cry and people moan

Look for a dry place to call their home

Try to find some place to rest their bones

While the angels and the devils try to make 'em their own

Where do bad folks go when they die

They don't go to heaven where the angels fly

Go to a lake of fire and fry

Don't see them again 'till the Fourth of July

Nirvana's version is quite good. Kurt Cobain was a fan of the Meat Puppets

The Biblical Ouija Board and Magic Eightball

Did you know the righteous cast lots to find out God's will? Is this not unlike consulting a Ouija board? Instead of a Ouija board they used something called an Urim and a Thummin. These are referred to as casting lots or consulting the Lord. This really shows how superstitious based judeo-christian faith is. The priest from the days of Moses carried these divination tools on their sacred breastplate as they went before the Lord in the holy temple. And apparently everyone had a copy.

Leviticus, chapter 18. Moses is getting information from God on what to do for the Day Of Atonement, Yom Kippur. First Aaron is to kill a bull for himself and his family. The he gets two goats (no blemishes please) and cast lots to decide which one is sacrificed and which one is the scapegoat who carries their sins out of the camp to the desert. Killing one ain't enough. So, is God in charge of every roll of the dice?

Proverbs 16:33

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

Oh, so He does. Well then why does He alway favor the house?

Joshua, chapter 18. God's chosen people have finally entered the promised land and they need to divide up the land amongst the tribes. Joshua gets a tad irritated because they haven't taken care of it. So he sends out 3 men from each tribe to survey the land. Now this is the promised land and one would expect God to have had specifics where he wanted them to be. He does have His favorites after all. But not a word. Joshua decides "I will cast lots for you in the presence of the LORD our God." A roll of the dice when you cannot wait for God to wake up and talk to you.

1 Samuel, chapter 14 The first king of Israel, Saul, went to war against the Philistines. He told his troops to not eat anything while they were killing. (What the hell was his problem?). However, his son Jonathan didn't hear this and after being a major reason for the winning of the battle found some honey and ate it. A fellow warrior told him at that point of his father's command. This ultimately got back to Saul and he demanded to know who had "sinned". The men didn't want to rat out Jonathan because they liked him. So Saul prayed to the god of the dice (lots) and cast them. It ultimately led to Jonathan. Saul said "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan". Oaths in the OT invariably start with that first phrase. Who knows if God would even care? Fortunately the men spoke up for Jonathan and cooled down Saul from his now worthless oath. Why do we need truth serums and torture, when casting lots is far more effective?

Acts, chapter 1 Judas after betraying Christ either went back to the temple throwing the money back to the priests and hung himself (Matt 27:5-8) or used the money, buying a field and fell to his death there (Acts 1:18-19). But the Bible does not contradict itself, mind you. Anyway either way it left a position opened in the apostleship. There were two applicants, Barsabbas (aka Justus) and Matthias. They prayed to God for help. Seems like another important decision that God could have provided his holy opinion on, but oh well. However, by now we know God controls the flip of every coin, the roll of every dice. It is not like evolution, it is random. The lot fell to Matthias thus leaving Barsabbas as the Pete Best of the apostles.

Ask the Magic EightBall a question for yourself?

I asked this question once and got my answer.

Why Can't We Get Any Straight Answers from Christianity?

I go now and again to the Christian Post to see what the crazies are doing. One recent article was about how hard the Bible is. The author, John Piper, even quotes Peter saying even for Peter it was hard but evil people (like me) twist it to their eternal damnation. But have no fear John Piper will give us the straight poop in upcoming articles.

I posted this comment (currently 13 readers disagree with it):

It is hard because the bible is flawed and has contradictions. Biblical authors had differing viewpoints just as today. You cannot get a Mormon to agree with a Seventh-day Adventist. Knowing that this is a primitive book and differing viewpoints on what life is all about, really clears up any issues. Take what you like and leave the rest.

A reader waltman had to try and save me. I bet if I replied to this and didn't thank him for showing me the light he would tell me I am going to hell. Too bored to do that. But his reply amused me.

Dear exminister, everyone has doubts and our hearts are prone to wander. We are so weak and the evil one is strong but God is far stronger and He can restore your faith. King David, one my heros, struggled with doubts. In Psalm 35:3b he said Say to my soul, "I am your salvation!" David had doubts and he cried out for reassurance. All Christians will go through times when we don’t feel his presence but we are not to be content in them. We are to cry out for God to comfort our souls and He will.

Matthew 7: 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” That doesn’t mean turn the TV off for 5 seconds and pray. Seek God like you would chase after something that could be the answer to the very innermost longings of your heart.

If you don’t trust in the whole Bible then at least trust in the gospel for that is the key to hope, joy and love. “The gospel is not a complicated message. At its core the gospel is a love story. God loves humanity. Humanity breaks God’s heart. God sacrifices His Son to heal the rift. And, to those humans who respond in faith, they live happily ever after.”

The Bible and other historical texts confirm that Jesus’ enemies and followers believed He died on the cross and many witnesses believed to their very deaths that He rose again. Belief in the gospel is not blind faith but it is rock solid. Don’t bet your eternity that Jesus tricked the Roman soldiers that He was dead or that His early followers hid the body so they could live a life of poverty and persecution.

And if you believe in the gospel and really live it out it changes everything. We know that God loves us unconditionally because He died for us while we were still sinners and His enemies. If you’ve turned your back on Holy God you can know He still loves you and has given everything to get you back. He wants you back.

Rejoice in this good news. Say it out loud: “God loves me. I am the object of His affection. When I sin it grieves His spirit. When I cry He cries with me. When I rejoice it brings Jesus joy.” God gave everything that we might possess all. The whole gospel leads to one place – "that we might forever enjoy the glory of God," said Piper. Enjoy Christ who died for you.

Meditate on the gospel, enjoy the gospel, bathe in the gospel. When you do you will want to know Him more. It’s true that the Bible can be confusing but when you read it as a letter from the one who loves you more than any other so much more is clear. Listen to pastors like John Piper and let them feed you. Pray without ceasing and cry out that God would say to your soul “I am your salvation!”

My heart doesn't wander, it just doesn't buy BS. I don't need to cry out to an all-seeing, all-knowing God. Been there done that, got the t-shirt. Jesus said knock and it will be open to you. He didn't say frantically pound.

Hey check it out I don't have to believe the whole Bible. Maybe it is not perfect - Oh No. LOL.

It is not complicated. Oh course not. Look at how many non-skeptical, unintelligent people believe it. It is not complicated but apparently it is hard. Maybe because they don't accept it is a flawed book. You just cannot get all the parts to agree with each other. It is so much easier accepting the truth than fighting it or twisting it to make it fit.

At least trust the gospel? God created me to die and suffer, but wait, he will kill himself to appease himself so I can be with him. If you saw a human doing that you would call him insane. God loves humanity. HA...HA...HA. If waltman treated his child that way he would get locked up.

I cannot talk to any witnesses who say Jesus rose from the dead. It is blind faith and would not hold up in an honest court of law. He says he know this but he doesn't.

I am not betting my eternity on some made up story. If I do that I will have to start believing every story I read. Pascal's Wager is for idiots, even Paul the Apostle agrees - 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Meditate, bathe the gospel. Let John Piper feed me. In other words force yourself to believe the bullshit. Pass.

Christian Post article

God Doesn't Give A Shit, But I Do

A Church Without Closets

This is a church sign on one of my recent Sunday rides.

A Church Without Closets

It strikes me very odd because they are they ones who build the closets. Atheist only until modern times weren't even allowed to voice what they believe. They would be persecuted to death and where the Righteous have they power, such as Ghana today, they will do it. The Bible tells them to stone all kinds of people who are different.

Things you can be put to death for (stoning unless noted otherwise)

1. if you are a medium (Lev 20:27)
2. if you blaspheme Jehovah's name (Lev 24:16)
3. if you worship a different god (Deu 13:6-10)
4. if you rebel against your parents (Deu 21:18-21)
5. if you are a drunk (Deu 21:18-21)
6. if you are a woman who is not a virgin when she marries (Deu 22:20,21)
7. if you are gay (Lev 20:13)
8. if you work on the Sabbath (Num 15:32-26)
9. if you are a witch (Lev 20:27)
10. if your father is a priest and you become a prostitute (burned to death) (Lev 21:9)
11. if you are a woman and you didn't scream loud enough when you raped (Deu 22:23-24)

By Jesus' time if you even think something wrong you will burn in hell for ever. Well, you were born in sin so it doesn't matter what you do, say or think you are going to hell. But the punisher is also the deliverer.

So there are tons of reason for people to hide. And don't think that facade of a smile on the church goers is there naturally. They have to paste it on to avoid being hassled or worse. Praise Jesus. If I don't believe in Him I am going to Hell so I better pretend I love the Big Guy who put me in this mess only to save me and I have to ignore the former and give him credit for the latter.

I like to think about what sign I could post right next to the one presented. Here is mine:

Free closet - inquire within.

God Is A Liar (a lying spirit)

Last chapter of 1st Kings is yet another decision by God's chosen on whether to go to war. The God of Abraham is one bloody bastard. The King of Aram has some of God's territory, the biblical lebensraum, called Ramoth Gilead. This irks the king of Israel, Ahab, and so he talks to the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, about going to war against Aram. Jehoshaphat replies we need to seek the counsel of the Lord before we start our killing. So the king of Israel gets 400 prophets and ask them if they should go to war. In total unity they say yes, the Lord says yes. Jehoshaphat needs more. He wants another prophet of the Lord. The king of Israel say there is one but he always predicts bad shit. His name is Micaiah. But he finally takes a chance. Jehoshaphat asks Micaiah, "Shall we go to war?". Micaiah replies "Attack and be victorious for the Lord will give it into the king's hand."

Jehoshaphat cannot believe his ears and presses him more. You always tell me bad news why the change? How many times must I make you swear this is the truth?

Micaiah then tells him the truth that God will send lying spirits to entice him to war saying it will be good but it will not and will send him to his death and dogs will lick up his blood. Gotta give the Lord Almighty credit for grossing it up (AND HE LOVES YOU).

1 Kings 22:19-23

Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. (ed: Ain't that special?) And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “‘By what means?’ the LORD asked. “‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ “So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you.”

Again God is do as I say, not as I do. Interesting he needs someone to lie for him. There are internal beliefs in churches that it is OK to lie to cover up the churches sins. I did a post about that a few weeks ago regarding a Jehovah Witness "apostasy" Telling The Truth Is Apostasy For Jehovah Witnesses. They used the story of Rehab in the book of Joshua, but this story of Ahab works just as well.

So if God can lie for the sole purpose of causing lots of bloodshed what can we trust in the Bible? How can you trust such a God? Maybe it is entirely a cosmic joke. Or more likely a bunch of witty men who said how much bullshit can we put out and people still believe it. Apparently quite a lot.

God Has No Free Will

Assumptions:

• There is a God who is a personal being and all knowing.
• Humans are personal beings but are limited in our knowledge
• Personal beings have free will

In order to have free will, you must have more than one option, each of which is avoidable. This means that before you make a choice, there must be a state of uncertainty before the decision is final.

A being who knows everything can have no "state of uncertainty". There are no options to weigh. It knows in advance what it will do for all eternity. Since it has no choice it has no free will.

Since a being that lacks free will is not a personal being, a personal being who knows everything cannot exist.

So, we can now logically conclude that omniscience, and free will, are completely incompatible.

To refine the argument :

1. God is defined as a personal being who knows everything.
2. Personal beings have free will.
3. In order to have free will, you must have more than one option, each of which is avoidable. This means that before you make a choice, there must be a state of uncertainty during a period of potential: you cannot know the future. Even if you think you can predict your decision, if you claim to have free will, you must admit the potential (if not the desire) to change your mind before the decision is final.
4. A being who knows everything can have no "state of uncertainty". It knows its choices in advance.
5. A being that knows its choices in advance has no potential to avoid its choices, and therefore lacks free will.
6. Since a being that lacks free will is not a personal being, a personal being who knows everything cannot exist.
7. Therefore, a personal God does not exist.

Occam's Razor

Welfare For Creationists

Proof There Is A God (all hail)

All hail his noodly appendage

FSM website

Together At Twilight Time

A Creationist Nightmare

Looking on the outside of animals you think what a lovely design, but looking inside you are impressed how messy it is and nothing a good, much less a perfect designer would produce. History is written all over animals showing their evolution. The recurrent laryngeal nerve is an excellent example and a creationist nightmare. Why would God make a nerve that aids in swallowing and talking go from the brain, down to the heart, bypassing the larynx, and come back all the way up again to attach to the larynx? It is the same for all mammals including humans. This is why someone can lose their voice with a blow to the chest. The giraffe nerve is extraordinary. This nerve can be 14 feet long and yet a designer could simply have made it just a few inches. Evolution explains this easily. We evolve from a common ancestor which was more fish-like and in a fish it is a simple straight line. There are many imperfections in all modern animals, but they show the glorious signs of history, evolutionary history. This is a wonderful show and it is attended by some brilliant people. The discussion of the laryngeal nerve begins at 7:00 in the 2nd video and continues on the 3rd. Creationist have no explanation for such a poor design.

Condescending Preacher Man

Hopefully this kid didn't buy the BS from preacher man. He points to a building and says who created that? The kid smiles - humans. The preacher man says well look at nature who created that? Somehow we are to assume Jesus. But for me I would take him back to the building and ask what was the name of the guy who built that? Oh, it wasn't a guy, it was a bunch of guys. Oh, preacher man, you are a polytheist. Was it Zeus and Hephaestus who created the trees and birds?

Some great comments on Youtube:

Nothing but an arrogant, sanctimonious asshole pretending he has something intelligent to say while he dares to spew one stupid fallacy after another that have been thoroughly refuted so many times in the past. Characteristically, the ignorant don't know when they are ignorant.

As usual, these Christians are never interested in a debate. They are merely interested in preaching. It's always so. Always. And the bullshit about the Bible prophesying anything is absurd. This guy should read the Bible more carefully.

Just read Ezekiel chapter 37, it doesn't mention any names of any modern countries at all. It mentions 'Gomer', but that could be any central European country, once again a very vague prophecy.

The Discounted 700 Club

Happy Birthday Neil Young

Neil Percival Young, (born November 12, 1945 in Toronto, Canada) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who has a great solo career and before was part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. With them wrote and sang the great song "Ohio".

I got to go to a Farm Aid concert back in the 80's and he had just come out with Rockin' in the Free World. The simplicity and power of it blew my mind.

Greed OK for Christians, Not Sex

Prosperity Gospel Halleujah!

Benny Hinn's wife left him this year. He must be quite upset as he may lose some of his earthly treasure.

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

Lower your volume and play this one. Great song !!!

Christian Nuts Exposed

Baloney Detection Kit

The Oldest Living Things - Sorry Young Earthers

Mickipedia: I Am An Atheist

Because Atheism is a rejection of an idea and doesn't propose a new one it is hard to build an movement around it. You can't use it control populations or galvanize political action.

Galileo Was Wrong Conference

For people who insist on taking the Buybull literal this conference is the place to be today. And it is no joke.

Galileo Was Wrong The Church Was Right Conference

The NeoCon Jesus

If Atheist Acted Religious

Atheist Can't Think For Themselves

Are You A Loser? You Need A Bigger Cross To Wear

I Made A Multi-Belief Necklace

Prayer Is Superstition