Years ago I read the bible with highlighter in hand and found it to be quite interesting at times. But after reading it and as is no surprise, I had even more questions than before. So, for the sake of clarity and some humor I began calling churches and posing as a potential convert. I asked questions in a genuine attempt to understand their reasoning for believing it or if they were even aware of what the bible contained. The responses were very interesting. To set this up, my question was this;
How was it that Noah lived to be 900 years old?
Seems easy enough and I had predicted some potential responses "God wasn't finished with him yet" but what I got was quite surprising.
One preacher responded; Well you know the O-Zone layer wasn't as bad back in those days.
Ok so what was your question and what was the worst response offered.
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Permalink Reply by Alice Browne on June 6, 2011 at 8:32pm I liked the one a nice Mormon lady laid on me when I was touring the local temple a couple of years ago. She wanted to offer me an intellectual, rational view on why her religion was true, and went on to tell me that since Biblical times and continuing into the present, there have been prophets chosen by God at regular intervals to spread his word. I brought up Jim Jones and Charles Manson and asked her how she differentiated them from "true" prophets. Her intellectual and rational answer was that she "felt it [was true] in her heart".
Oh.
Permalink Reply by Dustin on June 6, 2011 at 9:17pm Does she realize her heart can't actually 'feel' anything? I wonder if the religious people actually believe feeling derives from their hearts. Hmmmm.
Permalink Reply by Serena Woodward on June 7, 2011 at 4:43am
Permalink Reply by Steffen Cramer on June 7, 2011 at 8:23am
Permalink Reply by Aimee Eisiminger on June 7, 2011 at 10:50am The heart does not, as far as I know, do anything but pump blood and respond to emotions that are processed by the brain. Did you ask her how her brain felt about it? Perhaps that is why she is listening to a pumping muscle instead of using critical thinking and rational thought.
Permalink Reply by Bryan B on June 6, 2011 at 8:56pm I think the worst responses I have ever gotten have got to be
1. [blank]...because your too close minded.
2. You wouldnt understand
Both just insult me to the core.
Permalink Reply by Dustin on June 6, 2011 at 9:20pm Worst excuse I have heard for why I have not had Jesus reveal himself to ME , is 'God has chosen for you a different path'
So , my path is to wait until Jesus shows himself to me? Or is my path to burn in hell after I die?
Do christians realize their excuses are deterministic .... which is not at all free will. I love how they contradict themselves at any given time to rationalize the conundrum they are faced with at the moment.
Permalink Reply by Derek on June 6, 2011 at 9:30pm I asked "Do you really believe there was a talking snake?"
I got back "Well we can talk and we are animals."
Permalink Reply by Jillian Mann on June 7, 2011 at 1:37am you are being an elitist
Permalink Reply by Serena Woodward on June 7, 2011 at 4:39am I asked this question for the first time in Sunday school when I was seven. ( I got kicked out of class....)
Adam and Eve were the only people on earth. They had two children, making the total four people. Cain killed Able. Now there are three. But wait, Cain had children...who did he marry?
One person actually told me that because there were only three people Cain must have had children with Eve, or maybe one of his sisters. When I questioned further, saying, "So incest was okay at the time?" the reply got even stranger, "Well I'm sure that God would have made exceptions...after all, the Bible does say we're all related." Really? That's the best they could come up with.
My other favorite is, "Satan planted fossils on Earth to mislead the children of God." I don't even try to argue with that one.
Permalink Reply by Caesar MacEntire on June 7, 2011 at 4:57am Started by Race Rugh in Ethics & Morals. Last reply by Logicallunatic 11 minutes ago. 2 Replies 1 Like
Posted by Robert Karp on May 21, 2013 at 10:34am 3 Comments 0 Likes
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