rhutchin

You don't and I don't. Therefore, we can take them as telling the truth.

rhutchin

It's better than getting denied entry into heaven. Do I have to do anything to ensure that outcome or will it automatically happen? I won't die and find myself standing before God will I?

rhutchin

OK. We don't know whether it is true or not. So, what do you do? Do you ignore that which could be true where there are potentially significant impacts on you?

EarlOfLade

I dunno....

Investigate? Research? No, it's much easier to take their word as gold...

JPD

Naturally yes - I can't possibly use uncertainty as a firm foundation on which to base decisions and judgements. The assumption that I can choose to believe in things which my own mind will not permit me to is also an issue.

Johnny Skeptic

And as always, at least where you are concerned, all roads eventually lead back to Pascal's Wager, aka risk assessment. As I have told you dozens of times in a number of threads at three different forums, risk assessment DOES NOT work on rational minded and fair minded people. If God told lies, you would not be able to love him, and yet you ask people to love a God who has committed many atrocities against mankind that are much worse than lying is. God makes people blind, deaf, and dumb, reference Exodus 4:11. God punishes people for sins that their ancestors committed, reference Exodus 20:5. God kills some of his most devout and faithful followers with hurricanes. Even Attila the Hun did not kill his own followers. God refuses to tell some people about the Gospel message who would accept it if they knew about it. Now don't try to tell me again that it is my fault for not telling people about the Gospel message. God is willing that some people will persish, but you would not be willing that any of your children (if you have children) perish if they were drowning and you could prevent it. In addition, you feel obligated to tell all of your children about the Gospel message, not just some of them.

Pascal's Wager is utter nonsense. It is a fraud, and it is illogical. It is impossible for anyone to love a God based upon threats. Anyone with just a modest amount of common sense, including the average sixth grader, is aware of this.

It is interesting to note that if your buddy Pascal was at this forum, he would tell you that you will go to hell because you are not a Roman Catholic. It is also interesting to note that your buddy John Calvin endorsed murdering Christians who disagreed with his religious views. You sure do have questionable tastes in Gods and humans. Calvin opposed people getting married whose ages very far apart. Consider the following from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin

Critics often look to the Consistory as the emblem of Calvin's theocratic rule. The Consistory was an ecclesiastical court consisting of the elders and pastors, charged with maintaining strict order in the church caste and among its members. Offenses ranged from propounding false doctrine to moral infractions, such as wild dancing and bawdy singing. Typical punishments were being required to attend public sermons, catechism classes, floggings or torture. Protestants in the 16th century were often subjected to the Catholic charge that they were innovators in doctrine, and that such innovation did lead inevitably to moral decay and, ultimately, the dissolution of society itself.

Johnny: You have a very strange, and quite detestible, taste in Gods and humans.

The issue of inerrancy is pertinent to the issue of homosexulity. There is excellent evidence that the Bible in not inerrant, but you always refuse to discuss inerrancy, even though many of the issues that you discuss depend lock, stock, and barrel upon the Bible being inerrant. The undecided crowd, which essentially are the only crowd that you have any chance of influencing at this forum, are not impressed with your frequently evasiveness. As I have said before, you are a light workout at best.

rhutchin

And as always, you refuse to answer the question...because you recognize the obvious but are afraid to admit to it.

rhutchin

Nice answer. So, you gonna do the research? You've got the most to lose.

EarlOfLade

I have nothing to lose. A fantasy has no affect on me, only the brainwashed masses who follow the stupidity.

JPD

All roads lead to Pascal's wager. You seem to spend a great deal of time giving us warnings but no meat is being hung on the bones. It's all "Ah, but what if?" and "Well if you're sure." The inadequacy of the Bible is reflected in the quality of your arguments. Biblegod can't be very gifted - "ah but he can do anything he wishes" - can he? Can he make Pascal's wager compelling through your arguments?