Wads4

More sensible than many others.

ksen

No it's not. If my kids ask me something and I remain silent....am I absent?

Wads4

I don't think most of us do,--we recognise it as a mixture of fact and fiction.

Wads4

What would you like to debate (not preach)?

ksen

Look a little later on. I was guessing what Faithful's answer would have been to the question. I should have been clearer.

Wads4

Nice one: I don't have references to hand, i shall come up with them when more organised,-- but I believe it traditional for most Christians to think of God as omnibenevolent,--which literally means just that; and surely the whole purpose of Jesus (as God) was to turn the other cheek no matter what, and to forgive sinners, and generally (as the Father) be around and omnipresent for all who call upon him, and to answer prayers (even if he might refuse some requests because he has a "higher purpose".) Most Christians would agree God has a very high degree of benevolence, well beyond merely allowing us to live, like some contemptuous conquerer deigning to show mercy.

This merely demonstrates that the bible is full of contradictions, and if you leaf around in it you will find any attitude which you can use to contradict any other attitude in another site.

God is Omnimax remember; he can do anything logical,-and some say also non-logical. He is obviously the personification of the idealised "Great King" (probably a Hellenistic one). Even a Great King holds audience with his people, and rights wrongs and makes judgements in disputes;--but this even Greater King,-so great that none greater can be conceived of, appears incapable of answering simple questions or requests, or of doing anything detectable. Though just to highlight the utter confusion and incoherence of the God concept, there are people who deny this lack of communication and assert God follows them around the house finding their lost car keys! I'm not kidding- I know of one. Basically we are just arguing about fairies.

Wads4

No, but they can see you, and otherwise know for certain that you exist.
God is permanently absent,-hence the silence.
Don't forget that we are discussing a Person, an Agent, a kind of anthropomorhic Being as described in the Bible,-and that therefore all descriptions which apply to humans, like presence, communicability, action,--also apply to this God. One of his close relatives, Superman also demonstrates humanity and communicability,--but where is God?

Boro Nut

Erm, not a good analogy. Unless you can provide evidence that your kids can't distinguish between:
1 - You're being silent.
2 - You're not there.

Perhaps you could resolve this be providing evidence to show your kids only ever ask you something when you're not there, and as a result you always remain silent.

Boro Nut

Pastor's Nightmare

There can be no argument for the non-existence of God if the concept of God is not defined. However, there is plenty of evidence against the existence of The God of The Bible.

Here are contradictions in The Bible apparent to even an ancient worshiper.

1.Two different accounts are given of Judas's death in The Book of Matthew and The Book of Acts.
a.So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:5)
b.With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. (Acts 1:18)

2.In The Book of Matthew, it is stated that Joseph's father is Jacob while The Book of Luke states that Joseph's father is Heli.
a.and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:16)
b.Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat,... (Luke 3:23)

3.The authors of The Book of Luke and The Book of John give different accounts of Jesus's last words.
a.Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)
b.When he received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

4.It is claimed in Acts that Jesus was the first to rise from the dead, but it is also stated that Jesus before his crucifixion raised Lazarus from the dead.
a.that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles. (Acts 26:23)
b.When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (John 11:43-44)

5.Jesus is said to baptize and also not to baptize in The Book of John.
a.After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. (John 3:22)
b.The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. (John 4:2)

6.It is claimed in John that no one has seen God, but Stephen claims to see heaven open and to see Jesus next to God.
a.No one has ever seen God. (John 1:18)
b.But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look", he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55-56)

7.Matthew states that one angel appears before Mary while John states that two angels appear before Mary. Furthermore, they give different accounts of the conversation, which occurred.
a.There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do no be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified." (Matthew 28:2-5)
b.but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, "Women, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." (John 20:11-13)

GenesisNemesis

Oh, I see how it is. Whenever someone shows a quote that refutes the Second Coming of Jesus (and is therefore a failed prophecy), the Christian Fundamentalists ignore it.