Do you have an answer to this statement made by an atheist

[OstrichSmiling]

If I put up scripture, are you going to actually consider them or use them for target practice?

There is no rule that says you have to entertain that which offends.

And as pertains to your personal query of myself, I think if you read my posting history here as one of the latest new arrivals you'll have your answer.
Also, it is usual that in Bible discussions scriptural support is part of review and sharing perspective concerning Biblical Exegesis.

 

[theanointedsinner]

You get off the fence that hurts so badly that's how.

you mean, "take risk"?

 

[RickyZ]

There is no rule that says you have to entertain that which offends.

And as pertains to your personal query of myself, I think if you read my posting history here as one of the latest new arrivals you'll have your answer.
Also, it is usual that in Bible discussions scriptural support is part of review and sharing perspective concerning Biblical Exegesis.

True, everything we believe should be backed up by scripture. But I don't think there's anyone here that doesn't have scripture to back up what they say. Too, as a long timer here, I find that scriptures presented here aren't typically considered, instead they are used to fuel a scripture war that benefits no one. But I put a few up for you.

 

[RickyZ]

in short, how do we trust God?

Being as it's His power delivered thru our actions, I'd say the question is more how does God trust us?

God says He will confirm His word thru 2 or 3 witnesses. So anything we think God is telling us should have at least one separate confirmation. We can trust His word to us when it is confirmed.

 

[joefizz]

Replace the word 'needed' with 'wanted'. God does not NEED our participation. But God does WANT our participation. And the only way we can participate is by Him yielding His sovereign power. Yes God can say "I'm going to do such and such". But instead He says "I want YOU to do such and such in My Name". BIG difference.

I think we're getting somewhere now,yes he appreciates when we seek to do right for him and at times he gives some form of power such as wisdom though I wouldn't call that "yielding power" more of "lending power" for a time.

 

[joefizz]

you mean, "take risk"?

You mean Christians can do that???????

 

[theanointedsinner]

You mean Christians can do that???????

ok, so I guess that I'm far too tame ...

how to balance that between this

Matthew 4:5-7
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

 

[joefizz]

ok, so I guess that I'm far too tame ...

how to balance that between this

Matthew 4:5-7
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

Well this talks on that Jesus didn't "ride the fence" meaning that he wasn't "undecided" about his "beliefs" he stood by them withstanding satan.

 

[theanointedsinner]

for the agnostic

consider this, unless if you are in a coma, as long as you are conscious, you have to be conscious of something,
if X does not influence you, why do you notice it?
Therefore, X is an influence

... I'm not that great with apologetics
what I'm trying to say is that God can be a positive influence in your life
ok, I don't mean prosperity gospel

but the fact that morality exist, just as you are complaining about evils in the world
I believe that moral law comes from a law giver

which God?

either Christ-like
or, not-Christ-like

clearly, Christ-like (no matter what parodies you may use) <-- ok, I'm probably asking for trouble with this, but the point is

Jesus is selfless, agape love, humble, and willing to lay down his life for a friend ...

and that the Christian Bible, wrote "God is love"
so God who loves you would want you to believe that God is love
God who is trustworthy would want you to believe that God is trustworthy
same for reliable, humility, wisdom, etc.

I hope that God can move your heart to make the right choice, you have a Christ-like friend to gain, well spiritually

Jesus is good for you.

 

[mcubed]

An atheist scientist made this statement. Could you give an answer to this atheist as though you are talking to him (not a fellow christian) being persuasive in your belief and not argumentative...
Here is the statement:
"Every description I've heard holds God to be all powerful and all good. And then I look around and I see a tsunami that killed a quarter million people in Indonesia. An earthquake that killed a quarter million people in Haiti. And I see earthquakes and tornadoes and disease, childhood Leukemia. And I see all of this and I say I do not see evidence of both of those being true simultaneously. If there is a God, the God is either not all powerful, or not all good. It can't be both."

What a stupid question for an Atheist....Why not? If you are an atheist there is not right or wrong... So what is wrong/right with a G-d that holds all power and destories? Does this mean you think there are absolutes? If yes, where do ABSOLUITS COME FROM? Is there a G-d to be right or wrong in the first place?

 

[RickyZ]

I think we're getting somewhere now,yes he appreciates when we seek to do right for him and at times he gives some form of power such as wisdom though I wouldn't call that "yielding power" more of "lending power" for a time.

I don't know ... I keep thinking about Paul's thorn, how Paul healed so many others yet he could not heal himself. I wonder if the reason Paul suffered so long wasn't because nobody had the bal-- 'scuse me the faith to actually walk up to him and lay a hand. Yield power, loan power, either way it's us in 'control' of His power. He wants man to be in charge.

 

[RickyZ]

But, rolling it back to the op, if God has yielded His authority to us and we gave it away to satan, then God is 2 steps removed from being the cause of all the grief in the world. And when the atheist says why is He waiting to change things, you can tell them it's because He's waiting on them to work with Him towards it.

 

[theanointedsinner]

Let's see, absolute ethics that is invincible against human hypocrisy no matter what
a comatose person can never be able to do any good deeds

so let's look at avoiding bad deeds
is there anything the most depraved of God's creation will never stoop down to?

Can man ever become worse than Satan?

Therefore, ethics does not exist
therefore, atheism has nothing to account for the existence of morality

Therefore, if morality is subjective, then what's wrong with God casting sinners into hellfire?

 

[joefizz]

I don't know ... I keep thinking about Paul's thorn, how Paul healed so many others yet he could not heal himself. I wonder if the reason Paul suffered so long wasn't because nobody had the bal-- 'scuse me the faith to actually walk up to him and lay a hand. Yield power, loan power, either way it's us in 'control' of His power. He wants man to be in charge.

Not quite Jesus our Lord answered saying "My grace is sufficient for thee" as I understand it from what a preacher has shared with me the "thorn" was concerning his "poor eye sight" from where he was stoned and something else(can't remember,not sure if it's true but sounds plausible),see he was hoping that he would be healed but Jesus explained that he didn't "need it".
You know often we think we "know" what we "need" but God/Jesus often rebukes us or leads us down a different path than we were expecting I myself have found myself asking God/Jesus for things concerning my person particularly "health" and some he has healed some is still around but,I believe that's where we must continue to move forward because in the grand design of things our bodies will pass away eventually so to "be troubled" over how much or how little healing we "think" we need is rather unfruitful and even a "distraction" if we allow it to be.
It wasn't that noone was willing to pray for Paul or seek to heal him it's just it "wasn't necessary" because there were more important things that needed attending to.

 

[RickyZ]

Not quite Jesus our Lord answered saying "My grace is sufficient for thee" as I understand it from what a preacher has shared with me the "thorn" was concerning his "poor eye sight" from where he was stoned and something else(can't remember,not sure if it's true but sounds plausible),see he was hoping that he would be healed but Jesus explained that he didn't "need it".
You know often we think we "know" what we "need" but God/Jesus often rebukes us or leads us down a different path than we were expecting I myself have found myself asking God/Jesus for things concerning my person particularly "health" and some he has healed some is still around but,I believe that's where we must continue to move forward because in the grand design of things our bodies will pass away eventually so to "be troubled" over how much or how little healing we "think" we need is rather unfruitful and even a "distraction" if we allow it to be.
It wasn't that noone was willing to pray for Paul or seek to heal him it's just it "wasn't necessary" because there were more important things that needed attending to.

True, Jesus did say that, but why? Was His grace sufficient in the absence of someone willing to step up? If someone needs healing and no one steps up to intercede with that, will God heal them anyway? Or does that become the situation in which grace has to suffice (not the best word but it gets the idea across). We don't know. Too, because something seems like a higher priority, does that mean God neglects the lesser priorities because He just doesn't have the time to get to it all?

Just some things to ponder.

 

[theanointedsinner]

why bother, atheist will see everything as "circular logic" and many other logical fallacies

I hate reality
why must the law of physics be the way that it is
I hate the law

why must I be physically born in the first place? I don't have to be born

 

[theanointedsinner]

is there a purpose higher than mere mathematics?

 

[theanointedsinner]

the only thing that's transcendent and eternal for those who don't have God to account for the existence of absolute truth is the idea of entropy, half-life and decay

good luck basing any morality or purpose on entropy, half-life and decay

 

[theanointedsinner]

Pascal Wager parodies people make can be abused which creates a huge disservice against truth

 

[jaybird88]

An atheist scientist made this statement. Could you give an answer to this atheist as though you are talking to him (not a fellow christian) being persuasive in your belief and not argumentative...
Here is the statement:
"Every description I've heard holds God to be all powerful and all good. And then I look around and I see a tsunami that killed a quarter million people in Indonesia. An earthquake that killed a quarter million people in Haiti. And I see earthquakes and tornadoes and disease, childhood Leukemia. And I see all of this and I say I do not see evidence of both of those being true simultaneously. If there is a God, the God is either not all powerful, or not all good. It can't be both."

would you rather live in a world with free will or a world that we are nothing but puppets on strings forbidden from free thought?