Why Is Theism Waning And Atheism Growing?

[PostmodernProph]

There's nothing at all clumsy about the Bible. Ask any archaeologist or historian.

There is no evidence to support any of the claims made in the Bible concerning the existence of a god. Any ‘evidence’ proposed by theists to support the Bible’s various historical and supernatural claims is non-existent at best, manufactured at worst.

The Bible is not self-authenticating; it is simply one of many religious texts. Like those other texts, it itself constitutes no evidence for the existence of a god. Its florid prose and fanciful content do not legitimise it nor distinguish it from other ancient works of literature.

The Bible is historically inaccurate factually incorrect, inconsistent and contradictory. It was artificially constructed by a group of men in antiquity and is poorly translated, heavily altered and selectively interpreted. Entire sections of the text have been redacted over time.

There is no contemporary evidence for Jesus’ existence or the Bible’s account of his life; no artifacts, dwellings, works of carpentry, self-written manuscripts, court records, eyewitness testimony, official diaries, birth records, reflections on his significance or written disputes about his teachings. Nothing survives from the time in which he is said to have lived.

All historical references to Jesus derive from hearsay accounts written decades or centuries after his supposed death. These historical references generally refer to early Christians rather than a historical Jesus and, in some cases, directly contradict the Gospels or were deliberately manufactured.

The Gospels themselves contradict one-another on many key events and were constructed by unknown authors up to a century after the events they describe are said to have occurred. They are not eyewitness accounts. The New Testament, as a whole, contains many internal inconsistencies as a result of its piecemeal construction and is factually incorrect on several historical claims, such as the early existence of Nazareth, the reign of Herod and the Roman census. Like the Old Testament, it too has had entire books and sections redacted.

The Biblical account of Jesus has striking similarities with other mythologies and texts and many of his supposed teachings existed prior to his time. It is likely the character was either partly or entirely invented by competing first century messianic cults from an amalgamation of Greco-Roman, Egyptian and Judeo-Apocalyptic myths and prophecies.

Even if Jesus’ existence could be established, this would in no way validate Christian theology or any element of the story portrayed in the Bible, such as the performance of miracles or the resurrection. Simply because it is conceivable a heretical Jewish preacher named Yeshua lived circa 30 AD, had followers and was executed, does not imply the son of a god walked the Earth at that time.

What crap

If Jesus was a myth and none of the Gospels were even "written decades or centuries after his supposed death" please explain how Nero was burning Christians in 60 AD???????????

How come so many of us Jews, Buddists, Hindus, Muslims, Agnostics & Atheists don't believe it? Must be your evidence isn't sound.

no....its simply that they have made a different choice than those who DO believe it......

 

[PostmodernProph]

There's nothing at all clumsy about the Bible. Ask any archaeologist or historian.

There is no evidence to support any of the claims made in the Bible concerning the existence of a god. Any ‘evidence’ proposed by theists to support the Bible’s various historical and supernatural claims is non-existent at best, manufactured at worst.

The Bible is not self-authenticating; it is simply one of many religious texts. Like those other texts, it itself constitutes no evidence for the existence of a god. Its florid prose and fanciful content do not legitimise it nor distinguish it from other ancient works of literature.

The Bible is historically inaccurate factually incorrect, inconsistent and contradictory. It was artificially constructed by a group of men in antiquity and is poorly translated, heavily altered and selectively interpreted. Entire sections of the text have been redacted over time.

There is no contemporary evidence for Jesus’ existence or the Bible’s account of his life; no artifacts, dwellings, works of carpentry, self-written manuscripts, court records, eyewitness testimony, official diaries, birth records, reflections on his significance or written disputes about his teachings. Nothing survives from the time in which he is said to have lived.

All historical references to Jesus derive from hearsay accounts written decades or centuries after his supposed death. These historical references generally refer to early Christians rather than a historical Jesus and, in some cases, directly contradict the Gospels or were deliberately manufactured.

The Gospels themselves contradict one-another on many key events and were constructed by unknown authors up to a century after the events they describe are said to have occurred. They are not eyewitness accounts. The New Testament, as a whole, contains many internal inconsistencies as a result of its piecemeal construction and is factually incorrect on several historical claims, such as the early existence of Nazareth, the reign of Herod and the Roman census. Like the Old Testament, it too has had entire books and sections redacted.

The Biblical account of Jesus has striking similarities with other mythologies and texts and many of his supposed teachings existed prior to his time. It is likely the character was either partly or entirely invented by competing first century messianic cults from an amalgamation of Greco-Roman, Egyptian and Judeo-Apocalyptic myths and prophecies.

Even if Jesus’ existence could be established, this would in no way validate Christian theology or any element of the story portrayed in the Bible, such as the performance of miracles or the resurrection. Simply because it is conceivable a heretical Jewish preacher named Yeshua lived circa 30 AD, had followers and was executed, does not imply the son of a god walked the Earth at that time.

why do you keep pasting the same bullshit but never give your source?.....

My favorite site. Explains everything.

Why there is no god

Almost everything. If you can think of any argument not covered here, let me know and I'll consider it.

oh I know where you plagiarized it from.....I was simply curious why you didn't admit it.....I'm also curious why the author deals with unproven assumptions that he can't document......and why he was afraid to identify himself or where his degree in theology comes from....

 

[PostmodernProph]

The stories of Jesus were written 80 years after his death. Only 11 guys survived and lived to tell about Jesus. That's a cult. They went 11 different ways and recruited new members.

Even the 11 weren't so sure. Who was the guy who denied being with Jesus? Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

 

[sealybobo]

That's we we Jews laugh at you trailer dwelling white trash goyim

I'm sure real Jews are proud of your contribution to the discouse

How come Christians get mad at us when we call bullshit on the whole Mary a virgin, Jesus the son of god who rose from the dead after 3 days but they don't get mad when Jews deny those things ever happened?

Seems like, as long as people who deny Jesus believe in their own god(s), they get a pass.

But if you don't believe in any god(s), christian or other, you're going to hell. Funny Jesus God put so much importance on people believing in him but the Jews, WHO WERE THERE WHEN HE SUPPOSEDLY PERFORMED MIRACLES, get a free pass.

why do you assume the Jews who were there when he performed miracles didn't become the first Christians?......

I'm just asking. I find it amazing that you believe a 2000 year story and yet all the Jews who lived and saw it or heard about it remained skeptical.

again, you are making what is likely an invalid assumption.......the first Christians were almost exclusively Jews....there is no reason to think that all those who lived and saw it remained skeptical.....more likely, most of them became his first followers......

Oh so now you're basing your assumptions on most likely's and probablies?

Of course the original 12 were Jews. Anyone else who bought in to the stories heard them from one of the original 12 when they went spreading the word. Sorry, I mean 11 because Judah hung himself for selling Jesus out.

And a lot of the people they converted were pagans not Jews.

Really a well told story. Probably the best of all the man made organized religions and there are hundreds of them.

 

[sealybobo]

The stories of Jesus were written 80 years after his death. Only 11 guys survived and lived to tell about Jesus. That's a cult. They went 11 different ways and recruited new members.

Even the 11 weren't so sure. Who was the guy who denied being with Jesus? Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

He doesn't want to be burned at the stake or ostracized. You know how you theists get when dealing with non believers. Can you blame him?

That site is my bible.

 

[sealybobo]

The stories of Jesus were written 80 years after his death. Only 11 guys survived and lived to tell about Jesus. That's a cult. They went 11 different ways and recruited new members.

Even the 11 weren't so sure. Who was the guy who denied being with Jesus? Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

What's not true? Be specific and I'll prove what I said is true.

 

[PostmodernProph]

why do you assume the Jews who were there when he performed miracles didn't become the first Christians?......

Why would the million plus Jews who had just personally watch Jehovah fuck up Egypt turn right back to idolatry while Moses was up on the mountain having his pow-wow with the Almighty?

This is a subtle way of trying to make people feel guilty if they don't believe. Suggesting even if they saw god himself they'd still be "wicked"?

why do you think its subtle....seems pretty obvious from here......

 

[PostmodernProph]

The stories of Jesus were written 80 years after his death. Only 11 guys survived and lived to tell about Jesus. That's a cult. They went 11 different ways and recruited new members.

Even the 11 weren't so sure. Who was the guy who denied being with Jesus? Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

He doesn't want to be burned at the stake or ostracized. You know how you theists get when dealing with non believers. Can you blame him?

That site is my bible.

why would he be ostracized simply for making untrue claims in a field he is totally ignorant of?......oh.....never mind......

 

[sealybobo]

The stories of Jesus were written 80 years after his death. Only 11 guys survived and lived to tell about Jesus. That's a cult. They went 11 different ways and recruited new members.

Even the 11 weren't so sure. Who was the guy who denied being with Jesus? Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

He doesn't want to be burned at the stake or ostracized. You know how you theists get when dealing with non believers. Can you blame him?

That site is my bible.

why would he be ostracized simply for making untrue claims in a field he is totally ignorant of?......oh.....never mind......

I guess if you read that entire site and you still believe in god(s) then there is probably nothing more for me to tell you so from now on I'll just read your posts and laugh.

 

[PostmodernProph]

The stories of Jesus were written 80 years after his death. Only 11 guys survived and lived to tell about Jesus. That's a cult. They went 11 different ways and recruited new members.

Even the 11 weren't so sure. Who was the guy who denied being with Jesus? Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

What's not true? Be specific and I'll prove what I said is true.

1) the claim that the stories were written 80 years after his death......the oldest of the gospels was written around fifty years after his death, the earliest about twenty....
2) only 11 guys survived to tell about Jesus.....11 disciples survived.....in addition there were hundreds who followed him and thousands who had seen him perform miracles and preach.....
3) even the 11 weren't sure......true, prior to his resurrection they weren't sure......seeing him after and watching him ascend into heaven, not unexpectedly, had an impact on their certainty.....
4) Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.....ironically, the guy who "went gihad" in the garden was the same guy who denied being with him......

 

[PostmodernProph]

The stories of Jesus were written 80 years after his death. Only 11 guys survived and lived to tell about Jesus. That's a cult. They went 11 different ways and recruited new members.

Even the 11 weren't so sure. Who was the guy who denied being with Jesus? Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

He doesn't want to be burned at the stake or ostracized. You know how you theists get when dealing with non believers. Can you blame him?

That site is my bible.

why would he be ostracized simply for making untrue claims in a field he is totally ignorant of?......oh.....never mind......

I guess if you read that entire site and you still believe in god(s) then there is probably nothing more for me to tell you so from now on I'll just read your posts and laugh.

there is nothing on that site worth reading twice, yet you keep pasting it as if there were some shred of truth in it.....

 

[PostmodernProph]

The stories of Jesus were written 80 years after his death. Only 11 guys survived and lived to tell about Jesus. That's a cult. They went 11 different ways and recruited new members.

Even the 11 weren't so sure. Who was the guy who denied being with Jesus? Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

That site is my bible.

the other one has better provenance of authorship......you don't even have a name to start with......

 

[sealybobo]

The stories of Jesus were written 80 years after his death. Only 11 guys survived and lived to tell about Jesus. That's a cult. They went 11 different ways and recruited new members.

Even the 11 weren't so sure. Who was the guy who denied being with Jesus? Dude if I was sure I was hanging out with God I'd go gihad on anyone who tried to touch him.

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

He doesn't want to be burned at the stake or ostracized. You know how you theists get when dealing with non believers. Can you blame him?

That site is my bible.

why would he be ostracized simply for making untrue claims in a field he is totally ignorant of?......oh.....never mind......

I guess if you read that entire site and you still believe in god(s) then there is probably nothing more for me to tell you so from now on I'll just read your posts and laugh.

there is nothing on that site worth reading twice, yet you keep pasting it as if there were some shred of truth in it.....

Just every logical & rational reply to almost every and any claim a theist will make for why they believe in god.

Like I said, if you read it and still want to argue for a god then we probably have nothing more to say to each other.

Oh, and why is atheism growing so fast? It's because your arguments are without facts. If you had logical and rational arguments, Islam wouldn't be growing, Jews would be converting and there wouldn't be so many people leaving your churches.

We see how Christians act. Pedophile priests, trying to force their values on the rest of us, starting wars, not feeding the poor or curing the sick.

Then we see how ISIS and Muslims act. Don't forget they are your younger retarded cousins. We told them to have an abortion but it was against their religion so they had Mohammad who is just Jesus' distant cousin who invented his own religion 1500 years later.

 

[PostmodernProph]

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

He doesn't want to be burned at the stake or ostracized. You know how you theists get when dealing with non believers. Can you blame him?

That site is my bible.

why would he be ostracized simply for making untrue claims in a field he is totally ignorant of?......oh.....never mind......

I guess if you read that entire site and you still believe in god(s) then there is probably nothing more for me to tell you so from now on I'll just read your posts and laugh.

there is nothing on that site worth reading twice, yet you keep pasting it as if there were some shred of truth in it.....

Just every logical & rational reply to almost every and any claim a theist will make for why they believe in god.

stating things which simply are not true is neither logical or rational......speaking of which, where is your reply to #110?.....any plans to defend your statements?.....

 

[PostmodernProph]

unfortunately for your argument, none of that is true.....you shouldn't believe everything you read on a web site published by a guy who doesn't have the balls to identify himself....

He doesn't want to be burned at the stake or ostracized. You know how you theists get when dealing with non believers. Can you blame him?

That site is my bible.

why would he be ostracized simply for making untrue claims in a field he is totally ignorant of?......oh.....never mind......

I guess if you read that entire site and you still believe in god(s) then there is probably nothing more for me to tell you so from now on I'll just read your posts and laugh.

there is nothing on that site worth reading twice, yet you keep pasting it as if there were some shred of truth in it.....

Oh, and why is atheism growing so fast?

the numbers increased rapidly when atheists started pretending that agnostics and the merely apathetic were atheists......the number of actual atheists isn't much larger than it used to be......

 

[hunarcy]

Inspired by Guno's thread about declining 'religious affiliated' people the question occurs, why is one declining in popularity, and the other increasing?

Atheism doesn't promise good stuff for good people but rather absolute nothingness. Not much of a selling point there, yet it's becomming more popular, and the ones that do promise heaven or paradise are in their declines. Why would that be?

Might think because people gravitate to the truth, but I wouldn't agree they do that as evidenced by Christianity and Islam's 3.5 billion followers where Judaism, the initial religion latter ones are built from have only 14 million. If truth were always more attractive, there should be 3.5 bn Jews and only a few million other faiths.

Maybe it's the constant assertions of there's this being we call God who loves you, is all-powerful, and will reward you when you die...But we can't prove a word of it. GIven the choice between identifying as someone who believes that versus 'there is no God' maybe people are just choosing the more sensible option at last? Not necessarily the better option, just the more sensible one.

Learning that 78% of Americans self identify as Christian must REALLY disappoint you. Statistics on Religion in America Report -- Pew Forum on Religion Public Life

 

[sealybobo]

He doesn't want to be burned at the stake or ostracized. You know how you theists get when dealing with non believers. Can you blame him?

That site is my bible.

why would he be ostracized simply for making untrue claims in a field he is totally ignorant of?......oh.....never mind......

I guess if you read that entire site and you still believe in god(s) then there is probably nothing more for me to tell you so from now on I'll just read your posts and laugh.

there is nothing on that site worth reading twice, yet you keep pasting it as if there were some shred of truth in it.....

Just every logical & rational reply to almost every and any claim a theist will make for why they believe in god.

stating things which simply are not true is neither logical or rational......speaking of which, where is your reply to #110?.....any plans to defend your statements?.....

80 years is a long time ago. It'd be like you writing about something that happened in 1934. And 80 years is being kind.

All of the works which would eventually be incorporated into the New Testament would seem to have been written no later than around AD 150.

New Testament - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

So if scholars aren't even exactly sure, what makes you?

 

[sealybobo]

Of course I'm sure Postbordom is going to go with the number his church/preacher told him.

 

[sealybobo]

Inspired by Guno's thread about declining 'religious affiliated' people the question occurs, why is one declining in popularity, and the other increasing?

Atheism doesn't promise good stuff for good people but rather absolute nothingness. Not much of a selling point there, yet it's becomming more popular, and the ones that do promise heaven or paradise are in their declines. Why would that be?

Might think because people gravitate to the truth, but I wouldn't agree they do that as evidenced by Christianity and Islam's 3.5 billion followers where Judaism, the initial religion latter ones are built from have only 14 million. If truth were always more attractive, there should be 3.5 bn Jews and only a few million other faiths.

Maybe it's the constant assertions of there's this being we call God who loves you, is all-powerful, and will reward you when you die...But we can't prove a word of it. GIven the choice between identifying as someone who believes that versus 'there is no God' maybe people are just choosing the more sensible option at last? Not necessarily the better option, just the more sensible one.

Learning that 78% of Americans self identify as Christian must REALLY disappoint you. Statistics on Religion in America Report -- Pew Forum on Religion Public Life

Ask them if they believe Adam & Eve were actual people, if Noah collected 2 of every animal or lived to be 350 years old or if those are just allegories. Then when they admit those are just stories, then ask them if Jesus really was born from a virgin, did miracles and rose from the dead and they admit they don't take any of that stuff literally.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Inspired by Guno's thread about declining 'religious affiliated' people the question occurs, why is one declining in popularity, and the other increasing?

Atheism doesn't promise good stuff for good people but rather absolute nothingness. Not much of a selling point there, yet it's becomming more popular, and the ones that do promise heaven or paradise are in their declines. Why would that be?

Might think because people gravitate to the truth, but I wouldn't agree they do that as evidenced by Christianity and Islam's 3.5 billion followers where Judaism, the initial religion latter ones are built from have only 14 million. If truth were always more attractive, there should be 3.5 bn Jews and only a few million other faiths.

Maybe it's the constant assertions of there's this being we call God who loves you, is all-powerful, and will reward you when you die...But we can't prove a word of it. GIven the choice between identifying as someone who believes that versus 'there is no God' maybe people are just choosing the more sensible option at last? Not necessarily the better option, just the more sensible one.

Learning that 78% of Americans self identify as Christian must REALLY disappoint you. Statistics on Religion in America Report -- Pew Forum on Religion Public Life

Ask them if they believe Adam & Eve were actual people, if Noah collected 2 of every animal or lived to be 350 years old or if those are just allegories. Then when they admit those are just stories, then ask them if Jesus really was born from a virgin, did miracles and rose from the dead and they admit they don't take any of that stuff literally.

Wasn't 2 of every animal in point of fact. That's the 'Bible for Dummies' version.

2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.
- Bereishit 7