Malak's Scripture of the Day

[Nik]

You are right, you don't need the bible to be righteous. In fact, owning a bible in no way impacts your abilities as a human being. That is not the purpose of the book and if you think it is, then you should reconsider why the bible exists.

Mkay, I'll bite. What's your definition? Why do YOU say the Bible exists? Love to hear this one...

You are. Nobody can tell you or convince you otherwise. Entirely up to you. There is some evidence that the book of Job might in fact just be nothing more than a story. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Most of the bible is only a recording of history, there are no fairy tales there. It's generally accepted by most historians.

Most of the bible is just stories. There are certain things found in archeology that suggest things like cities and people with the same name existed in the same area and maybe in the same time period, but there's absolutely no evidence beyond that. If I wrote a book about L.A. and NYC and Rome and Paris and then added in that zombies came to earth from a giant space ship and the whole world was convinced to believe in aliens because of these great signs and myracles they did and buried the book for a thousand years, the odds are pretty good that some dumbass would find it, believe it based on "supporting archeological evidence" and another religion would spring forth.

A fantastic question, and a friend of mine who runs a church had an entire sermon on the subject. He only answered why the bible is what it is today, not why it should be. There is nothing stopping anyone from reading any other book and finding wisdom in it. To say the bible is the only word of God is to say God spoke once and never again, that is silly. Besides, men wrote the books not God, right? According to the bible all wisdom is sourced in God, so doesn't that mean any good book is acceptable?

Nobody says there's no wisdom in the bible. There's plenty of stories and idioms and examples of how to be a good person, but you don't NEED the bible for that. What makes the Bible any different than any other book? Because it's old? Because it brainwashes gullible people and has been doing so en-masse for 400 years?

You can't use the Bible to justify itself. It's like using a word in its own definition.

And, yes, any book that teaches "the fruits of the spirit (essentially)" is a good book, but that doesn't mean we should believe everything else in the book -especially when the rest of the book talks about ridiculous fairy tales.

God created men and women in the beginning. Since then, we have created and influenced ourselves. Pre-flood, the bible says God asked the same questions you did. Why bother creating them if they would do such evil? The problem is that it comes down to a choice of whether mankind ever existed, or if it continues to exist both good and bad. Would you give up all the good that could ever happen just to erase all the evil that could ever happen? In the end the evil is our fault, not God's, so the guilt lies with us. Given a chance to do good or evil, that is all we are born with.

God is perfect, though. Why create something evil? Why create evil to begin with unless you're the biggest asshole in existence? You're still not answering WHY we were created.

God created evil and gave us the capacity to sin, making us imperfect, and put us in the situation to allow us to sin. He basically set up the dominos and flicked the first one, then blamed the whole mess on the rest of the dominos.

Is that really the kind of god you want to follow?

 

[Nik]

It is important to take the bible for what it is. It is a collection of books, written by many men over the course of 4 thousand years. Each book can have a different purpose. Proverbs has suggestions for better living, while Psalms is a book of poetry and music. Some are just history, this guy begot that guy, and even some are prophecy. Each individual book should be understood separately.

Then why include some and exclude others if they're not supposed to relate to each other?

See what I mean about self-defeating questions? The more questions you answer, the more absurd the bible seems.

 

[Malak]

I look for direct evidence outside. I might see trees bowing or things being blown on the ground. I can go outside and feel the air particles hitting my face.

If you know what wind is (air particles moving) then what you said doesn't even really make sense.

The point is that in order to see the wind and know it is there, you look to what it affects. The only way to see God on earth is to see what he impacts.

 

[Leros]

The point is that in order to see the wind and know it is there, you look to what it affects. The only way to see God on earth is to see what he impacts.

Which you have no hard evidence for.

 

[destrekor]

I look for direct evidence outside. I might see trees bowing or things being blown on the ground. I can go outside and feel the air particles hitting my face.

If you know what wind is (air particles moving) then what you said doesn't even really make sense.

Precisely.

If the concept of fluid dynamics is at all understood by Malak, this wouldn't be a question.
Wind is simply a current in a low density fluid medium as a result of differing local pressure. An equal situation is found in water, large currents - this time, a higher density fluid medium - created by the differences in local and regional pressures. (referring to large sea currents, not local currents caused by geographical features such as elevation differences or rip currents)

 

[Malak]

Then why include some and exclude others if they're not supposed to relate to each other?

See what I mean about self-defeating questions? The more questions you answer, the more absurd the bible seems.

I am in no way trying to make the bible out to be anything special to you. Your questions come from the assumption of beliefs I do not hold. That might be why you are confused.

The answer to your question is simple, but will not satisfy you because you are asking the wrong question. The bible contains the books it does because various church leaders hundreds of years ago decided on those books. It is not meant to limit you to only those books.

 

[Jeff7]

Which you have no hard evidence for.

And the evidence for God keeps dwindling as science enhances our understanding of the Universe.
The gaps in which God can hide keep getting ever smaller, and more and more sparsely distributed.

Precisely.

If the concept of fluid dynamics is at all understood by Malak, this wouldn't be a question.
Wind is simply a current in a low density fluid medium as a result of differing local pressure. An equal situation is found in water, large currents - this time, a higher density fluid medium - created by the differences in local and regional pressures. (referring to large sea currents, not local currents caused by geographical features such as elevation differences or rip currents)

And the only reason we can't see the wind is because our eyes lack sufficient resolution, nor do they see the proper wavelengths.
If you could see molecules, you could watch the wind blowing past.
If you had a sufficiently sensitive IR camera, I'd wager that you could watch it blow past, thanks to uneven temperature distribution within the fluid.

Also, Related.

 

[SunSamurai]

The evidence against this thought is overwhelming. There is no sin committed 2000 years ago that isn't still, daily, being done in this era.

The purpose of that ministry was not to point out that sin, but the lack of good.

u smell

 

[Malak]

God is perfect, though. Why create something evil? Why create evil to begin with unless you're the biggest asshole in existence? You're still not answering WHY we were created.

You aren't evil, God didn't make you that way. You were not born to be evil. Your destiny was not to be evil. God does not expect you to be evil, does not want you to be evil, and in no way designed you with the intent on being evil. He couldn't judge you if he did.

 

[Leros]

I tried to edit this, but somehow made a new post. See post below.

 

[Nik]

Can you hold the wind in your hand, or see it's presence in the sky? When someone comments that it is windy today, what do you look for? So it is with God. When they say they have seen him, what do you look for?

Yes, you CAN hold the wind in your hand. It's air flow. It's the movement of a substance that you can see with your own eyes, feel with your own skin. You can taste it. You can smell it. You can hear it.

Put oil and water in a glass and gently rock the glass. The oil and water won't mix, but the movement of one will move the other. The same thing with wind. Earth's rotation, the moon's gravity, and the sun's gravity all affect tide. When the tide "comes in" that's water level rising. Air that's sitting on top of the water (just like the oil/water example) must go SOMEWHERE, right? Guess what. Wind.

See? Logic for the win. Religion for the dumbasses.

 

[Leros]

I am in no way trying to make the bible out to be anything special to you. Your questions come from the assumption of beliefs I do not hold. That might be why you are confused.

The answer to your question is simple, but will not satisfy you because you are asking the wrong question. The bible contains the books it does because various church leaders hundreds of years ago decided on those books. It is not meant to limit you to only those books.

You do realize the other books contradict each other and have very different messages in them than the ones currently in the bible? So the religion you believe in is a product of the choices of some long-dead church leaders. Had they picked another set of books, your beliefs would be rather different.

 

[Malak]

And the evidence for God keeps dwindling as science enhances our understanding of the Universe.
The gaps in which God can hide keep getting ever smaller, and more and more sparsely distributed.

No evidence of God has ever changed in light of anything science has revealed. Science reveals creation, it does not hide God. I have never seen science contradict a single one of my beliefs.

 

[Nik]

The point is that in order to see the wind and know it is there, you look to what it affects. The only way to see God on earth is to see what he impacts.

Wrong. You can see nitrogen under a microscope. You can see oxygen under a microscope. You can see other inert gasses that comprise our atmosphere. There is empirical physical evidence of exactly what is moving. You don't have to see the effects of wind, you can actually see wind.

 

[Nik]

I am in no way trying to make the bible out to be anything special to you. Your questions come from the assumption of beliefs I do not hold. That might be why you are confused.

The answer to your question is simple, but will not satisfy you because you are asking the wrong question. The bible contains the books it does because various church leaders hundreds of years ago decided on those books. It is not meant to limit you to only those books.

Bullshit. Those books were excluded because a small group of individuals didn't think they were holy -e.g. man making a value judgement and god not doing a damn thing about it. Do your goddamn homework.

 

[moshquerade]

Malak:

Rule #2: Do not bring up religion, God, prayer, the Bible, etc. on anandtech.

It will be fiercely refuted and ridiculed time and time again. You will only be spinning your wheels. It's not worth your time, or your energy, to engage in any discussions of such.

You will not convert anyone. Trust me on that. Keep your religious thoughts at your place of worship or among your like minded friends/family.

Few people like to hear about your faith. Most feel threatened that you are trying to convert them even if you aren't. Although they will work hard to convert you just the same.

 

[Malak]

Wrong. You can see nitrogen under a microscope. You can see oxygen under a microscope. You can see other inert gasses that comprise our atmosphere. There is empirical physical evidence of exactly what is moving. You don't have to see the effects of wind, you can actually see wind.

You are looking at air, not wind. Just like all you see is humans, not God.

 

[Nik]

No evidence of God has ever changed in light of anything science has revealed. Science reveals creation, it does not hide God. I have never seen science contradict a single one of my beliefs.

Link me to evidence of Christianity being true. Link me to science proving anything about the existence of God. Link me to science proving creationism and/or disproving evolutionary theories.

Or, you know, stfu.

 

[Nik]

You are looking at air, not wind. Just like all you see is humans, not God.

Wind is the word we use to describe the movement of air, dumbass.

 

[Fritzo]

The evidence against this thought is overwhelming. There is no sin committed 2000 years ago that isn't still, daily, being done in this era.

The purpose of that ministry was not to point out that sin, but the lack of good.

They had Internet Porn 2000 years ago?

 

[Jeff7]

No evidence of God has ever changed in light of anything science has revealed. Science reveals creation, it does not hide God. I have never seen science contradict a single one of my beliefs.

Then maybe you've selected a bunch of beliefs which conveniently include things that science can't touch, or abstract concepts which are addressed by the realm of philosophy, which is inherently devoid of absolutes. (Though I'm sure some philosophers will debate that. )
(Interesting aside: How did you pick your beliefs? Did you evaluate all other possible religions first? How are you sure we've even come up with the right religion yet? History travels both directions in the timeline. We just don't have the ability, yet, to look forward.)

And maybe not evidence of your particular god, but many many many gods throughout the years have been shown to be useless, as their "duties" were no longer required. No god was needed anymore to cause the tides, to cause thunder or lightning, to cause earthquakes, to create fire, to make the Sun travel across the sky, and so on.

 

[Nik]

You aren't evil, God didn't make you that way. You were not born to be evil. Your destiny was not to be evil. God does not expect you to be evil, does not want you to be evil, and in no way designed you with the intent on being evil. He couldn't judge you if he did.

How can this be? God is in control of everything. "He knew you before you were born" and created you. How can he not be in control, choosing how we'll exist if he's the creator of all things?

He designed us to fail. God DID create us to be evil. If he knew us before we were born and created us, but couldn't control us, then he's not all-powerful and the idea of your god vanishes in a puff of logic. If he DID have complete control over our creation and still chose to create those who he knew would reject him, then he created them to reject him. He created them with the purpose of rejecting him. Get it?

Of course not, because you can't answer that question and your silly little book doesn't cover that.

Free will, in the Christian world, is impossible.

 

[Malak]

Malak:

Rule #2: Do not bring up religion, God, prayer, the Bible, etc. on anandtech.

It will be fiercely refuted and ridiculed time and time again. You will only be spinning your wheels. It's not worth your time, or your energy, to engage in any discussions of such.

You will not convert anyone. Trust me on that. Keep your religious thoughts at your place of worship or among your like minded friends/family.

Few people like to hear about your faith. Most feel threatened that you are trying to convert them even if you aren't. Although they will work hard to convert you just the same.

My intentions have never been to convert anyone. The ridicule is par for the course for the forum, regardless if I post or not. My post is meant for those that care to hear the word of God, not everyone can get out on Sundays to hear it. Not everyone will. Anyone who does not care is more than capable to ignore me and never see my posts again. I have been mature and attempted to answer any questions, regardless of hostility, to the best of my capabilities. The fact that people are asking the questions, regardless of intention, gives me the ability to educate on things that most people don't understand or have misconceptions about.

 

[Malak]

Then maybe you've selected a bunch of beliefs which conveniently include things that science can't touch, or abstract concepts which are addressed by the realm of philosophy, which is inherently devoid of absolutes.

I believe in love, and I leave it at that.

 

[Leros]

I believe in love, and I leave it at that.

That sounds similar to what I believe in and I'm atheist.