A Protestants Question

Prot: "I just wounder[sic] why if you don't believe in a god what dose[sic] it matter to you that anyone dose[sic]?"

Sin: It's not the belief in God that I'm attacking, it's you presenting that belief as if it's absolutely true - and attempting to prove God through logic or science. In the case of the positive religions, it's the ideas that come along with that belief in God. For instance, Old Testament states, "Disobedient children should be stoned to death." I'm going to attack anyone who believes that because their God or a book told them to. It's dangerous and it should be treated as such.

If someone were to say to me, "I believe in a first principal, the God of philosophy, the God of Spinoza, the God of Aristotle, The Prime Mover", I have absolutely no problem with that. However, when someone says, "I believe in the God of the Bible." Well, that God is a dangerous God and, ibid, should be dealt with accordingly.

Prot: It is not a dangerous God, the God of the Bible is a God of love.

Sin: Scripture states, "For it was the Lord’s doing to harden their hearts [the Canaanites] so that they would come against Israel in battle, in order that they might be utterly destroyed, and might receive no mercy, but be exterminated, just as the LORD had commanded Moses." That in no way resembles a God of love. It resembles a racist, sexist, violent God.

Prot: Well couldn't that be construed as quote mining and possibly a straw man fallacy?

Sin: It is not a strawman. The Bible, especially Old Testament, is littered with a violent, racist, selfish, sexist God. Period. If you read that book without having any preconceived notions of what particular God it's about, or anyone telling you. "It should be interpreted this way", you will probably come away saying, "That God is an evil God."

If people insist on claiming their God is a God of love, which is an extraordinary claim considering the content of the Bible, then I would like them to show me how -- without attempting to explain away or rationalize every violent, genocidal, racist verse in the Bible with, "Well God in his infinite wisdom had to do this" - teleological suspension of the ethical rubbish.

Prot: Well, if it isn't a strawman it's definitely mining for quotes.

Sin: No it is not mining for quotes. You obviously have limited knowledge of how logic works, its' principles or its laws. The claim was made, "The God of the Bible is a God of love." That is an extraordinary claim. All I'm required to do to debunk such a claim is produce one single shred of solitary evidence from the Bible itself that does not support God being a God of love. Which I did, thus proving that he is not a God of Love.

12 Proofs For The Existence of God

Taken from a satirical piece called, "243 Proofs For The Existence Of God". I decided to cut it down to the twelve I enjoyed most -- and present it for your entertainment. Granted, this is completely satirical. However, I have actually observed and experienced these arguments being used by theists while debating.

1. ARGUMENT FROM UNINTELLIGENCE
[1] Okay, I don't pretend to be as intelligent as you guys -- you're obviously very well read. But I read the Bible, and nothing you say can convince me that God does not exist. I feel him in my heart, and you can feel him too, if you'll just ask him into your life. "For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son into the world, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish from the earth." John 3:16.
[2] Therefore, God exists.

2. ARGUMENT FROM BLINDNESS
[1] Atheists are spiritually blind.
[2] Therefore, God exists.

3. ARGUMENT FROM FALLIBILITY
[1] Human reasoning is inherently flawed.
[2] Therefore, there is no reasonable way to challenge a proposition.
[3] I propose that God exists.
[4] Therefore, God exists.

4. ARGUMENT FROM SHEER WILL
[1] I DO believe in God! I DO believe in God! I do I do I do I DO believe in God!
[2] Therefore, God exists.

5. ARGUMENT FROM INCOHERENT BABBLE
[1] See that person spazzing on the church floor babbling incoherently?
[2] That's how infinite wisdom reveals itself.
[3] Therefore, God exists.

6. ARGUMENT FROM BIOGENESIS
[1] Where did Adam come from, dummy?
[2] Therefore, God exists.

7. ARGUMENT FROM ARGUMENTATION
[1] God exists.
[2] [Atheist's counterargument]
[3] Yes he does.
[4] [Atheist's counterargument]
[5] Yes he does!
[6] [Atheist's counterargument]
[7] YES HE DOES!!!
[8] [Atheist gives up and goes home]
[9] Therefore, God exists.

8. ARGUMENT FROM CREATION
[1] If evolution is false, then creationism is true, and therefore God exists.
[2] Evolution can't be true, since I lack the mental capacity to understand it; moreover, to accept its truth would cause me to be uncomfortable
[3] Therefore, God exists.

9. ARGUMENT FROM INFINITE REGRESS
[1] Ask Atheists what caused the Big Bang.
[2] Regardless of their answer, ask how they know this.
[3] Continue process until the Atheist admits he doesn't know the answer to one of your questions.
[4] You win!
[5] Therefore, God exists.

10. PEACOCK ARGUMENT FROM SELECTIVE MEMORY
[1] [Christian asks "stumper" question]
[2] [Atheist answers question]
[3] [A lapse of time]
[4] [Christian repeats question]
[5] [Atheist repeats answer]
[6] [A lapse of time]
[7] [Christian repeats question]
[8] [Atheist repeats answer]
[9] [A lapse of time]
[10] Atheist, you never answered my question.
[11] Therefore, God exists.

11. ARGUMENT FROM PERSONAL SANITY
[1] I've had religious experiences that can't be explained unless I'm insane or God exists.
[2] Therefore, God exists.

12. ARGUMENT FROM LACK OF DISPROOF
[1] You can't prove God doesn't exist!
[2] Therefore, God exists.

Now if you read them all and still don't believe in God -- you're an idiot.

Atheism Or Agnosticism?

a·the·ist /ˈeɪθiɪst/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ey-thee-ist] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.

ag·nos·tic /ægˈnɒstɪk/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ag-nos-tik] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience.
4. asserting the uncertainty of all claims to knowledge.

Definitively, I'm an agnostic. Since I'm neither convinced by A-Priori or synthetic metaphysical arguments for the existence of God, nor by the evidence educed from the physical world around us, nor by the claims made by various positive religions -- I cannot affirm the proposition, "There Is A God." This in no way implies an affirmation of the proposition, "There is no God." The means of verification seem to be unavailable to the human mind for either proposition. Therefore, I stand in a state of suspended judgement on the matter.