5 Atheist Urban Myths

Author: ethang5

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Every one of the below claims is untrue.

1. Everything in the Bible is a Divine command.

2. The Bible says the Earth is 6,000 years old.

3. The Bible doesn't say that Jesus is God.

4. Salvation, (and thus Heaven) is earned.

5. The Bible condones Slavery.

These are urban myths, perpetuated by atheists quoting a bible they have not read.
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@ethang5
Aren't these also things that Christians of some stripe either currently believe (1 - 4) or at one time believed (5)? I've never heard anyone refer to #3, but you seem pretty sure, maybe you can tell me why atheists would think that. Did someone wake up cranky today?
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@ludofl3x
Aren't these also things that Christians of some stripe either currently believe (1 - 4)
No. These are things atheists mistakenly think Christianity teaches

or at one time believed (5)?
I'm only pointing out things atheists mistakenly believe Christianity teaches.

I've never heard anyone refer to #3,
Well then, it must have never happened.

but you seem pretty sure, maybe you can tell me why atheists would think that.
I couldn't tell you why atheists think half of the ridiculous things they do. You're an atheist. Why do you think the loony things you do?

Did someone wake up cranky today?
Do you ever wake up any other way?
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@ethang5
Okay, let's look one at a time:

1. Everything in the Bible is a Divine command.
I don't believe anything in the bible is a divine command. So far, we're not off to a great start. Did you happen to mean this is what atheists think theists believe? I don't think that either. I think many theists believe the commandments are divine commands, but stories like Exodus or Revelation, for example, aren't divine commands at all. If that's what you meant, then this would seem to be you taking issue with a position that you're not able to demonstrate anyone holding, which is otherwise called a strawman and thereby dismissed. In your view, does anything in the bible qualify as a divine command? Any one thing, I mean, like is there a single example of divine command. There are sections of Christianity that do view the bible as literal and inerrant, which they take to mean directly from god, so as it hasn't changed, you have to live according to those words or risk hell. The generic term for these people is "Fundamentalists." So yes, there are Christians who believe all commands in the bible are divine commands. THere aren't any atheists who think the bible is full of divine commands. 



2. The Bible says the Earth is 6,000 years old.

I don't think this either. I know the bible doesn't mention the age of the earth. There are many sects of Christianity that believe in young earth creationism, again largely fundamentalists, and they use a literal interpretation of the KJV plus some additional extrabiblical interpretations to support this belief. So again, there are definitely Christians that believe the earth is 6000 years old, and they base their belief on the bible and interpretations thereof.

3. The Bible doesn't say that Jesus is God.

I've never heard this one. You refuse to expound on it, so I'm just going to consider it one of your bald assertions, we'll move past it. Maybe you're talking about the origin of the triune doctrine or something, but as it is, it's a straw man of a straw man. Terrible job.

4. Salvation, (and thus Heaven) is earned.

Atheists don't believe this at all. Certain sects of Christianity do, though. You need faith + WORKS, the works part = earning it. On the contrary, other sects believe you're either in or out the second you're born, regardless, because god in the book knows everything you're going to do an there's no point in trying to change it. Calvinists are an example of this version of Christianity. 

5. The Bible condones Slavery.

It explains the rules for owning slaves, it says how to buy them and from whom, under what circumstances. I get that this makes you really sad and uncomfortable inside, so you react by putting your fingers in your ears and stomping your feet, I understand. The bible was used in equal parts to both support and condemn the practice of owning slaves, and the disagreement at the very very least indicates the book is unclear on the matter. But it definitely lays out the expectations of slaves that weren't Israelites. Worth pointing out, as well, that many, many, many CHristians owned slaves. It would seem strange for them to own slaves if the bible, their inerrant moral code source, actually prohibited slave ownership, right? Do you always try to do things directly against what god says to do? I doubt it. 

So, 1, 2, 4 and 5 are all at one point demonstrably believed by Christians. No atheist believes 1 or 4, so you are either completely wrong or woefully unclear with what you mean (given that you seem to completely misunderstand the usage of the term 'urban myth,' I think it's most likely the latter). And #3 is an assertion unless you'd like to expound.  

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@ludofl3x
I don't believe anything in the bible is a divine command.
I know.

So far, we're not off to a great 
Lol. A great start being your agreement?

In your view, does anything in the bible qualify as a divine command?
Sure, the 10 commandments.

So yes, there are Christians who believe all commands in the bible are divine commands.
I didn't say there weren't. But your claim is wrong. For example no Christian thinks homosexuals should be stoned. But atheists keep asking why don't we stone homosexuals. They think even the societal laws in Leviticus are divine command.

THere aren't any atheists who think the bible is full of divine commands. 
I guess Disgusted, Seth, Willows, Salixes, Der Dee, and Stephen are not atheists. My bad.

there are definitely Christians that believe the earth is 6000 years old
Who said there weren't? Stop boxing that strawman and address the topic of the thread.

Atheists don't believe this at all. Certain sects of Christianity do, though.
So you, an atheist, believe that Christians believe this. OK. Lol!

The bible was used in equal parts to both support and condemn the practice of owning slaves,
So was your constitution.

I get that this makes you really sad and uncomfortable inside,...
You sound happy. I wonder why? Does slavery excite you Ludo? Is that why you're willing to be dishonest to pin it on the bible?

It would seem strange for them to own slaves if the bible, their inerrant moral code source, actually prohibited slave ownership, right?
Wrong. The bible prohibits murder too, but Christians still do it. Do you guys ever stop to notice how silly you look with these comments?

No atheist believes 1 or 4,...
How do you know this? Every theist on this site reading this almost chokes. It's so obviously wrong I need say nothing.

you seem to completely misunderstand the usage of the term 'urban myth,'
OK Ludo. In your zeal to prove that Christians also believe, (what that has to do with the topic is anyone's guess) you missed the point, but still managed to validate it. Thanks for that.
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@ethang5
Who said there weren't? Stop boxing that strawman and address the topic of the thread.

Well, you did. I asked if those were ALSO things that Christians believe. You said "no." See:

Aren't these also things that Christians of some stripe either currently believe (1 - 4)
No. These are things atheists mistakenly think Christianity teaches
The topic of the thread is urban myths (which these aren't) that atheists believe (which they don't). It'd be a boring thread if we stuck with that. 

 But atheists keep asking why don't we stone homosexuals. They think even the societal laws in Leviticus are divine command.

Where are the atheists asking why Christians don't stone homosexuals? And no atheists think anything in the bible is a divine command. Otherwise they wouldn't be atheists. 

So you, an atheist, believe that Christians believe this. OK. Lol!
Are you saying there are literally zero Christians that believe you can earn salvation? Atheists don't believe in salvation, so we don't believe it can be earned or bestowed, it's a children's tale. 

The bible was used in equal parts to both support and condemn the practice of owning slaves,
So was your constitution.
Right, and when society figured out this was wrong, they changed the laws so no one could think you can own slaves anymore. When was the bible last amended, exactly? 

How do you know this? Every theist on this site reading this almost chokes. It's so obviously wrong I need say nothing.

Your topic says these are things atheists believe. Atheists, none of them, believe anything in the bible is divine because it's just a book of old myths, not real. If there's no divinity, there's no divine command. We don't believe in salvation, so we don't believe you can earn it or have it bestowed on you. There are literally zero atheists who believe these things, and they aren't urban myths. Once again...another own goal for Ethan. Awww. It would be sad if you weren't such an ass to everyone all the time, but...alas. Here we are. 
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@ethang5
An urban legend, URBAN MYTH, urban tale, or contemporary legend is "a genre of folklore comprising stories circulated as true, especially as having happened to a friend or family member, often with horrifying or humorous elements. These legends can be entertainment, but often concern mysterious peril or troubling events, such as disappearances and strange objects. They may also be moralistic confirmation of prejudices or ways to make sense of societal anxieties.
Urban legends are most often circulated orally, but can be spread by any media, including newspapers, e-mail and social media. Some urban legends have passed through the years with only minor changes to suit regional variations. Recent legends tend to reflect modern circumstances: for instance, the common legend of a person being ambushed and anesthetized, only to wake up and realize that they are now missing a kidney that was supposedly surgically removed for transplantation."

URBAN MYTH is defined by the near-to-hand nature of the subject- stories about friends, family, and neighborhood.  By definition, no content in the Bible (or misconception about that content) is accurately labeled URBAN MYTH.

In logic and reasoning, a FAULTY GENERALIZATION is "a conclusion made about all or many instances of a phenomenon, that has been reached on the basis of one or a few instances of that phenomenon.  It is an example of jumping to conclusions.  For example, one may generalize about all people or all members of a group, based on what they know about just one or a few people."

ATHEISM is "an absence of belief in the existence of deities."

That's the only characteristic that atheists hold in common.  So, Diagoras of Melos and a Chinese public school kid may share the quality of Atheism without either of them ever having heard of the Bible.  ethang5 may be able produce specific examples of people who identify as atheists and have made the above claims but none of the claims are inherently atheistic in nature.

Whatever the truth of ethang5's 5 examples,  ludofl3x is correct in stating that 1 through 4 are religious assertions while the fifth is a literary fact.  ethang5 is essentially complaining that some people make false assumptions about his beliefs regarding the bible because they assume he shares all the beliefs of some other Bible believers.  For example, not all Christians believe that the Bible proves that the Earth is 6000 years and it would be a FAULTY GENERALIZATION for anybody (Atheists included but not only Atheists,) to say so just because some Christians do believe in a young Earth.

PRO's response to faulty generalization makes the mistake of making new faulty generalizations, which conjures a certain Biblical admonition:

"... he lifted up himself, and said unto them,

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst."






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@ludofl3x
Are you saying there are literally zero Christians that believe you can earn salvation?
No. I'm saying that atheists mistakenly believe Christianity teaches that salvation is earned. Why is this difficult for you to understand? Its a simple concept.

Where are the atheists asking why Christians don't stone homosexuals? 
On any thread on this site concerning homosexuality.

And no atheists think anything in the bible is a divine command. Otherwise they wouldn't be atheists. 
Lol. Whoooosh!!

Right, and when society figured out this was wrong, they changed the laws so no one could think you can own slaves anymore.
The part of the constitution used to support slavery has not been changed. People using it to support slavery were just wrong.

There are literally zero atheists who believe these things, and they aren't urban myths. 
I don't blame you for not wanting to own the atheist trolls. But sorry, they are atheists.

Once again...another own goal for Ethan. Awww.
Lol. You sound like Dee Dee. Empty, bitter, and stupid

It would be sad if you weren't such an ass to everyone all the time, but...alas. 
It looks like someone wants to take disgusted's position. It job is open Ludo. Send in an application and you will be considered.
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@ethang5
atheists quoting a bible they have not read.
I know many Christians who have never read the Bible but I've never met a American Atheist who hasn't.  I can't find a survey of Bible readers by belief system specifically but this anecdotal info seems to be backed up by decades of Pew polling that finds that Atheists and Agnostics score higher on religious knowledge generally and Biblical knowledge specifically than the average Christian.

"Atheists may not believe religious teachings, but they are quite informed about religion. In Pew Research Center’s 2019 religious knowledge survey, atheists were among the best-performing groups, answering an average of about 18 out of 32 fact-based questions correctly, while U.S. adults overall got an average of roughly 14 questions right. Atheists were at least as knowledgeable as Christians on Christianity-related questions – roughly eight-in-ten in both groups, for example, know that Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus – and they were also twice as likely as Americans overall to know that the U.S. Constitution says “no religious test” shall be necessary to hold public office."
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@oromagi
ATHEISM is "an absence of belief in the existence of deities."
That's the only characteristic that atheists hold in common. 
I beg to differ. They are cynical, rude, ignorant, militant, and disrespectful.

but none of the claims are inherently atheistic in nature.
I didn't say they were. I said all of those claims were untrue.

ethang5 is essentially complaining that some people make false assumptions about his beliefs regarding the bible because they assume he shares all the beliefs of some other Bible believers.
Not quite. ethang5 is essentially saying that some people make false assumptions about the bible regarding Christianity because they assume it  shares all their beliefs of some other Bible bashers.

I love it when atheists start quoting the "evil, immoral" bible to support their charge of immorality. Lol.
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@oromagi
Americans overall to know that the U.S. Constitution says “no religious test” shall be necessary to hold public office."
Right. They just sensibly won't elect any self-described atheist.
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--> @oromagi
ATHEISM is "an absence of belief in the existence of deities."
That's the only characteristic that atheists hold in common. 
I beg to differ. They are cynical, rude, ignorant, militant, and disrespectful.
More big generalizations that are easily disproved.  I assume ethang5 is unconcerned about apparent prejudice.

but none of the claims are inherently atheistic in nature.
I didn't say they were.

You did quite explicitly when you titled your list : "5 Atheist Urban Myths." 

ethang5 is essentially complaining that some people make false assumptions about his beliefs regarding the bible because they assume he shares all the beliefs of some other Bible believers.
Not quite. ethang5 is essentially saying that some people make false assumptions about the bible regarding Christianity because they assume it  shares all their beliefs of some other Bible bashers.
So the belief in YE is only held by Bible bashers?

I love it when atheists start quoting the "evil, immoral" bible to support their charge of immorality. Lol.
I think most Atheists stay away from the notion of evil in the demonic, supernatural, or eternal sense of the word for the same reasons they are skeptical about supernaturally good forces.  I would naturally expect any debater arguing that the Bible promotes immorality to quote from that Bible.   Every generation finds moral fault with prior generations (getting generally less moral the further back in time we go).  Holding our ancestors (and their literature) to a modern standard is pretty old hat unproductive.
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@oromagi
More big generalizations that are easily disproved.
You will disprove nothing if you use the posts by atheists on the religion board. Consider Ludo's first post in this very thread. He ends by calling me "cranky". That he sees the OP as cranky is a function of his bias, there is nothing cranky in the post.

Your little fantasy world where atheists are all intelligent, polite, and well read, is just that, a fantasy. A quick scan of the atheist's posts here will show they are rude, ill-informed, cynical, and militant. 

but none of the claims are inherently atheistic in nature.
I didn't say they were. 

You did quite explicitly when you titled your list : "5 Atheist Urban Myths." 
No sir. Leave your bias at the door, it's crippling your thinking. The myths themselves are held by atheists, but not ONLY by atheists. But my post is addressed to atheists. I don't care for now who else believes them.

So I said nothing about these beliefs being "inherently atheistic in nature", that is just you trying to pretend to be intellectual. I didn't even use the word " inherent".

So the belief in YE is only held by Bible bashers?
Don't care. My point was not about YE or bible bashers. Let me remind you of what I said.

"These are things atheists mistakenly think Christianity teaches. I'm only pointing out things atheists mistakenly believe Christianity teaches."

Immediately you started claiming some Christians believe the claims too. So what? How does that affect or change the truth of what I said?

This is like if I said, "Birds fly", and you jump on saying, "not only birds fly!" I didn't say only birds fly. I said birds fly.

Or, "flying is not inherently avian in nature."
I didn't say flying was avian.

So please, I didn't say only atheist believe things things. And I said nothing about whether they were "inherent" in anything.

Your bias and poor reading comprehension has completely confused you. Read slowly and address what I say, not what you feel.

I would naturally expect any debater arguing that the Bible promotes immorality to quote from that Bible.
But the doofuses quote from this "immoral" bible to show how the theist ISN'T moral! The same bible they call "immoral" is the bible they use as the standard of morality the theist is not living up to. That my friend, is illogical and hypocritical.

...getting generally less moral the further back in time we go
This is another urban myth. But this time one held by liberal progressive snowflakes. It is untrue. The further back we go, the less PC the morality was. And since your personal tastes, which for you is what morality is, was not what the ancients practised, you conclude they were less moral than you.

You're so wrapped up in your self-righteousness, you are unable to see the logical fallacies you're falling to.
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@ethang5
Can you got the proof that the earth isnt 6000 years old.

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@ludofl3x
It explains the rules for owning slaves, it says how to buy them and from whom, under what circumstances. I get that this makes you really sad and uncomfortable inside, so you react by putting your fingers in your ears and stomping your feet, I understand. The bible was used in equal parts to both support and condemn the practice of owning slaves, and the disagreement at the very very least indicates the book is unclear on the matter. But it definitely lays out the expectations of slaves that weren't Israelites. Worth pointing out, as well, that many, many, many CHristians owned slaves. It would seem strange for them to own slaves if the bible, their inerrant moral code source, actually prohibited slave ownership, right? Do you always try to do things directly against what god says to do? I doubt it. 
Hello Ludo.

The book is not unclear on the matter at all. This is what an atheist activist (with radio shows, etc.) might say. But they don't even do that. I've been hung up on by one because he didn't want to deal with a vital question. But, he has a fan club who he can't disappoint. At least you understand that there are verses that condemn slavery. The problem is you want to suggest the authors were confused, or trying to pull the wool over the reader's eyes.

Anyways, I can ask you. (You won't hang up on me will you?)


1. Would you agree that the ancient Hebrew language and history is difficult to understand?


2. Or are you an expert on ancient Hebrew language and history?

3. In one of the most often used suggestions by atheist activists that the bible supports slavery, Exodus 21:20-21, there's a statement made that if the slave who had been beaten by their master recovers after 1 or 2 days he will not be punished. Why do you think it says 1 or 2 days instead of a definite time period? This question really bothered the atheist I was referring to. Yes, atheist activists have a lot of 'splaining' to do.

To put a better perspective on the question, let's place you in the master's position. You beat your slave, he's under doctor's care, and you've been told that if the slave lives you won't be punished (as opposed to being put to death). Since you assume the law favors you, and the justice system is bent on setting you (as a proud Israelite) free, you ask them how long do you have? They simply tell you 1 or 2 days. So this means that (officially) either you have 24 hours or 48 hours to know if you can go free. Now, on something as important as your life, wouldn't you want to know which? As of now you don't know if you'll be executed if the slave dies after 26 hours or not.

If you answer in the positive on questions 1 and 2, you have a huge task ahead of you to prove it. And maybe's will not cut it if you still insist the bible condones slavery.

My challenge to you Ludo, is to try and not mirror what the high profile on-line atheists are saying. It's not working anymore.









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@oromagi
I know many Christians who have never read the Bible but I've never met a American Atheist who hasn't.  I can't find a survey of Bible readers by belief system specifically but this anecdotal info seems to be backed up by decades of Pew polling that finds that Atheists and Agnostics score higher on religious knowledge generally and Biblical knowledge specifically than the average Christian.

"Atheists may not believe religious teachings, but they are quite informed about religion. In Pew Research Center’s 2019 religious knowledge survey, atheists were among the best-performing groups, answering an average of about 18 out of 32 fact-based questions correctly, while U.S. adults overall got an average of roughly 14 questions right. Atheists were at least as knowledgeable as Christians on Christianity-related questions – roughly eight-in-ten in both groups, for example, know that Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus – and they were also twice as likely as Americans overall to know that the U.S. Constitution says “no religious test” shall be necessary to hold public office."

These comparisons are horrible. They don't question an average atheist like they can an average Christian church goer. How can they? Where do atheists meet?

They're not thinking of the countless atheists that are virtually unknown working in factories, junk yards, etc. The only atheists they can question would be vocal atheists that are often activists, and many are former Bible students, ministers, etc.

The problem is that the atheist activist, who feels he's an expert on the Bible, cannot learn anymore because he's at a standstill due to a conclusion he's drawn. Whereas the Bible student will at any level will eventually pass the atheist activist in knowledge because they continue to learn. And this is why atheist activists often resent Christian apologetics.


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@RoderickSpode
The only atheists they can question would be vocal atheists that are often activists,...
And academics. And then they run with lop-sided comparison. The college professor atheist knows more than Joe blow the Christian.

But a quick look at history at all the great men and women who were Christian and scientist, doctors, leaders, engineers, and noble prize winners tells you it is just spin, swallowed whole by average IQ atheist desperately wanting it to be true.

And this is why atheist activists often resent Christian apologetics.
That is why an atheist would park himself on a board dedicated to what he claims is imaginary, yelling to all and sundry, over and over, that there is no God.

They are as dedicated as Jehovah Witnesses!

Hi Rod! Glad you're well.

Deb-8-a-bull
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With 1.8 billion christians currently in the
( ☆☆☆ TOP 1000 ☆☆☆ )  scripture translators of all time.  
You can see where things go wrong.   

She wang 5
I mean ethang5?
Hey ethang

Can you give me a simple YES or NO please mate on the question. 

Do you think you are currently in the, ☆☆☆ TOP 1000 ☆☆☆ at scripture deciphering / translating.
YES 
orrrrrrrrr
NO
?

(  _______________  ) 

I'd say ethang thinks he is in the, ☆☆☆ TOP 100 ☆☆☆ 
TWANG  ?
Top 100 ?

Imagine a theist saying they are not the best at script tranzing.

Is there any theist here that reads this. 
That thinks ummmm, 
They are NOT currently IN THE , ☆☆☆ TOP 1000 ☆☆☆ OF ALLLLLLLLLLL TIME ? 

Who thinks they are only average at deciphering scripts ?  

Arrrrrr scripture. 
You wouldn't have ya God speak anything but hey? 
Abraham knew it.  
XENU spoke to L Ron in a scripture format. 

ALL THE GODS. 
Well all the proper GODS,   
The ones that , GET GUYS TO WRITE SHlT DOWN FOR THEM . 
They alllllllll speak scripturesqu. 

These holy books you guys have. 
Written with the " scriptures ". 

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.



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@Manuel_Layba
Can you got the proof that the earth isnt 6000 years old.

Nowhere in the Bible does it give an age of the Earth, that is a fabricated myth. It is an assumption based on when Adam and Eve would have existed, assuming a literal chronology of Genesis. 
But, there's plenty of wiggle room with this assumption as it is an assumption of more than one error. 

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@Deb-8-a-bull
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT
Not really, but if it keeps your demons at bay, more power to you.

I see I've beaten you away from singing groups to scripture deciphering / translating. Lol. Funny.

Do you think you are currently in the, ☆☆☆ TOP 1000 ☆☆☆ at scripture deciphering / translating.
I didn't even know there was a ranking. Do you think you're in the ☆☆☆ TOP 1000 ☆☆☆ of people obsessed with Christianity?

I'd say deb thinks he/she is in the, ☆☆☆ TOP 100 ☆☆☆ 
BULL ?
Top 100 ?

Lol! Why do I always feel like I just took candy from a baby after posts to this yokel?
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@RoderickSpode
These comparisons are horrible. They don't question an average atheist like they can an average Christian church goer. How can they?
it's a telephone interview of 35,000 individuals.  They don't go out to churches.  Pew Research's religion poll is the gold standard in polling.  Pew is basically the old Sun Oil Co. billions placed in a trust for making the best non-partisan polling possible- nobody's in it for the money.  I'm not saying that makes their findings automatically accurate, I'm just saying you won't find a pollster trying harder to get it right.

Where do atheists meet?
gay bars and grad schools

They're not thinking of the countless atheists that are virtually unknown working in factories, junk yards, etc. The only atheists they can question would be vocal atheists that are often activists,
I'm sure the set of all atheists is larger than the set of all atheists who answer the phone for pollsters but I see no reason to assume that the atheists who do answer the phone are only always activists or to assume that the junkyard atheists aren't just as likely to answer the phone.

and many are former Bible students, ministers, etc.
This is consistent with my findings.  All the atheists I know started out fairly passionate about some religion.  On the other hand, I know plenty of Christians who could care less about the underlying philosophy, for whom Christianity is more about identity and belonging than philosophy.

The problem is that the atheist activist, who feels he's an expert on the Bible, cannot learn anymore because he's at a standstill due to a conclusion he's drawn. Whereas the Bible student will at any level will eventually pass the atheist activist in knowledge because they continue to learn. And this is why atheist activists often resent Christian apologetics.
I don't see how Bible student excludes atheist activist but then I like to think anybody can continue to learn, including atheists.  I assume that if an atheist demonstrates resentment towards some religion it probably has more to do with the former passion for religion we observed before rather than jealously towards the Christian's level of Bible learning.
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@oromagi
How come the atheists here are so unrepresentative of your contention?
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@RoderickSpode
1. Would you agree that the ancient Hebrew language and history is difficult to understand?

<br><br>

I don't know why it would be more or less difficult to understand than any other ancient culture, and it would depend on who's trying to understand it, what exectly they're trying to understand about it, and in what context. If you'd like to be more specific, I can make a better answer. Is it required that anyone who reads the bible have some qualification in ancient Hebrew language and history? 

2. Or are you an expert on ancient Hebrew language and history?
No. Why is this important?

3. In one of the most often used suggestions by atheist activists that the bible supports slavery, Exodus 21:20-21, there's a statement made that if the slave who had been beaten by their master recovers after 1 or 2 days he will not be punished. Why do you think it says 1 or 2 days instead of a definite time period? This question really bothered the atheist I was referring to. Yes, atheist activists have a lot of 'splaining' to do.
I have no idea. I just know that's what it says. If I had to make a guess, it's because their medical knowledge was so far behind what we know today that they thought a death on day three might not be directly tied to the injuries related to their beating. Why do atheists have to explain why it does?

To put a better perspective on the question, let's place you in the master's position. You beat your slave, he's under doctor's care, and you've been told that if the slave lives you won't be punished (as opposed to being put to death). Since you assume the law favors you, and the justice system is bent on setting you (as a proud Israelite) free, you ask them how long do you have? They simply tell you 1 or 2 days. So this means that (officially) either you have 24 hours or 48 hours to know if you can go free. Now, on something as important as your life, wouldn't you want to know which? As of now you don't know if you'll be executed if the slave dies after 26 hours or not. 
I'm not sure what you're arguing here. It seems a little like you're saying "because the time frame isn't exact, the master is being treated unfairly"? THat can't be right. Can you clarify why this paragraph is here?

And maybe's will not cut it if you still insist the bible condones slavery.
So is this to say that you ARE an expert on ancient hebrew history and language and therefore your assertion that all the rules in the bible about slave purchases, treatment, terms of service, etc., is thereby correct? Those rules are there, aren't they? I'll ask you a version of a question I had in probably a different thread. Which one of the below is NOT in the bible?

    A: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
    B: Thou shalt not own another human being as property.
    C: You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.
    D: However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you

    ethang5
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    I'll ask you a version of a question I had in probably a different thread. Which one of the below is NOT in the bible?

    *And you have respect to him that wears the gay clothing, and say to him, Sit here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand there, or sit here under my footstool

    *You should not give preferential treatment to people in gay clothing.

    Taken from the Book: How to make points by innuendo instead of argumentation.

    From the chapter: Judging the bible by what it does NOT say, instead of what it DOES say.

    Publisher: Obtuse Press

    RoderickSpode
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    @ethang5
    And academics. And then they run with lop-sided comparison. The college professor atheist knows more than Joe blow the Christian.

    But a quick look at history at all the great men and women who were Christian and scientist, doctors, leaders, engineers, and noble prize winners tells you it is just spin, swallowed whole by average IQ atheist desperately wanting it to be true.
    Yes. The atheist movement is relatively new, so they promote themselves as the new kid on the block with the brand new moral/intellectual package. And try distance themselves from all other atheist organizations (governments, regimes, etc.).

    That is why an atheist would park himself on a board dedicated to what he claims is imaginary, yelling to all and sundry, over and over, that there is no God.

    They are as dedicated as Jehovah Witnesses!


    And they do this religiously.

    Hi Rod! Glad you're well.

    Hello Ethan, Good to see you again.


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    @oromagi
    it's a telephone interview of 35,000 individuals.  They don't go out to churches.  Pew Research's religion poll is the gold standard in polling.  Pew is basically the old Sun Oil Co. billions placed in a trust for making the best non-partisan polling possible- nobody's in it for the money.  I'm not saying that makes their findings automatically accurate, I'm just saying you won't find a pollster trying harder to get it right.
    It's not really the Pew Researchers I'm addressing. Research was also done probably independent of atheist organizations as well addressing nations with declining religion being more peaceful. At least one atheist organization (Pathos I believe) used their info to attempt to promote the idea that atheist nations are the most peaceful. There are no official atheist nations (atheist states). Not even China is an atheist state in the official sense. Who they were trying to associate as atheist nations were New Zealand, and the Scandinavian nations. Nations that traditionally were never directly involved in major world wars. They are not atheist nations. Having a decline in church attendance (which sometimes varies) does not constitute an
    atheist nation. Even (supposedly) in the U.S. church attendance is declining.

    What's interesting is that some articles include China as one of the nations with the least amount of religion. Pathos for some reason didn't include China as one of the alleged atheist nations. If anything, China would be far closer to being an official atheist nation than New Zealand, Sweden, etc.
    But.....China is by no means a peaceful nation.


    gay bars and grad schools.

    Do atheists gather to these places to hold meetings?
     

    I'm sure the set of all atheists is larger than the set of all atheists who answer the phone for pollsters but I see no reason to assume that the atheists who do answer the phone are only always activists or to assume that the junkyard atheists aren't just as likely to answer the phone.
    I understand. You seem to think that I think the pollsters went around to different churches (and atheist organization offices) to conduct their research. To clear the air, that's not what I'm implying. Do you not think there are Christian demographs. Parts of the country where a majority of, say, a small town attends a local church? Sometimes, like in European towns and villages, even one sole church representing the town itself?




    This is consistent with my findings.  All the atheists I know started out fairly passionate about some religion.  On the other hand, I know plenty of Christians who could care less about the underlying philosophy, for whom Christianity is more about identity and belonging than philosophy.

    Another problem is that there's a very gray area between atheism and agnosticism. Although it might be tough for any atheist to say they know for sure there is no God, they assume a much stronger standpoint than a confessed agnostic. The real only difference may be that an atheist is more politically motivated. Other than that, atheists and agnostics share the same boat.


    I don't see how Bible student excludes atheist activist but then I like to think anybody can continue to learn, including atheists.  I assume that if an atheist demonstrates resentment towards some religion it probably has more to do with the former passion for religion we observed before rather than jealously towards the Christian's level of Bible learning.
    I'm not suggesting jealousy. What I'm stressing is that a number of atheist activists have placed a closed door on learning anything more within the Bible. The Bible is evil, and there's nothing more to say about it, or can be learned about it. So of course their biblical knowledge will be stunted because they can't learn anymore since they don't think there's anything more to learn.


    RoderickSpode
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    @ludofl3x

    I don't know why it would be more or less difficult to understand than any other ancient culture, and it would depend on who's trying to understand it, what exectly they're trying to understand about it, and in what context. If you'd like to be more specific, I can make a better answer. Is it required that anyone who reads the bible have some qualification in ancient Hebrew language and history? 


    No. There's no such requirement. And I didn't imply that ancient Israelite culture is more or less difficult than any other ancient culture. I think it's often understood that understanding ancient civilization's culture requires a lot of research. Do you think you can read Sumerian texts and understand them without research?

    No. Why is this important?

    It depends. It actually might not be important at all if I've misunderstood you all this time. My thought was that you have come to the conclusion that the Bible promotes (or condones) slavery....without question or need for further inquiry/study/research.


    I have no idea. I just know that's what it says. If I had to make a guess, it's because their medical knowledge was so far behind what we know today that

    they thought a death on day three might not be directly tied to the injuries related to their beating. Why do atheists have to explain why it does?
    Did you know that they had rules prohibiting using instruments that could cause serious damage? That they had judges that would examine the victim to see if there was a blunt to the head (which was also forbidden)? That the author is speaking with the assumption that there's no visible sign of a beating? Think of a modern legal system trying to determine if the death of an individual was accidental or was murdered.

    If you don't have any idea, how can you make any definite claims?

    And on a side note, if the ancients were just half as stupid as you seem to think, I don't think we'd be here today. Or is it just the Israelites that were so ignorant?

    I'm not sure what you're arguing here. It seems a little like you're saying "because the time frame isn't exact, the master is being treated unfairly"? THat can't be right. Can you clarify why this paragraph is here?

    You're correct in saying "that can't be right". I'm not implying anyone is being untreated fair here at all. It would be unfair if there really was a time limit. Like the 7 year rule where if someone is not caught within 7 years, they go free. That's a precise time frame to the very last second before midnite of the 7th year. So if the ancient Israelites were given 1 or 2 days as an official time frame for innocence, I think you can see the problem. It's like someone saying to a criminal they can go free if they avoid arrest 7 or 8 years. Which is it?


    The one or two days was not official. It was a general time frame to protect the master from being sentenced to death if the slave died from some other cause. If there were no visible means to identify the victim's death as being from a beating, then a general time frame, resolved by the decision of a judge was placed.

    So is this to say that you ARE an expert on ancient hebrew history and language and therefore your assertion that all the rules in the bible about slave purchases, treatment, terms of service, etc., is thereby correct? Those rules are there, aren't they? I'll ask you a version of a question I had in probably a different thread. Which one of the below is NOT in the bible?


    A: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
    B: Thou shalt not own another human being as property.
    C: You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.
    D: However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you
    No, I'm not an expert. I'm one who is continually learning.

    Like Ethan indicated earlier, I think in this thread, these discussions are a treadmill. The treadmill effect that I see is one where an area of biblical slavery is addressed to (we'll just say for sake of time) an atheist, who then just goes down the ladder addressing other areas without resolving what their thoughts are on the area(s) already addressed.

    You stated earlier (correct me if I'm wrong) that some parts of the bible condemn slavery whereas others promote it. This is a no-no with high profile atheists who make public their claims. They're in a position that requires they not give in as much as you did. They're under scrutiny to where they can't get away with that as easily. The whole ball of wax has to be evil, or their argument doesn't work. As I stated many times, today there are a number of acceptable avenues where humans are owned. I brought this up with the atheist I was referring to, and mentioned the military. He got offended and stated that the military is voluntary. He also cut me off as I think he worried about me bringing up the draft.

    So that being said, where do you stand on biblical slavery as a whole? Are you okay with voluntary servitude as practiced amongst the Israelites? Or is that part of the whole evil package of a whip wielding religion?






    ludofl3x
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    @RoderickSpode
    My thought was that you have come to the conclusion that the Bible promotes (or condones) slavery....without question or need for further inquiry/study/research.
    My position is the bible does not prohibit chattel slavery. It does not require research outside of the bible to demonstrate that nowhere in it does it say "thou shalt not own another human being as you do a farm animal," and to demonstrate the rules the bible lays out specifically for purchase of non-Israelite slaves from other nations, or for taking them as the spoils of war. It's all right there in the book. 


    And on a side note, if the ancients were just half as stupid as you seem to think, I don't think we'd be here today. Or is it just the Israelites that were so ignorant?
    In general, the Israelite culture is not known for far-reaching contributions to science, architecture, mathematics, art, literature or anything else we'd measure a culture's generic intellect by. That's simply objective fact. 

    The rest of your post, we can sum up this way. If I grant that the flexibility in the one or two days was somehow NOT a rule about beating your slaves (you focus on the ambiguous timeframe, I focus on the not ambiguous 'slave'), do you grant hat slaves from other nations were completely fine by the bible? Not slaves you paid for their services. Not voluntary servitude. Not slaves because they owed you money. Foreign slaves. Spoils of war slaves. Sex slaves.  

    You stated earlier (correct me if I'm wrong) that some parts of the bible condemn slavery whereas others promote it. 
    No. First of all, there's no place in the bible that explicitly condemns slavery. Unless you want to point me at the verse that says without qualification that you shall not do so, the bible is just fine with at the very least foreign slaves. I also don't say the bible PROMOTES slavery. Just that it's allowed because the book is at best unclear about the prohibition. 

    Are you okay with voluntary servitude as practiced amongst the Israelites?
    Owning another person like you would a goat is not and never has been moral under any circumstance. False equivalences like "well, the draft!" is nonsense. The military draft is not slavery nor is it owning another human being. It's a limited contract. You can't, for example, have an officer beat an enlisted man and have no repercussions provided he doesn't die in 2 days. The US Army can't sell you to anyone or to a competing army or allied nation. At least this comparison wasn't as daft as "well, football players sign contracts, that means they're like slaves." 

    Please answer. Which one of the below verses is not in the bible?

    A: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
    B: Thou shalt not own another human being as property.
    C: You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.
    D: However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you

    ethang5
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    These verses are...

    Exo 21:16 - And he that steals a man, and sells him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

    1Ti 1:10 - For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, slave traders, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

    But they aren't enough for obtuse Omar. 

    Notice that the slightest hint by the bible that homosexuality is a sin, even never using the words sex or homosexuality, and Omar is yelping like a triggered snowflake, but unless the bible says exactly the sequence of words he wants on slavery, it doesn't condemn slavery. Funny no?

    For homosexuality which they want the bible to condemn, they get the meaning of the words immediately, but for slavery which they do not want the bible to condemn, they are obtuse. Its the word sequence, not the meaning of the words that is important.

    If you need dishonesty to float your argument, how good can that argument be?
    ludofl3x
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    @ethang5
    Exo 21:16 - And he that steals a man, and sells him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

    1Ti 1:10 - For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, slave traders, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
    So's this verse:

    "However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you." Leviticus 25:44-45. Yours might be able to be intpreted to some anti-slavery stance, but this one is stark and very clear. You absolutely MAY PURCHASE people. Just not Israelites.