Philosoraptor

That's what the nursery rhyme means.

Believed to represent Jesus by modern archeologists. Definitely not Northern-European looking.

That is a picture of Rachel Dolezal. She had 15 minutes of infamy because she is white, but self identified as African American and worked for the NAACP for awhile.

LOL!

ROFL!

LOL!

mary had a little bitch,
little bitch.
little bitch!
Mary had a little bitch

And she pet her all day long

"Lamb of God" has a very special meaning in scripture.

But only Jesus is called the "Lamb of God"; why is that and why is that very special?

You're absolutely right. Only this time, while the sacrifice of the Old Testament was to cover-up the sins of the people (but did not pay for their sins), Jesus paid for the sins of all. Jesus in Romans 3:23-24 is the Propitiation, meaning that He is the stand-in, a scape-goat, for our sins.

So while the sacrifice of the Old Testament requires the priests to kill every year; Jesus died once and for all (Hebrews 10:8-12).

You don't have to Upvote my every reply. I've given you the Upvotes out of gratitude, not for gain.

For someone who preach liberal tolerance, you sure are not tolerant and quite judgmental. Not to mention you sure preach your religion quite loud.

Doesn't surprise me really. Keep your vegan religion to yourself. And if you're not a vegan, then you're just uninformed.

Before OT, burn offerings are complete, burned to ash. They are meant as symbolic "to give back what you are given." After that and in the Leviticus laws, they are actually permitted to be eaten by priests. Do you understand? The food offered on the burnt offering are eaten by the priests. In sense, they have a BBQ. You have a problem with BBQ?

Problem with you liberals is your lack of contextual understanding and critical thinking. You read OT and you just spew your bigot hatred "Oh this is a Christian thing." Yet you failed to understand ALL cultures back then regardless of religion has done things and rituals which modern day would consider "primitive."

ALL culture rooted from primitive cultures. Including whatever culture YOU are from. Whatever your culture, your roots, came from cultures which embraced slavery, which sacrificed animals, which had wars, etc... etc.. Yet you specifically solely focus on attacking Christianity despite the fact, Christianity as the word implies, comes from the NT, which ended all of these practices.

A huge part of the bible is a "historical" account of the Israelite people. It listed what they did in the past, much like what Chinese people did in their past. Yet Chinese culture in the past also has canniblism, human sacrifice, ... but we don't hear a peep from you about that. Right?

Want to know more? Primitive Romans and Greeks trace their homosexual and beastiality practices back to the Mesopotamia times. They were practiced commonly then. Why aren't you denouncing homosexuality and beastiality as "primitive?"

This is why I can't stand liberals. They are limited in their thinking and understanding and yet put themselves on a moral podium.

Not to mention you sure preach your religion quite loud."

I don't have a religion. If you think atheism is a religion, I strongly suggest you look up the definition of religion in a dictionary.

Thank you! I can't stand when Christians get so heated up about religion. Finally another atheist!

There’s no need to even read the Bible. You can prove the Bible using the Bible as evidence

But I see that there is a fundamental difference between Pagan sacrifice and that of Scripture. And it's not Jesus simply being one.

So you do not see the difference? Pagan: "Sacrifice an animal, your sins are paid" but God of Scripture: "Your sins are covered (but not paid)"
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I think you're trying to paint both religious sacrifices the same, simply because it involved the lives of animals. It appalls you that animals had to be slain.

Sin is not a magical word in scripture. Before I go further, I need to define what "Sin" is In the Bible. "Sin" is defined as "Missing the Mark" of righteousness. Sin, because of the severity of it, is also like a debt in which it only mounts as time passes. Because of that, the offender is separated from God as He not only ignores their prayers but they cannot dwell with Him in heaven (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 59:1-2, Habakkuk 1:13, & Psalm 5:5). What is a sin, and what isn't is according to God who by nature is good (Psalm 136:1).

With that said, you actually do believe in the notion of sin, only that you call it a "Bad thing" or "Evil". Moreover, we're given a God-given conscience knowing instinctively what is right and what is wrong (Genesis 1:26 & Romans 2:14-16).

For example, you know that killing in self-defense is not evil even though it had ended a life of another but on the other hand, killing someone who had done nothing to deserve it, is. There's something inherently wrong with the latter act; we know it because we feel it our conscience. There is also something peculiarly wrong with the stronger preying on the weaker; or that a taking of an item, not ours is also wrong. We feel it weighing within ourselves. Thus we have a conscience; otherwise, no act has any moral significance; indeed, the only thing that matters is survival and gratification.

"The fact that your god made people inferior to him then punishes them for being inferior to him makes him look really stupid."

Equality between two entities means having the same strengths, weaknesses, as well as worth. However, being the creator always bears an inherent superiority over the created. If not superiority then authority. And yet God also has attributes that man have not. God is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and He is morally incorruptible (Isaiah 45:6-7, Psalm 139:8, Proverbs 24:12, John 21:17, Romans 11:33-36 & Numbers 23:19).

"You say sin keeps people from going to Heaven. No one has ever shown me compelling evidence that Heaven even exists. If you have some, I'd like to hear it."

I don't want to begin a new topic but I'll just address this before I move on. I cannot prove you the existence of heaven any more than I can prove to you that I am an Angel. Nevertheless, each and every one of us knows God exists (Romans 1:18-25). I know this is laughable but then if the Bible is correct, because of our rebellious nature we are willfully blinded.

For one, the proof of God is in the creation. I'm sure you've heard of the Watchmaker analogy. If there is a design then there must be a designer but somehow that's insufficient. Second, there is what's called, Cognitive Dissonance. What it is is that our mind filters what makes sense and what is unacceptable (1). Together, if God only chose reason as evidence of Himself, then our Carnal Mind (Romans 8:7) will not settle for it but demand proofs.

From my perspective reason alone suffice in proving the existence of God. Reason after all is what differentiates us from the animal kingdom as well as it serves to safeguard us from superstition and introduces logic. It is Reason that also brought us the Confucian, Grecian and Enlightenment philosophies. So why reason wholly insufficient to the many who doubt or deny God's existence? I know that what seems to be right can very well be wrong so it must be tested, and yet the prevailing mindset for the same is "Seeing is Believing".

I think those who strictly hold to that will be unconvinced. Not because of the lack of evidence but because they don't want to believe in the first place.

1. Cognitive Dissonance from SimplePsychology,org https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html

"If god is by nature good, then that means he can't do anything wrong, correct? Yet I'm sure you would say killing babies is wrong. Yet god killed babies in the Bible. He killed Egyptian babies during the Passover, and he drowned babies during the mythical global flood. He also commanded the Israelites to slaughter everyone in certain towns, including children and babies (Deut chp 13)."

With everything God does is with reason. Why He killed the first born you must read the story; particularly between Pharaoh and Moses. If you do, you will see the escalating judgments of God that finally brought upon the deaths of the 1st born Egyptians. It was only then that the Pharaoh released the Hebrews.

"No, I don't believe in sin, because sin is tied directly to the god of the Bible, in which I don't believe."

But if God is real, then what? You see, long before Galileo, the shape of the earth was already known in the OT (Isaiah 40:22) and before Isaac Newton's theory of Gravity, the Bible had already spoken of it (Job 38:4). Would you reject the Bible's natural revelation because of its religious association?

"If we're given a god-given conscience to know right from wrong, then that means that your views on right and wrong line up with what god says in the Bible? So when he says in Exodus and Deuteronomy that you can own another person as property, you believe that's acceptable? When he says eating shellfish is an abomination, you agree with that? When he says homosexuals and blasphemers should be put to death, you agree with that? If we have a god-given conscience to know right from wrong, why does my conscience tell me that much of what's in the Bible is disgusting, deplorable, detestable and despicable?"

Slavery then is different from what we know about slavery today. 1st, slavery was very common then. 2nd, people are made slaves come as slaves either because of an unpaid debt, captured in battle, or is a criminal; not just being kidnapped. 3rd. unlike American slavery, slaves in the ancient world, while subservient are promised liberty after a certain number of years. In Exodus 21:2-26 says that there is a seven-year a person is to remain a slave and with that, rules in the treatment of. Also, Masters are to treat their slaves fairly and give them their just due (Colossians 4:1). With Roman slaves, they can also earn or buy their freedom and be citizens.

".... When he says homosexuals and blasphemers should be put to death, you agree with that?"

Today, no because of the New Covenant that came with Jesus. I believe that the Gospel should never be spread by the sword and I don't believe in moral executions unless the crime committed is heinous in nature. So today, I am against the killing of Homosexuals, witches, and blasphemers.

However, the Promised Land doesn't just belong to the Hebrews but God. Miracles were also more common then (which proves God's existence and mastery over pagan gods) so no one has an excuse to commit abominable sin. He had already set rules in prohibition so to again commit abominable sin is asking for death. Besides this, the Hebrews prior to their entry vowed to live by the commandments and so the prohibitions apply still.

"If we have a god-given conscience to know right from wrong, why does my conscience tell me that much of what's in the Bible is disgusting, deplorable, detestable and despicable?"

Because we're also a product of our environment which in turn, shapes our conscience. Go back to the Viking Age, or the Mongol conquest, invading other people's lands, pillaging, and brutally putting down resistance was the way to go along with slaughtering whole populations to ensure that they not rise again to fight, What they did, was probably the thing that was done to them, and so no one has a reason to sit down and ponder over deeds.

Not only that, we don't often see what God sees; this is due to our finite minds seeing what can only be seen on the ground level.. What we see as unfair or cruel, God sees as just (Isaiah 55:7-8).

"You realize there are some Christians who believe that killing in self defence is not acceptable, right? They see ALL killing as wrong, even in self defence".

I do. And they're also the product of their environment. Conscience is not a perfect thing like a computer; It can be shaped, trained, or suppressed/ And yet still we nevertheless have the same sense of right and wrong and the proof of that is with the religions of the world. Every successful religion from Hinduism to Islam roughly equals Christianity because all have basic moral ethics that matches it. Even the Barbarians that while they raid and pillage have prohibitions against stealing and murder for their own people.

I've never been presented with any evidence that our conscience comes from any god, let alone the god of the Bible. Can you demonstrate this to be true?

Hello Octavia; due to the size of your response it will take me nearly a week but I'll be sure to have it done at the end of it. Your replies are very good.

PS. I've also "Upvoted" every one of your comments for the same reason as yours.

Noi it actually shows how heinous sin is to Him; that animal sacrifices are insufficient to pay for any sin.

Allow me to put it this way you: if you are capable of violating your God-given conscience (Genesis 1:26 & Romans 2:14-16) and sin, then you can commit any sin. Also that once a sin is committed, it cannot be reversed which is why it is not possible to compensate for it (Isaiah 64:6). And since a murderer is not so-called because s/he murders every day, then what are we?

And if you've sinned 8x a day, then what is the total in a single week, a month, and a year? And after 80 years of your life or at the end, how many have you committed?

So is animal sacrifice sufficient to pay for sins? I'm sure you'd like to think it is, because to you perhaps they're that precious. Maybe even to you that an animal's life is equal in value and worth to a human being, but that is according to you. And not to God (Isaiah 55:7-8).

(Part 1)

"That doesn't change the fact that he punishes people for being inferior to him, when he made them that way.

Why do you think they're being punished for their inferiority?

"Also, if he is morally incorruptible, why does he do things which would be considered immoral or a human did them? Isn't he supposed to be the standard and measure of what is right behavior?"

Shouldn't a structural engineer be more right with regard to the weaknesses and strengths of a bridge than a pedestrian who wants to use it? In the same way, He cannot compromise His judgment for the sake of appearing right to us. Certain things He had, simply because of the hardness of our hearts (Matthew 19:3-8). This might be the same reason He allowed slavery. And mind you, He had never established it.

"I'm glad you admit you cannot prove Heaven is real, but that should trouble you, since a large part of your belief system depends upon it being real. Otherwise, I have no need to accept Jesus as my savior.":

I can't produce proofs but there are pieces of evidence that, as a Judge in a courtroom must decide the guilt or innocence of the Defendant by the evidence available.

"I don't know that God exists. Let's break down that passage in Romans 1, since I hear it a lot."

If the Bible is correct, regardless of what evidence is presented to you, you won't believe. Not because the evidence is insufficient, but because you want to be independent of God (John 3:19).

"And if you say that unicorns and magic pixies don't exist, then I shall have no choice but to accuse you of suppressing the truth of their existence in unrighteousness."

You would be right in doing so if I did say so unless the Bible is the word of God.

"It's not plain to me. What am I supposed to be seeeing that is so plain? I don't see god anywhere. Nor do I see any evidence that he's real. If it were really so plain to see, I would see it and believe it."

As said before, Cognitive Dissonance. Nature provides reasons enough. After all, nothing ever comes about by itself yet the scientific community still holds to the Big Bang theory. It seemed easier to believe in that theory than the miraculous.

"...This verse is commonly thrown around by believers who can't accept that there are actually people in the world who don't believe their god exists."

We do have faults we need to rectify but this isn't one of them.

The worklead is a bit too much for me to complete in a week because of too many points you've made.

Can we focus on items one at a time? I will answer your response on Romans 1; afterward, and if you agree, choose among the responses you want answered and I will respond.

You didn't ask me what that difference is. Do you care to know it?

That's 1/2 of the answer.

God appeased Himself.

In Pagan religions, the deities demanded the offender to appease them through animal sacrifices.

In the OT while animals were used, it never appeased God as such sacrifices were only temporary; a picture to what was to come

And in the NT, He sacrificed His only Son to finally pay for the sins of the people.

Now as for the barbarity of the sacrifices... would you rather that humans are sacrificed instead? Unlike many of the Pagan religions such as Druidism, Aztec, and the Semitic religions, God never asked to have humans sacrificed which included child sacrifices.

You could say that, but true Christianity didn't come about until the time of Jesus, in the old testament the main religion was Judaism. Today's Christians and Jews wouldn't consider themselves to be of the same religion, even if they do share a common history.

Think of Jesus dying on the cross as the final and greatest sacrifice to atone for all sins, even those in the future, that finally put an end to the practice of animal sacrifice.

What you say is true; but keep in mind that Jesus came back to life after 3 days, the same can't be said for the animal sacrifices.
People often ask "If God is so good, why does he allow bad things to happen?" It would seem that God allows bad things to happen to prevent even worse things from happening. Christians believe that without Christ's death on the cross all people would be condemned to an eternity in Hell. One person dying on a cross and being resurrected 3 days later is surely better than an eternity of damnation for the entire human race.

That's the thing about those who don't believe, they demand proof that anything attributed to God really happened. There's 3 references to such in the Bible: Matthew 12:38-42, Mark 8:11-12 and Luke 11:29-32.

I agree with Octavia. It's sensible to want proof. By the way, the bible isn't proof. Any person with a lot of spare time could've written it.

The Bible covers that too, ever heard of a doubting Thomas?
Some things can't be proven, could you ever prove or disprove that love is real? Can someone prove they once dreamt of been chased by a green, 3 eyed monster?

I'll admit I can't prove it myself, but if Jesus was a flesh and blood man that people could see and speak to, then it's reasonable to assume there were eyewitnesses who saw him die on the cross, and also that people visited the tomb of a man who was reputedly dead only to find he wasn't dead after all. Here' a story of a cat that was thought to be dead but later turned up alive https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weird-news/dead-florida-cat-claws-his-way-back-life-days-later-n295431 are you going to say outright that it's all a hoax? Or are you at least going to consider the possibility that it might be true?
I'll grant you there's no definitive proof that God exists, and perhaps the Bible hasn't got things exactly right, which is good reason to doubt; but if we consider things like science saying a bumble bee can't fly or a that kangaroo shouldn't be able hop but the fact that they can, isn't it at least plausible that some kind of intelligence found a way round these problems? We can choose to believe that God didn't create Adam out of dust and Eve out of Adam's ribs and rather that humans evolved from apes, but as various species such as birds, insects and even one mammal i.e. bats developed wings to fly, and several other various species such as snakes, spiders and some fish developed venom, and still others such as cats, crocodiles and sharks developed sharp teeth; then how is it that we as humans were the only ones to develop such vast intellect? Why didn't any other species develop a system of writing or build vehicles to get around in? The Bible says we were made in God's images and hints at us been specifically designed to acknowledge a higher creator, considering we're the only ones to even consider such a possibility, and that our intellect greatly sets us apart from other animals, doesn’t it seem plausible that there might be some grain of truth in the idea of a higher creator? Even if things didn’t happen quite the way the Bible says, can we be absolutely certain that there is no God at all?

You're pretty much on the spot but the wording is not exactly. Sorry I'm a stickler.

In OT, salvation is achieved through these laws and rituals. So in fact, "sin" offering does actually "pay" for their sins. They just have to keep doing it b/c it doesn't cover future sins.

Christ as the sacrifical lamb is "eternal" which covers all sins previous, present, and future, which ends the age of sacrifical atonement and began the age of grace.

I forgot to point out also, though it covers their sins, it doesn't remove the guilt. Later on, the people added another sacrifice called "guilt" sacrifice... but even that didn't do it.

This led them to the practice of baptism, remember John was baptizing people long before the coming of Christ. Water baptism was a common ritual developed through the time to symbolically wash these people so they can rid themselves of the guilt. Of course, even THAT doesn't really take the guilt away.

This ultimately links to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is why grace ... and grace alone can truly cover all sin. So this is why those who are baptized in the HS should not feel any guilt anymore.

For that then how do you account for the following passage:

4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
- Hebrews 10

If animal sacrifices do pay for sins then we don't need a savior,

I also appreciate that of you as well. I've met so many who trolled Christian videos and posts and called themselves Atheists or Agnostics. You're one of the few exceptions.

For that, I thank you.

I'm atheist. Ha

Makes life way less complicated

Thank you very much for actually having reason. That "spaceguru" guy down towards the end of the comments was extremely annoying. I have seen many Christians who get so heated up if you think God isn't real or mention anything related to god. These extremely long comments are evedence of that. I mean, this is litterally a meme site! Those people also always seem to be so serious about the bible and Adam and eve. They will get mad if you just say, "Jesus christ!" I also appreciate how you debunked creationism with a few users. we, and every other creative, EVOLVED! I also can't stand how when you ask for proof of god and heaven, they just say, "the bible." The bible could have been written by literally anyone! If I wrote down that all your missdoings has been voided just because I said so and that all your problems will go away on a piece of paper and waited 3,000 years, that would be the same thing!

Thank you for being sensible.

*creatures