Which Religion is the One True Religion?

Frank Apisa wrote:

Luckily, on this issue...I can't be wrong.

I acknowledge that I do not know the answer to these kinds of Ultimate Questions. And so long as you are willing to grant that "not being available to me" is equivalent to "I do not know"....I cannot be wrong.

Of course, "I don't know" and "It cannot be known" are worlds apart. They do not mean the same thing at all.

If you claim you do not know, of course, nobody will contradict you. But to claim something is out of bounds for any to know simply on the basis that you don't know it is absurd.

timberlandko wrote:

As for biblical contradictions, only by refusing to acknowledge that they exist may the myriad examples of such, some already cited in this discussion, be dismissed.

Since C Imposter is apparently not going to pick up on it, but you have assumed the argument that he put forth. Have at it. Bring out your best supposed contradictions.

timberlandko wrote:

As for biblical contradictions, only by refusing to acknowledge that they exist may the myriad examples of such, some already cited in this discussion, be dismissed.

Since C Imposter is apparently not going to pick up on it, but you have assumed the argument that he put forth. Have at it. Bring out your best supposed contradictions.

Now you know why I asked Frank to name just one.

He did a good job for me too. I'm still working on the answer.

If you don't set a limit....

.... he will inundate you with a dieter's serving of legitimate questions buried in an all you can eat smorgasbord of frivolous claptrap.

I'm mesmerized by that S.A.B. site, Frank.

neologist wrote:

Now you know why I asked Frank to name just one.

You didn't ask me to name just one.


Take it easy, Neo. Still a long way to go in this discussion.

Frank Apisa wrote:

neologist wrote:

Now you know why I asked Frank to name just one.

You didn't ask me to name just one.


Take it easy, Neo. Still a long way to go in this discussion.

I was referring to the slavery question. That was in this thread, no? I did ask you to start with your favorite question, right? I didn't actually set a limit; I asked you to limit, right? And you did because you felt sorry for me, right?

real life wrote:

timberlandko wrote:

As for biblical contradictions, only by refusing to acknowledge that they exist may the myriad examples of such, some already cited in this discussion, be dismissed.

Since C Imposter is apparently not going to pick up on it, but you have assumed the argument that he put forth. Have at it. Bring out your best supposed contradictions.

How about this question I answered 6 weeks ago. I thought I had done a good job, but instead was subject to much scorn:

Why were the Canaanites to be exterminated?

Ill give you the answer without the explanation:
Yes, I think the cited passage in Leviticus was inspired by God. And, God was not wrong.

No, I can't explain your question on the time, but I think I will be able to wrap it all up soon.

I really think the answers will hinge on why slavery could have been tolerated in the first place and what difference there may be between slavery practiced under biblical law and that of other societies.

Frank goes a little overboard claiming that the ancient manner of slavery was endorsed by the Bible and then further equating that with the American slavery experience.

Many methods of human exploitation -- drug pushers preying on junkies, pimps exploiting prostitutes , etc have been invented by the mind of man.

Of all of these , Jesus commanded "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Far from endorsing them, or addressing them with a narrowly worded prohibition, the Bible confronts the spirit of the matter with a complete overarching philosophy that is absolutely opposed to exploitation of any kind.

I had asked Frank if he believed that the Hebrews were actually slaves in Egypt, but as far as I can see he hasn't yet addressed it.

If you're talking about Hebrew slaves that built the pyramids, that's already been shown to be false from artifacts found in the residential grounds of the builders near the pyramids.

real life wrote:

Frank goes a little overboard claiming that the ancient manner of slavery was endorsed by the Bible and then further equating that with the American slavery experience.

One...I defy you to find where I equated the slavery of ancient times withk the American slavery experience. You are not restricted to this thread...use any of the hundreds of other threads I've posted in.

(Lemme save you some time...it is not there. You just made that up!)

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Many methods of human exploitation -- drug pushers preying on junkies, pimps exploiting prostitutes , etc have been invented by the mind of man.

Yes...and I suspect the "mind of man" made up the slavery bullshyt in the Bible. The god of the Bible specifically says that slavery is okay....permitted.

Deal with that.

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Of all of these , Jesus commanded "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Yes he did. But he also worshipped the god that said that slavery was okay. And he did not contradict that advisory from the god.

Slavery was just as okay after Jesus as before.

So what is your point?

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Far from endorsing them, or addressing them with a narrowly worded prohibition, the Bible confronts the spirit of the matter with a complete overarching philosophy that is absolutely opposed to exploitation of any kind.

Oh nonsense. Wake up.

The exact words of your god are:

"Slaves, male and female, you may indeed possess, provided you BUY them from among the neighboring nations. You may also BUY them from among the aliens who reside with you and from their children who are born and reared in your land. Such slaves YOU MAY OWN AS CHATTELS, and leave to your sons as their hereditary property, MAKING THEM PERPETUAL SLAVES. "

Stop the pretence. All it evokes is laughter.

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I had asked Frank if he believed that the Hebrews were actually slaves in Egypt, but as far as I can see he hasn't yet addressed it.

I do not do "believing" Life.

I have no way of knowing anything substantial about the early Hebrew existence. But my guess is that the story of the early Hebrew experience given in the Bible is, to be kind, self-serving.

And as ci pointed out....learned scientists seem to doubt the Egyptian captivity story.

Hi Frank...

Perhaps you will recognize that "slavery" is a very broad term that describes many different practices that have been in and out of human experience over thousands of years.

So when you try to claim that the Bible endorses all "slavery" ....

....you really should define your terms and the time period to which you are referring as well as the specific method and practice that you think (since you cannot seem to bring yourself to use the word "believe" ) existed at the time.[/qjuote]

This is horseshyt. I've defined my terms very well...and you are grasping at straws.

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So far from making it up, I am referring to your broadbrush approach to the issue of slavery.

What broadbrush. I am willing to discuss only the slavery your god endorsed!

LEt's talk about that.

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Slavery as it has been practiced among the Egyptians, Medes and Persians, Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, Americans and everyone in between represents an extremely wide scope of behaviors and practices so you need to be sure that you are addressing the specific scripture to the specific practice you are questioning....

Jesus Christ, Life....I've actually quoted the goddam passage three times already. How goddam much more specific do you want me to get?

Or are you just up a tree....and instead of having the integrity and honesty to simply acknowldge it....are trying to put a bunch of words out there hoping this whole thing will just go away.

IT AIN'T!

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Also it is rather odd that you would cite unnamed learned "scientists" who doubt the Egyptian captivity. What about learned historians?

You are a joke.

But....as ci pointed out....learned historians suspect the Egyptian captivity never happened.

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But for the sake of argument, if the Egyptian captivity did not actually happen, perhaps you can explain how an individual (whoever you believe wrote the Torah) was able to convince an entire nation that it did happen, that in fact they had a 400 year history that they knew nothing about and foist upon them hundreds of laws of his own individual making out of the clear blue?

I doubt it happened out of the "clear blue." I suspect it happened as part of (origianlly_ an oral tradition just like the Egyptians and Greeks and Romans and Incans and Norse.... had.

And, if the ancient Hebrews were anything like their modern day ancestors....maybe they were very good at selling things.