These Arguments Against the God of Christianity Are Valid - 1B.

---"Yes, I have seen the wind. I have learned about past occurences in history. And I've seen what a human brain has looked like - OUTSIDE the head (so I doubt this part of the analogy works ;D). This nice little intro is irrelevant, since I have solid evidence for the existence of all these 3 things. God, on the other hand. .. "--- Okay, so you have "learned" about past occurrences in history. But it is still by "faith" that you belive certain historical events happened. 1. ---"My opponent uses quite a peculiar argument. He argues that since Jesus Christ came down and got crucified, he has somehow solved this problem. His death was, in fact, the allowance of man to be saved - it did not wipe out evil from the world. " --- The Bible tells us that God cursed the earth because of Adam's transgression. Weeds are a curse. So is disease. Sin and suffering cannot be separated. The Scriptures inform us that we live in a fallen creation. In the beginning, God created man perfect, and he lived in a perfect world without suffering. It was heaven on earth. When sin came into the world, death and misery came with it. Those who understand the message of Holy Scripture eagerly await a new heaven and a new earth "wherein dwells righteous-ness. " In that coming Kingdom there will be no more pain, suffering, disease, or death. We are told that no eye has ever seen, nor has any ear heard, neither has any man's mind ever imagined the wonderful things that God has in store for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). Think for a moment what it would be like if food grew with the fervor of weeds. Consider how wonderful it would be if the deserts became incredibly fertile, if creation stopped devouring humanity. Imagine if the weather worked for us instead of against us, if disease completely disappeared, if pain was a thing of the past, if death was no more. The dilemma is that we are like a child whose insatiable appetite for chocolate has caused his face to break out with ugly sores. He looks in the mirror and sees a sight that makes him depressed. But instead of giving up his beloved chocolate, he consoles himself by stuffing more into his mouth. Yet, the source of his pleasure is actually the cause of his suffering. The whole face of the earth is nothing but ugly sores of suffering. Everywhere we look we see unspeakable pain. But instead of believing God's explanation and asking Him to forgive us and change our appetite, we run deeper into sin's sweet embrace. There we find solace in its temporal pleasures, thus intensifying our pain, both in this life and in the life to come. It is because of our sinning, that causes suffering. 2. ---"This is actually another plight that needs to be answered. If Adam and Eve never knew about the concept of morality before eating of the tree, then how can they be blamed for what they did? They didn't know what "good" or "bad" was, somewhat like a newborn baby. " --- God specifically told them NOT to eat from the tree. They choose to and this is how sin started. They did know what "good" and "bad" was. They knew they were not supposed to eat from the tree. My opponent stated, ---"Secondly, why punish the son for the sins of the father? If my dad punched someone I wouldn't expect ME to get imprisoned for physical assault. " --- I do not know where my opponent got this from. It appears to be a random statement. If you are talking about Jesus as the son then there was no sins of the father since both God and Jesus are perfect. A son wouldn't be punished for the sins of the father if the son repented and believed in God. ---"If you read the argument, then you will see that one of the points was that reasonable non-belief occurs. I'm sure that even you think that some, or most, atheists don't believe in God SINCERELY. This means we really believe he doesn't exist because of a lack of evidence, not because we secretly hate him and want to reject him. If you can accept this fact, then you will see that there is a problem: why doesn't God prove his existence? " --- No man has ever seen the essence of God. (When God "appeared" to certain men in the Old Testament, He manifested Himself in other forms, such as a burning bush or "the Angel of the Lord. ") When Moses asked to see God's glory, God told him, "I will make all my goodness pass before you,. .. [but] you cannot see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live" (Exodus 33:18–23). If all of God's "goodness" were shown to a sinner, he would instantly die. God's "goodness" would just spill wrath upon evil man. However, the Lord told Moses, "It shall come to pass, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. " The only way a sinner can live in the presence of a holy God is to be hidden in the Rock of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). People see God every day in many ways, they just don't recognize him. God is trying, trying hard to help you believe, but atheists just keep ignoring these signs. If you do believe in God sincerely, God will send the Holy Spirit to live within you, and you know everything in the bible is true. I have seen these signs, and so has every other christian. 3. ---"Of course, you argue that he wants for us to have free will. This attacks my 3rd premise: that God has no greater desire than the one to have everyone believe God exists before they die. However, it is now YOUR burden to show why God would prefer for us to have free will (thus some saved some not) over his desire for all humans to go to heaven. Go on, I'll wait. " --- God has to let you have free will. God is a god of love, and he does not rule by force, but purely by love. So, God does very much want you to believe, but he cannot rule by force, so he is patiently waiting for you to believe. ---Conclusion--- Unfortunately, there really cannot be a true winner on this debate since judges will want to vote for the person that is debating for their religion.