All organized religions have one thing in common that destroys them

I am limiting this debate to Biblical Prophets and Popes. Somehow you have decided that this debate is about the Bible when it is not. It is about people, Bible characters included who have decided that they are prophets and that they said GTMTTY a message. You are not staying on the debate topic. There is a difference between GTMTTY and being inspired by God. God did not tell the prophets/writers what to write and say. What he does instead is choose the prophet to deliver his message, inspire them, and they deliver the message in their own style. Again, you are talking about what someone in the Bible said and are ignoring what I have repeatedly pointed out - that what self-proclaimed "prophets" say to us is often highly contradictory from other "prophets" to the point of spawning different religions completely, some that lead to murder and suicide and wars. It is already established what you believe about the Bible but that is not what this debate is about. Even in your own religion, Popes have contradicted Popes. See: http://www.allvoices.com... Catholic Church determined whether or not a manuscript or prophet was inspired by God in many ways. That is odd because Judaism teaches that Moses was the main prophet and Islam teaches that Mohammed is and of course I could go on and on. How is it that YOU know that the Catholic church and her contradictory popes is the source of God's message to mankind? How do you know that? They use historical evidence, archeological evidence, Real history and real archeological evidence for that history in an old book has nothing to do with whether the prophets in that book ever heard from God. This debate is about how all these people said that GTMTTY. eye witness accounts, If I write a book that says Bob can flap his arms and fly in chapter one and later in the book, I write that Janet saw Bob flap his arms and fly, is that an eyewitness account? Would you say that Janet really saw Bob do that because it was written down? Using your definition of an eyewitness account letting the Bible tell you what is what because the Bible says what it says, you would have to believe that Bob can flap his arms and fly, correct? After all, if Janet saw him do it in chapter 7 and it says he could, then he evidently could by eyewitness evidence. and the text itself to determine. How? If the text says Paul heard from God, does that mean it true? Muslims say that their text is true. Which one is true - the one you believe because you believe or the one they believe for the same reason? Or do we have no clue? If you take a look at the Bible, there are no conflicting between the Old Testament and the New Testament. I am assuming you have been told that and have not actually examined the Bible with a magnifying glass because it is chock full of hundreds of errors from numerical to scientific (flat Earth strongly implied which is also what Catholicism used to teach) to doctrine. However, if the Bible were 100% perfect in math and history and spelling, that does not mean that the doctrine came from the mouth of God to prophets. They just said so. But again, this debate is not about the Bible but if you want to see a few contradictions, this site will keep you busy for the rest of your youth: http://www.infidels.org... My opponent has fallen into the common trap of not reading the Bible contextually. He has taken exerts from the Bible without looking at the overall meaning. Do you mean when I pointed out: "Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and women.... "(Ezekiel 9:6) "...slay both man and woman, infant and suckling" (1 Samuel 15:3). Can you talk about how I took those out of context? Christians absolutely adore that "out of context" phrase to excuse the most atrocious events in the Old Testament. No offense but it is nauseating, my friend. I guess when God threateted to kill even the righteous, that is out of context? Or when God arranged for David to have extra wives, that is out of context? I guess when God rewards a man who rapes a single available woman her hand in marriage, that is also out of context? When God ordered mass murder to people who had no idea what his law was, that is out of context? You really should dive deep into the OT and learn who the Bible God really was. You would not want him as your our neighbor three blocks away, must less the object of your affection. This is what the prophets said that God told them to do. I notice you avoided answering my question on hearing from God and murdering children today. That is because no matter how one answers that, they are backed into a corner. God's delivery method has everything to do with free will. Whose free will are you referring to? Ours or Gods? What God has done is given us a Book Which book is that and how do you know which book it is? Every time I have asked you that, you have avoided the answer. There is archeology in many religious books. There are real cities in them too. That proves nothing. If I write a book full of facts, does that make me inspired by God? When the Bible says "Thus says the Lord" the Lord is actually talking that is only when it happens. My friend, that is IMPOSSIBLE for you to know unless God himself told you.