I was going to put this into words, but Wayne Jackson has already done it in a far better fashion than I can. His article is short and sweet.
Referring to the historical records of Jesus’ life and the New Testament accounts of the Gospel in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; Wayne Jackson presents the question,
“How do skeptics address these historical records? Generally speaking, they assert that the New Testament writers fabricated the accounts. The writers knew that Jesus did not do these things; they simply invented the stories.
Will this charge stand up in the light of logical inquiry? Let us think about it for a moment.
Logically speaking, either there is existence after death or there is not…”
This is an exert from the middle of this article “A Problem No Skeptic Can Explain”. Click here to read this concise article.
Can you explain to me how you see religion filling the hole that you talked about earlier? I’m not sure I understand what changes between belief and non-belief to fill that void you speak of. Isn’t that lack of lasting remembrance the same either way since you can’t go back?
I would say that it isn’t that I don’t want anything to do with God as you say, rather it is that all physical evidence points away from his existence and I feel my senses are too flawed to make an assumption that he exists without proof. Were he revealed I would believe without question, although I would need a reason to worship (belief being much different in my eyes to subjugation).
I have often wondered how a God can be considered loving when he would be willing to cast you into eternal torment for being unwilling to trust the very flawed body he gave us and the cryptic evidence of his existence he presents. After all eternity is an awfully long time. I think though, that I’m too stubborn to take the “safe” bet. I also realize that insincere belief is probably worse than sincere disbelief. Does anyone know of theological study of this topic? If you are unable to sincerely believe is it better in Gods eyes to be honest or not? I would suspect honesty is morally superior in nearly any religious context.
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That is a very good answer and I thank you. I have thought about that question before too: what if I am wrong? If I am, I have still lived a life that is fulfilling and tried to love others and be a kind, compassionate person. But, I will just go into oblivion like everyone else, losing nothing. But, I also think, what if I weren’t a follower of God and I was wrong? I would spend an eternity away from Him. When I look at the chances and consequences, I feel safe living the way I do. I agree with you, though, in the idea that if you didn’t want anything to do with God here on earth, it may not bother you to make the choice to not spend eternity with Him. That is why there is freewill. Thank you for answering.
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