[alancalverd]

What white lie?

You choose. All I require is that it is harmless and that you know it is untrue. Would $15M be acceptable?

[duffyd]

What white lie?

You choose. All I require is that it is harmless and that you know it is untrue. Would $15M be acceptable?

Let me see the certified check with the terms signed by a notary and I'll swear not to keep badgering you until you have a nervous breakdown.

[duffyd]

Though I have no respect for the analytical intellect of Christians, they do seem to be a pretty canny bunch when it comes to money. Now I can't imagine Constantine, King James or the National Council of Churches paying their editors for simply saying they wrote something. Surely they had to actually deliver a product? And given the differences between, say, the KJV, RSV and NEB, it's pretty obvious that the dates bear some resemblance to the truth.

Much better. I see where you quoted them asserting it was in fact they who wrote the N. T. My batting average just soared to a 1,000 percent, again, for the new season. Send in a reliever. Even I hate to be this good.
I was hoping you'd agree to debate publicly several Christians whose intellect you find weak. Let's start with Fran Collins. I'll set it up for a podcast with THS. Sawright? Sawright. 

[syhprum]

If he was god incarnate why were so many of the so called miracles he performed the petty party tricks that lay preachers perform al the time .
When a real miracle was required freeing him from his captors and preventing his execution he was found lacking.

[duffyd]

Though I have no respect for the analytical intellect of Christians, they do seem to be a pretty canny bunch when it comes to money. Now I can't imagine Constantine, King James or the National Council of Churches paying their editors for simply saying they wrote something. Surely they had to actually deliver a product? And given the differences between, say, the KJV, RSV and NEB, it's pretty obvious that the dates bear some resemblance to the truth.

Much better. I see where you quoted them asserting it was in fact they who wrote the N. T. My batting average just soared to a 1,000 percent, again, for the new season. Send in a reliever. Even I hate to be this good.
I was hoping you'd agree to debate publicly several Christians whose intellect you find weak. Let's start with Fran Collins. I'll set it up for a podcast with THS. Sawright? Sawright.

No good? How about Tyler VanderWeele, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health? Give the nod and I'll set it up.

[duffyd]

If he was god incarnate why were so many of the so called miracles he performed the petty party tricks that lay preachers perform al the time .
When a real miracle was required freeing him from his captors and preventing his execution he was found lacking.

Exactly! He really blew it when He didn't respond to his fans who wanted to know the same thing. Hey! Yo! Hey God's Son, sup? Get your butt down from there, you phony punk. Yep. U b the Son of somethin alright! LOL! Right boys?
Hey Pal, who was it who just knocked your teeth out? Hmmm? Prophesize Big Boy. I thought you was God! LOLOLOLOLOLOL!! Look at Him now boys!! LOLOLOLO.

Been there done that. How about challenging HIM to rise again once He's dead. That would be a pretty good trick, no?

[duffyd]

All men shall hate your guts because of me

[duffyd]

Observe the hatred that pours out of people for HIM. Just like back in the day. He even asked the Pharisees why were they plotting to kill Him.  For what, exactly? What have I done to deserve your murderous rage? My miraculous healings? For feeding thousands?

The more things change... Right? The heart of man. Nothing is as polluted.

[Bored chemist]

Please answer the question: how much would you charge to utter a white lie?

He's on record as lying.
I presume it was for free.

[Bored chemist]

Observe the hatred that pours out of people for HIM.

OK, just show a sentence from anyone here  that shows hatred of either version of "Him".

[duffyd]

"First point was obviously to explain why some people like the idea of a god. But that isn't relevant to this thread anyway." BA

Why bring it up? Who cares why you believe some people like the idea of God?

[duffyd]

If he was god incarnate why were so many of the so called miracles he performed the petty party tricks that lay preachers perform al the time .
When a real miracle was required freeing him from his captors and preventing his execution he was found lacking.

Raising Lazarus from the dead was chopped liver?

[duffyd]

The Council had nothing to do with the writing of the New Testament, as you finally acknowledge.

1,000 percent.

[duffyd]

. Indeed if you include Buddhism, any deities at all.

Buddha was God? Any deities? Whom did you have in mind besides Buddha?

[duffyd]

Though I have no respect for the analytical intellect of Christians, they do seem to be a pretty canny bunch when it comes to money. Now I can't imagine Constantine, King James or the National Council of Churches paying their editors for simply saying they wrote something. Surely they had to actually deliver a product? And given the differences between, say, the KJV, RSV and NEB, it's pretty obvious that the dates bear some resemblance to the truth.

"A group of high-powered MIT and Harvard professors were featured recently at a forum to debunk the notion that there is a conflict between science and faith.

Rosalind Picard and Ian Hutchinson are professors at Massachusetts Institute of Technology while Tyler VanderWeele and Nancy E. Hill are professors at Harvard University – and all four are firm believers in God and integrate their faith and their research seamlessly.

“People who think they can’t deal with faith are really just deceiving themselves,” said Picard, the founder of the branch of computing known as affective computing. “All people in science are accepting something on faith. The question is what are evidence for that, and do you accept the kinds of evidence that is not scientific?”
 Michael Ashcraft

Ok? Take your pick. Are you willing to debate any of them?

[Bored chemist]

Ok? Take your pick. Are you willing to debate any of them?

If any one of them had actually been able to produce a proof, we would all know about it by now.

What's the point of further debate?

Buddha was God?

No. That's the point.
Even the temple-going buddhists, who don't worship any God , live longer.
So the longevity is nothing to do with God, never mind your silly claim that it was to do with a belief in Christ.

He's probably going to ignore this and say something rude.

[alancalverd]

The Council had nothing to do with the writing of the New Testament, as you finally acknowledge.

1,000 percent.

Simply ignoring what I wrote, and most people agree to be true, is not proof that you are right.

I think it kindest to assume that you are just dim, not evil. So here it is in very simple words.

Thousands of scientific papers and textbooks are published every year. I have a copy of a fairly popular book titled "Modern Scientific Writing." It consists of extracts from about 100 papers and textbooks written in the previous 100 years by various authors, covering the spectrum from quantum physics to astrobiology, and from tediously precise experiments to moderately informed speculation. The selection and editing were done by Richard Dawkins, who is therefore credited as the author of MSW, and his preface gives the date he finished the job.

Same applies to the bible. Of all the possible ancient texts by authors known and unknown and copied more or less accurately by unnamed scribes, the Council of Nicea selected and edited what has pretty much become the modern Christian bible after a few more translations and revisions. Why doubt it? 

[alancalverd]

A group of high-powered MIT and Harvard professors were featured recently at a forum to debunk the notion that there is a conflict between science and faith.

No conflict. Just two different products, one of which actually works. But it's often easier to sell the one that doesn't., because it makes a virtue out of naïve ignorance and depends on its users not understanding it.

[duffyd]

The Council had nothing to do with the writing of the New Testament, as you finally acknowledge.

1,000 percent.

Simply ignoring what I wrote, and most people agree to be true, is not proof that you are right.

I think it kindest to assume that you are just dim, not evil. So here it is in very simple words.

Thousands of scientific papers and textbooks are published every year. I have a copy of a fairly popular book titled "Modern Scientific Writing." It consists of extracts from about 100 papers and textbooks written in the previous 100 years by various authors, covering the spectrum from quantum physics to astrobiology, and from tediously precise experiments to moderately informed speculation. The selection and editing were done by Richard Dawkins, who is therefore credited as the author of MSW, and his preface gives the date he finished the job.

Same applies to the bible. Of all the possible ancient texts by authors known and unknown and copied more or less accurately by unnamed scribes, the Council of Nicea selected and edited what has pretty much become the modern Christian bible after a few more translations and revisions. Why doubt it?

Lol.

[duffyd]

A group of high-powered MIT and Harvard professors were featured recently at a forum to debunk the notion that there is a conflict between science and faith.

No conflict. Just two different products, one of which actually works. But it's often easier to sell the one that doesn't., because it makes a virtue out of naïve ignorance and depends on its users not understanding it.

You refuse. I understand.