link from sensationalist news articles
Read the bolded part again.
Which sensationalist news articles would that be? Are you attempting to use this thread as an excuse to claim everything discussed on this board in the last 10 years has been from “sensationalist news articles”? If so, keep in mind the last 10 years have seen every popular argument represented and dismantled.
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And when you find some actual evidence that points out Christianity is true, do let us know.
So, you’re admitting that after 10 years, with the entire realm of the Intelligentsia at our finger tips, you’ll haven’t seen a single argument to discount Christianity? In fact, their arguments are so weak, you’ve seen them dismantled effortlessly by Christians novices who have no credentials. What a surprise.
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The best arguments against Christianity are the ones that point out the fact that it's completely indemonstrable and as such its claims can't be distinguished from fiction or delusion.
What are you talking about? You just admitted that for 10 years it has been demonstrated to you that the world with all its knowledge, has not been able to lay a finger on Christianity.
You claim evidence in support of Christianity is lacking, but you haven’t told me what evidence is suppose to be. For if Christianity were true, what evidence is lacking that you think should be present? Did the NT claim proof of Jesus’ resurrection would be physically evident to the whole world?The fact remains that given what the NT claims, in its historicity and in its teachings, the world we see and the history we know is in complete agreement.
Example: The NT historicity claims match what we know about the 1st Century world, including the spread of Christianity as detailed in the book of Acts. In fact, given what we know about the history of the 1st Century, the claims of Christianity are entirely plausible.
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Also, just take a look at how the figures of the bible were in such close contact with the world’s rulers. Some examples: Joseph and Moses mingled with the upper echelon of Egypt…Daniel mingled with Babylon’s Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and Persia’s Cyrus and Darius (father of Xerxes)…some of the Jews would return to Jerusalem, but many did not, which allowed the OT to retain a foothold throughout Europe and Asia and Africa…then Alexander the Great would conquer the Holy Land and prepare the way for the bible to be translated into an international language in preparation for a universal message the Messiah would give to the whole world…the Romans would then conquer the Holy Land and finalize clearing the path for that upcoming message…Jesus would stand before the Jewish Sanhedrin and Pontus Pilate and Herod Antipas…Paul would stand before the Sanhedrin, Felix, Festus, Agrippa, and Emperor Nero…and now the Gospel has been preached to every nation, just as the OT and NT predicted…and so on and so forth.
And all of this dovetails completely with the prophecy given around 4000 years ago to Abraham that God would make his seed the salt of the earth: “All nations will be blessed through you”…
The storyline of the bible doesn’t take place in a dark corner, rather the storyline takes place right out in front of the greatest powers of those times and touches the highest authorities of those nations. And it overlays from what we know from secular sources.
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You know most of the other atheists I know are former Christians, many of them fundamentalists and evangelicals. Usually the reason they give for not believing any more is that when they looked at things through the light of reason by using logic and evidence they found that they could no longer rationally defend their beliefs.
Oh, good, you found some expert scholars, from the inside, who can discredit Christianity with their theories. Please tell us what their theories are.
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Christians have been claiming that the end is nigh and the world is falling into sin, that this or that is a portent of what was prophesized in the good book, etc. ever since there have been Christians. Can you give me one good reason to think that you and your ilk are actually right this time?
The important thing is what the bible states, not what post-NT Christians claim. But, I have given you no year or even a decade, much less a date. I’m simply saying that:
1) We are seeing a great falling away from Christianity unequalled in its nearly 2000 year history that aligns with the NT prophesied falling away.
2) The world now has the technology to carry out the events spoken about in the bible during the very last days (the whole world coming under one government, the whole world being immediately aware of world events, the whole world being under a common economic system, the ability to destroy a world superpower in a single hour, etc, etc, etc.).
3) Technology is making the tiny nation of Israel’s existence more and more precarious as its enemies are armed with WMD. (Not to mention that Israel’s coming back into existence just 64 years ago is a huge fulfillment of prophesy and is the ONLY nation in world history to reconstitute itself after such a long hiatus.)
Now, it is possible the current situation outlined in points 1-3 could continue to get worse and worse over the next 200 years…but I highly doubt the trend can continue for that long. I would think the next 50 years, maybe much sooner, will bring the matter to a head, especially in the case of Israel.
So, not only are things trending to fulfill prophesy, but the trend (despite random noise) is accelerating. More importantly, the trend is unsustainable given the fact the technology genie is out of the bottle and can not be put back.