An Atheist and Christian Debate: Part 4

We pick up the discussion again with a series of shorter emails and quick exchanges. If you've missed the first parts of the discussion, they are located here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Check back later this week for part 5 of An Atheist and Christian Debate.

From: Daniel
To: Julio
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:38:44 -0700
Subject: RE: Research Volunteers Needed

lol @ Mexican Ape, gimme some time to respond to this. i will say quickly that Bill the Janitor definitely would be jealous, regardless of whether he has a right to feel jealous or not. i also add that, sometimes when people are laughed at for thinking silly things, it's because they really are thinking silly things. if i told you i believed in the easter bunny, you would have every right to laugh at me and question me. should i continue driving on in my easter bunny belief, or consider that maybe that the easter bunny doesn't exist?

sorry for the grammar, i got some other stuff i'm doing and can't take too much time here

word
dan

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From: Julio
To: Daniel
Subject: Re: Research Volunteers Needed
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:57:05 +0000

Take your time, no rush. I understand this can get long and get the mind thinking.
I have never heard of the easter bunny belief ever in my life, I thought it was just a cute trademark all this time. Maybe you can fill me in on that as well Pastor D.

Ughhh!!!
-Julio


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From: Daniel
To: Julio
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 12:12:32 PM
Subject: RE: Research Volunteers Needed

You've never heard of the Easter Bunny? That's the bunny that hops like a bunny, but lays eggs like a chicken. Where do you think all those eggs come from on Easter? I'm telling you, you gotta believe in the Easter Bunny. Some people claim that since I can't prove the Easter Bunny, that this means that He doesn't exist. But they are silly, because we all know that they can't prove that the Easter Bunny doesn't exist. Ha, what do you think of that!? You know what else I tell them? I tell them that I see, hear and feel Lord Bunnies presence every day. There are people who have been healed by the Easter Bunny...people with poor eyesight have been healed by Lord Bunnies magical carrots. Why don't you tell those people that the Easter Bunny is fake! Just today, I asked the Easter Bunny for strength and confidence...I'm feeling better already!

Even the Easter Bunny says, 'You must become like little children in order to gain entrance into my garden." Is it any wonder that millions of children across the world believe in the Easter Bunny? I say that the only reason people can't see the Easter Bunny, is because they don't want to see. Their minds are closed to the truths of the Easter Bunny.

PS: If you don't believe in the Easter Bunny, you're going to hell forever.

-dan

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Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:57:10 -0700
From: Julio
To: Daniel
Subject: Re: Research Volunteers Needed

Let's not get facetious....stick to the topic at hand before I slap you across the neck!!

-julio


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From: Daniel
To: Julio
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:26:16 PM
Subject: RE: Research Volunteers Needed

Actually, that's not being facetious. I'm making the point that believing in God and Jesus is based on the exact same logic and thinking. There's no evidence that God or Jesus exists any more than unicorns, Santa Claus or magical fairies.

The only supposed evidence for Jesus (as the Messiah) comes from the Bible...much like evidence for Zeus and unicorns comes from Greek mythology. In fact, mythology at least included illustrations and drawings of their fictional beings. Did any of the disciples ever draw a picture of Jesus? Isn't it strange that the only images of Jesus that we have come a thousand years later by painters and sculptors, when he's shown as an Italian guy? Jesus was supposed to have shown himself to about 400 people after rising from the dead. Wow, that's pretty underwhelming to say the least. He could have returned as a huge being over the entire earth, to all peoples. Everyone on earth would have wrote about it, and it would STILL require faith to believe that it happened. But he didn't do this...and even the 400 people didn't write about what they saw. Just the four. In short, using the Bible as evidence for Jesus is like using Hyundai sales material as evidence that they are good cars.

Prayer does not work, yet people delude themselves into thinking that it does. Once the question arises, "Well, let's test it by praying for peace on earth, or food for starving children, etc", an excuse is made. Christians go to their 'safe zone' every time someone wants to test things out. Yet just last night on "The Dog Whisperer", there's a Christian claiming that Jesus answered his prayer for dog help by sending out Caesar Millan. It's really disgusting...this guy thinks Jesus cares about his dog, while children are being raped and murdered in the Sudan. But he thinks this, he truly believes that God sent Caesar for him.

I haven't spent much on this because I'm actually in a discussion on my gaming forum about this very thing. Here's a question I've asked them:

"What would it take for you as a Christian to stop believing in God and Jesus?"

What would your answer to this question be, my Mexican Ape friend?

Of course, there have not been any answers on the forums, because NOTHING can cause you to stop believing. That is why these discussions cannot be undergone in a rational and reasonable way. Atheists can believe anything, we aren't set in our ways at all. We just require evidence before we start believing in unreasonable things that go counter to the evidence we have. My evidence says that people cannot walk on water: Four people claiming that it happened 2000 years ago, and 40 years after the event, is not enough to change this. If this is proof for you, than I suggest you also read about Joseph Smith and the Mormons. They claim miracles that occurred just 150 years ago! Isn't that proof and evidence more reliable?


For the record, there are quite a few things that I can think of which would cause me to seriously consider that God exists. I'll let you know if you're interested.


Gotta go, Big Smooth just walked in.

dan


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Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:00:11 -0700
From: Julio
To: Daniel
Subject: Re: Research Volunteers Needed

Pastor D,
I'm not sure if your last emails were your official response to my novel that I wrote to you and I appreciate the large quantity of questions that you have. I feel that I have answered most of yours as best as I could as we go back and forth. I have yet to receive the answers to the questions that I had for you in my last "lengthy" response, for the sake of discussion I feel its only fair that you answer the questions I have about your "scientifical religion/belief". Is this forthcoming or am I just holding my breath for nothing here.

"For the record, there are quite a few things that I can think of which would cause me to seriously consider that God exists. I'll let you know if you're interested."

Of course I would like to know, this is what were here for to communicate with one another foo'!
Your Playboy Bunny,
Julio