Common Atheists' Myths

http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/atheists_myths.html ^

[truthfinder9]

Introduction

I know that Christians are supposed to be the ones who believe a lot of myths. However, the vast majority of atheists believe myths such as religion is the primary cause of wars, and the vast amount of atrocities have been caused by religious people, the Bible has been vastly changed over the centuries, Paul invented Christianity, and the list goes on and on. Find your favorite myth below and read the article so that you won't embarrass yourself in the future.

Atheists' Myths

• Atheists have Proven God Does Not Exist. Right? - Only if that god is not the God of the Bible
• Religion is the Cause of All (Most) of the World's Problems - Religion is not even close to being the leading cause suffering in the world. In fact, atheists have been responsible for most of it within the last 100 years.
• Are Most Wars the Result of Religious Belief? - Religion is implicated in less than 7% of all wars over the entire written history of mankind.
• Is Christianity a Made-up Myth Written by the Disciples? - Now really - would the disciples write about all their shortcomings, make the Christian church into a female, design heaven with no sex in it, and say that they were going to be married to Jesus in heaven? I don't know about you guys, but this is not what I would have written if I had made up the Bible!
• Paul Invented Christianity? Is the Founder of the Christian Religion Paul of Tarsus or Jesus of Nazareth? All Paul's core teachings were also taught by Jesus and the disciples, and are even found in the Old Testament.
• Misquoting Jesus: Does Bart Erhman Prove the New Testament is Corrupt? - Contrary to Erhman's claims, the New Testament canon was established in the early second century, and scribal errors/changes did not affect any significant Christian doctrine.
• The Christian Church Was Never Really Persecuted - Were all the reported persecutions of Christians were made up by the Christian church?
• The Bible Has Been Changed Over the Centuries From the Original? - Sorry, the manuscript evidence doesn't support this idea at all.
• Jesus Christ as God and the Trinity Was Not Invented Until the Fourth Century? Contrary to the claims of The Da Vinci Code, even secular sources indicate that Christians worshipped Jesus Christ as God no later than 113 A.D.
• This Joyful Eastertide: A Critical Review of The Empty Tomb (2006) - Has the resurrection been proven false? )
• The Universe Just Happened Without Any Need For a Designer - For all those who expect to win at lotto!
• There is No Evidence For the Fine Tuning of the Universe - The cosmological constant (dark energy) shows this belief to be false
• "The Lost Tomb of Jesus": Have the Bones of Jesus Christ Been Found? Only if Jesus had his ossuary inscribed when He was 2 years old!
• Omnipotence is Logically Impossible? Atheists attempt to define God out of existence through illogical arguments
• The Universe is Eternal - Contrary to atheist's claims, the majority of scientists state as fact that the universe had a beginning.
• Only Stupid People Believe in God - A large number of famous scientists believed in God, many being devout Christians
• The Roman Catholic Church's Condom Policy is Responsible For the Spread of HIV and the AIDS Crisis in Africa - Actually, HIV infection rates are lower in Catholic-dominated countries!
• The Myth of the Flat Earth by Jeffrey Burton Russell - The "history" that Christians taught a flat earth was not invented until the 19th century. (off site)
• People are Basically Good - Proof to the Contrary
• Jesus didn't really die on the Cross? - The old swoon theory doesn't hold up to historical/medical reality.
• Hitler was a Christian? - This seems like a no brainer, but there are free-thinkers who think he was. (off site)
• Jesus and Adolf Hitler - The new (and improved?) German Jesus (off site)
• Are Atheists and Theists Morally Equivalent? Aren't atheists morally superior to theists?
• Atheism Doesn't Lead to Immoral Behavior - Or Does It? In theory it doesn't, but in practice...
• Atheism and Humanism Provide Hope for the Future - The ultimate "hope" of atheism is eternal entropy as the universe loses all ability to perform work, and all life, consciousness, and knowledge is eternally destroyed.
• The Bible Teaches a Flat Earth Covered by a Solid Dome
• Teaching Religion to Children is a Form of Child Abuse? Dawkins's hypothesis is falsified.
• BLOODLINE: Serious Documentary or Hollywood Hoax? - by Gordon Franz MA
• Debunking Dawkins: The God Delusion
  • Debunking Dawkins: The God Delusion Chapter 1: A deeply religious non believer - Deception, lies, and misrepresentations.
  • Debunking Dawkins: The God Delusion Chapter 2: The God Hypothesis - Failure to support debunked assertions, quoting out-of-context, and a desire to escape moral accountability.
  • Debunking Dawkins: The God Delusion Chapter 4: Why There Almost Certainly Is No God - Richard Dawkins' Ultimate Boeing 747 argument is shown to be formally fallacious.
• The Universe Just Created Itself Out of Nothing - Why Stephen Hawking is wrong about God not creating the universe.
• Book Review: The Moral Landscape by Sam Harris - Sam Harris claims that science can determine human values, but just resorts to ranting about religion.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

More Answers

• Answers for Atheists and Agnostics
  • Criticisms of God's Character from Atheists and Agnostics
  • Criticisms of God on the Basis of the Existence of Evil and Suffering
  • Religion is Stupid
  • Bad Christians
  • Bible and Science Criticisms
  • Answers to Bible Contradictions
  • Skeptics' Objections to Christianity
  • No Evidence of the Supernatural?

[James C. Bennett]

I’ve seen that movie, it avoids Christian scripture rather than answer.

In your words, from what you've read, what is the answer?

Kosta50 and I have discussed this on many other threads, and haven't found any convincing justification for, say, 1 Samuel 15:3, where the children are ordered to be slaughtered. Almost all the time, the result is an Islam-style cop-out claiming "divine will" or something to that distortion.

[caww]

if God exists, He will either someday reveal himself to me, or, He won't.

Have you asked Him to reveal Himself and His truth? That would be a good place to start...doesn't matter if you believe now or not but what do you have to loose by going directly to the one everybody agues about? If He really is you have everything to gain...if not...well again nothing to loose.

[Allen In Texas Hill Country]

I too am on board with “Desiderada”.

[caww]

the Golden Rule has arisen amongst disparate cultures all over the world. It has risen because it's root is in God's word. His word does not go out void or empty but accomplishes what He sets it out to do.

In Christianity our life is IN Christ and for that our enternal security is assured. Though we are intradependant with our fellow man, our life is not dependant on mankinds advancement nor it's social structure. Rather on the relationship we have with Him as He is the giver of life and as much the one we seek concerning the decisions and paths of life we follow.

.... This often does involve our fellow man as our God loves to use people to bring about His will. But He does not need people...He can and does move in this world and among people as well without their co-operation.

Christianity serves a risen Christ...not a departed God or Gods....Our God is alive and well with many proofs that He is Lord of Lords and King over all kings as well as the earht and Heavens. He does not stoop to "other Gods" which men seek and worship...who have departed this earth and only a manmade idol of them remains.

[Allen In Texas Hill Country]

Atheists are aware that religious people in general have real advantages in optimism, success, health, life span, family, and happiness.
*********************************************************
There’s that piousness again. Holier than thou.

In this discussion I see/read several atheist making constructive statements of religion. Not all but some/several, me included. But from the religious you get,,,,, atheist cannot have “optimism, success, health, life span, family, and happiness”. Garbage!!! I’ll stop typing now before................

[James C. Bennett]

You must try and debate with Blasater1960, an Orthodox Jewish FReeper:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2642026/posts?page=84#84

[James C. Bennett]

This was the link that should have appeared earlier:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2637122/posts?page=21#21

Or, more generally:

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:blasater1960/index?more=73519679

[MHGinTN]

GOD IS, and He is a rewarder of those who dilligently seek Him. Be sure that GOD knows whom you are and if you seek Him, He will respond to that seeking for He already knows where you are.

[caww]

And your reason for diverting this conversation? I will assume you care not to take it further...perhaps you do not have an opinion concerning Christianity.

[James C. Bennett]

It’s not a diversion - it’s a link that allows me to avoid repeating something over and over again. If you want help in identifying the continuation, I’d ask this: how would you refute Blasater1960’s arguments? He directly challenges what you’d replied earlier, and from following his posts here on FR, no one so far has managed to challenge him on those (one person, in fact went so far as to call him a minion of Satan, or something to that feeble and hilarious effect, to avoid making a logical case).

His arguments often go unanswered, because they do not have anything to argue with that he doesn’t shred apart, completely based on the scriptures that you speak of.

[James C. Bennett]

Though we are intradependant with our fellow man, our life is not dependant on mankind[']s advancement nor it's social structure.

You contradict yourself here, not to mention how wrong the statement is. Without the immediate society you're part of, you're nothing. How many solitary individuals do you know of? How many solitary families do you know of? What technologies do you use every day?

[caww]

One of the problems with the main speaker in that film is he did not ask the right questions....Just how bad and depraved were the people at that time? We are quick to forget that God had looked down on man and determined mans every thought led to evil. If one has not considered how depraved man is without God... and the absolute brutality man can do against his own as well as toward God, then He will not have an understanding of why God could take out those nations......

As for the children...God can and does take little children out of destructive situations which will harm their delicate soul..and if it means by death then that is a relief for those children for they will be immediately in his presence...but he never intended their life would be so full of such evil perpetrated by parents as well as leaders.

The world had and was becoming more and more vile as tribes and nations departed from the living God and designed their own pagan Gods...and they were teaching their children in direct opposition to God. He spared these children by taking them home to Himself. Which for a time God tolerated...just as he has in this country. But when evil escalates more and more God will take it out..and we should anticipate this is so for He is a also a God of Justice and His Judgment's are always right. Another important fact to consider is there is a battle between God and satan...in the heavenly realmns which we see eidence of being played out here on earth. Satan knows he cannot harm God as he would like...but he can hurt God by his attacks on mankind. Thus we see men become anything but good and right when they have departed from God.

[caww]

I did not say we are nothing apart from our society...you did. I said we are ‘intra’dependent...meaning we do have a choice to be a part of society or not. The point is you are implying that man can live without God...I am saying that man cannot even breath apart from God...whether He acknowleges that or not..God blesses who he will and it is not dependent on man believing..rather on the very goodness of God toward man.

[James C. Bennett]

As for the children...God can and does take little children out of destructive situations which will harm their delicate soul..and if it means by death then that is a relief for those children for they will be immediately in his presence...but he never intended their life would be so full of such evil perpetrated by parents as well as leaders.

See, this right here is the problem. There's a difference between a deity taking away the lives of innocent children, and people doing it in the name of the deity, based on the orders of a "prophet". Additionally, the video mentions the part about how a child was made to suffer mercilessly for seven days (David and Bathsheba's child: 5:04 in the video above), writhing in pain, with no recourse, and ultimately dying. What was the purpose of this merciless death? To prevent it from committing sin when it grew up? Is that even an argument?!!

[James C. Bennett]

I said we are ‘intra’dependent...meaning we do have a choice to be a part of society or not.

Do you, really? I didn't mean just 'a society'. I meant any society. Can you truly survive without the security provided by your fellow men?

What I implied was that man cannot live without society at the level of success that he enjoys today, as a species. Wherever you are, the operating rule is that if you aren't part of a society that is benevolent towards your existence within it, you won't survive for very long, much less go on to reproduce and have a survivable population of descendants.

[Reeses]

But from the religious you get,,,,, atheist cannot have “optimism, success, health, life span, family, and happiness”. Garbage!!!

I didn't say atheists cannot have these things, just that the religious have competitive advantages. I'm not a religious person myself but I wish I was because the advantages are many and real. The human evolutionary purpose of religion is it provides a competitive advantage during tribal warfare. Based on archaeological evidence of religious items, the first tribe to discover religion was the tribe that wiped out all the other competing tribes and spread around the globe. In war, sports, and life in general, believing that God is on your side improves your optimism and ultimately your success. Out of envy, leftist atheists wish to spoil and destroy these religious advantages. An accusation of envy that results in an angry response is evidence of a direct hit.

[caww]

I read his post as well as those he referenced who are affiliated with...’The Messiah Truth Project’, which is a organization established to combat missionary techniques of evangelical Christian denominations and the Messianic Jews... which they state on their site.

Many of the comments he made were just that...comments..such as this or that isn't true..without giving concrete scriptures in which others could debate. Though he referenced the Torah he did not explain the contents in how he see these...rather just thru them out there...making claims this or that Rabbi stated so and so.

Since the organization from which he posted..is opposed to Christ and His Missionaries, as well as those Jews who have recognized Christ as Messiah,....it should not be surprising he argues from the organizations perspective as it would appear he adheres to their stance.

I recognize the Jewish peoples blindness to the truth has been for the benefit of all non-Jews who do see Christ as the Savior. So of course their Rabbi's will oppose the Christian faith, as they did in the beginning of Christ's mission. Just as Jesus did not spend much time arguing with the Jewish Religious Leaders then might be why posters have opted out of debating with them as well...... I'm not interested either for they are those who do just as the Religious leaders did when Christ walked among us...they are Anti-Christ...they oppose Christ in every way....which is very different than having dialogue with those who are nonbelievers.

[James C. Bennett]

The thing is, if the opposition had a case against his arguments, all they need to do is post verses countering what they’ve posted. I do not think it’s merely ‘opting out’ that they’re doing - they really seem to have nothing to say.

As a third-party observer, could you point out the fallacies in his arguments below, in private, if you don’t want them to be public? I really am curious.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2564632/posts?page=39#39

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2627492/posts?page=20#20

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2594582/posts?page=33#33

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2583537/posts?page=86#86

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2579986/posts?page=57#57

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2579986/posts?page=41#41

And

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2580819/posts?page=3#3

(Exhaustive, I know, but feel free to choose the key points he makes, and let me know how you would refute them.)

[James C. Bennett]

"... all they need to do is post verses countering what they’ve he's posted."

[caww]

It is clear you are sensitive why God allows pain..be it in the lingering death of a young child...or those maimed by war. It is indeed suffering....

Unfortunately we do live in a “fallen” world. There are people who will take life and think nothing about it. “Good” Woman may find themselves pregnant but can justify to themselves, and society, that killing their own baby is not murder...and to our astounishment society agrees with them. If our society really opposed the killing of babies it would have never been permitted let alone encouraged as it is today. And yet here we are. So how can we blame God for this? Millions are now dead because man decided it was right to murder babies...God id not determine this man did.

Sin has results...it affects everyone...the woman who has taken her own childs life has also taken all the generations of children that child might have had and thiers as well. Should God continue to let this go without Judgement? Who today can honestly say out nation is protecting children when we are killing them before they are born.

David and Bathshebas’s child was ill unto death...God uses painful experinces in our life for Good...but He is not the cause of these...no doubt David needed to know you cannot defy God without consequences. David gave God no recourse when He stepped outside the protection of God and sinned. He took a mans life..and for that lost the life of that which was dearest to him.

Fathers today who divorce their wives for other woman suffer greatly in ways they never anticiapated when it comes to their children. Events happen where a father might be protective and could not be because he no longer lives with his children...this rides the mind and heart of men who love their children.

The point is you cannot blame God....He is a just and merciful God ..the fact he tolerates us at all evidences this...but He is also a God of Judgement on that which threatens others and society as a whole...when you remove the constraints of the law and cease to punish those who are lawbreakers...you then allow eil and such to flourish...and some would blame God for that? Man is to blame and none other.