How about Islam vs. Christianity?

The main point in favor of Christianity is that it is older, but since both are offshoots of an even older religion, this does not seem to hold much weight.

As a Christian, you have to accept that the very different accounts of God in the OT and the NT describes the same God, and you have to maintain a belief in absolute morality, despite the very different ways God commands his followers to behave in the two books.
Christianity also has the trinity with all the problems that brings.
Islam only has one book, and its God stays in character the whole time.
There is no equivalent in Islam to the problems posed by the sacrifice of Jesus.

The point here is, that as a Muslim you only have to bite one bullet; if you believe that Muhammad was the true prophet, the rest is accepted without problems; as Christian there are many things that do not make sense even when we accept a supernatural worldview.
Can we agree that this makes Islam the more likely candidate to be true?

http://rarebible.wordpress.com/2009/...-against-tyre/

Ive sort of skimmed the thread, but am surprised Islam wasnt pulled in.
For a Christian, FSM is alot more comparable to Islam than any other religion. Or maybe the other way around. Islam has sprung from a single person claiming divine knowledge. To the Christian, by definition he was wrong and therefore comparable to the person who thought up FSM.
Does the Christian element have a problem with this logic?

The problem with judaism/christianity/islam comparisons is that each new religion considers their god to be the same as the one before, just with updates. If you validate the latter one, you by proxy validate the former.

its a fair point, but i think the purpose of this exercise is to get Christians to consider the possibility that they may be wrong. Not necessarily wrong that a God exists, or that God is the Abrahamic God, but that they are wrong in the details.

I can not think of a good reason why Islam, Mormonism, 7DA, JW, or whatever Abrahamic religion you want to name, is more likely than another.

Are you disputing that that prophecy came true?

Now you're being anal so let's be even more anal.

That Tyre will not be rebuilt is referring to certain sections of the city that now til this day are just places for fishermen to rest their nets:

http://returnnow.org/2008/01/18/bibl...ction-of-tyre/

Fixed my post. I left out the word blood.

Haemolacria: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haemolacria

One eye doctor claims weeping blood tears can be caused by deep emotional trauma and/or a head injury:
http://www.articlealley.com/article_1297972_51.html

no.

thats not what the prophesy says at all.

btw, did you even read the link you posted? including the comments?

Well if you dont expect us to say its more likely i take back what i said. But there are a lot of Christians who would jump on a statement form an atheist if they said Christianity and the FSM are equally likely.

Alright.

I don't personify God as evil. I think if there is a God he would most likely be good, but i can't really know for sure.

What i do do is read a book and form that book characterize the God of that book as immoral. I also think the Greek, Mayan, Norse and most other Gods i have read about are immoral in one way or another.



You seem to be saying atheists shouldn't compare and contrasts or think about what Gods characteristics might be based on the kind of atheist you would be. Sorry but thats not the way it works. I think there could be A God. Not only that i like to think about what God would be like and what versions of he/she/it would be more or less likely.

I would say the best arguement in support of Christianity is how much more threatened by it the athiests are than they are by all other religions combined. Now I realize illustrations from the New Testament are worthless to this crowd, but note how all the demons know immediately of Jesus' divine nature and freak.

I think this fear/intense hatred of something they mock as meaningless shows just how real God is even to their own subconsious (cant spell obv)

whatever helps you sleep at night

FYP

That utility is greater than truth is the greater truth.

Im not a christian and I do not believe in god. I do however believe in the belief of (a) god. Whether that god is you or someone looking out for you is mostly irrelevant.

It's not God we fear. It's his followers.

No.... we've covered that area already.
I'm saying "if I were an atheist".... that's how I would tackle that subject.
The only atheist that I know really well takes that stance also... to him... if you believe in God or a god.... great. I've never heard him try to demean any religion or make any statements about how immoral he thinks the God of the Bible is.... just simply "I don't believe any god exists".

It might have something to do with Christianity affecting some atheists more then all other religions combined.


Yes i am fearful of God and Jesus because i am a demon.

You say you fear His followers, but what you really fear is our inability to follow Christ's example. The man Jesus of Nazareth was someone we all, believers and non, would have liked as a neighbor. Ill be the first to admit that I am a poor reflection of Christ. Its not my following of His example you dont like, its my misapplication of His teachings. The fact that I and others are poor followers does not change the Truth.

Just like people who bomb embassies and fly planes into buildings shouldnt define Muslims neither should abortion clinic bombers or Ralph Reed define Christians.

batair,

obv not calling anyone a demon and please expound on how Christianity is affecting you more than other religions.

Reasons to fear Christians:

1. The Bible
2. People, on average, are gullible and easily manipulated
3. The Bible

I dont believe in God. I think there is a possibility for God.

Thats fine.

But when i read a book i make judgments about the characters. I cant help it.



It wasn't that obvious to me, but its all good.

As far as why Christianity affects me more than other religious. I live in the US.

No worries.

Let's you and me make a pact to each other.

I won't try to persuade you to believe and you don't try to dissuade me from believing.



Friends?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...29&version=NIV

Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."

I cant make no promises. Still bff though.

Damn you heathen !

Yep.

It's anal to point out that Tyre still exists, despite the prophecy that it would be destroyed and never rebuilt?

Certain sections? What are you talking about?

It shows that sections of the city will only be fit for fish nets to be spread and that is in accordance with the prophecy.

But then as a skeptic you're most likely determined to dismiss probability.

There is such a thing as hyperbolic excess of language and the probability is astronomical against even 1 or 2 points matching identically on a prophecy to say nothing of as many as the poster above listed.

http://www.tektonics.org/uz/zeketyre.html