Feel free to include the various genocides committed by God's "Chosen Ones"; but it doesn't change the answer.

How exactly is the God of the Bible merciful when he created hell in the first place? As far as most sane people are concerned, eternal torture is excessive even for Hitler, let alone for everyone. Wouldn't true mercy involve forgiving unconditionally rather than "sacraficing himself to himself in order to save us from rules he created?"

This is a no bullshit zone by the way.

Below is a post form a discussion Vastet and I were having in another thread which we were threatening to seriously derail.

GO!

One thing I've noticed around here is that attempts to discuss ideas about a god that is not omniscient, ompnipotent, and omnibenevolent are met with comments that amont to 'that's not much of a god" or "that's not god". But this seems contradictory. The non-cognitivist positition essentially eviscerates any god with such properties but it seems I am required to "prove" or provide evidence for this god only. But if the logical arguments hold, no such entity exists thus there is no evidence to be found or proof to be offered. So this leads me to ask what

I've decided to end the myth about the First Amendment not allowing The ten commandments in government buildings and Prayer in Schools. First I need you to answer some basic questions that an elementary school student can answer.

1) Is a courthouse Congress?
2) Is any government building Congress?
3) Is posting the Ten Commandments a law?
4) Is praying in Schools a Law?






The answers

1) No
2) No (congress in not a place, it is a group of people)
3) Nope...no laws on the books demanding the 10 commandments being posted.

If life never existed, and never would or could exist, do you believe God would be here in the universe?
And if you say yes, why would he exist if we, or any other forms of life never did, would, or could exist?

I only caught some parts of it. But from what I did see, I was glad to see an Iman who actually spoke out against extremenism and preached peace in his mosque. Personally, I think that if every Iman did this, then we wouldn't have a problem. Anyway, I hope he gets his message across to more and more people.

 I originally heard of the RRS, through the proof of God's existence without faith debate RRS vs the way of the munters

I decided to work out if this was technically possible before the debate took place, and I succeeded I think . in another forum, knowing the way the Internet works this may have cropped up already but just in case it hasn't here it's is 

Fundamental questions that nobody can answer... until now

This answer pre-assumes that what we perceive as reality is reality

Question .... does God (intelligent creator of everything) exist ....... Answer... yes
And here is the proof

The universe in which we live. is an enclosed system.The properties of everything in the universe .. are the properties of the universe and vice versa
There is gravity in the universe .... the universe has gravity...... the universe is gravitational
There is intelligence in the universe .... the universe has intelligence .... the universe is intelligent

Universe = intelligent

Universe = creator (the universes existence has created the opportunity for life ect ect )

Universe = everything

Universe = intelligent creator of everything

God = intelligent creator of everything

Universe = God
God = Universe

The description of intelligent creator of everything. only works from the point where intelligence emerges in the universes existence

Of course you could also use these parameters to prove the universe is a bowl of minestrone. this wouldn't cancel out the above proof it would simply add to it.

Why do religions, which supposedly value the spiritual over the physical, often make such a point of dividing people into male and female?

Christian churches in most cases haven't allowed - and many stil don't allow - women to have important roles in the clergy. Some churches don't even let women speak in mass. Many forms of islam impose strict standards of dress based on gender. On the other side, many wiccans insist that women have more inate magical power than men.

Other wiccans insist that when we reincarnate we always reincarnate as the same sex - how boring is that, I'd like to try being a woman for a lifetime or two.