The title of this article comes from a formal debate on June 6, 2019 between Christian apologist Michael Jones and atheist Aron Ra. What was most notable about the debate was that Jones ignored the question.
Problems with the Sermon on the Mount
The so-called “Sermon on the Mount” is widely regarded as Christianity’s most important moral message. It is Jesus at his moral best. Even many atheists are highly impressed with the sermon, as well they should be.
However, there are still problems with it, and there is not a single word in it that even hints at omnibenevolence, moral perfection or divine wisdom. After all is said and done, it is, for the most part, a great message from a fallible human being.
Why Do So Many Christians Hate and Fear the Old Testament?
Christians assert that the Bible is the Word of God. Yet many of them try their best to distance themselves from the First, or “Old’ Testament. They seem to believe that the Old Testament was overruled by the Second or “New” Testament, even though they still claim that Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament teachings. Blatant contradictions are not unusual for theists. However, this one is especially problematic and irrational.
Christian Charity Gets in the Way of Genuine Economic Progress
Conservative Christians relentlessly brag about how much more they give to charity than other religious and secular groups. For purposes of this article, I am not primarily concerned with the findings that show that most of that charity does not find its way to the intended targets. Let’s say for the sake of argument that all of the money goes to the intended recipients.
Conservative Christians are especially generous around Thanksgiving and Christmas. No surprise there. What better way to call attention to your faith than to give money during two of the most popular holidays in the U.S.? Sadly, though, after the holidays are over, conservative Christian giving goes way down and the causes they support fall from the proverbial radar.
Charity is important and it makes the world a better place. I have given to charity throughout most of my life and will continue to do so. But like religious progressives, I understand that charity is simply not enough.
On Biblical Prophecy
Christians are easily impressed by the supposed prophecies of the Bible. They maintain that what makes biblical prophecies unique is that none have failed, and those that have not been fulfilled yet, will be one day. For those reasons, we know that the Bible is inspired by an all-knowing God. However, many of these prophecies have failed. For example, in Isaiah 17:1, the prophet boldly claimed that the destruction of Syria’s capital, Damascus, would soon occur. However, to this day, Damascus still exists.