so you default to some other, even more improbable idea and say, "Viola."

What do stringed instruments have to do with it? Can he say "Violin" instead?

(Sorry, couldn't help picking the nit. It's "Voila.")

Call me close-minded, but am I the only one who looks at the whole text of Scripture, and not just the parts that deal with eternal damnation?

Perhaps your view is being shaped by your preconceived belief in the goodness of the Bible. Has that possibility occurred to you?

Many atheists, including myself, have read the Bible and came away less convinced of Christianity, not more. In fact, sitting down and reading the Bible is a very common factor in starting ex-Christians on the road to atheism. As I wrote in "A Book of Blood":

In reality, God as depicted in scripture is a very different being. The verses extolling his love and mercy are far outnumbered by those that depict him as a cruel, wrathful, warlike tyrant, swift to exact terrible revenge for even minor acts of disobedience. The few verses in the Bible such as the ones cited above are islands in an sea of blood, death, and destruction - both commanded by God and committed by him directly.

See also my post "The Bible Is Not a Book of Love".

And why does everyone fail to mention all the times that God blessed His people? Why is everyone so quick to point out where God brings punishment upon those who deserve punishment? Why does no one want to talk about the innumerable people who witnessed the miracles of Christ?

Because Christians already emphasize those verses ad nauseam, and most of them are so bathed in that one-sided presentation that they're not even aware that there's another, darker side to the Bible. In juxtaposing this common piece of cloying sentimentality with a more accurate depiction of the Christian god as shown by scripture, I intended to make that contrast clear.

Because, if we're playing a game where we take the Holy Word of God out of context, I can alter His meaning to say just about anything, really.

But, if you're interested in making an actual argument for your point, you really must consider everything that His Word says.

God created man for His Glory. We are created beings. God intended for us to live in His perfection. We couldn't follow through. We are human; we messed up. This separates us from God. And yes, that means eternal separation. Most people would call that Hell.

But (and here's the part you all have skipped over) there's something else that God did to reconcile this separation. In sending Jesus to the earth, God offered His Son as a pure and holy sacrifice, so that this concept of Hell that everyone is so wary of doesn't have to be a reality for anyone. Through Christ Jesus, we can bypass damnation and spend eternity with God.

And why does everyone fail to mention all the times that God blessed His people? Why is everyone so quick to point out where God brings punishment upon those who deserve punishment? Why does no one want to talk about the innumerable people who witnessed the miracles of Christ?

So many Scriptures point to the lovingkindness of God, but none of them get mentioned here. Hrm... why is that?

" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' " Jeremiah 29:11

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." -Romans 8:1

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." -Romans 3:21-24

Obviously, if you look at Scripture objectively, you see a God who, yes, is just to punish, but also loves His creation and wishes to spend eternity with each of us.

As I close, I also want to remind you that God sends no man to Hell; that is a decision that everyone makes for themselves. If you chose to ignore the Gift He sent, His Son, Jesus, then you are ingoring the redeeming power of Christ's blood and, thus, the atonement for your sin. And you have absolutely every right to make that choice; God gave us free will. But you must understand the consequences of every action you make.

So to say that God is unjust is unfounded and narrow-minded; He created a way for each one of us to experience His love and righteousness for all of eternity. Take another look at your copy of God's Word.

Yet God is walking beside him the rest of the time, when he's doing fine and doesn't need God's help.
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Right again! Why would a God step in if his underling is doing fine? As a parent I was willing to let my children fall down and learn but not to the point of playing in traffic.
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So is your version of God just some kind of fair-weather deity, or is it of a God who likes to walk beside people who don't need him for no apparent reason? Or are you just another purveyor of ill thought out, silly God homilies.
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A purveyor of ill thought? Hardly! I don't believe in a God and there is no evidence that one exists. Not having an answer to a question or mystery does not default to the presence of the supernatural.On the contrary I am a purveyor of good news in that I believe man is inherantly good and does not need an eye in the sky in order to do good. Who is the better person, one who does good because he expects to be rewarded in the hereafter or one who does good because it is the right thing to do?
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Comment by: mjjpskeptic | April 29, 2007, 6:09 pm

Brilliant!

Nicogo -- I can almost hear in my head what you're proposing; only I'm hearing the children sing "All things bright and beautiful" while a priest calls out the fire and brimstone stuff.

Matt R -- one resolution to the Problem of Evil as you explain it, is to suppose, for just one brief split-second, that God might actually be fake.

See also the Wikipedia entries for Milgram experiment (obedience to authority) and Stanford prison experiment (effects of situation on behaviour).

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it:

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied: It was during these times I was most proud of you. You stood up like the man you are and needed no help from me.