Religion is an organized fear of the dark.
Those who think they've already got it all figured out because it says so in the Bible are generally irrational based on this fear. I find these people will be deliberately obtuse than admit I might have a point.
This guy seems, like others of his ilk, that he's more trying to convince himself of his own beliefs. My god is bigger than your god...
I try to not get i nto with these people, but sometimes I do something stupid and draw them to me.
For instance, I was in a forum where someone jokingly said: "I'll give anyone $200.00 if they can prove Jesus wasn't real."
I replied with a very simple post saying that the reason Jesus is fictional is because he came back from the dead, and I added "And that poo only happens in comic books."
His reply was to create a straw man, insinuating that I'd suggested that comic books proved that Jesus wasn't real.
When I finally got him somewhat straight on what I was saying he offered that maybe there was a physical Jesus, he just never came back from the dead. 'Then He is not the Jesus described in the Bible, and some might even consider your idea heresy.'
After trying to get him to understand that the
idea of the god
is the god, he settled instead on trying to prove the physical existence of Christ, which is an argument that is really beside the point frankly. It shouldn't matter if he physically existed or not...
He eventually went apeshit and threatened to kick my ass both in PMs and in the forum itself when I told him that Jesus was both fictional
and did good things.
So I know where you're coming from Santafer, when you meet a true believer who is beside themselves because you still have questions.
By the by, have you ever had to deal with one of these people in person?
Because
that, my friend, is a whole 'nother animal....
Good post, but always keep in mind that adage about arguing on the Internets and the Special Olympics...