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If you can get the cause, you don't need the effect.
Suppose God grants you an exclusive interview with Him to discuss the Flood.
What are you going to ask Him?
But the problem is that if you have something in the supernatural, then you need to use the supernatural to verify it. But this relies on the supernatural to exist in teh first place. If it does not exist, then there's no way to verify it.If it is something in the natural world, you do use natural means to look at evidence. Not sure what such a simple and obvious concept launches you into word game mode.
But if you don't know how to program a computer, being told to program the computer is not going to help you, is it?Well, you would not pay a psychic to program it would you?
Being told to do something that you don't know how to do doesn't help, that's the point I am trying to make.A piano is physical and needs to be operated accordingly. What does that have to do with the creation of the world by God? You would not bang on piano keys to find out how He did it. Just like you would not look at a rock to find out how He did it.
And there you are starting from the assumption that the supernatural is real. Just like I said earlier.Not applicable to creation. Whatever He did in making the universe exist with a word is not testable by natural science
Notice that big IF in your argument there?Except if that rock was here at creation 6000 years ago, the ratios in any part of the rock do not matter. They were all there when the rock came to exist. (assuming that rock was there at creation. All natural science can do is look at the various isotope ratios in a rock and how they undergo a decay process. That has zero connection to How or when God created them. You just try to grasp at straws and grasp at the processes going on now, as if they are what brought the rock into being! That is not verifying anything except that the way God created things now works a certain way.
And there you are starting from the assumption that the supernatural is real. Just like I said earlier.Unless the rock was made after creation, which was something like 6000 years ago, then none of what you say applies. If a pattern of more or less isotopes of a certain kind exist in a rock, and each are undergoing processes, that does not mean the top part created the lower part or etc!
And there you are starting from the assumption that the supernatural is real. Just like I said earlier.No. It shows it is uselessly bad. It is just an exercise to say the rock formed it's little self and was not created by God. You see if that rock was created, it came to exist as is more or less 6000 years ago.
You do not understand how radiometric dating works. You are completely wrong about it, and I do not think you understand enough science to be able to understand an explanation of it.No. You just do not learn from your mistakes and do not even know you are making mistakes. The ratios are not dates! They only would/could/should/we believe be dates IF the rock was not created. That says nothing, except you choose to view a created rock as NOT created!
Except it is testable and the tests show that it is accurate.Declaring the created ratios in a created rock to have actually come to exist BY the natural processes going on is absolutely nothing more than a statement of faith.
Do you not understand what a HYPOTHETICAL is?Except you gave no actual example. No link. No support. You might be thinking of a formation like the grand canyon where the layers consist of different isotope ratios with more daughter material lower down or some such?
IF so, then, no. Sorry! Let's just use an example where we say that the area that got (some say quickly) carved out was laid down in creation week. Let's say that when God created the world, over the hours involved (or minutes or seconds or whatever it was that day) that each layer ended up with different ratios! Or, possibly we might add the day where He separated the water from land and there was massive movements and changes in the planet. There also, possibly a difference in ratios of various layers could have happened. Bottom line is that we do not know all that the creation itself, and subsequent forming and finishing and separating happened! The end result though, was the layers in this example, came to exist as they are! (later having a giant canyon carved out in them)
Obviously there is no need for anyone to claim that the different layers and ratios occurred 'naturally' over great time. Such declarations are just ways to insult and explain away creation and God.
There is plenty of falsifiable claims.In the example of the Grand Canyon, the only prediction from science is that the various layers will have different ratios (that they mistakenly associated with ages) in them. Nothing is falsifiable about that regarding whether the rocks were actually created or not! Testing the layers and verifying that there are different ratios in them does NOT mean they got there by natural processes!
Yes we verified it billions of times. Every which way except the natural only. Don't blame us if you want to use nothing but the natural.But the problem is that if you have something in the supernatural, then you need to use the supernatural to verify it. But this relies on the supernatural to exist in teh first place. If it does not exist, then there's no way to verify it.
You cannot use the supernatural so how do you propose using it to verify something? Wisdom is justified of her children. We verify Him every day. History verifies it by fulfilled prophesy. Answered prayer verifies Him. Miracles for some prove there is more than the natural world. Hundreds of people saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. The gospel writers knew Him, and some were friends and family. The supernatural is not an assumption but a fact of life and history for most of the world. You don't get to wave it all away because it is not natural and then demand that the only criteria for 'verification' is the physical and natural only. God does not cast His proof pearls before swine. Nor does He move and work through natural science exclusively (if at all)Let me put it another way:
I can't use Star Trek to verify something from Star Trek. That would mean I could verify that Klingons are real, yet clearly this is ludicrous.
Likewise, using the supernatural to verify supernatural evidence is also ludicrous, because it starts from the assumption that the supernatural is real.
If you don't know a rock was created with ratios intact, then dating it by the ratios older than it's creation is not going to help you is it?But if you don't know how to program a computer, being told to program the computer is not going to help you, is it?
And if that thing was to explain the minutia of how God created the universe with a word in a day, no, it would not help me, you, or natural science to do soIf I say to you, "Truthpls, just do the thing," and you say, "But I don't know how to do the thing," it won't help you at all if I say, "It doesn't matter if you don't know how to do the thing, just do the thing!"
You assume it isn't. Then you set up the natural only criteria to 'verify' everything. Just admit science can't verify anything outside it's little scope of abilities and jurisdiction. Sorry if you imagined that it's jurisdiction included knowing where the universe came from and how. No. Science at best can tell us a bit about how it currently works.And there you are starting from the assumption that the supernatural is real. Just like I said earlier.
Don't we all? The way to show that God is is to get our hearts right with Him and ask. For the poor naturalonlyists they have no possible way of knowing by their own little wisdom. As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His wisdom above natural only science's.Notice that big IF in your argument there?
You need to show that the IF is an IS.
The attribution of the existence of rocks to the current processes in the rocks is wrong because all you have done is decided that was true and the way to explain creationAll you are doing is saying, "It is wrong because it disagrees with what I have already decided is true."
I suggest it is not I with that particular challenge. I know you act like you do and talk a big talk. However, we have seen no real nitty gritty understanding demonstrated here yet from you on that score.You do not understand how radiometric dating works. You are completely wrong about it, and I do not think you understand enough science to be able to understand an explanation of it.
All that is accurate is that the ratios exist in the rock and processes. Why and for how long etc is all in the realm of speculation and belief.Except it is testable and the tests show that it is accurate.
I agree. How much younger is the question! Could it be milliseconds in the hour of creation that caused the ratios? Or maybe acts of the creator in creation week in separating the land and waters? etc. Who could know?But there are plenty of places all over the world where rocks higher in the geologic column date to younger than those rocks below them.
If you interpreted the ratios that were there at creation as 'dates' you might have a point. Sorry, they are different ratios, not so much older by any great time.There is plenty of falsifiable claims.
If the rocks at the top date to be OLDER than the rocks underneath them, then that would falsify it just fine.
It has never been verified once.Yes we verified it billions of times.
God already talked with who He Chose about the FLOOD. So if there was another "interview" it would not be exclusive.
Also, if God granted information/revelation to someone, He might not talk with an unbeliever. See in Scripture the ones who pray who God Says He does not even hear their prayers.
Define 'independently verified'? Something tells me that really mean 'natural only stamped checked and approved' That means in plain English that 'you have no possible chance of verifying' That is exactly how science wants to treat believers and God and history. The poor sods think they are the world's only arbiters of what can be accepted as real. So the first lifeform is in. The big bang is in. Man's evolutionary ascent from animals is in. String theory alternate universes are in. God is out. Heaven is out. Eternal life is out. Miracles are out. Spirits are out. Historical supernatural occurrences are out. The bible is out...etc.It has never been verified once.
If you disagree, please show me a way in which it can be independently verified. That is, show me a way of checking it such that every person reaches the same conclusion about it.
"Independently verifiable" means someone else can come and examine the same thing you have examined and they reach the same conclusions.Define 'independently verified'?
That is true for almost any belief system. If I say that most bible prophesy is not history, millions of people can examine, and have examined that and agree."Independently verifiable" means someone else can come and examine the same thing you have examined and they reach the same conclusions.
That applies to a physical object. We cannot measure the first lifeform claimed by science. We cannot measure what it was like before the claimed big bang that science preaches. WE can no more speak about what that pre big bang was like than we could speak about the universe before anything existed here and God created it.For example, if there is a flagpole, you can measure the height of that flagpole.
Someone else can come and measure the height of the flagpole as well.
But you and the other person will reach the same result. It doesn't matter if you use the same method as the other person or if you each use a different method. You will still get the same result.
How do you define 'independent'? Do you mean verified by people who cannot see the supernatural and don't believe in it and have no ability to deal with it?Again, I will ask you to show me how the supernatural has been independently verified.
If you would like to have a discussion about Biblical prophecy and whether it is valid or not, please start a thread and tag me in it, and I will respond.That is true for almost any belief system. If I say that most bible prophesy is not history, millions of people can examine, and have examined that and agree.
No, it applies to EVERYTHING.That applies to a physical object. We cannot measure the first lifeform claimed by science. We cannot measure what it was like before the claimed big bang that science preaches. WE can no more speak about what that pre big bang was like than we could speak about the universe before anything existed here and God created it.
Here's your problem...How do you define 'independent'? Do you mean verified by people who cannot see the supernatural and don't believe in it and have no ability to deal with it?
The prophesy of a virgin conceiving and giving birth to Messiah was spoken by Isaiah. It was independently verified long after his death by many many people.
Moses saw God write the commandments on tables of stone. No one else was there to see it. Yet billions have heralded the wisdom and value of that writing.
Thanks, but I see little to discuss about most of the bible prophesies that are not history. The apostles did offer a lot of old testament prophesy that was fulfilled, and I think you would want to overrule them? Ha.If you would like to have a discussion about Biblical prophecy and whether it is valid or not, please start a thread and tag me in it, and I will respond.
No. It applies only where it applies. If you want to verify that a spirit did something, we would not pay a banker to verify it. Nor would we hire science. Give unto the natural what is the natural's and give onto God what is God's . Verify things natural with natural science. Verify things of the spirit with someone else. Your idea that one size fit all was false.No, it applies to EVERYTHING.
If there is a claim, then we can check to see if what is required for that claim is real.
Science counts out all that is not natural, that way they can keep God out of their knowledge. God invites all to come to Him and be made spiritually alive and aware and knowledgeable. Those who do not come, like natural only loving science devotees cannot blame Him for counting them out!Here's your problem...
You make excuses as to why you can count people out. That way, you can justify only keep the people who agree with you.
I hold the position that Biblical prophecy is not accurate, since the prophecy may have been added after the fact, the event that allegedly fulfilled it may have been invented, any number of reasons. If you want to discuss Biblical prophecy then start a new thread and I will be happy to discuss it there. If you do NOT want to discuss Biblical prophecy, please do not bring it up in this thread, since I am NOT going to accept prophecies which I consider unreliable as evidence for your claims.Thanks, but I see little to discuss about most of the bible prophesies that are not history. The apostles did offer a lot of old testament prophesy that was fulfilled, and I think you would want to overrule them? Ha.
You need to verify that spirits are real before you start claiming they did things.No. It applies only where it applies. If you want to verify that a spirit did something, we would not pay a banker to verify it. Nor would we hire science. Give unto the natural what is the natural's and give onto God what is God's . Verify things natural with natural science. Verify things of the spirit with someone else. Your idea that one size fit all was false.
Now you are deliberately misrepresenting my position.Science counts out all that is not natural, that way they can keep God out of their knowledge. God invites all to come to Him and be made spiritually alive and aware and knowledgeable. Those who do not come, like natural only loving science devotees cannot blame Him for counting them out!
Useless speculation with no support.I hold the position that Biblical prophecy is not accurate, since the prophecy may have been added after the fact, the event that allegedly fulfilled it may have been invented, any number of reasons.
No one said you would but you screamed for evidence of the supernatural. I mentioned some like fulfilled prophesy. You can disbelieve all you like, but they are evidence. Period. Evidence does not depend on you voting it be evidence or not.If you want to discuss Biblical prophecy then start a new thread and I will be happy to discuss it there. If you do NOT want to discuss Biblical prophecy, please do not bring it up in this thread, since I am NOT going to accept prophecies which I consider unreliable as evidence for your claims.
You need to verify they are not, despite most of the world knowing they are if you start claiming there is nothing but the natural. Spirits are real. God is a spirit. Angels have been witnessed. You cannot dispute it. All you can do is admit you don't know.You need to verify that spirits are real before you start claiming they did things.
Prove there is no God? He already proved there is. You have no way to prove anything why act as if you do? Did you really think that because you personally reject certain realities, that they suddenly go away? That seems a bit like the ostrich philosophy.So start there. Prove that spirits are real.
Say it all you like it is ridiculous and not true. Science does not accept the supernatural because it insisted on natural only verification! They can sit there in the dark room and pretend that there is no world or solar system outside if they want to. They cannot verify ,touch, see, feel, smell, taste, or touch the supernatural, so they have no power, ability, or authority or right to speak about it. When they sit there in that room looking at processes in a rock and claiming that tells them where the universe came from and man, that is foolishness. Nothing but a rejection of God and blasphemy.Now you are deliberately misrepresenting my position.
I have told you MANY times that science accepts ANYTHING that can be independently verified.
The scientific position is that they are crippled, blind and dumb and deaf to all spiritual things. No one in their right mind could question that fact. Be honestIf you are going to ignore what I say and continually misrepresent the scientific position, then you are not having a discussion in good faith or being hoinest.
Again, I will ask you to show me how the supernatural has been independently verified.
Start a thread about it and I'll be happy to go into more detail.Useless speculation with no support.
I find prophecies to be virtually useless as evidence.No one said you would but you screamed for evidence of the supernatural. I mentioned some like fulfilled prophesy. You can disbelieve all you like, but they are evidence. Period. Evidence does not depend on you voting it be evidence or not.
Stop trying to shift the burden of proof.You need to verify they are not, despite most of the world knowing they are if you start claiming there is nothing but the natural. Spirits are real. God is a spirit. Angels have been witnessed. You cannot dispute it. All you can do is admit you don't know.
I didn't say God, I said Spirits.Prove there is no God? He already proved there is. You have no way to prove anything why act as if you do? Did you really think that because you personally reject certain realities, that they suddenly go away? That seems a bit like the ostrich philosophy.
You don't understand science.Say it all you like it is ridiculous and not true.
Why do you keep ignoring what I say? There's no point in trying to have a discussion with you if you are just going to dismiss everything that I say .Science does not accept the supernatural because it insisted on natural only verification!
A quick Google search led me to a series of videos where an atheist went through and discusses the whole book. Here's the first video:For honest students and seekers and researchers only, the reference below.
For dishonest persons anywhere, forget it
"For more than forty years, the book Evidence That Demands a Verdict (be aware it takes 3 months or more)
has convinced skeptics of the Bible's reliability, helped believers articulate their faith, and given them the vital facts they need to defend God's Word and lead others to faith in Jesus.
...... ........
This study is for anyone who has ever been stumped by arguments against Christianity or the Bible—or has wondered for themselves if the Bible's depiction of Jesus is true and not just a made-up fairytale."
If you can show that a prophecy meets these conditions, I'll accept it.
If I thought it wasn't already settled long ago I might look at thatStart a thread about it and I'll be happy to go into more detail.
Woulda coulda shoulda In most cases that is not even a possibilityBut until then, it's a bit rich for you to arbitrarily claim my position is unsupportable if you refuse to have a discussion about why I hold that position.
I find prophecies to be virtually useless as evidence.
- The prophecy can be written AFTER the event that fulfilled it.
Being born in Israel, in a tiny town of a virgin is specific. Being betrayed for 30 pieces of silver and then casting the silver to a certain specific place is specific. Having Jesus be here 490 years after a specific proclamation is specific. Rising from the dead is specific. Being buried in a rich man's tomb is specific...etc.
- Prophecies are also often vague, so that lots of things can be interpreted to be the fulfillment of them.
Yeah right, a virgin might decide to give birth in Bethlehem and flee to Egypt just to make the bible real. People could mosey on down to Jerusalem to destroy the temple that took 80 years to build with huge stones and not leave one stone standing on another just for kicks to make the bible look good...etc
- The prophecies can be about things that are likely to happen.
- The alleged fulfilment of the prophecy could have been embellished to make it fit the prophecy.
- The alleged event that fulfilled the prophecy might not actually have happened.
- The event to fulfil the prophecy could have been done by someone aware of the prophecy who wanted to make it come true.
A virgin is not likely to give birth to God with us. A man is not likely to run around healing the deaf and blind and healing all manner of diseases.Can you show that Biblical prophecy commits none of these errors?
Here's some guidelines I found on another discussion site about prophecies:
- The prophecy must not be about something that is likely to happen anyway.
Scripture is always wrestled by unbelievers, they told Jesus He was possessed.
- Where we have verified that the prophecy was written prior to the event that fulfilled it.
- Where we have verified that the event that fulfilled it really took place in a way that fulfilled the prophecy.
- The the fulfilling event was not done by someone simply to make the prophecy come true.
- The prophecy is specific and is not open to interpretation.
Fulfilled prophesy proves it.If you can show that a prophecy meets these conditions, I'll accept it.
Stop trying to shift the burden of proof.
You said, "The supernatural exists."
I said, "Prove it."
In the case of those claiming to tell us where we came from using only that natural, yes, they should show that there is nothing else.You can't turn around and say, "Prove it doesn't." You are the one who made the claim, you are the one who must support it.
He is a spiritI didn't say God, I said Spirits.
Yes I sure do. Science doesn't understand creation.You don't understand science.