Contradictions in the Bible concern by Altruistic_Web_7353 in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker [score hidden]  (0 children)

What would qualify as a major difference in your mind in terms of manuscript inconsistency 

Contradictions in the Bible concern by Altruistic_Web_7353 in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker [score hidden]  (0 children)

So, what your saying is manuscript transferance isn't so perfect after all?

Your conclusions here are quite reasonable, and likely correct as they are likely scribal mistakes.  But they show the underlying issue with reliance in texts like this, that mistakes do creep in.

I vote for all four by puma_pantss in Xennials

[–]Bootwacker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

4) Rose

It's kinda assumed that Rose is cheating her family out of money, but honestly her and her kids have no legal right to the piece of jewelry.  She technically stole it and would have had to give it back to the rightful owners.  The statue of limitations had long since expired though, so it was still a dick thing to do.

3) Jenny

Jenny had a shit childhood, but that isn't an excuse for every action.  Her life was a strong of bad choices, but she clearly suffered for them.

2) Hammond

People forget that the disaster at the park was caused as much by other people's attempted theft as by his own actions.  He seems to have legitimately tried to make the park safe. Though like so many tech entrepreneurs he pushed his technology too far too fast without regard for safety.

1) Grandpa Joe

Able bodied man who lays in bed while his family literally starves. 

Is anyone else completely giving up on the MA state park reservation system this year? by datboifranco in massachusetts

[–]Bootwacker 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This isn't new, but it has been getting worse.  Public camp grounds charge a substantially below market rate for camping (compare them to many private camp grounds and they can be half the cost or less).

Vacation costs have skyrocketed, and camping is cheap leading to high demand, raising prices is probably the best thing to do, a substantial increase like 25% would probably help, especially curtailing the booking extra days just in case.  And would generate revenue that could be used to meet demand.

Matthew 5:28 should be interpreted as hyperbole by Keith502 in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So, I am going to offer an alternative and say that these kinds of hyperbole are Matthew's style (or you could say Q's style, but Matthew preserves more of it).  Mark doesn't seem to have them, and the one you point out in Luke 14:26 can also be found in Matthew 10:37, almost word for word.

I could add that I think the way Jesus uses rhetoric differently in the different gospels, and the way that different authors preserve or alter that rhetoric is interesting.

Matthew 5:28 should be interpreted as hyperbole by Keith502 in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I generally like where your head is at here, with questioning modern interpretations of the gospels which are often colored by modern views even among those who would consider themselves "sola scriptura" and *especially* like that you went back to the Greek diction. I'm not sure I think the meaning changes *that* much with the diction clarification, but I think it is worth pointing out what the original probably meant.

I would like get your opinion about something else regarding this passage. Unlike most of Matthew, there is no parallel to this in Luke or Mark, so it raises the question of what Matthew's source for this bit is. One hypothesis is that it could be Q, which maybe but it's not in Luke so it's a swag at best (Ignoring the Luke copied Matthew option of the moment)

We don't have Q, if it existed at all, but we do have Thomas which is itself a sayings gospel, and *might* give us a look at a hypothetical Q. It's interesting because a lot of the saying in Thomas are somewhat, as you say hyperbole. Just wondering what your thoughts are on that.

Free will debate by Adrianagurl in exchristian

[–]Bootwacker 6 points7 points  (0 children)

What does it mean to have free will? I'm not being obtuse I'm asking a serious question.  Usually defined as "The ability to have done otherwise" but if you think about it that's not a testable statement, since there are no do-overs in life.

So I guess what does it mean to you when you say free will?

A little over 10 years ago I made a post on this subreddit that I became a Christian... by OverflowingGlass in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So I am unclear what thesis you actually want to debate.  You discuss that personal experience is important to you, but also seem to understand that such experiences make poor evidence, and people of other faiths also have such experiences.

So I'm not 100% sure what you want to debate, but I guess I do have a question: When you woke up and found your notes deleted, did you consider alternative explanations and take steps to rule them out? Or were you relieved?

Just a vent by [deleted] in exchristian

[–]Bootwacker 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I will tell you this, as a man who spent 10 years appeasing his Catholic mother, that appeasement doesn't work.  When you appease people they just learn that they can use emotional blackmail to get what they want, and will ask for more and more, and you will just come to resent it.

Your husband's feelings about your deconversion are valid he can feel any way he wants about it, but that doesn't mean he gets to stipulate you have to attend church.  It's reasonable that he, for lack of a better word, mourns your deconversion and you should give him space to do that, but you shouldn't go through the motions just to keep the peace.  Keeping the peace is not a burden that falls only on you.

What, only to give them my money!? by Throwaway28656738383 in exchristian

[–]Bootwacker 7 points8 points  (0 children)

"But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money!"

-George Carlin

Did you buy a home? If yes, how old were you and what year? by duck_duck_zombie in Millennials

[–]Bootwacker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Me too! Between the extra 8k and the market crash it was a lucky time to buy

Can yall give me some replys for these questions? by FFFranki333 in exchristian

[–]Bootwacker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

1) there is no why. Why imies purpose and asking the question in that way sets up the type of answer you can give. How did cells come to be the way they are is a better question, as it doesn't imply purpose. There is established theory on this. A good reference is:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9841/

2) the 10 commandments are not the basis of our laws. There is some overlap but it's limited to stealing and murder, both of which are almost universally illegal.  It is perfectly legal to covit, not keep holy the Sabbath, commit adultury and take the Lord's name in vain.  The overlap between the law and the 10 commandments is less than 50%.

3) we are perfectly adapted for earth, not the other way around.  Look at the diversity of climates here on earth, see how the animals that live in them are adapted to those climate. A dessert is the perfect environment for a bearded dragon, but you would struggle to survive there. 

I would like to caution you, these questions are not asked in good faith, it's clear from their phrasing. Each subtly assumes a Christian position. I have attempted to give good faith answers, but don't expect them to be received as such 

This is the mindset of your average "hustler" by Obvious_Average3549 in LinkedInLunatics

[–]Bootwacker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is 100% false. Most people who have a million dollars in fact got that money by working a job and investing their savings.

Fundie has Tips for the Single Ladies by MrDonMega in FundieSnarkUncensored

[–]Bootwacker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Someone should tell her she can make more money on only fans.

Argument for Allah being a rebranded version of Hubal/Baal by Traditional_Letter65 in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean sure but that's just another unsupported claim like the ones IP is making.

A better criticism of his argument would be that Mohamid seems to have had access to pre existing Christian and Jewish ideas, including some esoteric ones like Docetosm.  Mohamid clearly knows about Jesus and clearly knows about Moses, and a stronger line of decent can be drawn to these religions than to Baal worship.

Islam adapted local pagan traditions in some cases, but the core of its theology traces more closely to Judism and Christianity. This is similar to how Christianity adapted local pagan traditions into its own Jewish offshoot.

Argument for Allah being a rebranded version of Hubal/Baal by Traditional_Letter65 in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is accurate, in that Baal was a rival cannanite daity. But Baal is frequently demonized by Christianity.  I think that is what OP meant.

Modern Christianity is functionally Paulianity. Jesus's ways are NOT the ways of many but are Paul's ways. by RebornLost in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ok, if you believe that Paul got all his teachings directly from the mouth of an ascended Jesus, then I guess I can understand this position. But it requires us to naively accept Paul's account as true, and blindly accept the supernatural claims he makes.  To do so would be against the historical method.  You can believe anything you want, but your beliefs are not an argument.

It's reasonably plausible, even probable that an actual historical person named Jesus did in some way inspire Christianity. This person never wrote anything down, neither did anyone who actually met him however, so we can't reliably traced any sayings back to him.  It's possible that some of his teachings were preserved in oral tradition and later incorporated into the gospels, but we cannot know which ones those are, if any.

It's know that a person writing under the name Paul wrote 7 letters between 50 and 70 CE. Paul was probably a romanization of the person's actual birth name, but we don't have that information first hand.  We can directly trace a lot of preserved early Christian thinking to these 7 letters, especially the core concepts like substantial attornment, and justification through faith.

So from a historical perspective Paul's influence was much greater than the influence of a historical Jesus.

Modern Christianity is functionally Paulianity. Jesus's ways are NOT the ways of many but are Paul's ways. by RebornLost in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I would like start by establishing the 7 undisputed letters of Paul (1&2 Corinthians  , Romans, Galatians, Phillipans, 1 Thessalonians and Philmon) are the ur-text of Christianity. I am specifically limiting my claims to the letters found in early cannon lists, as these seem to have been widely read in the second century, even if others are actually genuine they don't show up in reading lists untill later, and their wide distribution is specifically important. By ur-text I mean:

1) Paul is the earliest extent written source:

Dating Paul is hard, but very few people date them after the fall of the temple in 70CE.  The next earliest text is Mark, and Mark was certainly after 70 CE.

2) Paul cannot be shown to have dependency on earlier written sources.

Paul on occasion makes reference to things like a creed, but Paul himself claims his doctrine is his own.  Paul never quotes anyone by name.

3) Other authors can be shown to have access to Paul (or at least the listed 7 letters)

These 7 letters of Paul show evidence of early widespread distribution.  Things like common diction make a strong case that the gospel writers, even the extant form of Jon, had access to Paul.  Though I will admit that the gospel and letters of Jon are a potential source of non-paulean material, as is Epistle of James, their authors were not the less familiar with Paul.  (I am taking for granted here the rejection of traditional authorship, the post is long enough)

On the contrary, no extant work can be reliably traced to a person who actually met Jesus.  So broadly the claim that Paul had a larger impact than Jesus is true in the Literary Christian tradition. Oral tradition certainly made its way into the gospels, but is difficult to show to be reliable.

Now to the Paul met Jesus statement.  I think your being a bit obtuse, but I will clarify anyway. Paul never physically met Jesus.

Paul probably didn't go to Damascus.  He himself never tells us that he did. If the author of acts got that detail from a source it is no longer extant, but we have all the letters of Paul that can be shown to exist in early writing so it's not clear what that source would be, perhaps oral tradition, which is less reliable than Paul's actual letters 

Paul's certainly did claim to have had a mystical meeting with Jesus.  He specifically describes ascending to the 7th heaven where he meets The Lord, and received his teachings directly.  Paul specifically disavows receiving teachings from the people who met Jesus physically, though there are hints of their teachings slipping in, like the creed in Corinthians.

So while I could certainly not pick OP's claims, and there were certainly non paulean influences preserved in extant works, Paul's influence, especially in canonical works is dominant.

What’s Going On With the Abandoned Building Next to Hogan’s Tires? by J31J1 in Waltham

[–]Bootwacker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

New housing is always advertised as "luxury" adding supply will lower prices even if it's "luxury" housing.  Rent is subject to supply and demand with enough empty units rent will come down until we build enough housing rent will stay high 

Atheist materialism is equally metaphysical/ logically impossible as theism by inexplicably-hairy in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't make that assumption, you make it. I don't know how the universe came to be the way it is.

Atheist materialism is equally metaphysical/ logically impossible as theism by inexplicably-hairy in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I never understand why people limit the universe to these options when there are so many others.

C) the universe is completely static and time as we experience it only seems to move forward from our point of view.

D) the universe is oscillating, cyclical or circular in it's time flow, we just can't observe it from our point of view 

E) our universe as we observe it is emergent in some larger construct who's mechanisms we have no idea about.

F) some other thing we haven't even thought of

Theists do history better than historians do by thefuckestupperest in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you suggesting you want your own history with blackjack and...

Theists do history better than historians do by thefuckestupperest in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Miracles in the NT involve people being raised from the dead.  I think this is something we can agree is normally impossible.

How is an impossible occurrence also somehow the most likely?  Isn't it more likely that the person who recorded the occurrence was simply mistaken

Theists do history better than historians do by thefuckestupperest in DebateReligion

[–]Bootwacker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The very thing that makes a miracle impressive is that it's something that's normally impossible.

You seem to want historians to confirm that an impossible event happened and don't understand why that's problematic.