Who has read the "God is not great" by Christopher Hitchens

[Carol R]

If admitting to foolishness as...YES I AM A NONBELIEVER will give you peace of mind. Fine as you please but my personal truth and life decision won't change because of you and the same should apply to you. My ideas should not be enough to turn away anybody and their God. Because of a limited mind people don't get along and therefore drag their Gods with them and create harmful discorse. To reason and give others a change to reason freely regardless of being right or wrong I think would not be such a terrible act in the eyes of God.

And what god might that be? You have stated your disbelief in the God of the Bible, so I don't know what god you are refering to?

not the the god invented by man

Sorry but God created man, not man invented God.

He created you and He loves you.

I believe in God with all my heart He has done so much for me. I know Him to be truthful, loving.

You are correct in that no non believer will ever make me change my mind about God, because I know God, I and many others have a personal relationship with Him.

I am not about to give that up.

I hope you find what you are looking for.

Carol R

[jewelz123]

Personally, I don't know why a Christian would waste their time reading material put out by someone attacking the Christian faith? If I am going to take the time to read a book, I want it to be something of value, as my time is limited. I don't care about reading a book about why the author thinks "God is not great." The title alone tells me the book is a heretical piece of garbage.

By the way, when it comes down to someone arguing against the existence of God, or the God of the Bible, I don't have an open mind. The existence of Jehovah God is a settled reality with me, and no amount of reasoning from a non-believer will change that.

And the judgements came....so quickly. As expected, the faith turns to hate right away.

At least you weren't blind sided by it. What faith turned to hate? I am coming against a book that seems to be attacking the faith. Certainly that is why the title indicates. The God Christopher Hitchens serves may not be great, but that is not the case with my God who is the God of the Holy Bible.

The God of the Bible is the same God that man has created in His own image. He has created an egotistical,jealous,vengeful,merciless,sadistic and insecure persona of all the most negative traits of man. This image of God given to the world by christians has manifested countless wars,ignorance and utter pain to millions of people...and in the name of who may I ask?

My question is - without the Bible, how do you validate the existence of God? The problem is, without an absolute source for describing God's character, you inevitably have to turn to atheism or pantheism. It is impossible to be a theist (Jew, Christian, Muslim, Mormon, et al) while at the same time denying an absolute foundation for God or a god.

The reason for this is that, without an absolute standard, God becomes whoever we want Him to be on a personal level. You are opposed to the Biblical version of God, but you are opposed on literally no ground. This is an existential view of God, where God does not really come into being until we experience Him in a way we believe validates Him. This view does not cause conflict so long as you embrace anyone's view of God - however, at the point you reject a view of God, you must offer an absolute standard for the definition of God. This means that you are then removed from the process, it cannot be subjective, it cannot be experiential, and you must find an absolute standard.

As an example, if I say, "The earth is the ninth planet from the sun" and you say "The earth is the third planet from the sun," you are right and I am wrong. The reason for this is that we have an absolute frame of reference from which to work. My idea, though my idea, is still invalid. If, however, we were discussing Dali's "Persistence of Memory" and I said it was good, while you said it was awful, there is no real way to discuss who is correct. I have certain ideas that dictate what I think is good in art, while you have different ideas. The taste becomes subjective within a certain field and there is no absolute frame. In other words, you may not like a piece of art while I love it, but both opinions are valid and there is no way for me to say you are wrong and mean this with certainty.

If we apply this same standard to God, then it remains the same. If you do not like the God of the Bible, and lack an absolute standard upon which you can rely (remember, personal experience is not absolute), though you may not like the God of the Bible, you cannot make this a valid opinion. You cannot say the wars caused by this God are wrong because you have no absolute reference to how it would be wrong.

Thus, even though you claim Christ, by your own philosophy - whether you realize it or not - you are essentially an unbeliever. I think the moderators made a wise choice in moving you to that category. By word you might be a Christian, but operationally you are an unbeliever.

I won't discuss the believer status not more since it gives certain people pleasure to demote me. Wars are wrong period,reference or not.There is no need for an absolute standard to base oneself on to understand evil/good. You can have goodness in you without following absolute standards. I am glad that is Almighty who decides my status in the end.

Oh Boo Hoo! It was YOU who took pleasure in creating this thread. Now that you weren't gratified in whatever way you hoped, you pout and say others have taken pleasure to demote you. Why do you consider the truth about you to be a demotion? It was your desire to get someone to read a book based on the LIE that you were a christian.

As far as evil and "goodness" goes - you displayed the evil in your heart with this thread and "there is none good - not one" and THAT is what causes war - but what difference does it make how war starts since goodness won't get anyone thru that narrow door including YOU. Blame whomever you want or whatever you want for the problems in the world - the longer you ponder that question with senseless acts such as this, the less time you spend reading God's word which will answer those questions clearly.

If you truly are glad that "the Almighty" is the one who decides your heart in the end - then you should be shaking in your boots if you don't repent your ways now. You already laid it out in black and white that you don't know His son. Since he died for you, shouldn't you consider that worth understanding? As a believer it is very clear that you don't really understand what the faithful know - you may think you do but you don't. And the real outrage if any was shown towards you is because you could have caused a baby christian to read that book before Butero exposed you as a fraud. So do you think "the Almighty" would be grateful to you for causing others who are seeking Him to fall away from Him? Or would satan be grateful? hmmmmm..........

You can only serve ONE and since you declared that you don't serve the Son then you serve the other.

I will pray that you find your way soon and please, never pull a stunt like this again.

[jewelz123]

Wars are wrong period,reference or not.There is no need for an absolute standard to base oneself on to understand evil/good. You can have goodness in you without following absolute standards.

Let's break this down.

You say wars are wrong, but based on what standard? How do you know wars are wrong?

You say I can understand good and evil, but based on what? If I steal from you, how do you really know it's wrong?

I take it you are referencing the 10 commandmends as the standard of what is good or what is evil and these are the words written by God given to Moses. Nothing else such as rape, genocide and the spreading of disease...and I forgot pedofilia, incest and SLAVERY. How is it that we know that these human inclinations are evil?.How can slavery be good?,murder? the old testament is filled with such acts.These acts described by the words of God?....Vengence is mine sayeth the Lord.....An eye for an eye. Yet God is LOVE. Sounds like a human to me.

An eye for an eye is a measurement of justice that cannot be greater than the crime - it is not a tit for tat declaration! Vengence is mine is about the fact that God will handle our problems we are not to retaliate against others. Your understanding of these "goto" verses are incorrect and out of context. Since you don't understand their true meaning, it makes it very hard to believe in His son. And once again, who benefits? The Son or the otherone?

[Guest]

As a Christian I think on my own and felt that this man had a interesting point of view. Not every word is to be taken literally and by this I mean the title of the book.Christopher writes about not agreeing with the God that people love to preach about as if they invented Him.

Go Ye

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:15

Witness

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Matthew 24:14

The Son

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:16-18

Preach

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

1 Corinthians 1:21

Wrestle

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:12

Praise

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Acts 2:47

Be Blessed

[Guest]

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

1 John 1:7

If a man, holding a belief which he was taught in childhood or persuaded of after wards, keeps down and pushes away any doubts which arise about it in his mind, purposely avoids the reading of books and the company of men that call into question or discuss it, and regards as impious those questions which cannot easily be asked without disturbing it--the life of that man is one long sin against mankind.

For that is the true nature of knowledge: to question, to seek understanding, to challenge. Describing dissent as "heretical garbage" is precisely the reason that Christianity is viewed negatively by so many. Comments such as that recall images of the 15th century Catholic church.

If you are secure in your convictions, then reading and understanding dissent will bring no harm to you. If anything, it will help you.

Glad to see I have an ally

To Read The Gospel Truth Is Sin Against Mankind

What God Says

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

Be Blessed

Love, Joe

[Guest Biblicist]

As a christian I think on my own and felt that this man had a interesting point of view. Not every word is to be taken literally and by this I mean the title of the book.Christopher writes about not agreeing with the God that people love to preach about as if they invented Him.

In your first post, you claim to be a Christian, and then turn around and attack the God of the Christian faith. That makes no sense, unless you were trying to deceive people into believing you were simply an open minded Christian, and that you found this insightful book. By doing things in this manner, some people would possibly read this heretical garbage written by an atheist and perhaps believe what he said and turn away from the Christian faith? What gives me peace of mind is not that you call yourself an unbeliever to appease me, but that others know what you are really about so they aren't fooled.

Matthew 18:7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.

Luke 17:1 1 Jesus said to his disciples, "Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!

[Guest]

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

1 John 2:15-19

What is a sin is never questioning it, never calling it into doubt; accepting the veracity of it literally at face value.

Well There You Go Again!

Jumping God's Gift of Faith and Calling It Sin.

Have You No Shame Sir!

Pushing Entanglement With Satan's Lies Like A Player Pushes Candy On A Baby

God Says.......

Stand Fast

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1

Tapping Your Foot While Demanding God's Kids Study A Dying Man's Rant!

God Says.......

Study The Word

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psalms 119:11

Heads Up Cousin!

Have You Not Heard!

Jesus Won!

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:8

Be Blessed

[None]

The God of the Bible is the same God that man has created in His own image. He has created an egotistical,jealous,vengeful,merciless,sadistic and insecure persona of all the most negative traits of man. This image of God given to the world by christians has manifested countless wars,ignorance and utter pain to millions of people...and in the name of who may I ask?

If you read the Bible in it's entirety, you may learn the truth about God's personality, depending. You'll have a very hard time trying to understand Him from reading one passage of scripture. The greater context is an important factor in reading through the Bible, trying to understand Who you're reading about.

Understanding God is something only He can allow.