Pomotheo.com welcomes our first guest blogger Trent. He is going to engage in the atheist (and in this case Christian) dialogue about the existence of God. (At least I think that would be the starting question....)
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I am an atheist. I do not believe in Apollo or Amon-Ra or Allah. I do not believe in Baal or Baldur or Bacchus. Very briefly, I am going to explain why not.
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A blog war has began. By blog I mean blog, by war I mean polite but sometimes terse dialogue. A fellow blogger Trent is going to post up some thoughts regarding the new atheism position. Whether Trent considers himself a 'new atheist' as opposed to an 'old one' (whatever that might be) is unknown to me, perhaps he'll shed some light. In the mean time the blog will basically work like this: Trent will post his thoughts here at Pomotheo.com and we'll engage him here. Hopefully this will be the first of many installments of quality web dialogue on some interesting issues. Keep ya posted.
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Pomotheo rarely makes absolute statements but this one we're OK stating. Correct me if I'm wrong, but 10 years ago Mormon refused to be associated/called Christians. Now they realise they can get more money in the bank if they push their religion as a 'Christian alternative'.
This debate between prominent Christian apologist and LDS author took place over the blogosphere. http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/mormondebate/. Personally I don't think it was a fair debate since Dr. Mohler is a PhD and Orson is merely an fictional writer. Nonetheless, Orson never answered the main question about the debate, basically "is Mormonism an accurate reflection of orthodox Christianity".
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It appears there are more children, this time newborns, facing death at the hands of parent's and a religious system that prevents necessary blood transfusions. A couple from BC had sextuplets, two of which passed prematurely, and another 3 that require blood transfusions to improve health. (See Link Here.)
What is so sad about this event is that countless innocent children have passed away because their parent's have adhered to an ancient and hypocritical doctrinal system. The JW's believe that blood transfusions are forbidden in the Bible (they connect the disprove in the OT of eating blood (consumption) with transfusion).
Other than the fact no single Hebrew scholar would ever suggest this is a correct way to interpret the text, but the JW's have themselves changed their opinions on doctrinal matters because so many of their own have died needlessly.
Case in point:
Watchtower used to outlaw vaccinatinos!
1929 "Thinking people would rather have smallpox than vaccination, because the latter sows seeds of syphilis, cancers, eczema, erysipelas, scrofula, consumption, even leprosy and many other loathsome affections. Hence the practice of vaccinations is a crime, an outrage, and a delusion" (Golden Age, Jan. 5, 1929, p502)
They rescinded that, changed their minds, and moved on. (how many died because the Watchtower elders decided vaccinations = no no is not known.
Say no no to organ transplants you cannibal!
1967 "When men of science conclude that this normal process will no longer work and they suggest removing the organ and replacing it directly with an organ from another human, this is simply a shortcut. Those who submit to such operations are thus living off the flesh of another human. That is cannibalistic. However, in allowing man to eat animal flesh Jehovah God did not grant permission for humans to try to perpetuate their lives by cannibalistically taking into their bodies human flesh, whether chewed or in the form of whole organs or body parts taken from others." (Watchtower, Questions from Readers, Nov. 15, 1967 p 702-704)
Have they changed this one yet?
Anyways, pray for the newborns....Do these parent's and the Watchtower prefer the death over a blood transfusion?
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You want to know what the biggest inferred idea conservative Christians have?
Let me help you, the dialogue goes like this, "buddy, just say the prayer and your IN!".
What's worse than intolerant Christians? Answer: Christians who try to evangelize with this blanket prayer of nothingness. Please folks, don't give people this incorrect impression of Christianity. Could it be that all it takes is a prayer to 'get on the boat'? Perhaps, but wow, it's so much more than that.
I don't want to come out and say the sinner's prayer is nothing but a scam cause so many will question whether they are a believer. But hey, if you have to think that hard about maybe you need to do more living than thinking....
What Jesus Really Said About Salvation (consult your Bible to scrutinize please).
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