A Short Assessment on the Existence of Yahweh

Probability, Morality, and Other Tidbits

Adam Livingston 3/18/2012

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The Existence of Yahweh Is Highly Improbable The topic chosen by me for this research paper undoubtedly requires more research than any other. I have decided to undertake this challenge due to the immense interest that I possess on the subject. After six years of vigorous analysis, I have finally reached a conclusion (that may be incorrect). The existence of Yahweh is highly improbable. Many questions asked within the confines of this document may be perceived as rhetorical, however I wish for the reader to genuinely ponder them based on their personal ideologies. I was assigned to select a thesis, take a position, and elaborate that position unabashedly and in an unbiased way. I wholeheartedly believe that I have done so. Why Yahweh? I have selected the almighty lord of the Christian faith, Yahweh, as the target for debate. Why, might you ask? Why could have I not selected Zeus, Apollo, or Thor? I have chosen Yahweh because he is unarguably the most prevalent deity within the culture I am a part of. A substantial amount of Americans are adherents to Christianity, whether the denomination may be anything from Roman Catholicism to Mormonism. I took the view that me discussing the existence of a god that my audience is ignorant of isnt the most effective way of proposing my paper to the fortunate peers who are allowed to read it. I highly doubt anyone wants to test their faith of the Great Pumpkin, or any other (what they consider to be a) most likely fictional being. This Is an Atheistic Work Im not going to waste my time pretending that this isnt an obvious work of a secularist. Im also not going to waste my time sugarcoating my perspectives to

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somewhat comply with Christian ideology. There isnt a single tidbit of self-dishonesty within my seemingly visceral opinions. Further reading is optional. Weak Atheism vs. Strong Atheism What is an atheist? Surprisingly, it is one of the misinterpreted words in the English language. Im sure that a fair share of Americans would describe an atheist as someone who believes there isnt a god. This is the incorrect definition. An atheist is someone who has an absence in the belief of a god. At first glance, these two denotations may seem indifferent to one another. However, they are quite different in the way that the first definition describes a belief, while the second definition describes a lack of belief. Strong atheism is the position that there is no god. Weak atheists dont believe in a god because there is insufficient evidence to do so. Because I am a weak atheist, the title of this paper contains the phrase highly improbable, rather than impossible. While there is in fact current controversy surrounding the terms weak atheism and agnosticism, I still perceive myself as an atheist. To me, agnosticism is a far more apathetic judgment. Respecting the Views of Others I respect the religious views of open minded people. Nonetheless, there is a time when respect must be thrown out the window. When closed minded bigots are insulted by what I think, these people tend to insult you. This creates an entirely uncivil environment for honest debate. I am writing this paper with the idea that my audience is filled with open minded fellers that are excited to hear what I have to say (no matter how unlikely that is).

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Intentions of Writing I will close out my introduction be establishing what my intentions are. I intend to create a portrait of the philosophical viewpoints that millions of people share. I also intend to invoke critical thinking among those who read what I write, and I intend to state why I remain a firm nonbeliever. Why Not Believe in God? A popular argument known as Pascals Wager arose in the 17th century from the French mathematician, Blaise Pascal. Despite its age, it still remains one of the most used arguments for the existence of god today. Essentially, Pascal asked the question: what do you have to lose by believing in God? If one decides to believe in God and turns out to be right, that one will spend eternal life in heaven. If that one turns out to be wrong, nothing will happen. If one decides to not believe in God and turns out to be right, nothing happens. But if they turn out to be wrong, they will be stricken by the punishment of eternal suffering in hell. This argument was probably so prominent because it was made almost 400 years ago, and science had not yet grown to what it is now. First off, this argument assumes that the Christian god exists instead of the infinite number of all other possible Gods. Further elaboration on why Yahweh is preferred over other deities is needed to fully assess this elementary articulations validity. To answer the query anyway, I would rather not believe in a god that I am 99.99% sure doesnt exist, than to waste my life devoting myself to worshipping a god that I am not sure is there. I wouldnt be able to live whilst being so untrue to myself. I know that I have probably one life to enjoy, and pretending to worship a god so I could benefit from something I think could happen after

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I die is not the way I wish to live. Where did I get the 99.99% from? Let us continue and we shall see, although the number is probably even higher. Who Has The Burden of Proof? Theists often say that the disproving of God is impossible, so it is rational to believe in God. This is where religious indoctrination shows it unfortunate prowess at making the superstitious blind to logical thought. The concept of God is an unfalsifiable hypothesis, thus it cannot be disproven. I actually agree with this notion. However, because something cannot be disproven, it does not make it rational to believe in its existence. Santa Claus is a great example of an unfalsifiable hypothesis. Nobody can really prove that Santa doesnt exist, either. A legendary analogy coined by Bertrand Russell finally helped shift the burden of proof on the theists. The analogy is known as Russells teapot. Russell basically claimed that if a celestial teapot that was too small to see was orbiting Earth, it would be ludicrous to believe him based on the grounds that his claim cannot be disproven. It should be commonly thought that the burden of proof should be placed on the one making the claim. The entire United States justice system depends on this. If an innocent man was accused of murdering someone and was jailed and executed because he couldnt disprove he killed a person, this would be viewed as a quite irrational way of dealing with crimes. Much like being innocent until proven guilty, a ridiculous metaphysical (or even supposedly scientific) claim should be considered wrong until proven right.

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Arguments from Design Intelligent Design (often shortened to ID) has actually become the main preference as the alternative to Darwinian evolution just recently. Because the theory of evolution contradicts biblical teachings, Christian apologists have had a considerable influence on the spreading of ID. Once creationism was ultimately dismissed by even the most eminent Christian theologians, ID could have been viewed as a metaphor for the return of Christ himself. I possess many gripes with this movement, and I am not reluctant to share them at all. Intelligent Design basically inculcates that humans are too complex to have evolved from natural selection; therefore they were designed by an intelligent being. If an omnipotent divine master created us in this fashion, why do humans procure suboptimal design? If the appendix and gallbladder were not leftover from evolution, what purpose did Yahweh conceive was the reason on why they are in our bodies? Humans are blind as a bat when it comes to viewing certain parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Why is do eating and breathing share the same aperture? There are other organisms on Earth that are better designed than us when it comes to some of these qualities! The Anthropic Principle advocates a rather different type of design. This design argument is demonstrated on a universal scale. Those who condone creationism are highly correlated to supporters of the Anthropic Principle. This fine-tuned universe proposition states that the conditions that allow life in the universe can only occur when a certain deity allows them to exist. Notice how recent Christian apologetics imply that this must be the almighty lord of the Old Testament, and not any other. The basis for

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this particular contention is hilariously elementary. This ridiculous postulation is brilliantly satirized by Richard Dawkins in the eulogy for the great Douglas Adams:
... imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in, an interesting hole I find myself in, fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact, it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!' This is such a powerful idea that as the Sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it's still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything's going to be all right, because this World was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this may be something we need to be on the watch out for.[1]

Its beyond absurd and disgustingly ignorant to believe that this special rock we reside on was carefully created just for the purpose of human life. 99.9% of all species that have ever existed on Earth are now extinct. What gives us the moral high ground to claim that homo sapiens are exclusively unique for having a meaning for abiding in the cosmos, while every other member of the animal kingdom is intrinsically worthless? The same ultimate creator can take credit for the vast number of collapsed stars, exploded supernovas, and failed solar systems. If we are his precious creation, why would he populate such a microscopic little rock for our only habitat? The question begs further explanation by examining the ways our planet can be destroyed. Measuring relative distance has shown us that the Milky Way Galaxy is currently on an inevitable collision course with the Andromeda Galaxy. A similar extinction scenario is also inevitable, but this threat is for the possibility of all life in the universe! The Heat Death of the Universe is being accepted by scientists across the world. This depressing fiasco will occur when the universe will completely diminish its capacity of thermodynamic free energy. After this happens, life and even motion will be nonexistent. Other destruction

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projections such as the Big Crunch, Big Rip, and Big Bounce have also been considered scientifically plausible. Author Richard Dawkins proposes the Ultimate Boeing 747 Gambit in his 2006 bestseller, The God Delusion. It is a response to design discourse and probability. Dawkins articulates this better than I can:
The argument from improbability is the big one. In the traditional guise of the argument from design, it is easily today's most popular argument offered in favour of the existence of God and it is seen, by an amazingly large number of theists, as completely and utterly convincing. It is indeed a very strong, and, I suspect, unanswerable argument - but in precisely the opposite direction from the theist's intention. The argument from improbability, properly deployed, comes close to proving that God does not exist. My name for the statistical demonstration that God almost certainly not exist is the Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit. others have borrowed the metaphor to refer to the later evolution of complex living bodies, where it has a spurious plausibility. The odds against assembling a fully functioning horse, beetle or ostrich by randomly shuffling its parts are up there in 747 territory. This, in a nutshell, is the creationists favorite argument an argument that could be made only by somebody who doesnt understand the first thing about natural selection: somebody who thinks natural selection is a theory of chance whereas in the relevant sense of chance it is the opposite. Darwinian natural selection is the only known solution to the otherwise unanswerable riddle of where the information comes from. It turn out to be the God Hypothesis that tries to get something for nothing. God tries to have his free lunch and be it too. However statistically improbably the entity you seed to explain by invoking a designer, the designer itself has to be at least as improbable.[1]

Creation science and intelligent design has been heavily rejected by the scientific community because the theories that are bestowed are not empirically testable and they lack hypothesizes. The National Academy of Sciences doesnt think too kindly of this superstitious nonsense:

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"creation science is in fact not science and should not be presented as such."[11]

Its beyond ironic when intelligent design enthusiasts claim there is no empirical evidence for the Darwinian Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection when they dont present a hypothesis that cant be scientifically tested at all. Cosmological Argumentation The original cosmological argument is the most famous of all in favor for a gods existence. It has been favored by a wide variety of philosophers from Plato and Aristotle to Saint Thomas Aquinas! The Cosmological Argument claims that there must have been a time when no physical things existed. But, since physical things exist now, there must have been something non-physical to bring them into existence, and that something we call God. I disagree with the first contention. Theists usually declare that something cannot come from nothing. Where did the Big Bang come from? While quantum mechanics have proven that something can come from nothing, I will constraint myself from discussing advanced physics, mainly because I am not competent to do so. The claim that something cant come from nothing is something I find impossible to accept. It is too absolute. What exactly is nothingness? Nothingness has never been observed by anyone or anything! Therefore, one cannot know that something cant be originated from a complete state of nonexistence of everything. Dawkins says it best again:
these arguments rely upon the idea of a regress and invoke God to terminate it. They make the entirely unwarranted assumption that God himself is immune to the regress. Even if we allow the dubious luxury of arbitrarily conjuring up a terminator to an infinite regress and giving it a name, simply because we need one, there is absolutely no reason to endow that terminator with any of the properties normally ascribed to God, omnipotence, omniscience, goodness, creativity of design, to say nothing of such attributes of listening to prayers, forgiving sins and reading the

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innermost thought. Incidentally, it has not escaped the notice of logicians that omniscience and omnipotence are mutually incompatible.[1]

Because physical beings exist now, something non-physical brought them into existence? Why so? This statement has never been explained by even the most relevant religious believers of today. That something that is non-physical must be God? How does the cosmological argument prove that it is the particular god that you happen to believe in? Why isnt it Xenu, Satan or any of the infinite number of deities that can be postulated? Kalm Cosmological Argument The Kalm cosmological argument is a variation of the initial cosmological argument. While similar in nature, it is much more effective when debating the nonreligious. William Lane Craig is a prominent user of this material, and often destroys atheists who dont know how to counter it. These are the main contentions:

1. Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence; 2. The universe has a beginning of its existence;

Therefore:

3. The universe has a cause of its existence. 4. Since no scientific explanation (in terms of physical laws) can provide a causal account of the origin of the universe, the cause must be personal (explanation is given in terms of a personal agent) To even my surprisal, I dont necessarily disagree with the first line of reasoning. Ill give it to you, Mr. Craig. I could potentially agree with contention two and still win the

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debate, but once again, the beginning of the universe has never been observed, so there is no way to positively know that there was a beginning. Sentence four is what I disagree with the most. Because no current scientific explanation can provide an account of the origin of the universe (this is actually false), the cause must be personal? This is the equivalent of saying in the dark ages that there was no scientific explanation for the Black Death, it is necessary to believe that evil spirits infect humans with the illness. Just because science cant explain it now, that doesnt mean that your alternative can. The Argument from Scripture Its quite perplexing to me that someone can be flawlessly persuaded to believing by just being gullible to scriptural evidence. Its also quite confusing on why these people lie that they were persuaded by this. Im sure that a very small percentage of Christians have actually read the Bible. We also must consider that much of what Christians say they know about the Bible is what the other people such as clergymen or their parents have told them, incomplete and biased Bibles are used in churches, and that modern society has allowed the book to be interpreted in any way the believer sees fit. The Bible was written by cow-sacrificing primitives who didnt have the combined intellect to heat a can of chicken noodle soup. One must also recall that the original Hebrew texts were translated over thousands of years by near blind scribes next to candle lights. If the Bible was a perfect and inerrant holy book, why does it contain so many contradictions? Some of them are so blatant its hard to continue reading. Here are some:

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1. God is satisfied with his works 3. God dwells in light Tim 6:16 Gen 1:31 God is dissatisfied with his works. Gen 6:6 2. God dwells in chosen temples 4. God is seen and heard Ex 31:17 2 Chron 7:12,16 God dwells not in temples Acts 7:48 Ex 24:9-11

God dwells in darkness

1 Kings 8:12/ Ps 18:11/ Ps 97:2

Ex 33:23/ Ex 33:11/ Gen 3:9,10/ Gen 32:30/ Is 6:1/ God is never tired and never rests things 8. God is all powerful Is 40:28

God is invisible and cannot be heard present, sees and knows all things knows the hearts of men all powerful 33:1,3,17,14 author of evil Luke 11:10 Judg 1:19

John 1:18/ John 5:37/ Ex 33:20/ 1 Tim 6:16 Prov 15:3/ Ps 139:7-10/ Job 34:22,21

5. God is tired and rests

6. God is everywhere 7. God God is not Ex

God is not everywhere present, neither sees nor knows all Deut 13:3/ Deut 8:2/ Gen 22:12 God is changeable God is unjust and partial

Gen 11:5/ Gen 18:20,21/ Gen 3:8 Jer 32:27/ Matt 19:26

Acts 1:24/ Ps 139:2,3 9. God is unchangeable

God tries men to find out what is in their heart James 1:17/ Mal 3:6/ Ezek 24:14/ Num 23:19

Gen 6:6/ Jonah 3:10/ 1 Sam 2:30,31/ 2 Kings 20:1,4,5,6/ Gen 9:25/ Ex 20:5/ Rom 9:11-13/ Matt 13:12 12. God gives freely to those who ask

10. God is just and impartial

Ps 92:15/ Gen 18:25/ Deut 32:4/ Rom 2:11/ Ezek 18:25 God is not the author of evil them

11. God is the James 1:5/

Lam 3:38/ Jer 18:11/ Is 45:7/ Amos 3:6/ Ezek 20:25

1 Cor 14:33/ Deut 32:4/ James 1:13

God withholds his blessings and prevents men from receiving Prov 1:28 14. God is warlike

John 12:40/ Josh 11:20/ Is 63:17 God is peaceful

13. God is to be found by those who seek him Rom 15:33/ 1 Cor 14:33

Matt 7:8/ Prov 8:17

God is not to be found by those who seek him ferocious

Ex 15:3/ Is 51:15

15. God is cruel, unmerciful, destructive, and 1 Tim 2:4/ 1 John 4:16/ Ps 25:8 sacrifices, and holy days. Deut 12:30,31 Jer 7:22/

Jer 13:14/ Deut 7:16/ 1 Sam 15:2,3/ 1 Sam 6:19 sacrifices ,and holy days

God is kind, merciful, and good

James 5:11/ Lam 3:33/ 1 Chron 16:34/ Ezek 18:32/ Ps 145:9/ Ps 103:8/ Ps 30:5 God disapproves of and has no pleasure in burnt offerings, God forbids human sacrifice

16. God's anger is fierce and endures long in burnt offerings, Jer 6:20/ Ps 50:13,4/ Is 1:13,11,12

Num 32:13/ Num 25:4/ Jer 17:4

God's anger is slow and endures but for a minute

17. God commands, approves of, and delights 19. God tempts men 2 Thes 2:11/ 1

Ex 29:36/ Lev 23:27/ Ex 29:18/ Lev 1:9

18. God accepts human sacrifices God tempts no man

2 Sam 21:8,9,14/ Gen 22:2/ Judg 11:30-32,34,38,39 James 1:13 20. God cannot lie Heb 6:18

Gen 22:1/ 2 Sam 24:1/ Jer 20:7/ Matt 6:13 Kings 22:23/ Ezek 14:9 in his works.

God lies by proxy; he sends forth lying spirits t deceive Gen 8:21

21. Because of man's wickedness God destroys him God's attributes cannot be discovered 24. Robbery commanded Lying forbidden Ex 32:27

Gen 6:5,7 Job 11:7/ Is 40:28

Because of man's wickedness God will not destroy him 23. There is but one God Robbery forbidden Deut 6:4 Lev 19:13/ Ex 20:15

22. God's attributes are revealed Gen 1:26/ Gen 3:22/ Gen Josh 2:4-6/

Rom 1:20

There is a plurality of gods

18:1-3/ 1 John 5:7 Moral Precepts

Ex 3:21,22/ Ex 12:35,36 Ex 20:16/ Prov 12:22/ Rev 21:8 Ex 20:13

25. Lying approved and sanctioned 2 Kings 14:7,3

James 2:25/ Ex 1:18-20/ 1 Kings 22:21,22 Deut 23:7 27. Killing commanded Ex 20:4 making of images forbidden oppression forbidden 32. Anger approved 6:1

26. Hatred to the Edomite sanctioned Gen 9:5,6 30. Slavery and oppression ordained Matt 6:28,31,34/ Luke 6:30,35/ Luke 12:3 33. Good works to be seen of men

Hatred to the Edomite forbidden Gen 4:15 29. The Slavery and 1 Tim 5:8/ Prov 13:22 Matt

Killing forbidden

28. The blood-shedder must die Ex 25:18,20

The blood-shedder must not die Gen 9:25/ Lev 25:45,46/ Joel 3:8 Improvidence condemned Matt 5:16

The making of images commanded

Is 58:6/ Ex 22:21/ Ex 21:16/ Matt 23:10 Eph 4:26 Anger disapproved Matt 7:1,2

31. Improvidence enjoyed Eccl 7:9/ Prov 22:24/ James 1:20

Good works not to be seen of men Matt 5:39/ Matt 26:52

34. Judging of others forbidden

Judging of others approved

1 Cor 6:2-4/ 1 Cor 5:12

35. Christ taught non-resistance Luke 12:4

Christ taught and John 7:1

practiced physical resistance 37. Public prayer sanctioned Matt 6:7,8 seventh day Circumcision condemned Ex 20:11

Luke 22:36/ John 2:15 1 Kings 8:22,54, 9:3 Gal 5:2

36. Christ warned his followers not to fear being killed Public prayer disapproved Judg 13:5/ Num 6:5 Ex 20:8 Matt 6:5,6

Christ himself avoided the Jews for fear of being killed Luke 18:5,7

38. Importunity in prayer commended Is 1:13/ Rom 14:5/ Col 2:16 Deut 5:15

Importunity in prayer condemned Gen 17:10 Ex

39. The wearing of long hair by men sanctioned

The wearing of long hair by men condemned The Sabbath repudiated out of Egypt the same

1 Cor 11:14

40. Circumcision instituted

41. The Sabbath instituted

42. The Sabbath instituted because God rested on the

The Sabbath instituted because God brought the Israelites

43. No work to be done on the Sabbath under penalty of death 44. Baptism commanded Matt 28:19 Deut 14:7,8 Baptism not

31:15/ Num 15:32,36 commanded sanctioned disapproved Adultery allowed 20:11,12/ Gen 17:16 Prov 23:31,32

Jesus Christ broke the Sabbath and justified his disciples in 45. Every kind of animal allowed for food.

John 5:16/ Matt 12:1-3,5

1 Cor 1:17,14

Gen 9:3/ 1 Cor 10:25/ Rom 14:14 Matt 5:34

Certain kinds of animals prohibited for food. 47. Marriage approved Divorce restricted

46. Taking of oaths Marriage

Num 30:2/ Gen 21:23-24,31/ Gen 31:53/ Heb 6:13 1 Cor 7:1/ 1 Cor 7:7,8

Taking of oaths forbidden

Gen 2:18/ Gen 1:28/ Matt 19:5/ Heb 13:4 Matt 5:32 49. Adultery forbidden

48. Freedom of divorce permitted

Deut 24:1/ Deut 21:10,11,14

Ex 20:14/ Heb 13:4 Gen Prov 20:1/ good

Num 31:18/ Hos 1:2; 2:1-3

50. Marriage or cohabitation with a sister denounced Deut 25:5 53. Intoxicating beverages recommended

Deut 27:22/ Lev 20:17

Abraham married his sister and God blessed the union Lev 20:21 52. Hatred to kindred enjoined Luke 14:26 Intoxicating beverages discountenanced

51. A man may marry his brother's widow Eph 6:2/ Eph 5:25,29

A man may not marry his brother's widow and punish evil doers only Rom 13:1-3,6

Hatred to kindred condemned

Prov 31:6,7/ 1 Tim 5:23/ Ps 104:15

54. It is our duty to obey our rulers, who are God's ministers

It is not our duty to obey rulers, who sometimes punish the 55. Women's rights denied Col 3:22,23/ 1 Pet 2:18

and receive unto themselves damnation therefor 2:12/ 1 Cor 14:34/ 1 Pet 3:6 only animals seven years Ex 9:3,6/ 14:9

Ex 1:17,20/ Dan 3:16,18/ Dan 6:9,7,10/ Acts 4:26,27/ Judg 4:4,14,15/ Judg 5:7/ Acts 2:18/ Acts 21:9 Mark 3:29 Gen 2:18,19

Mark 12:38,39,40/ Luke 23:11,24,33,35 56. Obedience to masters enjoined

Gen 3:16/ 1 Tim Obedience due to God

Women's rights affirmed

Matt 4:10/ 1 Cor 7:23/ Matt 23:10 Gen 1:25,26,27

57. There is an unpardonable sin

There is not unpardonable sin

Acts 13:39 Historical Facts Gen 8:22 Ex 8:15

58. Man was created after the other Seed time and harvest did cease for 63. There died of the plague

Man was created before the other animals 60. God hardened Pharaoh's heart Ex 14:9

59. Seed time and harvest were never to cease Pharaoh hardened his own heart 64. John the Baptist was Elias Luke 3:23 Ex 2:14,15,23; 4:19 1 Cor 10:8

Gen 41:54,56/ Gen 45:6 Num 25:9

Ex 4:21/ Ed 9:12

61. All the cattle and horses in Egypt died Heb 11:27 John the Baptist was not Elias Gen 11:12 Matt Matt Mark Luke

All the horses of Egypt did not die

62. Moses feared Pharaoh

Moses did not fear Pharaoh Matt 11:14

twenty-four thousand John 1:21

There died of the plague but twenty-three thousand Matt 1:16

65. The father of Joseph, Mary's husband was Jacob Luke 3:35,36

The father of Mary's husband was Heli Matt 1:17

66. The father of Salah was Arphaxad

The father of Salah was Cainan 1:2-6 1:12-16 1:12,13 6:17,20

67. There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David to Christ. Matt 1:17

There were but thirteen generations from Abraham to David captivity to Christ

68. There were fourteen generations from the Babylonian captivity 69. The infant Christ was taken into Egypt Christ was not tempted in the wilderness and sandals

There were but thirteen generations from the Babylonian Luke 2:22, 39 Matt 5:1,2

Matt 2:14,15,19,21,23 John 2:1,2 Mark 6:8,9

The infant Christ was not taken into Egypt

70. Christ was tempted in the wilderness

71. Christ preached his first sermon on the mount

Christ preached his first sermon on the plain John 1:43/ John 3:22-24 staffs nor sandals. Matt 20:30 Matt 10:9,10

72. John was in prison when Jesus went into Galilee Matt 15:22

Mark 1:14

John was not in prison when Jesus went into Galilee Mark 7:26 75. Two blind men besought Jesus John 19:14,15

73. Christ's disciples were 74. A woman of Canaan Luke

commanded to go forth with a staff besought Jesus 18:35,38

Christ's disciples were commanded to go forth with neither

It was a Greek woman who besought Him Mark 15:25

Only one blind man besought Him

76. Christ was crucified at the third hour Luke 23:39,40

Christ was not crucified until the sixth hour John 13:27 Acts 1:18

77. The two thieves reviled Christ.

Matt 27:44/ Mark 15:32 Luke 22:3,4,7 79. Judas

Only one of the thieves reviled Christ committed suicide by hanging purchased by the Chief Priests

78. Satan entered into Judas while at supper

Satan entered into him before the supper

Matt 27:5 Matt 27:6,7

Judas did not hang himself, but died another way

80. The potter's field was purchased by Judas

Acts 1:18

The potter's field was Matt 28:1 82.

81. There was but one woman who came to the sepulchre Mark 16:1

John 20:1

There were two women who came to the sepulchre Luke 24:10

There were three women who came to the sepulchre sepulchre Luke 24:4 Mark 16:2

There were more than three women who came to the sepulchre John 20:1 Matt 28:2,5

83. It was at sunrise when they came to the they were standing up. There was but one angel seen Mark 15:25,42,44,45,46;

It was some time before sunrise when they came. Mark 16:5

84. There were two angels seen by the women at the sepulchre, and John 20:11,12 Matt 12:40 Christ was but two days and two nights in the grave

There was but one angel seen, and he was sitting down.

85. There were two angels seen within the sepulchre.

within the sepulchre 16:9>

86. Christ was to be three days and three nights in the grave Acts 1:8,5

87. Holy ghost bestowed at pentecost Matt 28:10 Jerusalem

Holy ghost bestowed before pentecost

John 20:22

88. The disciples were commanded immediately after the Luke 24:49 Matt 28:16,17 speechless Heb 11:8 1 Chron 1:32 89. Jesus first appeared to the

resurrection to go into Galilee eleven disciples in a room at Olivet Gal 4:22 Acts 1:9,12

The disciples were commanded immediately after the Luke 24:33,36,37/ John 20:19 Luke 24:50,51

resurrection to go tarry at Jerusalem

Jesus first appeared to the eleven on a mountain in Galilee 91. Paul's attendants heard the miraculous voice, and stood Gen 12:5 Gen 25:1 Keturah was Abraham's concubine

90. Christ ascended from Mount Acts 9:7 Paul's attendants

Christ ascended from Bethany Acts 26:14 Heb 11:17

heard not the voice and were prostrate Abraham had but one son was a hundred years old, by the of providence seed Gen 25:1,2 forever

92. Abraham departed to go into Canaan 94. Keturah was Abraham's wife Gen 21:2/ Rom 4:19/ Heb 11:12 Josh 24:32

Abraham went not knowing where

93. Abraham had two sons 95. Abraham begat a son when he old without any interposition

interposition of Providence

Abraham begat six children more after he was a hundred years Acts 7:16

96. Jacob bought a sepulchre from Hamor

Abraham bought it of Hamor

97. God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his 98. Goliath was slain by Elhanan 2 Sam 21:19 *note, was

Gen 13:14,15,17; 17:8

Abraham and his seed never received the promised land

Acts 7:5/ Heb 11:9,13

changed in translation to be Joram 2 Kings 8:25

correct. Original manuscript was incorrect> Ahaziah began to reign in the eleventh year of Joram 2 Sam 24:1

The brother of Goliath was slain by Elhanan 2 Kings 9:29 100. Michal had no child

1 Chron 20:5 2 Sam 6:23

99. Ahaziah began to reign in the twelfth year of Michal had five children 2 Sam 21:8 101.

David was tempted by the Lord to number Israel of Judah 500,000 2 Sam 24:9 2 Sam 24:10

David was tempted by Satan to number the people 1 Kings 15:5

1 Chron 21:1

102. The number of fighting men of Israel was 800,000; and 103. David sinned in numbering the people famine. 2 Sam 24:13 1 Chron 18:4 It was not 106. David

The number of fighting men of Israel was 1,100,000; and of 1 Chron 21:11,12 105. David took seven hundred horsemen

Judah 470,000 2 Sam 8:4

1 Chron 21:5

David never sinned, except in the matter of Uriah

104. One of the penalties of David's sin was seven years of

seven years, but three years of famine

David took seven thousand horsemen

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bought a threshing floor for fifty shekels of silver forever. Ps 89:35-37 2 Sam 24:24 David bought the threshing floor for six hundred shekels of Ps 89:44 Speculative Doctrines 108. Christ is equal with God Mark 6:5 gold 1 Chron 21:25 107. David's throne was to endure Christ is not equal with God Luke

David's throne was cast down

John 10:30/ Phil 2:5

John 14:28/ Matt 24:36 16:16/ Eph 2:15/ Rom 7:6 Matt 10:34

109. Jesus was all-powerful

Matt 28:18/ John 3:35 John 5:33,34

Jesus was not all-powerful Matt 5:17-19 Christ did receive testimony from man

110. The law was superseded by the Christian dispensation Luke 2:13,14 113. Christ's witness of himself is true.

The law was not superseded by the Christian dispensation John 5:31 John 19:7

111. Christ's mission was peace John 15:27

Christ's mission was not peace John 8:18,14 Rom 5:10 115. It was Ex 20:5

112. Christ received not testimony from man

Christ's witness of himself is not true. lawful for the Jews to put Christ to death

114. Christ laid down his life for his friends

John 15:13/ John 10:11 John 18:31

Christ laid down his life for his enemies

It was not lawful for the Jews to put Christ to death Ezek 18:20 117. Man is justified by faith alone John 10:28/ Rom 8:38,39 1 John 3: 9,6,8

116. Children are punished for the sins of the parents Man is not justified by faith alone

Children are not punished for the sins of the parents James 2:21,24/ Rom 2:13 sin 15:16 mankind

Rom 3:20/ Gal 2:16/ Gal 3:11,12/ Rom 4:2

118. It is impossible to fall from grace

It is possible to fall from grace

Ezek 18:24/ Heb 6:4-6, 2 Pet 2:20,21

119. No man is without

1 Kings 8:46/ Prov 20:9/ Eccl 7:20/ Rom 3:10 There is to be no resurrection of the dead

Christians are sinless Job 7:9/ Eccl 9:5/ Is 26:14

120. There is to be a resurrection of the dead

1 Cor 15:52/ Rev 20:12,13/ Luke 20:37/ 1 Cor Prov 11:31 Reward and punishment to be Endless misery the portion of all Ps 104:5/ Eccl 1:4 Prov 12:21/

121. Reward and punishment to be bestowed in this world 2 Pet 3:10/ Heb 1:11/ Rev 20:11 Heb 12:6/ Job 2:3,7

bestowed in the next world

Rev 20:12/ Matt 16:27/ 2 Cor 5:10 Prov 12:21/ 1 Pet 3:13 Job 42:12

122. Annihilation the portion of all mankind Evil does happen to the godly

Job 3: 11,13-17,19-22/ Eccl 9:5,10/ Eccl 3:19,20

Matt 25:46/ Rev 20:10,15/ Rev 14:11/ Dan 12:2

123. The Earth is to be destroyed

The Earth is never to be destroyed

124. No evil shall happen to the godly Ps 37:28,32,33,37/ Ps 1:1,3/ Gen 39:2/ righteousness and a blessing 16:22/ Matt 19:24/ love and gentleness 65:20 1:17,18 Luke 6:24 Gal 5:22

125. Worldly good and prosperity are the lot of the godly

Worldly misery and destitution the lot of the godly Prov 15:6

Heb 11:37,38/ Rev 7:14/ 2 Tim 3:12/ Luke 21:17

126. Worldly prosperity a reward of Luke 6:20,24/ Matt 6:19,21/ Luke 128. The fruit of God's spirit is

Mark 10:29,30/ Ps 37:25/ Ps 112:1,3/ Job 22:23,24/ 127. The Christian yoke is easy Matt 11:28,29,30

Worldly prosperity a curse and a bar to future reward

The Christian yoke is not easy

John 16:33/ 2 Tim 3:12/ Heb 12:6,8

The fruit of God's spirit is vengeance and fury

Judg 15:14/ 1 Sam 18:10,11

129. Longevity enjoyed by the wicked Luke 6:20,24/ Jams 2:5

Job 21:7,8/ Ps 17:14/ Eccl 8:12/ Is Riches a blessing Prov 10:15/ Job Eccl

Longevity denied to the wicked 132. A good name is a blessing

Eccl 8:13/ Ps 55:23/ Prov 10:27/ Job 36:14/ Eccl 7:17 Prov 30:8,9 Eccl 7:1/ Prov 22:1 A good name is a curse Prov 22:15

130. Poverty a blessing Luke 6:26

22:23,24/ Job 42:12 Luke 6:25/ Eccl 7:3,4 Prov 26:5 sure

Neither poverty nor riches a blessing

131. Wisdom a source of enjoyment

Prov 3:13,17

Wisdom a source of vexation, grief and sorrow Eccl 3:1,4/ Eccl 8:15 Prov 27:22

133. Laughter commended

Laughter condemned

134. The rod of correction a remedy for foolishness Prov 26:4

There is no remedy for foolishness James 1:2

135. A fool should be answered according to his folly Matt 6:13 137. Prophecy is Ps 90:10

A fool should not be answered according to his folly 2 Pet 1:19 Prophecy is not sure Jer 18:7-10 Gen 9:2

136. Temptation to be desired

Temptation not to be desired Gen 6:3/ Ps 90:10

138. Man's life was to be one hundred and twenty years The fear of man is not upon the lion Prov 30:30

Man's life is but seventy years

139. The fear of man was to be upon every beast Miracles not a proof of divine mission went up to heaven 1 Cor 7:12/ 2 Cor 11:17 2 Kings 2:11

140. Miracles a proof of divine mission Num 12:3 Moses was a very cruel man 2 Tim 3:16

Matt 11:2-5/ John 3:2/ Ex 14:31 Num 31:15,17 142. Elijah 1 Cor 7:6/

Ex 7:10-12/ Deut 13:1-3/ Luke 11:19

141. Moses was a very meek man John 3:13

None but Christ ever ascended into heaven

143. All scripture is inspired

Some scripture is not inspired

Source: The Holy Bible (King James Version) [citation #5]

On second thought, thats more than some. Sorry if it was necessary to squint to read those. If the Bible is infallible, why does it even contain passages of Yahweh endorsing archaic ethics? Did you know that the evil God of the Old Testament condones murder, genocide, human sacrifice, slavery, and rape? Here are some delicious verses to quench your thirst for the work of a diabolical scum. God approves of murder: Deuteronomy 17:12, Exodus 22:17, Leviticus 20:13, Leviticus
20:27, Exodus 21:15, Leviticus 20:10, Proverbs 20:20, Exodus 22:19, 2 Chronicles 15:12-13, (Zechariah 13:3, Deuteronomy 13:13-19, Deuteronomy 17:2-5, Leviticus 24:10-16, Romans 1:24-32.

God approves of rape: Deuteronomy 20:10-14, Deuteronomy 22:28-29, Deuteronomy 22:2324, Deuteronomy 21:10-14, Judges 5:30.

God approves of sex slavery: Exodus 21:7-11, Zechariah 14:1-2.

Source: The Holy Bible (King James Version) [citation #5]

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There is a huge amount of other passages I could quote, but I am getting tired. If you wish to view more, simply crack open your handy Bible and have at it. To think that Bible is a viable source of historic information is more than nonsensical. Omnipotence Is Yahweh omnipotent? There is even a verse that, in the King James Version and New King James Version, uses this very word: Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! (Revelation 19:6). Theists seem to think that God is all-powerful and can do anything he pleases. However, its inauspicious that it isnt commonly known that the concept of omnipotence is a paradox! Can God create a problem that he cant solve? If he can, than he cant solve the problem; therefore he is not omnipotent. If he cant, he cant; therefore he is not omnipotent. Destiny of the Unevangelized To my understanding, the three large monotheistic faiths were all conceived approximately 2500-1300 years ago. All of them claim to be correct. Anatomically modern humans reaching full behavioral ability came into existence 50,000 years ago. Are all, before these religions were founded, in hell, because they believed in something different, if anything at all? Christianity teaches that everyone is born a sinner, so do newborn babies who never had the chance to be indoctrinated die shortly after birth go to hell? Eternal punishment doesnt sound like a rational consequence for this behavior (or lack thereof) to me. Once again, the good of God is questioned.

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Arguments from Testimony How many people have claimed to have seen or heard God? I guess you better believe these people simply because you tend to agree with their beliefs. This is empirical evidence? Is it reliable? How many people have claimed to have been abducted by aliens? I guess you probably dont believe them. This could also be considered empirical evidence. How many people have claimed to have seen Elvis Presley or Hitler after their provided death dates? I guess you probably dont believe them. See what Im doing here? I am merely pointing out the lying aspect of human nature. Individuals (or religious groups) make up information to get publicized (think Joseph Smith and Mormonism) and make money. An astronomical number of books have been published of stories that detail a personal visit to heaven or hell. These books contradict each other, and they all make money. Its nothing more than a get rich quick scheme. Religious folk often claim to have seen thy lord because it cant be disproven by the one they are speaking to. Appeal to the People Argument 2 billion fellers believe in God! They all cant be wrong! This is a logically fallacious argument that I love responding to. The majority of the jury in the O.J. Simpson jury vase obviously voted not guilty, so I guess he wasnt guilty, right? Back in the olden days, slavery wasnt opposed by the majority of the population. Therefore, it must have been justified right? Bush was elected over Al Gore because more people voted for him, so that was the right decision, right? It doesnt matter if one person or two billion succumb to a religious ideology, its still wrong.

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The Problem of Evil Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people? Why does God allow evil to even exist? Is his proclaimed unconditional love for humanity contradicted when punishment for blasphemous behavior an eternity in the depths of hell? The free will response is trivial because if God has a plan for us all, we truly dont have free will outside of Gods plan. The brilliant philosopher Epicurus coined the problem of evil:
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? Epicurus BC 341-270 [9]

Why would God merely allow 11 million people to be brutally murdered in the Holocaust? Is he even willing to stop evil in the world, or does he ignore the pains and grievances that humans have and wait for the afterlife to punish them? If he can stop innocent people from being killed and doesnt do so, he is evil himself. The last line of the problem of evil is a stunning revelation. When will the day finally come when we as humans realize that we have superior morality and ethical capabilities than the god of the Bible possesses? There is not conceivable that the present God can harbor dreadful Bronze Age chastity. The Problem of Faith When a theist has been overwhelmed with evidence, they retreat to a cowardly lower ground of argumentation and say that they know God is real because they have faith. What makes faith so special? Moreover, what makes faith in a god superior to

Livingston 16

faith in something else? The bottom line is that faith is believing something without knowledge or evidence, which is a stupid thing to do. If I have faith that an invisible unicorn is standing outside my house, it does not make my claim any more credible than it was when I originally proposed it. I usually lack faith (the exception being when I watch sports). Rationality arises when one believes something based on reasonable expectations that something may happen. I dont have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow, I believe it will based on previous observances of the sun doing so. Faith is dangerous because the concept of it allows people to ignore what has been brought before them and make ridiculous decisions. In Conclusion We as a species are in need for a new enlightenment. The consequences of religious thought far outweigh the benefits. Religion does nothing more than teach us to be satisfied with now knowing about the vast universe around us. It hands us artificial answers to complex inquiries that may never be able to be answered. But there is no reason to stop trying. Humans must free themselves of the shackles of religion, its detrimental to our advancement and wellbeing. I hope this paper was at the very least thought provoking, and intellectually delicious. After writing this brief assessment and knocking down almost every argument ever conceived, the burden of proof still remains on the religious. I havent disproved God, but he could be there. However, after all is said it done I can surely state once more that the existence of Yahweh is highly improbable.

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Works Cited 1. Dawkins, Richard. The God Delusion. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 2006. Print. 2. Harris, Sam. The End Of Faith: Religion, Terror, And The Future Of Reason. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2004. Print. - -. War on weak tea Christians: Sam Harris, one of the Four Horsemen of new atheism, believes that science can never be reconciled with religion, and that it is dangerous even to try . New Statesman 18 Apr. 2011: 36. Gale Student Resources in Context. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DASORT&inPS=true&prodId=GPS&userGroupName=4104mtnhs&tabID=T0 03&searchId=R7&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&sear chType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=7&contentSet=GALE%7CA25 6711187&&docId=GALE|A256711187&docType=GALE&role=ITOF>. 3. Hitchens, Christopher. God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. 2007. New York, NY: Twelve, 2009. Print. 4. Hitchens, Christopher, and William Lane Craig. Does God Exist? Biola University. 4 Apr. 2009. Religion and Philosophy Collection. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KBx4vvlbZ8>. 5. The Holy Bible. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2004. Print. King James Version. 6. McKibben, Bill. The Christian paradox: How a faithful nation gets Jesus wrong. Harpers Magazine 1 Aug. 2005: n. pag. Harpers Magazine. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. <http://harpers.org/archive/2005/08/0080695>.

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7. Pascal, Blaise. Penses. 1669. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Books, 1669. N. pag. Print. 8. Strobel, Lee. The Case For Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervon, 1998. Print. - -. The Case For Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity . Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervon, 2000. Print. 9. Vieth, Eric. The problem of evil, as described circa 300 B.C. Dangerous Intersection 7 Apr. 2008: n. pag. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. <http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/04/17/the-problem-of-evil-as-describedcerca-300-bc/>. 10. National Academy of Sciences. Science and Creationism: A View From The National Academy of Sciences. The National Academies Press. N.p., 1999. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. <http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6024>.