badchad, atheist here, so “hard” that if God literally appeared before my very eyes I would prefer to believe I was being non-supernaturally deceived.
Poly does not believe that the Bible is literally true, and interprets the teachings of Jesus as being non-exclusivist.
As a test for yourself, I would like you to explain basic cosmology to me, without inconsistencies, on pain of being called a lying hypocrite if any detail is wrong.
It’s always looked like a combination of hypotheses two and three, from where I sit. It’s a sort of rough parallel to how TVAA follows Libertarian around yapping and snapgumming at his heels, except that badchad is usually blessedly a little bit more quiet about his own version of the crusade.
I’m glad to see Polycarp posting more again; his witness has been a big help for me in dismantling a pretty anchored shoulder-chip regarding Christianity which dismantling of has been, in retrospect, fairly important to me–for, admittedly, non-Christian reasons of my own.
I do still maintain a previous analogy that a crowd rallying to defend him is akin to a crowd of well-meaning folks rallying to protect a mountain from being carved away by an armless fellow with a spoon clenched in his teeth. So I’m against any attempt to try to take the spoon away.
I’d like to see that, too! 
Eh, Polycarp is one of the more refreshingly-consistent Believers on these boards. At least he’s willing to admit that his beliefs make no rational sense.
Another atheist/agnostic here weighing in to say that I’ve never found Polycarp to be inconsistent or hypocritical. Never seen anything in his posts deserving of an attack of any kind. I’ve certainly never found in his posts any of the hostility I find in the OP. Not to say that I agree with all of Poly’s beliefs, but in terms of intelligence and goodness, he has certainly earned my respect.
You’ve confused Poly with Tris. Triskadecamus is the one who says that his beliefs make no rational sense. But at least you’ve made Drastic look like a prophet.
I like Polycarp as much as the next Doper, but this seems a reasonable enough thread to me.
I haven’t found Polycarp’s views on God and and his understanding of Him contradictory at all. Certainly one can find inconsistencies in the bible if one takes every word literally without regard to context and assumes the bible was intended to be an historical document.
I suspect that you are irked by Poly, because his views recognize the many legitimate arguments dispelling the bible as an accurate historical document thus disarming you of your weapons in your zeal to pound on "feeble minded " religious people. His faith in Jesus Christ and his love for Him is evident in his zeal and prolific posting towards that end as well as in his tireless display of patience as he tries to love all of us including you. That zeal can more than rival many extreme fundamentalists.To top it off, Poly is clearly writes in a manner conveying education and intelligence, and that must piss you off since it is inconsistant with your view of religious people.
Perhaps Poly should reply to you in parables. I seem to remember that was the way Jesus responded to the pharisees when they tried to trap Him in inconsistencies.
In a little fit of retribution, I entertained the idea of announcing that I was going to pray for you, but that wouldn’t be Christian would it . Gee badchad, lighten up will ya.
Tell me you did this on purpose, please!
No, Lib, Poly has admitted it as well.
Not that you’re capable of understanding what a “rational thought” is…
Not sure what your point is Mangetout but I do wish we had the edit function available. I proof read too damn quickly sometimes.
Sorry; I thought it might have been an intentional eroor.
What I don’t understand is why someone—anyone—would go after Polycarp, a font of reason and good will, a man whose rhetorical skills are legendary while aknowledging he doesn’t have all the answers, and a man who is one of the rocks upon which this board is built, for supposed inconsistancies in his beliefs while ignoring my totally half-assed belief system that combines atheism and Lutheranism with a touch of animism. Am I too easy a target while Poly presents a challenge? Or do I make so little sense, even to me, that it isn’t worth the trouble?
Yeah, I’m jealous. 
badchad-
If anyone were to ever come to you and tell you they had all the answers, they are either crazy or lying (possibly both). To the best of my recollection, Polycarp has never claimed to have all the answers. In fact, he will come right out and say when he doesn’t know.
There’s a search function on this message board. I recommend you do a little research into Polycarp’s GD posts.
A rational thought is an idea that is born of reason.
Your statement that “his beliefs make no rational sense” is a gross misrepresentation of what he has said. He has explained himself many times on this matter, distinguishing irrational from non-rational, and what those terms mean to him. Here, for example:
It is Tris who has always proudly proclaimed the irrationality of his beliefs. But you don’t care about either Trish or Poly, as is evidenced by that fact that you can’t keep the two of them straight. The fact of the matter is that you didn’t give a rat’s ass about Poly’s views, whether rational or irrational — you merely seized this opportunity, as you do every opportunity, to attempt a swipe at me.
As always, you failed.
So my Pitting of badchad was reasonable, then?
So again, what’s the problem? I have nothing against [Polycarp**, but he did say to start another thread where he’d answer the questions, and one was started. So now it turns into a popularity contest? He doesn’t have to answer since he’s such a nice guy? Could just be me, but that’s what it seems like.
I would cheerfully sit down and discuss my beliefs – such as they are – with someone who was genuinely interested. Heck, I’d even discuss them with someone who obviously held different beliefs, as long as the spirit of the conversation was amicable.
But if someone opened by attacking my belief system and mocked and ridiculed me in the process … why on earth would I want to waste time conversing with them?
Have you seen some of the threads in GD lately? As far as I can see, in the fight against ignorance, common courtesy is thrust aside. That said, if Polycarp (sorry about the bolding earlier) told the OP that he would answer any of his questions, knowing the spirit they are asked in, it seems to me that it wouldn’t be contingent on the OP changing his spots. Otherwise it was wrong to say ‘start another thread and I’ll answer the questions’. But even some of the replies here show that he doesn’t have to because he’s so popular.
I agree with Svt4Him in that after making an explicit statement about starting a new thread for answering questions,polycarp is beholden to answer these questions. Having said that, the tone of the questions is more like accusations and badchad would be better served if he calms down and tries to open a discussion rather than post a rant.