# Some dumb Bible question **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 16, 2018, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-dumb-bible-question/814318 "2018-05-16T23:58:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-dumb-bible-question/814318/141 "2018-06-02T06:29:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Theists claim without evidence that God exists. Atheists claim without evidence that God doesn’t exist. Both are making claims without evidence. > > And for anyone who wants to argue that atheists don’t claim that God doesn’t exist, I refer you to posts 72, 78, 80, 85, and 96 in this very thread, all of which contain that very claim. > > Why is it reasonable for **begbert2** , **Voyager** , and **DavidwithanR** to claim that God doesn’t exist, but not reasonable for theists to claim that he does? Because if there’s no reason to believe something exists, there’s no reason to state that it does. If you heard that every day I went out expecting to find a dragon guarding my driveway, and you asked why I expected a dragon and I said “Because I know it’s there”… Wouldn’t you ask WHY I know it’s there, considering I’ve never seen the dragon and neither has anyone else? Lots of things don’t exist. Lots of things are not happening. Is it suddenly necessary to provide proof to you every hour that my shoes are still not on fire? Should I demand proof that you don’t have a macaque in your pocket? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-dumb-bible-question/814318/142 "2018-06-02T06:41:32Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I can totally understand skepticism of faith. It’s not easy or rational to trust without certainty. I don’t expect anyone to be convinced to have faith; it has to be an internal revelation. > > I’m very much in favor of calling out those who make bad decisions and do bad things in the name of faith. Too many Christians forget the part of the greatest commandment to use one’s “whole mind”. Often while disobeying the second greatest commandment “love your neighbor”. > > Implicit scorn while not change anyone’s mind. And the applies to everyone. In the context you’re describing, “not rational” equals “not valid”. It is not valid to believe that something exists when there is absolutely no indication that it might. There is not the slightest indication anywhere that a god might exist, other than a collection of stories fabricated just for the purpose of convincing you. Using your “whole mind” entails rejecting false reports. You cannot be using your “whole mind” and at the same time believe that a god exists. I’m an atheist Christian and I believe God is a positive and good figment of my imagination. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-dumb-bible-question/814318/143 "2018-06-02T06:53:30Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > In the context you’re describing, “not rational” equals “not valid”. It is not valid to believe that something exists when there is absolutely no indication that it might. There is not the slightest indication anywhere that a god might exist, other than a collection of stories fabricated just for the purpose of convincing you. Using your “whole mind” entails rejecting false reports. You cannot be using your “whole mind” and at the same time believe that a god exists. > > I’m an atheist Christian and I believe God is a positive and good figment of my imagination. An atheist Christian? I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered one of those before. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-dumb-bible-question/814318/144 "2018-06-02T06:53:31Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > Why do you say it doesn’t read like mythology? Well, for one thing, it’s presented as a prediction, a prophecy. For another, it contains obvious references to the current day, just in somewhat coded form. What it doesn’t read like is a bunch of traditional stories from the past explaining how the world works. The gospels, on the other hand, do somewhat read like a mythology, since Jesus was in the past by the time all of them were written–albeit, no the long past. Especially when one looks at the early history of Jesus before his ministry. Those sound like myths. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-dumb-bible-question/814318/145 "2018-06-02T07:10:14Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > An atheist Christian? I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered one of those before. Well, I guess you can be glad you got it over with, or something. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-dumb-bible-question/814318/146 "2018-06-02T10:39:53Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > I think that what is happening is that you’re placing your preconceptions on the text rather than actually taking time to do comparative analysis of the text. The New Testament doesn’t read anything at all like mythic literature. It just doesn’t. You appear to confusing mythic with epic. There is nothing about myth that requires a specific form of presentation. Myths are stories that express and reinforce the the beliefs of a people as True. Poetic presentation or descriptions of past events are not in any way required of myth. Epics may be used to express myth, but they are only one method of presenting myth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-dumb-bible-question/814318.md?page=7)