How do I respond to arguments like these?

[WIP]

You doubt the Biblical stories are true yet you put faith in the text books you read today.

 

[Reed]

You doubt the Biblical stories are true yet you put faith in the text books you read today.

well I guess he does cause their backed up with scientific and historical evidence

 

[Free]

Sorry if this may seem off-topic (rather, it's getting back to the main point of this thread), but I also need help for religious arguments. A friend of mine is convinced that "God" is evil, using the Book of Job and the fact that with God's omnipotency, evil shouldn't exist as evidence of moral fallacies of the Lord. He also says that "Satan" is the real "God" because "God" killed several million people (many innocent), while "Satan" killed only a few (also citing the Book of Job). He is part of a Satanist organization that believes Satan is the true God and while at one of their meetings.

Here's my problem: they are quite convincing, and I am even feeling inclined to join them. Are there any arguments I can use against them too or are they right?

No, they are not right, not at all. Much of this is answered on the first page but I will try and provide some more.

That evil exists has nothing to do with God's omnipotence. The problem of evil is much more complex than that. Read at least some of Drew's arguments on a plausible explanation as to why God allows evil to exist.

I would question how they know that Satan is the true God when, I would think, that the oldest texts we have about Satan are in the Bible where he clearly is a created being, not the Creator. They have fallen into the trap mentioned in Romans 1 of worshiping the creature rather than the Creator and they will reap from what they sow.

It is also important to note that one book of the Bible does not an argument make. The Bible is an evolving story which begins with creation, and specifically the creation of man, and then the fall of man into sin and evil. This is all within the first three chapters of the entire Bible. The rest of the Bible is about God's plan for the redemption of man and the restoration of all of creation, which centers on Christ. It then finishes with Christ's final return to rid the world of evil once and for all.

So, in citing the book of Job, they must also keep that in context with the rest of the story and read about what happens to Satan and his followers in Revelation, when the resurrected Christ returns for his followers. Whether they are annihilated or spend eternity in hell is irrelevant; justice will be done.

Arguments from such people can, on the surface, seem like good arguments and even be intimidating at first glance, but really they're nothing but smoke and mirrors. Having said that, if they truly think that Satan is God, they may never see otherwise since the battle is spiritual. Words will not be as important as prayer.

 

[Deavonreye]

You doubt the Biblical stories are true yet you put faith in the text books you read today.

well I guess he does cause they're backed up with scientific and historical evidence

I thank ya!

 

[WIP]

I won't debate this but I will end saying that so are much of the biblical references. I guess we just pick and choose which evidence to believe.

 

[Deavonreye]

I won't debate this but I will end saying that so are much of the biblical references. I guess we just pick and choose which evidence to believe.

You might be the first to actually GIVE hard evidence, so you should write a book.

But seriously, no worries if you don't want to debate it.

 

[taromina2003]

I don't think my friend will exactly "receive christ" anytime soon. He told me in the past, as a kid, he was a christian. He has several reasons not to believe in Christianity and that he was mad it was taught to him as a kid. He then said, as a kid, he would much rather be taught a scientific theory of how things came to be, rather than a biblical one.

Matthew 7:6 always comes to mind: Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

 

[Deavonreye]

Matthew 7:6 always comes to mind: Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Yeah, . . . it's a good verse when you don't really know how to address a person's sincere thoughts. "They are not worth talking to" is basically what it is saying. Bravo.