ARE THERE MULTIPLE PATHS or WAYS TO GOD?
It is popularly believed that there are many ways or paths to God. Many truly believe that one can find God through either any of such diverse paths as Christianity, or Buddhism, or Hinduism, or Islam, or Shintoism, or Confucianism, or Paganism, or Mysticism, or Sun Worship, or through their own enlightenment and path, or Native American religion, or Spiritism, or “the energy of the universe,” or New Age, or by being a good person, or through no religion at all, or through nature, or any combination of these and/or other beliefs, etc. Those who disagree with this populist idea are viewed as narrow-minded, or ignorant.
Is this populist view so? No, it is not! Jesus said:
“I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me”—John 14:6
“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved”—John 10:9 NAB
According to Jesus Christ, the only way to God is through him, which means Biblical Christianity.
“There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus”—1 Timothy 2:5 NAB
Jesus is the only mediator between God and humans. Thus, all other ways and means to God are eliminated!
This is not to say that all beliefs that claim to be Christian are correct, either. Besides being “the way,” Jesus also said that he is “the truth.” This fact eliminates falsehood. As a matter of fact, Jesus further clarifies the issue by saying:
“The true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth”—John 4:23,24 NRSV
Jesus here refers to “the true worshippers”. This implies that there are also false worshippers. Jesus plainly states that true worship requires the truth, not falsehood. Jesus also says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21-23 NAB), which also indicates that a person’s actions, lifestyle and motivations make a difference. The fact is that all roads don’t lead to the same place.
Critics complain that the above Biblical viewpoints are “narrow-minded.” You can’t “put God in a box,” they proclaim. However, Biblical Christianity is “narrow”. There is no allowance for worshipping other Gods, or for other mediators, or other paths to God. Jesus said:
“Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it”—Matthew 7:13,14 NRSV
Jesus was very clear that there are not multiple paths to God. The way to God is “narrow,” not “wide.” Although narrow, it is wide enough so that “all who want it may have the water of life, and have it free” (Revelation 22:17 NAB). While “the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NLT), one must meet God’s requirements to qualify. What are those requirements? Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 NAB). Despite many teachings to the contrary, strenuous effort is required, as Jesus said: “Try your hardest to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed”—Luke 13:24 NJB. There is no truth to the belief that a person is, ‘Once saved, always saved.’ On the other hand, it is not our prerogative to judge others, because “the Father . . . has entrusted all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22 NIV).
9 thoughts on “ARE THERE MULTIPLE PATHS or WAYS TO GOD?”
BA: It is popularly believed that there are many ways or paths to God.
GW: And that belief is false. God does not exist, and this has been proven. And so there are NO paths to God.
BA: Many truly believe that one can find God through either any of such diverse paths as Christianity, or Buddhism, or Hinduism, or Islam, or Shintoism, or Confucianism, or Paganism, or Mysticism, or Sun Worship, or through their own enlightenment and path, or Native American religion, or Spiritism, or “the energy of the universe,” or New Age, or by being a good person,…
GW: All those are false paths to God since he does not exist.
BA: or through no religion at all, or through nature, or any combination of these and/or other beliefs, etc.
GW: “No religion” is not a path to God! Why would you say that? People who have no religion have no beliefs in the supernatural at all, and so they could have no belief in God or pathway to God. Duh. Also, God does not exist in nature, so nature cannot be a path to God.
BA: Those who disagree with this populist idea are viewed as narrow-minded, or ignorant.
GW: I disagree with that idea and I am neither narrow-minded nor ignorant.
BA: Is this populist view so? No, it is not! Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me”—John 14:6
GW: It is not surprising that Jesus thinks HIS way is the only way. He was a cult leader. He would say that to all his recruits. But the truth is that nobody comes to God since God does not exist.
BA: “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved”—John 10:9 NAB
GW: A false promise made to all recruits to the cult! What cult leader does not say “Follow me and ye shall receive great reward”?
BA: According to Jesus Christ, the only way to God is through him, which means Biblical Christianity.
GW: Wrong on both counts. There is no way to God since he does not exist. Biblical Christianity was founded long after Jesus died so even adherence to Jesus’ claims, by itself, would not be Biblical Christianity. Paul was a confounder of Christianity, as much as Jesus. And Paul was putting out new ideas long after Jesus died.
BA: “There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus”—1 Timothy 2:5 NAB
GW: If God did exist, he would be the only god! He would not create other gods. But if God existed, there would be no mediators between him and humans, and therefore the verse is refuted.
BA: Jesus is the only mediator between God and humans. Thus, all other ways and means to God are eliminated!
GW: False. God would not use mediators, if he existed. I’ve told you this many times and you continue in your denial. God would communicate directly to all human beings. You continue to underestimate God and you believe in a lesser god.
BA: This is not to say that all beliefs that claim to be Christian are correct, however.
GW: I agree. For example, some Christians (like you) believe that unsaved atheists (like me) are annihilated at death. On the other hand, other Christians (the majority) believe that unsaved atheists (like me) are sent to hell forever at death. If God did exist, there would be no controversies like this. Everyone would agree on the facts. Why? Because God would tell us all the facts! Duh.
BA: Jesus said that he is “the truth.” This fact eliminates falsehood.
GW: Here Jesus made a category error. He was not the truth. He was a human person. He might claim that he always told the truth, but Donald Trump does that too, and we know he is wrong.
BA: As a matter of fact, Jesus further clarifies the issue by saying: “The true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth”—John 4:23,24 NRSV
GW: There is no good evidence for the existence of spirit. Belief in it is just an ancient superstition. Although if God did exist, he would be a spiritual being, but alas, he does not exist. If God did exist, then he would behave like a loving Father and would prevent the Holocaust. But this did not happen. And so, God does not and cannot exist!
BA: Jesus here refers to “the true worshippers”. This implies that there are also false worshippers. Jesus plainly states that true worship requires the truth, not falsehood. The fact is that all roads don’t lead to the same place.
GW: There is nobody worthy of our worship and so we should not worship. If God did exist, he would be worthy of our worship. But unfortunately, he doesn’t.
BA: Critics complain that the above Biblical viewpoints are “narrow-minded.”
GW: Of course that viewpoint is narrow minded, but it is supposed to be.
BA: You can’t “put God in a box,” they proclaim.
GW: Of course you can put God in a box! If he did exist, he would be the only god which did exist. He would make sure of that.
BA: However, Biblical Christianity is “narrow”. There is no allowance for worshipping other Gods, or for other mediators, or other paths to God.
GW: Here you made a mistake in identification. In the first instance, you should have said “other gods” rather than “other Gods.” You know better. Don’t be so sloppy.
BA: Jesus said: “Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it”—Matthew 7:13,14 NRSV
GW: Well, Jesus was just plain wrong here. If God did exist, the gate would be wide and the road would be easy, and most people (maybe all) would believe in God and comply with his rules. Why? Because he would clearly present himself and his rules to ALL PERSONS. Duh. Jesus really didn’t understand the concept of God, but most men back then didn’t either.
BA: Jesus was very clear that there are not multiple paths to God. The way to God is “narrow,” not “wide.” Although narrow, it is wide enough so that “all who want it may have the water of life, and have it free” (Revelation 22:17 NAB).
GW: As I already said, if God did exist, the way would be WIDE, VERY WIDE. Mediators blowing hot air two thousand years ago would be totally unnecessary.
BA: While “the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NLT) , one must meet God’s requirements to qualify.
GW: Here you are contradicting yourself. If there are requirements to get something, then that something is not free. Duh.
BA: What are those requirements? Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 NAB).
GW: You left out the most important requirement in all of Christianity – “that whosoever believeth in him shall have everlasting life.” You need to brush up on your theology.
BA: Despite many teachings to the contrary, effort is required, as Jesus said: “Try your hardest to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed”—Luke 13:24 NJB
GW: Most would succeed, if God did exist. We know why.
“Saul, whose other name is Paul” (Acts 13:9 NJB) was not a co-founder of Christianity, as you claim. In fact, a couple of years after Christianity began, “Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples” (Acts 9:1 NJB). He was anti-christian up until that time. He admitted, “there was simply no limit to the way I persecuted the Church of God in my attempts to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13 NJB). He admits, “Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem” (Galatians 1:18 NJB), the center of Christianity. Paul further reports, “It was not until fourteen years had gone by that I traveled up to Jerusalem again” (Galatians 2:1 NJB). At that time, Paul was directed by others: “It was decided that Paul and Barnabus and others the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the question with the apostles and elders” (Acts 15:2 NJB). Rather than being its founder, Paul said, “together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself” (Ephesians 2:20 NLT). The scriptural evidence strongly weighs against the idea that “Paul was a co-founder of Christianity.”
A “free gift” may have a requirements, so your analogy is not accurate. One may have to register for it, for example. To register, one may have to show up at a certain location. The US government may give a free gift to every citizen, or to every tax filer. The monetary gift is free, but not everyone in the world qualifies for it.
BA: “Saul, whose other name is Paul” (Acts 13:9 NJB) was not a co-founder of Christianity, as you claim.
GW: False. Paul (after he changed his name from Saul) was a co-founder of Christianity, as we know it today. Paul was instrumental in devising and promoting the idea behind this verse “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” With only Jesus and without Paul, Christianity would not be as it is constituted today. There are some religious sects which do not accept the teachings of Paul, but they are not Christian sects. We might call them “Jesus sects.”
BA: In fact, a couple of years after Christianity began, “Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples” (Acts 9:1 NJB). He was anti-christian up until that time. He admitted, “there was simply no limit to the way I persecuted the Church of God in my attempts to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13 NJB). He admits, “Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem” (Galatians 1:18 NJB), the center of Christianity. Paul further reports, “It was not until fourteen years had gone by that I traveled up to Jerusalem again” (Galatians 2:1 NJB). At that time, Paul was directed by others: “It was decided that Paul and Barnabus and others the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the question with the apostles and elders” (Acts 15:2 NJB).
GW: Yes, Christianity began with Jesus as one founder, but then Paul came along and added so much to it early on that Paul is rightly considered a co-founder. Here are some quotes about Paul from Wikipedia:
“Paul[a] (also named Saul of Tarsus;[b] c. 5 – c. 64/65 AD), commonly known as Paul the Apostle[7] and Saint Paul,[8] was a Christian apostle who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world.[9] Generally regarded as one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age,[8][10] he founded several Christian communities in Asia Minor and Europe from the mid-40s to the mid-50s AD.”
“Fourteen of the 27 books in the New Testament have traditionally been attributed to Paul.[19] Seven of the Pauline epistles are undisputed by scholars as being authentic, with varying degrees of argument about the remainder.”
“Today, Paul’s epistles continue to be vital roots of the theology, worship and pastoral life in the Latin and Protestant traditions of the West, as well as the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox traditions of the East.[25] Paul’s influence on Christian thought and practice has been characterized as being as “profound as it is pervasive”, among that of many other apostles and missionaries involved in the spread of the Christian faith.[9]”
“Paul asserted that he received the Gospel not from man, but directly by “the revelation of Jesus Christ”.[94] He claimed almost total independence from the Jerusalem community[95] (possibly in the Cenacle), but agreed with it on the nature and content of the gospel.[96] He appeared eager to bring material support to Jerusalem from the various growing Gentile churches that he started.”
“Sanders concludes that Paul’s writings reveal what he calls the essence of the Christian message: “(1) God sent his Son; (2) the Son was crucified and resurrected for the benefit of humanity; (3) the Son would soon return; and (4) those who belonged to the Son would live with him forever. Paul’s gospel, like those of others, also included (5) the admonition to live by the highest moral standard: “May your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”.”[265][8]”
“Paul taught that Christians are redeemed from sin by Jesus’ death and resurrection. His death was an expiation as well as a propitiation, and by Christ’s blood peace is made between God and man.[277] By grace, through faith,[278] a Christian shares in Jesus’ death and in his victory over death, gaining as a free gift a new, justified status of sonship.[279]”
“In addition to the many questions about the true origins of some of Paul’s teachings posed by historical figures as noted above, some modern theologians also hold that the teachings of Paul differ markedly from those of Jesus as found in the Gospels.[364] Barrie Wilson states that Paul differs from Jesus in terms of the origin of his message, his teachings and his practices.[365] Some have even gone so far as to claim that, due to these apparent differences in teachings, that Paul was actually no less than the “second founder” of Christianity (Jesus being its first).[366][367]” Note “second founder” here.
GW: Here are the people who mostly strongly advocate for Paul as a cofounder of Christianity:
“James D. Tabor: Tabor, in his book “Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity,” argues that Paul’s teachings and activities were instrumental in shaping the early Christian movement and its separation from Judaism. He suggests that Paul’s interpretation of Jesus’ message contributed to the distinct character of Christianity.”
“John Gager: In his book “Reinventing Paul,” Gager challenges traditional interpretations of Paul and argues that Paul’s teachings contributed to the formation of Christianity as a separate religious movement from Judaism. He suggests that Paul’s emphasis on faith and grace played a significant role in shaping the distinct nature of Christianity.”
“Elaine Pagels: In her book “Paul and His Opponents,” Pagels explores the conflict between Paul and other early Christian leaders, highlighting the diverse theological perspectives within the early Christian movement. Her work contributes to the discussion about Paul’s influence on the development of Christianity.”
BA: Rather than being its founder, Paul said, “together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself” (Ephesians 2:20 NLT).
GW: Yes, Jesus was a cornerstone, as was Paul. It’s like building a house. One cornerstone will be placed first, and then others follow. This house had two primary cornerstones – first Jesus and then Paul.
BA: The scriptural evidence strongly weighs against the idea that “Paul was a co-founder of Christianity.”
GW: Nope.
BA: A “free gift” may have a requirements, so your analogy is not accurate.
GW: False. You have contradicted yourself. If there is even one requirement to get ANYTHING, then there is a cost to get it and it isn’t free. If God did exist and he required belief in Jesus Christ in order to get saved, then that requirement is a cost and salvation is not free. This is obvious to any person thinking rationally about the problem.
BA: One may have to register for it, for example.
GW: A requirement to register is a cost. At the least the cost is time and effort. The cost may be low, but the benefit is not free. In the case of alleged salvation, however, the cost is not low. It is high. You must deny your rational faculties in paying the cost.
BA: To register, one may have to show up at a certain location.
GW: Yes, that is a requirement and a cost. The benefit is not free. Besides, believing in Jesus Christ is not merely a “registration.”
BA: The US government may give a free gift to every citizen, or to every tax filer. The monetary gift is free, but not everyone in the world qualifies for it.
GW: If you must actually DO something to get a benefit, then that is a cost. The benefit is not free. But the cost of belief in Jesus Christ is much greater than the cost of filing your income taxes. Obviously.
Paul had nothing to do with John 3:16, as you assert. The apostle John wrote it 30 plus years after Paul’s execution.
Paul was “inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16) to write much of the New Testament, 14 books, in fact. But that doesn’t make him a “co-founder of Christianity”. He admitted, “I am unspiritual, sold under sin” (Romans 7:16 NIV), and that he had “sin living in me” (Romans 7:18 NIV). Contrast this with with Jesus, who Paul said is “holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26 NIV), “the chief cornerstone” of the Christian church (Ephesians 2:20 NIV). Jesus is consistently referred to as “THE cornerstone” (Mark 12:10; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:6,7), and THE “one mediator between God and mankind” (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV). Paul is not included.
Paul was not the only one who preached the basic gospel. “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36 NIV). “The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 NIV). “Jesus Christ . . . the firstborn from the dead . . . and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (Revelation 1:5 NIV).
The gift of life is free! “People cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God . . . for no one can ever pay enough to to live forever” (Psalm 49:7-9 NLT). “God . . . purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins” (Ephesians 1:7 NLT).
BA: Paul had nothing to do with John 3:16, as you assert. The apostle John wrote it 30 plus years after Paul’s execution.
GW: It is highly likely that the author of John read letters written by Paul, either before or after Paul’s death, and incorporated Paul’s ideas into his own writing.
BA: Paul was “inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16) to write much of the New Testament, 14 books, in fact.
GW: False. God does not exist and thus does not inspire anybody! However, belief in God may inspire some persons.
BA: But that doesn’t make him a “co-founder of Christianity”.
GW: Why is Paul a cofounder of Christianity?
1. He was the first person to write about Jesus and his ideas.
2. He was the first person to write and promote a dogma for the church. See 1 Cor.
3. He was the first person to have disagreements with Jesus’ disciples and brother after Jesus died and to promote his differing ideas, which were finally victorious in the marketplace of ideas.
4. He was the first person to popularize the idea of atonement through Jesus.
5. He was the first person to persecute early Jesus’ followers and then become a Jesus follower.
BA: He admitted, “I am unspiritual, sold under sin” (Romans 7:16 NIV), and that he had “sin living in me” (Romans 7:18 NIV).
GW: But he converted. Almost all Christians believe that we are all born into sin.
BA: Contrast this with with Jesus, who Paul said is “holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26 NIV), “the chief cornerstone” of the Christian church (Ephesians 2:20 NIV).
GW: Of course Paul has a high regard for Jesus. Jesus is a co-founder of Christianity, and Paul is the other one. Was Peter a third co-founder? Maybe.
BA: Jesus is consistently referred to as “THE cornerstone” (Mark 12:10; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:6,7), and THE “one mediator between God and mankind” (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV). Paul is not included.
GW: Of course Jesus is a cornerstone of Christianity! So is Paul. If he did exist, God would not use mediators, prophets, messengers, or representatives. He would do his own communications to humans. Neither Jesus nor Paul are mediators.
BA: Paul was not the only one who preached the basic gospel.
GW: I agree. It depends on what you mean by “the basic gospel.” Paul’s preaching is recorded in HIS OWN writings. Jesus wrote nothing.
BA: “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36 NIV).
GW: That’s just false. If God did exist, he would not “make” a Lord, Messiah, or messenger. Jesus was just another man with no supernatural or paranormal powers.
BA: “The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 NIV). “Jesus Christ . . . the firstborn from the dead . . . and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (Revelation 1:5 NIV).
GW: Paul was the first to promote this idea in writing.
BA: The gift of life is free!
GW: We don’t choose to be born. It just happens to us.
BA: “People cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God . . . for no one can ever pay enough to to live forever” (Psalm 49:7-9 NLT).
GW: If God did exist, nobody could redeem themselves from death or sin by any method at all! Keep in mind that God would implement perfect justice. And so, we would all pay for our sins, even you. There would be no escape, forgiveness, mercy, or atonement from God. You consistently underestimate and misunderstand God.
BA: “God . . . purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins” (Ephesians 1:7 NLT).
GW: False. God would never do that. If he ever wanted to forgive anybody of any sin, he would just speak “You are forgiven for that sin.” He would never arrange for the torture, humiliation, and murder of his son or an advocate. But God would never want to forgive anybody. He would want to penalize each person for each sin in a just manner. Unfortunately, you worship a lesser god.
GW: The status of Paul really isn’t very interesting to me. It is not a core belief of Christianity. The two core and essential beliefs of this religion are: 1) God exists. And 2) Jesus came back to life. We now know that the first is certainly false. And the second has no good evidence in support of it, it is very likely to be false, and we should not believe it is true.
Matthew was likely the first gospel written, and the first of the 27 inspired NT books written. There are a few late manuscripts with colophons stating that Matthew wrote his gospel 8 years after Jesus’ death.
“THE cornerstone” (Mark 12:10; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:6,7) means one, not two.
Your speculations are unsupported by any facts.
God’s existence and Jesus’ resurrection have been proven to be factual. You denials of these facts have been refuted many times.
BA: Matthew was likely the first gospel written,…
GW: False. Mark was likely the first Gospel to be written. This is the view of Bart Ehrman and the consensus of NT scholars. Here is a great description of the consensus about the Gospels from Wikipedia, all of which supports what I have been saying to you.
“The canonical gospels are the four which appear in the New Testament of the Bible. They were probably written between AD 66 and 110.[5][6][7] All four were anonymous (with the modern names of the “Four Evangelists” added in the 2nd century), almost certainly none were by eyewitnesses, and all are the end-products of long oral and written transmission.[8] Mark was the first to be written, using a variety of sources.[9][10] The authors of Matthew and Luke both independently used Mark for their narrative of Jesus’s career, supplementing it with a collection of sayings called “the Q source”, and additional material unique to each.[11] There is near-consensus that John had its origins as the hypothetical Signs Gospel thought to have been circulated within a Johannine community.[12] The contradictions and discrepancies between the first three and John make it impossible to accept both traditions as equally reliable.[13]”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel#Canonical_gospels:_Matthew,_Mark,_Luke_and_John
BA: and the first of the 27 inspired NT books written.
GW: Inspired by what? Inspired by whom? None was inspired by God since 1) God would not use intermediaries for communication, if he did exist. And 2) God does not exist. This has been proven.
BA: There are a few late manuscripts with colophons stating that Matthew wrote his gospel 8 years after Jesus’ death.
GW: It doesn’t matter. After examination of ALL the relevant and available evidence, the consensus is described in the great Wikipedia passage quoted above.
BA: “THE cornerstone” (Mark 12:10; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:6,7) means one, not two.
GW: Well, I disagree with these authors. A building may have more than one cornerstone, just as a religion may have more than one founder. The US Constitution had many founders.
BA: Your speculations are unsupported by any facts.
GW: I am not presenting my speculations to you. I am presenting the conclusions of the consensus of NT scholars. They have used the facts to reach their conclusions. You are the one who is speculating against them.
BA: God’s existence and Jesus’ resurrection have been proven to be factual.
GW: False. We now know that God does not exist. This has been proven. And there is no good evidence to support the hypothesis that Jesus came back to life, and so nobody should believe he did.
BA: You[r] denials of these facts have been refuted many times.
GW: False. You are the one denying the facts, not me. In particular, you are denying the fact that there is no possible morally justified reason for any all-powerful god or person to allow the Holocaust. If you think otherwise, then prove your claim. We are still waiting.
If you will check the Wikipedia article, “Consensus theory of truth,” you will discover that “consensus” doesn’t equate to truth or facts, nor does it prove anything.
The “Q” source theory hasn’t a shred of evidence to support it; neither does the Primacy of Mark theory. For the first 1,800 years of Christianity, Matthew was believed to have been written first.
Bible writers Mark, Luke and Peter referred to Jesus as “THE cornerstone.”
BA: If you will check the Wikipedia article, “Consensus theory of truth,” you will discover that “consensus” doesn’t equate to truth or facts, nor does it prove anything.
GW: Straw man. Truth is determined through evidence, reasons, and arguments. However, in all subject areas it is better to trust the consensus of relevant experts over any other group. Why? Because they are qualified to use evidence, reasons, and arguments to determine the truth and have devoted their lives to it. I am going to trust the consensus of experts on NT scholarship more than I am going to trust you.
BA: The “Q” source theory hasn’t a shred of evidence to support it; neither does the Primacy of Mark theory.
GW: False. You are just mistaken. The experts say otherwise to you.
BA: For the first 1,800 years of Christianity, Matthew was believed to have been written first.
GW: Believed by whom? It doesn’t matter. The consensus of modern relevant scholars, who use evidence, is that Mark was written first. Read the excellent summary from Wikipedia I gave you. Here is another good article on the subject:
https://www.bartehrman.com/which-gospel-was-written-first-and-last/
BA: Bible writers Mark, Luke and Peter referred to Jesus as “THE cornerstone.”
GW: So what? At the time they wrote, they did not have the proper perspective on history to decide the founders of the Christian religion. In fact, the religion wasn’t even named “Christianity” at that time.
GW: Why do you waste our time on these peripheral issues? Get back to the key issues – the alleged existence of God and the alleged resurrection of Jesus. The whole Christian religion fails on the basis of these two.
GW: What is just one possible morally justified reason which God would have to allow the Holocaust, if he did exist?