Why I am an Atheist and Freethinker

1
Why I am an Atheist and Freethinker

• By Ed Hensley
• Presented at Christian Academy of Louisville
• November 10, 2008

2
Religious Background

• Grew up in a fundamentalist Southern Baptist
  Church
• Baptized at age 9
• After doubting, baptized again at age 18
• Went on missionary trips
• Assisted a street preacher in Dallas
• By 20 I doubted God wrote some texts in the Bible
• By 24 I knew the Bible was man-made

3
Introduction

• How Atheists and Freethinkers differ from
  Fundamentalists
• The Bible is not the literal word of God
• The God of the Bible is evil
• The Bible contains bizarre nonsense
• Many contradictions in the Bible
• The Bible is unreliable
• Why I am a freethinker
• Why I am an atheist
• Is there an atheist world view?
• Do Atheists have morals?
• But what about Hitler?

4
How Atheists and Freethinkers differ from
Fundamentalists
5
Applying Free Thought

• God created the first man from dust approximately
  6,000 years ago in the garden of Eden which was
  located in what is currently Jackson County,
  Missouri.

Only Mormons believe Eden was in Jackson County ,
Missouri. Fundamentalist Mormons can not practice
free thought and question Edens location.
Freethinkers are permitted to question each
phrase of this sentence. Non-Mormon Christians
are permitted to ask for evidence that Eden was
located in Jackson County, Mo. People are able to
apply free thought to other religions. It is
difficult to apply free thought to your religion.
6
Applying Free Thought

• God created the first man from dust approximately
  6,000 years ago.

Only young earth creationists believe the world
is about 6,000 years old. Free thinkers have no
problem with evidence for an old earth.
7
Applying Free Thought

• God created the first man from dust.

Theistic evolutionists do not believe man was
created from dust. Freethinkers have no problem
with the evidence that shows man was not simply
created from dust.
8
Applying Free Thought

• God created the first man.

Most Christians are bound by dogmatism not to
doubt this statement. Other forms of theism agree
with this statement. Freethinkers are able to ask
for evidence that God created man.
9
Applying Free Thought

• God created.

Freethinkers are permitted to doubt this
statement and all other prior statements.
10
Fundamentalist Presuppositions

• Biology for Christian Schools is a textbook for
  Bible-believing high-school students. Those who
  do not believe that the Bible is the inspired,
  inerrant Word of God will find many points in
  this book puzzling. This book was not written for
  them.
• The same encyclopedia article may state that the
  grasshopper evolved 300 million years ago These
  statements are conclusions based on "supposed
  science." If the conclusions contradict the Word
  of God, the conclusions are wrong, no matter how
  many scientific facts may appear to back them.
• http//www.bjupress.com/product/187021?path12762
  samplePage10lookInside

11
Fundamentalist Presuppositions

• The authority of the Bible is the main emphasis
  of Answers in Genesis. We dont try to prove
  the Bible with science rather, we accept the
  Bibles propositions as true without proof, i.e.
  as axioms or presuppositions.
• Genesis unambiguously teaches that
• The heavens, Earth and everything in them were
  created in six consecutive normal days, the same
  as those of our working week (Exodus 20811).
• Earth is about 6,000 years old, since Jesus said
  mankind was there from the beginning of
  creation, not billions of years later (Mark
  106).
• God judged the world by a globe-covering Flood
• God then judged the people by confusing their
  language at Babel

12
Fundamentalist Presuppositions

• Using this framework
• Its important to realize that all facts of
  science do not speak for themselves, but are
  interpreted within a framework.
• Creation Magazine 22(1)3942 Dec 1999
• http//www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v22/i1/cr
  eation.asp

13
Presuppositions Can be Extreme

• http//www.fixedearth.com/
• The Bible teaches scores of times that the sun
  and stars move, not the Earth.
• Then spake Joshua.... Sun, stand thou still upon
  Joshua 1012,13
• So THE SUN RETURNED ten degrees,by which degrees
  it was gone down...(Isaiah 388)
• The Christian Compromise with Copernicanism
  established the one and only criterion needed for
  the success of Satan's evolution myth Scripture
  can and must be reworked to match the claims of
  "science falsely so-called".

14
Creationist Presupposition Ape or Human, but
never transitional

• Kenneth Miller, Only a Theory, p. 95
• Drawn from James Foley at TalkOrigins.org

15
Sources In Previous Chart
16
Presuppositions Leading to Wrong Results at the
Creation Museum
17
Based on Evidence or Presupposition?
18
Based on Evidence or Presuppositions?
19
Apply Free Thinking to the Following Statement

• When a person dies or when a thetan abandons
  its physical body they go to a "landing
  station" on the planet Venus, where the thetan is
  re-implanted and told lies about its past life
  and its next life. The Venusians take the thetan,
  "capsule" it, and send it back to Earth to be
  dumped into the ocean off the coast of
  California.

20
Apply Free Thinking to the Following

• Noah Was 500 Years old when he fathered 3 sons.
  Noah was 600, and his sons each 100, when they
  built an ark around 2400 B.C. that was 300 cubits
  long (no more than 450 feet). It contained
  animals of every kind on earth. The world was
  completely covered by water around 2400 B.C.

21
Applying Free Thought to the Bible
Properly read, the bible is the most potent force
for Atheism ever conceived. - Isaac Asimov
22
The Literal Word of a Perfect God?

• The remarkable structure of the Bible should also
  be stressed. Although it is a collection of 66
  books, written by 40 or more different men over a
  period of 2,000 years, it is clearly one Book,
  with perfect unity and consistency throughout.
• http//www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t003.ht
  ml
• What I was taught and believed.

23
The God of the Bible is evil
24
God Kills a Man for Gathering Wood - Numbers
1532-36

•   32 While the Israelites were in the desert, a
  man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.
  33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him
  to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and
  they kept him in custody, because it was not
  clear what should be done to him. 35 Then the
  LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole
  assembly must stone him outside the camp." 36 So
  the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned
  him to death, as the LORD commanded Moses.

25
Jephthah Burns His Daughter for God -Judges 11

•  29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon
  Jephthah And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD
  "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31
  whatever comes out of the door of my house to
  meet me when I return in triumph from the
  Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will
  sacrifice it as a burnt offering." 34 When
  Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who
  should come out to meet him but his daughter, 36
  "My father," she replied, "you have given your
  word to the LORD. Do to me just as you
  promised39 her father and he did to her as he
  had vowed

26
Genocide of the Midianites Numbers 31

• 1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Take vengeance on
  the Midianites for the Israelites. 7 They fought
  against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and
  killed every man. 14 Moses was angry with the
  officers of the army15 "Have you allowed all the
  women to live?" he asked them. 17 Now kill all
  the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with
  a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who
  has never slept with a man.

27
God Sends Bears to kill 42 children 2 Kings 2

•  23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he
  was walking along the road, some youths came out
  of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you
  baldhead!" they said. "Go on up, you baldhead!"
  24 He turned around, looked at them and called
  down a curse on them in the name of the LORD.
  Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled
  forty-two of the youths.

28
1 of Gods Laws on Slavery

• 10 Commandments in Exodus 20
• Exodus 2120 If a man beats his male or female
  slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct
  result, he must be punished, 21 but he is not to
  be punished if the slave gets up after a day or
  two, since the slave is his property.
• Many other slavery laws in Ex 21

29
God Kills 70,000 Civilians Because David Counts
his Troops

• 2 Sam 241 Again the anger of the LORD burned
  against Israel, and he incited David against
  them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and
  Judah."
•  10 David was conscience-stricken after he had
  counted the fighting men,
•  11 the word of the LORD had come to Gad 12
  "Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says
  I am giving you three options. ' "
•  13 "Shall there come upon you three years of
  famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing
  from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three
  days of plague in your land? ...."
•  14 David said to Gad, Let us fall into the
  hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great but do
  not let me fall into the hands of men."
•  15 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that
  morning until the end of the time designated, and
  seventy thousand of the people from Dan to
  Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out
  his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was
  grieved because of the calamity and said to the
  angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough!
  Withdraw your hand." ...
•  17 When David saw the angel who was striking
  down the people, he said to the LORD, "I am the
  one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but
  sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall
  upon me and my family."

30
Bizarre Laws and Stories in the Bible
31
Lot and His Daughters (Gen 19)

• 5 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came
  to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we
  can have sex with them."
•  6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the
  door behind him 7 and said, "No, my friends.
  Don't do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two
  daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me
  bring them out to you, and you can do what you
  like with them
• 31 One day the older daughter said to the
  younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man
  around here to lie with us, as is the custom all
  over the earth. 32 Let's get our father to drink
  wine and then lie with him and preserve our
  family line through our father."

32
The Old Levite and his Concubine

• Judges 1922 While they an old Levite and his
  host were enjoying themselves, some of the
  wicked men of the city surrounded the house.
  "Bring out the man who came to your house so we
  can have sex with him."
•  23 The owner of the house went outside and said
  to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since
  this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful
  thing. 24 Look, here is my virgin daughter, and
  his concubine. I will bring them out to you now,
  and you can use them and do to them whatever you
  wish. But to this man, don't do such a
  disgraceful thing."
•  25 But the men would not listen to him. So the
  man took his concubine and sent her outside to
  them, and they raped her and abused her
  throughout the night, and at dawn they let her
  go.
• 29 When he reached home, he took a knife and cut
  up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts
  and sent them into all the areas of Israel.

33
David pays 100 foreskins for a Wife

• 1 Sam 1825 Saul replied, "Say to David, 'The
  king wants no other price for the bride than a
  hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on
  his enemies.' " Saul's plan was to have David
  fall by the hands of the Philistines.
•  26 When the attendants told David these things,
  he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law.
  So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David and
  his men went out and killed two hundred
  Philistines. He brought their foreskins and
  presented the full number to the king so that he
  might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul
  gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

34
Test for a cheating wife

• Num 516 " 'The priest shall take some holy
  water in a clay jar and put some dust from the
  tabernacle floor into the water. 18 ... he shall
  loosen her hair and place in her hands the
  grain offering for jealousy, while he himself
  holds the bitter water that brings a curse. 19
  Then the priest shall put the woman under oath
  "If no other man has slept with you and you have
  not gone astray and become impure while married
  to your husband, may this bitter water that
  brings a curse not harm you. 20 But if you have
  gone astray while married to your husband and you
  have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man
  other than your husband" ..."may the LORD cause
  your people to curse and denounce you when he
  causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen
  to swell. 22 May this water that brings a curse
  enter your body so that your abdomen swells and
  your thigh wastes away."       " 'Then the woman
  is to say, "Amen. So be it."

35
Noah Gets Drunk and Curses Grandson to Slavery

• Gen 9 20 21 When he Noah drank some of its
  wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside
  his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his
  father's nakedness and told his two brothers
  outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment
  and laid it across their shoulders then they
  walked in backward and covered their father's
  nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way
  so that they would not see their father's
  nakedness.
•  24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out
  what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he
  said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves
  will he be to his brothers."
•  26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God
  of Shem!  May Canaan be the slave of Shem.  27
  May God extend the territory of Japheth and
  may Canaan be his slave."
•  28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years.

36
Circumcision Blood Stops God From Killing Moses

• Exodus 421 The LORD said to Moses, "When you
  return to Egypt, see that you perform before
  Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the
  power to do. But I will harden his heart so that
  he will not let the people go. 22 Then say to
  Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says Israel is
  my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, "Let my son
  go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let
  him go so I will kill your firstborn son.' "
•  24 At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met
  Moses b and was about to kill him. 25 But
  Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's
  foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it.
  "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she
  said. 26 So the LORD let him alone. (At that time
  she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to
  circumcision.)
• NIV Footnote
• b Exodus 424 Or Moses' son Hebrew him

37
Genocide of Laish

• Judges 181 the tribe of the Danites was
  seeking a place of their own where they might
  settle 2 So the Danites sent five warriors from
  Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore
  it.
• 7 So the five men left and came to Laish,
  where they saw that the people were living in
  safety, like the Sidonians, unsuspecting and
  secure. 27 Then they took what Micah had made,
  and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a
  peaceful and unsuspecting people. They attacked
  them with the sword and burned down their
  city....       28 The Danites rebuilt the city
  and settled there. 29 They named it Dan after
  their forefather Dan, who was born to
  Israelthough the city used to be called Laish.
  30 There the Danites set up for themselves the
  idols, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of
  Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe
  of Dan until the time of the captivity of the
  land.

38
Sons of God Impregnate Women

• Gen 64 The Nephilim were on the earth in those
  daysand also afterwardwhen the sons of God went
  to the daughters of men and had children by them.
  They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
•  

39
Cut off her hand Show her no pity

• Deu 2511 If two men are fighting and the wife of
  one of them comes to rescue her husband from his
  assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by
  his private parts, 12 you shall cut off her hand.
  Show her no pity.

40
Stone Rebellious Children

• Deut 2118 If a man has a stubborn and rebellious
  son who does not obey his father and mother and
  will not listen to them when they discipline him,
  19 his father and mother shall take hold of him
  and bring him to the elders at the gate of his
  town. 20 They shall say to the elders, "This son
  of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not
  obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard." 21
  Then all the men of his town shall stone him to
  death. You must purge the evil from among you.
  All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.

41
The Bible Says Bats Are Birds!

• Deut 1411 You may eat any clean bird. 12 But
  these you may not eat the eagle, the vulture,
  the black vulture, 13 the red kite, the black
  kite, any kind of falcon, 14 any kind of raven,
  15 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any
  kind of hawk, 16 the little owl, the great owl,
  the white owl, 17 the desert owl, the osprey, the
  cormorant, 18 the stork, any kind of heron, the
  hoopoe and the bat.

42
Problems With Biblical Chronology
43
Genesis Was Written 1000s of Years After Events
Occurred

• Gen 1414 When Abram heard that his relative had
  been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained
  men born in his household and went in pursuit as
  far as Dan.
• Judges 1828 The Danites rebuilt the city and
  settled there. 29 They named it Dan after their
  forefather Dan, who was born to Israelthough the
  city used to be called Laish.
• Dan did not exist until Judges 1829 immediately
  after Samsons death (Judges 16) around 1050 BC.
  Therefore, Gen 14 could not have been written
  until 1050 BC, over 800 years the events of Gen
  14 in 1916 BC and 2850 years after the creation
  in 4000 BC.
• Timeline Used http//www.abiblestudy.com/index.ht
  ml

44
Genesis Was Written 1000s of Years After Its
Events Occurred

• Gen 3631 These were the kings who reigned in
  Edom before any Israelite king reigned
• Gen 36 could not have been written until after
  Saul became king (Judges 16) around 1050 BC.
• Gen 36 timeline (Jacob, Esau) occurs around 1720
  BC according to the bible, over 600 years prior
  to any Israelite king.
• This means Genesis 36 could not have been written
  until at least 1050 BC. This is 2850 years after
  the creation in 4000 BC.

45
Who Was King First? Joram in Israel or Jehoram in
Judah

• 2 Kings 117 Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram
  succeeded him as king in the second year of
  Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.
• 2 Kings 816 In the fifth year of Joram son of
  Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of
  Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign
  as king of Judah.

46
Genesis 36 copied from 1 Chronicles 1?

• Gen 3631 These were the kings who reigned in
  Edom before any Israelite king reigned  32 Bela
  son of Beor became king of Edom. His city was
  named Dinhabah.
•  33 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from
  Bozrah succeeded him as king.
•  34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the
  Temanites succeeded him as king.
•  
•  39 When Baal-Hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad
  succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau,
  and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of
  Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.
• 1 Chron 143 These were the kings who reigned in
  Edom before any Israelite king reigned     
  Bela son of Beor, whose city was named Dinhabah.
•  44 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from
  Bozrah succeeded him as king.
•  45 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the
  Temanites succeeded him as king.
•  
•  50 When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad succeeded him as
  king. His city was named Pau, and his wife's name
  was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of
  Me-Zahab.

47
2 Chron 36 and Ezra 1

• 2 Chron 3622 In the first year of Cyrus king of
  Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD
  spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of
  Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation
  throughout his realm and to put it in writing
•  23 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says
         " 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given
  me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has
  appointed me to build a temple for him at
  Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among
  youmay the LORD his God be with him, and let him
  go up.'
• Ezra 11 In the first year of Cyrus king
  of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the
  LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart
  of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation
  throughout his realm and to put it in writing  2
  "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says       
  " 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all
  the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me
  to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
  3 Anyone of his people among youmay his God be
  with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah
  and build the temple of the LORD, the God of
  Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.

48
Chronicles Written Long After Most Events It
Describes

• Prior slide shows Chronicles and Ezra were
  written at the same time. Timeline of Ezra starts
  around 538 BC and ends around 466 BC. Kings and
  Chronicles events start around 970 BC and ends
  around 560 BC.
• This shows that Chronicles was written hundreds
  of years after events described in it.

49
Contradictions in the Bible
50
Ezra and Nehemiah Census Data
51
Ezra and Nehemiah Census Data
52
Genealogy of Joseph

• Matt 116 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the
  husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is
  called Christ.  17 Thus there were fourteen
  generations in all from Abraham to David,
  fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and
  fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
• Luke 323 Now Jesus himself was about thirty
  years old when he began his ministry. He was the
  son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of
  Heli, 24the son of Matthat

53
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54
When Was Jesus Born?

• Matthew 21 During the reign of Herod the
  Great, who died in 4 B.C.
• Luke 22 While Quirinius was governor of Syria,
  who did not start until 6 A.D.
• In addition, these two stories are completely
  different, and the birth story is not included in
  the other two gospels.

55
Zombies and Earthquake at Death of Jesus is only
in Matthew

• Matt 2750 And when Jesus had cried out again in
  a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
•  51At that moment the curtain of the temple was
  torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook
  and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and
  the bodies of many holy people who had died were
  raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and
  after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy
  city and appeared to many people.

56
Easter Sunday

• What women were included?
• Matt 281 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first
  day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other
  Mary went to look at the tomb.
• Mark 161When the Sabbath was over, Mary
  Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome
  bought spices so that they might go to anoint
  Jesus' body.
• Luke 241 On the first day of the week, very
  early in the morning, the women took the spices
  they had prepared and went to the tomb. 10 It was
  Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James,
  and the others with them
• John 201 Early on the first day of the week,
  while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to
  the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed
  from the entrance.

57
Was the Tomb Open?

• Matt 282 There was a violent earthquake, for an
  angel of the Lord came down from heaven and,
  going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat
  on it 5The angel said to the women
• Mark 163 and they asked each other, "Who will
  roll the stone away from the entrance of the
  tomb?"  4 But when they looked up, they saw that
  the stone, which was very large, had been rolled
  away.
• Luke 242 They found the stone rolled away from
  the tomb
• John 201 Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw
  that the stone had been removed from the
  entrance.

58
Did Mary know Jesus had been resurrected?

• Matthew, Mark, Luke - Yes
• John 202 So she came running to Simon Peter and
  the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and
  said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,
  and we don't know where they have put him!"

59
When did Mary See Jesus?

• Before she returned to the disciples - Matt
  288-9 and Mark 169-10
• After she returned to the disciples (John
  202-14)

60
After the Women, to whom did Jesus next appear?

• 11 disciples - Matt 2816
• Two disciples, then 11- Mark 1612-14 Luke
  2413, 36
• 10 disciples (Thomas was missing) John 2019-24
• Peter, then the 12 disciples 1 Cor 155

61
Judas Dies Twice

• Matt 275 So Judas threw the money into the
  temple and left. Then he went away and hanged
  himself.
• Acts 118(With the reward he got for his
  wickedness, Judas bought a field there he fell
  headlong, his body burst open and all his
  intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem
  heard about this, so they called that field in
  their language Akeldama, that is, Field of
  Blood.)

62
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63
False Prophecies in the Bible
64
First False Prophecy of Tyre

• Eze 267 "For this is what the Sovereign LORD
  says From the north I am going to bring against
  Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of
  kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen
  and a great army. 8 He will ravage your
  settlements on the mainland with the sword he
  will kill your people with the sword, and your
  strong pillars will fall to the ground. 12 They
  will plunder your wealth and loot your
  merchandise they will break down your walls and
  demolish your fine houses and throw your stones,
  timber and rubble into the sea. 14 I will make
  you a bare rock, and you will become a place to
  spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I
  the LORD have spoken, declares the Sovereign
  LORD.
• This was a false prophecy. Nebuchadnezzar laid
  siege to Tyre from 585-573 B.C.E. but was unable
  to take the city. Tyre was conquered in 332
  B.C.E. by Alexander but at no time was the city
  destroyed. It exists to this day. Nebuchadnezzar
  was supposed to completely destroy Tyre, it was
  never to be rebuilt again, but to remain an
  eternal ruin, and the King was supposed to get
  much wealth and loot from the city, making it
  worth his while.

65
2nd False Prophecy against Tyre

• Eze 2917 the word of the LORD came to me 18
  "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove
  his army in a hard campaign against Tyre every
  head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw.
  Yet he and his army got no reward from the
  campaign he led against Tyre. 19 Therefore this
  is what the Sovereign LORD says I am going to
  give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and
  he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and
  plunder the land as pay for his army. 20 I have
  given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts
  because he and his army did it for me, declares
  the Sovereign LORD.

66
False Prophecies

• Gen 412 When thou tillest the ground, it shall
  not henceforth yield unto thee her strength a
  fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the
  earth.
• As a punishment for killing Abel, God says Cain
  will be "a fugitive and a vagabond." Yet in just
  a few verses (Gen 416-17) Cain will settle down,
  marry, have a son, and build a city. This is not
  the activity one would expect from a fugitive and
  a vagabond.

67
False Prophecies

• God renames Jacob twice (Gen 3228, 3510 ). God
  says that Jacob will henceforth be called Israel,
  but the Bible continues to call him Jacob anyway
  (4728-29). And even God himself calls him Jacob
  in 462.

68
Isaiah 7 Prophecy vs 2 Chron 28

• Isa 73 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out
  to meet Ahaz .... 4 Say to him, 'Be careful, keep
  calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart
  because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram
  and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and
  Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6
  "Let us invade Judah let us tear it apart and
  divide it among ourselves, and make the son of
  Tabeel king over it." 7 Yet this is what the
  Sovereign LORD says        " 'It will not take
  place,        it will not happen,
•  
• 2 Chron 285 Therefore the LORD his God handed
  him Ahaz King of Judah over to the king of
  Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of
  his people as prisoners and brought them to
  Damascus.       He was also given into the hands
  of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy
  casualties on him. 6 In one day Pekah son of
  Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand
  soldiers in Judahbecause Judah had forsaken the
  LORD, the God of their fathers. 7 Zicri, an
  Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king's
  son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace,
  and Elkanah, second to the king. 8 The Israelites
  took captive from their kinsmen two hundred
  thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also
  took a great deal of plunder, which they carried
  back to Samaria.

69
Jeremiahs False Prophecy to Zedekia

• Jer 344 " 'Yet hear the promise of the LORD, O
  Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the LORD
  says concerning you You will not die by the
  sword 5 you will die peacefully.
• Jer 528 but the Babylonian army pursued King
  Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of
  Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him
  and scattered, 9 and he was captured.       He
  was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah 10
  There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered
  the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes he also
  killed all the officials of Judah. 11 Then he put
  out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him with bronze
  shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put
  him in prison till the day of his death.

70
False Prophecies of Jesus

• Matt 1627For the Son of Man is going to come in
  his Father's glory with his angels, and then he
  will reward each person according to what he has
  done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are
  standing here will not taste death before they
  see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
• Matt 2433 Even so, when you see all these
  things, you know that it is near, right at the
  door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation
  will certainly not pass away until all these
  things have happened.

71
False Prophecies of Jesus

• Mark 91 And he said to them, "I tell you the
  truth, some who are standing here will not taste
  death before they see the kingdom of God come
  with power."
• Mark 1326 "At that time men will see the Son of
  Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
  . 29 Even so, when you see these things
  happening, you know that it is near, right at the
  door. 30 I tell you the truth, this generation
  will certainly not pass away until all these
  things have happened.

72
False Prophecies of Jesus

• Luke 927 I tell you the truth, some who are
  standing here will not taste death before they
  see the kingdom of God.
• Luke 2132 I tell you the truth, this generation
  will certainly not pass away until all these
  things have happened.

73
Reliability of the Bible
Codex Sinaiticus 4th Century Text is oldest
surviving manuscript containing all 27 books of
the New Testament. It contains 2 other books, The
Shepherd of Hermes and The Epistle of Barnabas,
that some Christians also considered part of the
NT for centuries.
74
What made me start to question Biblical
Reliability?

• The most reliable early manuscripts and other
  ancient witnesses do not have Mark 169-20.
  biblegateway.com
• The Catholics have a different Bible than
  Protestants
• There are many other books Christians once
  accepted but are no longer in any biblical canon.

75
Early Christianities

• Marcionites Believed in Jesus, but did not
  believe in Old Testament, Yahweh, or anything
  Jewish. Felt Old and New Testament were
  incompatible. (see Against Marcion)
• Ebionites Christians who wanted to reinstate
  Jewish Law
• Gnostics Very different (see Against Heresies)
• There were other branches of Christianity that
  would be called unorthodox today

76
Early Christian Books not in the NT

• Other Gospels Epistle of the Apostles Gospel of
  the Hebrews Ebionites Egyptians Mary
  Nazareans Nicodemus Peter Philip Savior
  Thomas (Coptic) Thomas (Infancy) Truth
  Proto-Gospel of James Secret Gospel of Mark
• Other Acts John Paul Peter Pilate Thecla
  Thomas
• Other Apocalypses Paul Peter Coptic Peter
• Many other letters and stories

77
Ireneaus Why we have 4 Gospels

• Bishop in what is now Lyons, France.
• Wrote Against Heresies around 180 A.D.
• "But it is not possible that the Gospels can be
  either more or fewer in number than they are. For
  since there are four zones of the world in which
  we live, and four principal winds, while the
  church has been scattered throughout the world,
  and since the 'pillar and ground' of the Church
  is the Gospel and the spirit of life, it is
  fitting that she should have four pillars,..."
  Against Heresies 3.11.8

78
Catholic Editing

• 325 A.D. - Council of Nicea called to unify
  Christian doctrines.
• 367 A.D. - Athanasius writes 39th Festal Letter
  and includes the first listing of the 27 books of
  the NT. His Letter listed only 22 books of the OT.

79
Protestant Editing

• 2nd Maccabees is the basis for the doctrine of
  purgatory and other Catholic doctrines
• 1534 - Martin Luther Bible in German puts
  Maccabees in the Apocrypha with all books in
  Greek Septuagint but not in Hebrew Masoretic Text
• 1546 Catholic Council of Trent adds books to
  cannon
• 1566 2nd Cannonized books called Deuterocanon
• 1611 King James with the Apocrypha
• 1885 Apocrypha removed from King James Version

80
Early NT Reliability

• 1707 Mills Apparatus Stephen Mills records
  variances of every new testament scripture and
  shocks the public with 30,000 documented
  variations.
• Today At least 200,000 variations among early
  NT manuscripts. More variations than there are
  words in NT.
• 1 John 57-8 Example of NT editing from 2
  Christian sources
• Source Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman, Ph.D.
• Christian sources on 1 John 57-8
• http//www.kjvonly.org/other/wallace_text_prob.htm
  
• http//av1611.com/kjbp/faq/holland_1jo5_7.html

81
Lets Review an Earlier Statement

• The remarkable structure of the Bible should also
  be stressed. Although it is a collection of 66
  books, written by 40 or more different men over a
  period of 2,000 years, it is clearly one Book,
  with perfect unity and consistency throughout.

82
Christianity Adopted Aspects of Other Religions
83
Why is Christmas on Dec 25?

• Dies Natalis Solis Invicti means "the birthday of
  the unconquered Sun." The use of the title Sol
  Invictus allowed several solar deities to be
  worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a
  Syrian sun god Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian
  and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin.
  Emperor Elagabalus (218222) introduced the
  festival, and it reached the height of its
  popularity under Aurelian, who promoted it as an
  empire-wide holiday. This day had held no
  significance in the Roman festive calendar until
  it was introduced in the third century.
  (continued on next slide)
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmascite_ref-Ca
  thChrit_2-0

84
Why is Christmas on Dec 25?

• Sol Invictus was placed on the date of the
  solstice because this was on this day that the
  Sun reversed its southward retreat and proved
  itself to be "unconquered." Several early
  Christian writers connected the rebirth of the
  sun to the birth of Jesus. "O, how wonderfully
  acted Providence that on that day on which that
  Sun was born...Christ should be born", Cyprian
  wrote. John Chrysostom also commented on the
  connection "They call it the 'Birthday of the
  Unconquered'. Who indeed is so unconquered as Our
  Lord . . .?"
• Catholic Encyclopedia
• www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm

85
Why am I a Freethinker?

• I am a free thinker because I do not hold any
  beliefs based upon the presuppositions of
  religious dogma. All beliefs are based upon
  facts, evidence, logic, reason, science and all
  forms of rational inquiry.

86
Why am I an Atheist?
87
Why am I an Atheist?

• The religion in which I was raised is false.
• No other religion is any more true.
• I have found no evidence of any god.
• Natural explanations based on evidence answer
  questions better than dogma.
• Atheism is the conclusion of an open-minded
  search for the truth.
• I live a moral life without religion.
• My family and I are very happy as atheists.

88
Is there an Atheist World View?

• Atheism is a conclusion simply a stance on
  whether or not god exists
• There are many differences of opinions on many
  issues among atheists (as there is likewise among
  Christians)
• There is not a single atheist world view

89
Do Atheists Have Morals?

• If we did a good act merely from the love of God
  and a belief that it is pleasing to Him, whence
  arises the morality of the Atheist? It is idle to
  say, as some do, that no such being exists.
  Diderot, D'Alembert, D'Holbach, Condorcet, are
  known to have been among the most virtuous of
  men. Their virtue, then, must have had some other
  foundation than the love of God.
• Thomas Jefferson,The Moral Sense, letter to
  Thomas Law, June 13, 1814
• http//www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/ind
  ex.asp?document1506

90
The Golden Rule Preceded Jesus

• "This is the sum of duty. Do not unto others that
  which would cause you pain if done to you."--
  Mahabharata 51517, from the Vedic tradition of
  India, circa 3000 BC
• "What is hateful to you, do not to our fellow
  man. That is entire Law, all the rest is
  commentary."-- Talmud, Shabbat 31a, from the
  Judaic tradition, circa 1300 BC
• "That nature alone is good which refrains from
  doing unto another whatsoever is not good for
  itself."-- Avesta, Dadistan-i-dinik 945, from
  the Zoroastrian tradition, circa 600 BC
• What you do not want others to do to you, do not
  do to others. -- Confucius, 500 B.C in The
  Doctrine of the Mean 13.
• Do not do to others what would anger you if done
  to you by others. -- Isocrates, 375 B.C.

91
Love Your Enemies Preceded Jesus

• I am good to people who are good. I am also good
  to people who are not good because virtue is
  goodness. I have faith in people who are
  faithful.I also have faith in people who are not
  faithful because virtue is faithfulness.Taoism -
  Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu - chapter 49
• Let a man overcome anger by love, let him
  overcome evil by good let him overcome the
  greedy by liberality, the liar by truth! Speak
  the truth, do not yield to anger give, if thou
  art asked for little by these three steps thou
  wilt go near the gods. Buddhism - Dhammapada V.
  223-224

92
But What About Hitler?
93
Hitler was not an atheist

• I believe today that my conduct is in accordance
  with the will of the Almighty Creator. - Adolf
  Hitler, Mein Kampf, Vol. 1 Ch 2
• What we have to fight for is the necessary
  security for the existence and increase of our
  race and people, the subsistence of its children
  and the maintenance of our racial stock unmixed,
  the freedom and independence of the Fatherland
  so that our people may be enabled to fulfill the
  mission assigned to it by the Creator. - Adolf
  Hitler, Mein Kampf, Vol. 1 Ch 8

94
Hitler was not an atheist

• In short, the results of miscegenation race
  mixing are always the following (a) The level
  of the superior race becomes lowered (b)
  physical and mental degeneration sets in, thus
  leading slowly but steadily towards a progressive
  drying up of the vital sap. The act which brings
  about such a development is a sin against the
  will of the Eternal Creator. And as a sin this
  act will be avenged. - Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf,
  Vol. 1 Chapter 11

95
Hitler was not an atheist

• Anyone who dares to lay hands on the highest
  image of the Lord commits sacrilege against the
  benevolent creator of this miracle and
  contributes to the expulsion from paradise. -
  Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf Vol. 2 Chapter 1
• Thus inwardly armed with confidence in God and
  the unshakable stupidity of the voting citizenry,
  the politicians can begin the fight for the
  'remaking' of the Reich as they call it. - Adolf
  Hitler, Mein Kampf Vol. 2 Chapter 1

96
Hitler was not an atheist

• The folkish-minded man, in particular, has the
  sacred duty, each in his own denomination, of
  making people stop just talking superficially of
  Gods will, and actually fulfill Gods will, and
  not let Gods word be desecrated. For Gods will
  gave men their form, their essence and their
  abilities. Anyone who destroys His work is
  declaring war on the Lords creation, the divine
  will. - Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf Vol. 2 Chapter
  10

97
Martin Luther

• Greatest figure in Protestant Christianity other
  than those in the Bible
• Wrote A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
• Translated the first German Bible
• NT in 1522
• OT in 1534
• Wrote On the Jews and Their Lies in 1543

98
On the Jews and Their LiesMartin Luther, 1543
99
Luthers Plan to Exterminate Jews

• "First to set fire to their synagogues or
  schools. ..."
• "Second, I advise that their houses also be razed
  and destroyed. ..."
• "Third, I advise that all their prayer books and
  Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies,
  cursing and blasphemy are taught, be taken from
  them. ..."
• "Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden
  to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and
  limb. ..."
• "Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the
  highways be abolished completely for the Jews.
  ...
• http//www.humanitas-international.org/showcase/ch
  ronography/documents/luther-jews.htm

100
Luthers Plan to Exterminate Jews

• "Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to
  them, and that all cash and treasure of silver
  and gold be taken from them. ..."
• "Seventh, I commend putting a flail, an ax, a
  hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle into the
  hands of young, strong Jews and Jewesses and
  letting them earn their bread in the sweat of
  their brow... they, the holy people, idle away
  their time behind the stove, feasting and
  farting, and on top of all, boasting
  blasphemously of their lordship over the
  Christians by means of our sweat. No, one should
  toss out these lazy rogues by the seat of their
  pants."
• "If we wish to wash our hands of the Jews'
  blasphemy and not share in their guilt, we have
  to part company with them. They must be driven
  from our country" and "we must drive them out
  like mad dogs."
• http//www.humanitas-international.org/showcase/ch
  ronography/documents/luther-jews.htm

101
Expelled Quote Mining

• With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon
  eliminated. We civilized men, on the other hand,
  do our utmost to check the process of
  elimination. We build asylums for the imbecile,
  the maimed and the sick. Thus the weak members of
  civilized societies propagate their kind. No one
  who has attended to the breeding of domestic
  animals will doubt that this must be highly
  injurious to the race of man. Hardly anyone is so
  ignorant as to allow his worst animals to breed.
• Expelled quote from The Descent of Man

102
Full text from The Descent of Man

• With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon
  eliminated and those that survive commonly
  exhibit a vigorous state of health. We civilized
  men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check
  the process of elimination. We build asylums for
  the imbecile, the maimed and the sick we
  institute poor-laws and our medical men exert
  their utmost skill to save the life of every one
  to the last moment. There is reason to believe
  that vaccination has preserved thousands, who
  from a weak constitution would formerly have
  succumbed to small-pox. Thus the weak members of
  civilized societies propagate their kind. No one
  who has attended to the breeding of domestic
  animals will doubt that this must be highly
  injurious to the race of man.

103
Full text from The Descent of Man

• It is surprising how soon a want of care, or care
  wrongly directed, leads to the degeneration of a
  domestic race but excepting in the case of man
  himself, hardly anyone is so ignorant as to allow
  his worst animals to breed.
• The aid which we feel impelled to give to the
  helpless is mainly an incidental result of the
  instinct of sympathy, which was originally
  acquired as part of the social instincts, but
  subsequently rendered, in the manner previously
  indicated, more tender and more widely diffused.
  Nor could we check our sympathy, even at the
  urging of hard reason, without deterioration in
  the noblest part of our nature. The surgeon may
  harden himself whilst performing an operation,
  for he knows that he is acting for the good of
  his patient but if we were intentionally to
  neglect the weak and helpless, it could only be
  for a contingent benefit, with an overwhelming
  present evil.
• See also http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quote_minin
  gExpelled.27s_Darwin_quote

104
Recommended Reading

• Godless by Dan Barker
• Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman
• Lost Christianities by Bart Ehrman
• Truth and Myth in the Da Vinci Code by Bart
  Ehrman
• The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
• Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin
• Only a Theory by Ken Miller

105
Contact Information

• edwin.hensley_at_insightbb.com

106
Special Features
107
Christian Anti-SemitismToward Responsibility

• Hitler the Holocaust, Spring 2004
• Baylor University Center for American Jewish
  Studies
• Mark H. Ellis

108
The Rise of HitlerThe Failure of the Church,
19331945

• Hitler, in April of 1933, speaking to Bishop
  Wilhelm Berning of Osnabrück, a delegate of the
  Conference of Bishops
• I have been attacked because of my handling of
  the Jewish question. The Catholic Church
  considered the Jews pestilent for fifteen hundred
  years, put them in ghettos, etc., because it
  recognized the Jews for what they were. In the
  epoch of liberalism the danger was no longer
  recognized. I am moving back toward the time in
  which a fifteen-hundred-year-long tradition was
  implemented. I do not set race over religion, but
  I recognize the representatives of this race as
  pestilent for the state and for the church and
  perhaps I am thereby doing Christianity a great
  service by pushing them out of schools and public
  functions.
• The record includes no response on these matters
  from the Bishop

109
Chronicle of HateMedieval (Western) Christian
Violence against Jews

• 1096 With the first Crusade, ca. 10,000 Jews
  slaughtered in western Europe
• 1182 King Philip of France drives Jews out,
  confiscating their property. Invites them back in
  1198, after economy suffers.
• 1208 Pope Innocent III The Jews, against whom
  the blood of Jesus Christ calls out, although
  they ought not to be killed, lest the Christian
  people forget the Divine Law, yet as wanderers
  ought to remain on this earth, until their
  countenance be filled with shame.

110
Chronicle of HateMedieval (Western) Christian
Violence against Jews

• 1236 Fulda, Germany Crusaders kill 36 Jews,
  men and women, on the charge of killing five sons
  of a miller and using the blood in religious
  rituals.
• 1253 Jews are once again driven out of France.
  Other moneylenders rush in, charging much higher
  interest rates.
• 1285 A mob in Munich accuses Jews of ritual
  murder and burns alive 180 inside a synagogue.

111
Chronicle of HateMedieval (Western) Christian
Violence against Jews

• 1348 When the plague strike France, Jews,
  accused of poisoning the wells in Narbonne and
  Carcassonne, are dragged from their homes and
  thrown into bonfires.
• 1415 Pope Benedict XII decrees that all Jews
  above 12 years old should be compelled to listen
  to three sermons per year, demonstrating 1) the
  Messiah has come, 2) the Talmud prevents them
  from seeing the truth, and 3) the destruction of
  the Temple and their perpetual suffering have
  been ordained by Jesus.

112
Chronicle of HateMedieval (Western) Christian
Violence against Jews

• 1492 Torquemada, leader of the Spanish
  Inquisition, order the whole Jewish
  populationbetween 200,000 and one millionto
  leave Spain on four months notice.
• 1555 Pope Paul IV issues a papal bull declaring
  that Jews have been condemned by God to eternal
  slavery and thus should not own property or live
  among Christians.

113
Chronicle of HateMedieval (Western) Christian
Violence against Jews

• 1658 Oliver Cromwell attempts to legalize the
  return of Jews to England, meets with high
  opposition. A Puritan pamphleteer writes that
  when Jews were allowed to live in England, they
  crucified three or four children at least.
• 1747 In Saslav, Poland, Jews are tortured to
  death as part of a ritual murder accusation.

114
Chronicle of HateMedieval (Western) Christian
Violence against Jews

• 1753 In Zhytomir, Poland, eleven Jews are
  flayed alive as part of a ritual murder
  accusation.
• 1758 The Jews of Poland appeal to the pope for
  protection. Pope Clement condemns the cult of the
  child martyrs and affirms the falsehood of all
  ritual murder accusations for the past six
  hundred years.

115
The Rise of HitlerThe Failure of the Church,
19331945

• Hitler is the way of the Spirit and the will of
  God for the German people to enter the church of
  Christ.
• Thought offered by German Christian spokesman
  Herman Grüner soon after 20 December 1933, when
  Protestant youth organizations were incorporated
  into the Hitler youth

116
The Rise of HitlerThe Failure of the Church,
19331945
Adolf Hitler shakes hands withReich Bishop
Ludwig Mulleras Roman Catholic Abbot Alban
Schachleiter looks on (1934).
117
The Rise of HitlerThe Failure of the Church,
19331945

• Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemöller
• The Jewish people has chosen its own way and
  will and has counted the forgiveness of sins as
  nothing. Now it bears the curse. Because it
  rejected the forgiveness it drags about the
  frightful burden of the unforgiven bloodguilt of
  its fathers. The blood of all righteous men who
  were ever murdered because they testified to the
  holy will of God against tyrannical human will
  has come upon its head, as well as the blood of
  Jesus and the blood of all his messengers.
  (Sermon published in English, 1937)
• And this, in a sermon arguing against the
  theological constructions of the German
  Chrisitans and their idea of a positive
  Christianity that set aside notions of human
  limitation and sin (the relics of negative
  Christianity) to seek after human perfection
  within its racial (Aryan) construct.

118
ICR and The Petrified Brain
119
ICR and the Petrified Brain

• I absolutely do believe this is a human
  petrified brain. I believe it is here by Divine
  Providence from God for a reason. I think it has
  a wonderful story to tell and there is a lot of
  great research especially for Creationism to be
  done here.
• Professor Ed Kleiner
• http//www.petrifiedhumanbrain.com/

120
ICR and the Petrified Brain