Why I Can No Longer Be Christian, Part 2: The Core Logical Fallacy
By xxkindofboredxx ~
Evangelicals and Fundamentalists alike claim that the Bible is “God’s Holy Word” and that it’s 100%, without a doubt, inerrant. However, there are a few logical fallacies that plague the doctrine of the faith. All of these contradictions can be found within the Bible.
Does God Want Anyone to Perish?
Most Christians say that God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. They may cite excerpts such as the following, which blatantly state that God does not want anyone to perish (P.S. I’ve made some parts bold to help make my point):
Wow, it sure does seem as if God wants everyone to go to heaven. After all, he did send down his only Son to die for everyone’s sins. You’d think if he took on that whole spiritual and physical burden, that he’d want it to apply to everyone. According to Evangelical Apologetics, this is, in fact, the case.
However, the following excerpts seem to directly contradiction this previous notion:
Why then, did Jesus die for everyone’s sins? And why did God say earlier in the Book of John that he wanted everyone to be saved? How can God beckon everyone to salvation, when only some are made for it?
The next excerpt comes from 2 Thessalonains. It describes the time before the coming again of Christ. The “lawless one” is powered by Satan. False signs are given to the people, and evidently “with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” So they are deceived because they didn’t “love” the truth? That hardly makes sense. But even worse comes the last verse, which states that God sends those who “did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” a delusion so that they will be deceived and condemned:
Anyways, the point is, God is intentionally fucking with humans’ abilities to reason and discern the truth for themselves in the end. This is a breach of free will. And if God wanted everyone to go to heaven, why would he purposefully deceive them so that they would not go to heaven?
God said way back when that humans knew good and evil when they ate of the tree:
And, ladies and gentlemen, that is not the end of it. It is illustrated yet again that God gives us no choice in whether or not we “choose” to be saved:
The Inconsistency in a Nutshell
The Bible teaches that:
Does God Want Anyone to Perish?
Most Christians say that God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. They may cite excerpts such as the following, which blatantly state that God does not want anyone to perish (P.S. I’ve made some parts bold to help make my point):
[2:1] First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. [3] This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, [4] who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6 ESV)
[8] But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. [10] But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (2 Peter 3:8-10 ESV)
[16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. [19] And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. [20] For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. [21] But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16-21 ESV)
Wow, it sure does seem as if God wants everyone to go to heaven. After all, he did send down his only Son to die for everyone’s sins. You’d think if he took on that whole spiritual and physical burden, that he’d want it to apply to everyone. According to Evangelical Apologetics, this is, in fact, the case.
However, the following excerpts seem to directly contradiction this previous notion:
[4] The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. [5] Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 16:4-5 ESV)This next excerpt explains how, even when Jesus performed miracles in front of the people, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, which (according to these verses) explicitly states that God himself has “blinded their eyes and hardened their heart.”
[36] While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”How could God do such a thing? Doesn’t he want everyone to be saved? Also, it seems like he’s fucking with people’s free will. As we’ll see in the next few excerpts, the Bible seems to imply that we don’t have as much free will as the Bible told us we did. This is exemplified shamelessly in this episode:
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. [37] Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, [38] so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” [39] Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, [40] “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” [41] Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. [42] Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; [43] for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. (John 12:36-43 ESV)
[14] What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! [15] For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” [16] So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. [17] For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” [18] So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.According to the previous excerpt, God can make you however he likes. And if he causes you to be used for dishonor, then he has the right to do so. He reserves the right to create people solely for use in showing his wrath and making them perish afterwards. People have no right to ask God why he has made them the way he has. For God is the potter, and we are all the clay. God reserves the right to punish us for the way he made us. This is all “to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory…” In other words, before any of us ever walked the earth, some were predestined for destruction, and some were predestined for glory. There is no free will involved.
[19] You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” [20] But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” [21] Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? [22] What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, [23] in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—[24] even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
(Romans 9:14-24 ESV)
Why then, did Jesus die for everyone’s sins? And why did God say earlier in the Book of John that he wanted everyone to be saved? How can God beckon everyone to salvation, when only some are made for it?
The next excerpt comes from 2 Thessalonains. It describes the time before the coming again of Christ. The “lawless one” is powered by Satan. False signs are given to the people, and evidently “with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” So they are deceived because they didn’t “love” the truth? That hardly makes sense. But even worse comes the last verse, which states that God sends those who “did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” a delusion so that they will be deceived and condemned:
[2:1] Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, [2] not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. [3] Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, [4] who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. [5] Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? [6] And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. [7] For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. [9] The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, [10] and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. [11] Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, [12] in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.First, it hardly makes any sense, because it seems as if the people are getting punished with unbelief…for having unbelief? Or maybe they are getting punished with unbelief because they “refused to love the truth and so be saved.” I may be wrong, but that’s what I’m getting. So they’re getting punished with unbelief because they didn’t love the truth? Who the fuck would love that truth anyways?
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 ESV)
Anyways, the point is, God is intentionally fucking with humans’ abilities to reason and discern the truth for themselves in the end. This is a breach of free will. And if God wanted everyone to go to heaven, why would he purposefully deceive them so that they would not go to heaven?
God said way back when that humans knew good and evil when they ate of the tree:
[22] Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” [23] therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.So all humans know good and evil because of what Adam and Eve did. This is yet more proof that God has, on multiple occasions (and according to the Bible, will in the future) messed with our free will. We know what is right and wrong, and by removing that knowledge, he also removes free will.
(Genesis 3:22-23 ESV)
And, ladies and gentlemen, that is not the end of it. It is illustrated yet again that God gives us no choice in whether or not we “choose” to be saved:
[46] And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. [47] For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
[48] And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. [49] And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. (Acts 13:46-49 ESV)
ap·point (as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary):
- to choose (someone) to have a particular job : to give (someone) a position or duty
- to decide or establish (something) in an official way
- to decide (the time or place at which something will happen or be done)
[27] And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:27-30 ESV)We see here that it outright states the doctrine of predestination. This means no free will in whether we go to heaven or not. This doctrine checkmates the verses which state that God wants everyone to go to heaven. This is a contradiction, or at least something very, very close to it. We can be sure, however, that it is a logical inconsistency that is overlooked by the church and apologists alike.
The Inconsistency in a Nutshell
The Bible teaches that:
- God is omniscient; he knows everything.
- God is all-powerful; he can do anything.
- God supposedly creates hell for the devil and demons, but later uses it as a place for sinners to burn when they die.
- God wants everyone to be saved.
- God predestines who will be saved and who will not.
Many of these statements are incompatible with one another. For instance, how can 1, 4, and 5 be all true? If God is omniscient, then he can cause everyone to be saved, and not just “want” it. If God wants everyone to be saved, then why does he predestine some to be and some not to be? That is a logical contradiction. And why would the Bible state that God created hell exclusively for the devil and his angels, when he obviously foreknew that he would also use it to torture sinners? His foreknowledge negates the original intent. His intent would have to match his omniscience. He cannot intend something to be other than what it will really be, because of his all-knowing nature. Intent and final result should be equal for God. If God is all-powerful, he could just make everyone saved. That just goes to prove how cruel the God of Christianity is.
This list above is the inconsistency in a nutshell. This is the core doctrinal problem of Christianity. Do we have free will? What is God’s intention? Does God want some to perish?
It makes no sense, and it is an even crueler story than you originally thought, isn’t it?