While this may be true in a glib sense, it can attest that I myself was definitely rationally argued out of my evangelical faith. We should absolutely engage the faithful in rational debate whenever possible.

FTFY

Of course, I'm not sure how that provides a better explanation than "myth, legend, and anecdotal evidence".

Our banks will release all personal information to US law enforcement, even though this directly contravenes our Constitution.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-banks-to-be-compelled-to-share-clients-info-with-u-s-1.2437975

This makes the problem worse, not better. The facts around Jesus' death and resurrection MUST be true if Christianity is to have any value. If the stories in the Bible are a rough guide, you must throw out the Jesus miracles.

If you do throw them out, you're left with a book that has no more value than the next "self-help" book on Amazon, and probably quite a bit less (few current self-help books advocate the horrors that the Bible does).

I've always found this particular combination confusing. If evolutionary theory is true, there were no physical Adam and Eve. If there were no Adam and Eve, there was no original sin. If there was no original sin, we do not need Christ's atonement.

If we don't need Christ's atonement, what possible use could there be for being a Christian?

Not trying to be confrontational, just wondering how you reconciled these things.

Try this instead: "Religion does not rigorously use logic or empiricism." Unfortunately for your arguments, it's just as devastating.

I always thought this was the acknowledged importance of sexual reproduction as well: It increases the variability.

Just like the boondoggle that is the FAA has made air travel little more than a death wish?

I've been using it without issue for a few months to sync 2TB of media across a couple of computers. Transfers don't start immediately, but they go quickly once they do.

They're apparently developing a feature where the folder on the other computer will be encrypted, allowing you to swap space with your neighbor and have off-site storage without him poking into your business. I'm eagerly awaiting this...

I got this one, boys.

Let me translate what you said to a car analogy, then you can see if your statement still makes sense.

"Your car is unsafe because it was recalled due to a seat-belt issue. You should ride a motorbike like me. It's never been recalled for seat belt issues."

A bunch of small minded people are going to tell you this is impossible, but that's because many people react to new ideas with "I can think of a problem with your idea, therefore it won't work" rather than "let's see how we can make this work".

I think you may well be on to something. It could be the most important thing you do in your life. Explore this further. If you need someone to write some software for it (a web app?), let me know, and I'll contribute.

And you blame the victim. The other sources of blame may be misguided. Yours is reprehensible.

Your post is (deliberately?) obtuse.

Are you claiming that, with what we know now, that all of the dietary/hygienic instructions in Leviticus are:

1. Simpler to understand
2. More effective at achieving their aims

...than the four simple rules I stated above? If they are not, is the reason more likely that an omnipotent God deliberately set down rules that were not as effective as they could be, or that it was written by bronze-age shepherds who didn't know any better?

I disagree. An omnipotent god would have thrown out all the dietary/hygiene rules in the OT and replaced it with "Boil your water, cook your food, wash your hands, shit downstream from where you live". These 4 simple instructions are VASTLY superior to all the rubbish that masquerades as "divinely inspired" nonsense in the OT. They are easier to remember, easier to do, and about 1000 times more effective. Why isn't that information in the Bible? Because the ignorant shepherds who wrote it didn't know about germ theory.

To paraphrase Sam Harris, imagine how incredible the Bible would be if it was actually written by an omnipotent being.

Thanks, Chris. That was useful, and I'll do some more Googling based on your reply.