Christmas and Prophecies That Jesus Fulfilled

As far as I know neither Richard Dawkins nor Christopher Hitchens has ever had prophecies made about them years, or hundreds of years BEFORE THEIR BIRTH, have they?


Jesus Christ DID!


PROPHECIES THAT JESUS FULFILLED

Note: The Old Testament prophecy or prophecies are first and the New Testament fulfillment is mentioned right after.


GOD WOULD COME TO EARTH & BE BORN AS A HUMAN MALE

Isaiah 9:6-7 [6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. ...  700 B.C.

BORN OF A VIRGIN

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 700 B.C.

Mattthew 1:20-23 [20] But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." [22] All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: [23] "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."

FROM THE HOUSE OF JUDAH

Isaiah 37:31 Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.  700 B.C.

Matthew 1:1-2, 16 [1] A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son [descendant]of David, the son of Abraham: [2]Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father ofJudahand his brothers, [16]and [a later]Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

FROM THE ROOT AND STUMP OF JESSE

Isaiah 11:10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.  700 B.C.

Isaiah 11:1-5 [1] A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. [2] The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD-- [3] and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; [4] but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. [5] Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.  700 B.C.

Romans 15:12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."

Matthew 1:1-2a, 5-6, 16 [1] A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: [2] Abraham was the father of Isaac, ... [5] ... Obed the father of Jesse, [6] and Jesse the father of King David. [16] and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

FROM THE HOUSE OF DAVID

Isaiah 16:5 In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it--one from the house of David--one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness. 700 B.C.

Matthew 1:1-2A, 6, 16 [1] A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: [2] Abraham was the father of Isaac, ... [6] and Jesse the father of King David. [16] and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

BORN IN BETHLEHEM EPHRATHAH

Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.  700 B.C.

Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

[Over the years there have been a number of "Bethlehems" in Israel.  At the time of Jesus' birth, Bethlehem Ephrathah, referred to in Matthew as "Bethlehem in Judea", was a village about five miles south of Jerusalem, and there also was a town named Bethlehem about seven miles northwest of Nazareth.  (Per footnote Matthew 2:1 of the Zondervan NIV Study Bible, 10th Anniversary Edition, (c) 1995)]

BE FROM NAZARETH OF GALILEE

Isaiah 9:1-2 [1] Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan -- [2] The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.  700 B.C.

Matthew 2:22-23 [22] But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, [23] and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

Matthew 4:13-16 [13] Leaving Nazareth, he [Jesus] went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- [14] to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:  [15] "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles -- [16] the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

HIS BIRTH WOULD TRIGGER A MASSACRE OF INFANT BOYS

Jeremiah 31:15 This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more."  625 B.C.

Matthew 2:16-18[16]When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. [17]Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: [18]"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

[An interesting side note: most people think that Herod killed thousands of babies. However, Bethlehem was "in the boondocks."  The chances are that less than thirty babies were killed.]

COME OUT OF EGYPT

Hosea 11:1  When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.  725 B.C.

Matthew 2:14-15  [14] So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, [15] where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

MISSION WOULD INCLUDE THE GENTILES

Isaiah 49:6 he [the Lord] says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." 700 B.C.

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6 [1] "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. [2] He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.  [3] A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.  In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; [4] he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope." [6] "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.  I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,  700 B.C.

Matthew 12:14-21 [14] But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. [15] Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, [16] warning them not to tell who he was. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: [18] "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. [19] He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. [20] A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. [21] In his name the nations will put their hope."

[Note that in Biblical usage the Gentiles are often referred to as "the nations."]

MINISTRY WOULD INCLUDE MIRACULOUS HEALINGS

Isaiah 29:18In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.700 B.C.

Isaiah 35:5-6a[5]Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.[6a]Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.700 B.C.

Luke 7:20-22[20]When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, `Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?' " [21]At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. [22]So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor."

MINISTRY WOULD DELIVER SPIRITUAL CAPTIVES

Isaiah 61:1-2[1]The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [2]to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 700 B.C.

Luke 4:16-21[16]He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. [17]The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: [18]"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, [19]to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." [20]Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, [21]and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

[Not too shabby, considering it was His first sermon!]

DESPISED AND REJECTED BY MEN

Isaiah 53:3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.700 B.C.

The Crucifixion narratives in all four Gospels show this prophecy fulfilled.

HATED WITHOUT CAUSE

Psalm 69:4Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.1000 B.C.

Isaiah 49:7This is what the LORD says-- the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel-- to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."700 B.C.

John 7:48-49"Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? [49]No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law--there is a curse on them."

John 15:24-25[24] If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.  [25]But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: `They hated me without reason.'

REJECTED BY RULERS

Psalm 118:22The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone [cornerstone of a building]; [23]the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. before 400 B.C.

Matthew 21:42Jesus said to them,"Have you never read in the Scriptures:" `The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes' ?

John 7:48-49Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? [49]No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law--there is a curse on them.

REJECTED BY HIS OWN BROTHERS

Psalms 69:8I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons1000 B.C.

(Side note: this pretty much kills the Catholic Church's claim that when the Gospels nameJesus' brothersthey are talking about Hiscousins.)

Mark 3:20-21[20]nbsp;Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. [21] When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

John 7:1-5 [1] After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. [2] But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, [3] Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. [4] No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." [5] For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

BETRAYED FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER

Zechariah 11:12I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.500 B.C.

Matthew 26:14-15[14]Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests [15] and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.

SILVER RETURNED & USED TO BUY POTTER'S FIELD

Zechariah 11:12-13[12]I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. [13]And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"--the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter.500 B.C.

Matthew 27:3-10[3]When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. [4]"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." [5]So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. [6]The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money." [7]So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. [8]That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. [9]Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, [10]and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."

DISCIPLES WOULD SCATTER

Zechariah 13:7"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones."500 B.C.

Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: " `I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'"

These are only a few of the hundreds of prophecies that Yeshua [Jesus] fulfilled. The chances of any one man fulfilling all of these prophecies and others, is so small it is tinier than your chances of winning the big prize in a lottery. 


These prophecies are not nebulous astrological forecasts, but detailed events that no one could guess ahead of time and make happen.


These events are among the many occurrences which indicate that Yeshua, Jesus Christ, was indeed the promised Messiah and son of God.


[For more information I suggest you check out the book New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell at Amazon or elsewhere.]


Josh McDowell's own story from son of the town drunk, skeptic and critic of Christianity to believer is recorded here.


For more ancient evidences of Yeshua being the promised messiah and son of God, check out the writings of historian, Josephus.

• Wikipedia article
• In relation to the Biblical testimony

Charles Lewis: Dear Atheists ..... Similar to My Experiences Here

Charles Lewis writes in the National Post....


"Dear atheists: can’t we all just get along or whatever?
Charles Lewis December 16, 2010 – 11:13 am


Earlier this month I wrote a column for Holy Post about the endless debates between atheists and the religious. I called it: “Dear Atheists: most of us don’t care what you think.” I have been a journalist for close to three decades but nothing I have ever written before came close to the kind of negative reaction that this piece called forth.


Most of the 800 or so responses on the blog were either incredulous or hostile.


One professor wrote on his own blog that I was a “dishonest bigot” and my story “was an appalling piece of dreck.” I wrote back to him to wish him a Merry Christmas; he wrote back to say I was passive aggressive. I also wanted to know why he called me a bigot. We will not be going on holidays together in the near future or ever.


Yet another respondent called the story “linguistic genocide” — an ingenious term that I wish I had come up with myself. Another wrote that he did not put his faith in an invisible god but in “mankind.” I wrote back to ask what part of mankind he puts his faith in: the religious, the non-religious, everyone ….? He did not get back to me.


The thesis of my story was this: that debates between the religious and atheists are useless because most atheists do not understand religion, particularly the idea of religious faith.


[Editor: I have found that they often have a childish idea and understanding of the Judaeo-Christian God. Then they use that perception to argue against "religion"]


I made particular reference to journalist and author Hitchens, who has made millions of dollars off of being a professional atheist. Saying bad things about Hitchens, it turns out, is a very bad thing to do. Apparently he is the only atheist “born without sin.”


It was finally made clear to me that I should no more insult Hitchens than someone should insult the Blessed Virgin Mary or Jesus — something no atheist would ever dream of doing.


One reader called me a coward for not wanting to debate Christopher Hitchens — which is funny because I have never been asked to debate him. And perhaps if I was offered the kind of fees that people like Hitchens receive I might find it in my heart to take part in a debate and ditch my “no-debate” argument. Hitchens recently received $15,000 for a single talk at an American university. Not bad for an hour.


I also went on to say that former British prime minister Tony Blair should not have bothered to debate Hitchens at a recent event in Toronto.


I wrote: “Blair probably should not have even bothered and instead should have gone to mass that night or spent an evening helping out at a shelter or visiting someone who was lonely and sick in a hospital. That would have said a lot more about his faith than wasting a lot of words on a pompous ass whose main intellectual arsenal is sneering and using sarcasm.” [Editor: Even his brother Peter thinks so.] 


I am not a big fan of Blair because he is too wishy-washy and likes to talk about vague issues of faith rather than the tough teachings of his adopted Roman Catholic Church.


I do not like Hitchens’ ideas about religion but I actually have more respect for him than I have for Blair because at least he is not tepid. Hitchens is also one of the great political writers of our time so he is warrior with words.


But when he said during the debate that Pope Benedict believes “condoms are more evil than AIDS” (the Pope said condoms are not the answer to the AIDS crisis, a much different, more subtle statement) and that any charity performed by churches is simply penance for all the evil they have done in the name of faith, I wanted to throw up.


I do support debates about religion in the public square. There are many people who ask, for example, whether religions should get tax breaks — particularly when every press release from certain denominations has to do with global warming or some other political issue. And I think that is completely valid. When a school starts handing out Bibles in the classroom, that must be debated because a line has been crossed.


But faith is different. It is private. It touches on a different reality that either you get or you do not. Faith is like love and how do you debate love? Faith has driven untold millions, billions, of people through history and cannot be dismissed so easily.


I have read Hitchens’ God Is Not Great and I have heard him speak about religion and there is nothing that is reasonable in his argument that can be debated. He believes religion poisons everything. What could I or anyone really say to that?


I am not a bigot. I do not hate anyone except maybe Hitler and Stalin. I do not hate atheists and nor do I hate the chief atheist, St. Christopher. Long may he write and speak.


But when he calls me stupid for my beliefs, when he calls what I hold dear “poison,” then he and other like him have crossed a line into supreme arrogance. They begin to sound exactly like the things they say they hate about religion. And I just have no time for it."


National Post
clewis@nationalpost.com


Posted in: Holy Post Tags: Atheism, Christopher Hitchens, Tony Blair


Read more: http://life.nationalpost.com/2010/12/16/dear-atheists-cant-we-all-just-get-along-or-whatever/#ixzz18Qm8cO3V

An Atheist's Journey

Case for A Creator 1




Case for A Creator 2



Case for A Creator 3



Case for A Creator 4



Case for A Creator 5



Case for A Creator 6



Case for A Creator 7



Case for A Creator 8



Case for A Creator 9



Case for A Creator 10

Re: Call To Action

Charles:

You are obviously an intelligent individual, Brian. However intelligence is not perfect and is not supreme. There are intelligent people on both sides of every issue. 


That is why belittling [which you are NOT doing right now] is absolutely wrong. It does nothing to uncover the real truth just to put the other person on the defensive so they will forget to keep discussing the issues.

Let's take your final statement below as an example.

Most atheists believe absolutely there is no God. They also usually believe absolutely in no absolutes. Somewhat of a conundrum. However there is usually MORE than one way to see things. 

The 6 Blind Men of Hindustan comes to mind. I am quoting this because you are giving absolutely one answer below instead of the alternatives. And your ONE answer is always slanted in your bias against Christians beliefs. Do you even know you are biased or do you have the attitude of most atheists that you have a superior reasoning power and anyone who is Christian believes in leprechauns and fairies? 

There were six men of Hindustan,

to learning much inclined, 

Who went to see an elephant,

though all of them were blind,

That each by observation
might satisfy his mind.

The first approached the elephant,
and happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
at once began to bawl,
"This mystery of an elephant
is very like a wall."

The second, feeling of the tusk,
cried, "Ho, what have we here,
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear,
This wonder of an elephant
is very like a spear."

The third approached the elephant,
and happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
thus boldly up and spake,
"I see," quoth he,
"the elephant is very like a snake."

The fourth reached out an eager hand,
and felt above the knee,
"What this most wondrous beast
is like is very plain" said he,
"'Tis clear enough the elephant
is very like a tree."

The fifth who chanced to touch the ear
said, "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
deny the fact who can;
This marvel of an elephant
is very like a fan."

The sixth no sooner had begun
about the beast to grope,
Than seizing on the swinging tail
that fell within his scope;
"I see," said he, "the elephant
is very like a rope."

So six blind men of Hindustan
disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
exceeding stiff and strong;
Though each was partly in the right,
they all were in the wrong!

I will take your statement first. Time is limited but here ....

  

"If you believe in Jesus you may come to the conclusion that those that killed him are hated in the sight of God and need to be killed. This seems to be the conclusion of Martin Luther according to his writings and also of Adolph Hitler according to his.

If you are an Atheist and don't believe in God or Jesus Christ why would you hate Jews and call them the murderers of Christ. There would be no action to take."

Martin Luther like you and I and all humanity is flawed. We are far from perfect, we make mistakes. Some of those mistakes are just mistakes or misunderstandings. Others are called by the Bible "sin" because society will break down if they become the accepted practice as you have seen it doing since the 60's. Divorces, runaways, broken families, drugs and much more are all commonplace now.

Was Martin Luther perfect? Not on your life! I totally know that his anti-semitic attitude was wrong. Does that mean we write off everything he did? You have the choice to write off people and ideas if you wish, but I cannot. 

I don't write you off because you are an agnostic disguised as an atheist. There is still hope for you.

Luther's contribution was to break the corruption in the then Roman Catholic church and declare that "faith" not all the rituals were the answer to belief in God. That was his contribution. Was he right? Sure. Were all his followers right? Not on your life. 

Let's take your statement one part at a time to uncover the truth.

"If you believe in Jesus you may come to the conclusion that those that killed him are hated in the sight of God and need to be killed."

OR you may NOT come to that conclusion at all. 

But if you do, how can you then believe in the 10 Commandments one of which says to not commit murder and how can you believe Jesus who said, that those that live by the sword will die by the sword. How could a Christian believe Jesus and commit murder when they have the example of Jesus stopping Peter after he cut off a Roman ear?

When you fragment the truth, instead of looking at the whole teachings of Yeshua, you get a lie just as when you separate the hydrogen from the water, you do not have water any more.

Second Part:

If you are an Atheist and don't believe in God or Jesus Christ why would you hate Jews and call them the murderers of Christ. There would be no action to take."

My comment: What if you are a Christian and believe there is NO action to take?


That is me and many others. In fact many Jews in and out of Israel realize that evangelical Christians are their best friends. I belong to an organization called IPW [Israel Prayer Watch]. We meet monthly and pray for over 70 Christian ministries in Israel who are there to help the downtrodden and the have-nots. That comes from what Jesus said when he was in the synagogue very early in his ministry and this happened.

Luke 4:14-21

14  Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

16  When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 

¹⁸  'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

   because he has anointed me

     to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,

     to let the oppressed go free, 

¹⁹  to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.' 

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹Then he began to say to them, 'Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'

Most Christians [or the PREPONDERANCE of Christians (:-)] would tell you THAT is what Christianity is mainly about. That is why there are so many Christian organizations and/or churches doing exactly that.

So what action do you take to benefit the world Brian, as an agnostic-atheist? Just asking.

The above scripture explains Albert Schweitzer, Mother Theresa, Mark and Hilda Buntain and countless more. Those are just ones that stand out in my mind right now.

If you read more about Hitler on the wiki or elsewhere you will see that he left the teachings of Christianity and formed his own set of beliefs like atheists do, which feels right according to their intelligence" and therefore became an "A-theist" = without God. Not blaming all atheists for Hitler but he was one as he created his own "religion" or set of beliefs.

There is certainly no need to cover the other famous atheists who destroyed great masses of people in USSR, Africa and East Asia.

-Charles

Brian's Comments:
[My comments are in BOLD after Brian's point]

On Fri, Nov 12, 2010 at 11:25 AM, BC wrote:

When you believe something strongly it can be a call to action. OR NOT

If you believe in ghosts it may drive you to run from the spooky house when you hear a noise.

You may hold a seance to contact a dear departed. OR NOT

If you don't believe in ghosts there is no action to take.

If you believe in communism you may fight and kill to force those who don't to accept your belief or die for the common good of all. 

If you don't believe in communism and no one is forcing you to then there is no action to take.

If you believe in Jesus you may come to the conclusion that those that killed him are hated in the sight of God and need to be killed. This seems to be the conclusion of Martin Luther according to his writings and also of Adolph Hitler according to his.

If you are an Atheist and don't believe in God or Jesus Christ why would you hate Jews and call them the murderers of Christ. There would be no action to take. OR NOT

[So Brian are you saying that ALL atheists are NOT ANTI-JEWISH? Be ABSOLUTELY SURE before you answer even if you believe in NO ABSOLUTES. Time to 'man up' and realize that EVERYBODY BELIEVES IN SOME ABSOLUTES, ABSOLUTELY!]

It is hard to create an action from a disbelief. INCLUDING GOOD ACTIONS! 

That's why I doubt Hitler was an atheist or that Stalin and the rest did the evil that they did in the name of disbelief. It's nonsensical. If you substitute communism for religion and promote it like a religion and make your leaders into the divine like in North Korea.  Then you've just created the religion of communism which can be used to drive action. Atheism by itself does not and can not lead one to major action like war and genocide. 

Brian you can doubt anything you want but THAT DOES NOT MAKE YOUR DOUBT TRUTH.

Brian you are living in a Bubble of self-imposed indoctrination if you believe that !


It is obvious Hitler was an atheist. He made up his own religion just like atheists. How much more evidence do you need than this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler's_religious_views

You won't find this idea in Christianity [comes from Wiki above]

"To the extent he believed in a divinity, Hitler did not believe in a "remote, rationalist divinity" but in an "active deity,"^[72] which he frequently referred to as "Creator" or "Providence". In Hitler's belief God created a world in which different races fought each other for survival as depicted by Arthur de Gobineau. The "Aryan race," supposedly the bearer of civilization, is allocated a special place:

What we must fight for is to safeguard the existence and the reproduction of our race ... so that our people may mature for the fulfilment of the mission allotted it by the creator of the universe. ... Peoples that bastardize themselves, or let themselves be bastardized, sin against the will of eternal Providence.^[72]

OR Hitler's contact to Lanz von Liebenfels makes it necessary to examine how far his religious views were influenced by Ariosophy, an esoteric movement in Germany and Austria that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. (Whether Ariosophy is to be classified as Germanic paganism or Occultismis a different question.) The seminal work on Ariosophy, The Occult Roots of Nazism by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, devotes its last chapter the topic of Ariosophy and Adolf Hitler. Not at least due to the difficulty of sources, historians disagree about the importance of Ariosophy for Hitler's religious views. As noted in the foreword of The Occult Roots of Nazism by Rohan Butler, Goodrick-Clarke is more cautious in assessing the influence of Lanz von Liebenfels on Hitler than Joachim Fest in his biography of Hitler.^[78] A Hitler biography by John Toland that appeared in 1992 reprints a poem that Hitler allegedly wrote while serving in the German Army on the Western Front in 1915.^[79] This poem includes references to magical runes and the pre-Christian Germanic deity Woden, but it is mentioned neither by Goodrick-Clarke nor by Fest.

While he was in power, Hitler was definitely less interested in the occult or the esoteric than other Nazi leaders. Unlike Heinrich Himmler and Rudolf Hess, for example, Hitler had no interest in astrology. Nevertheless, Hitler is the most important figure in the Modern Mythology of Nazi occultism. There are teledocumentaries about this topic, with the titles Hitler and the Occult and Hitler's Search for the Holy Grail.^[80]

OR

^ "Closely related to his support of education was his tolerant skepticism concerning religion. He looked upon religion as a series of conventions and as a crutch for human weakness [rather like atheistic beliefs] , but, like most of his neighbors, he insisted that the women of his household fulfill all religious obligations. He restricted his own participation to donning his uniform to take his proper place in festivals and processions. As he grew older Alois shifted from relative passivity in his attitude toward the power and influence of the institutional Church to a firm opposition to "clericalism," especially when the position of the Church came into conflict with his views on education." - Bradley F. Smith: Adolf Hitler: His Family, Childhood and YouthStanford/California, 1967 p. 27

Brian. Only someone looking to blindly blame Hitler on religion would come up with such an idea that he was NOT ATHEISTIC. Again .... Hitler made up his OWN SET OF BELIEFS. So do atheists. Do you see a connection?

The atheistic "religion" has formed its own beliefs mainly concerning the non-existence of God. Hitler made up his own religion relating to superior races [sounds a bit like Dawkins and C. Hitchens], and inferior beings [those that disagree with you or don't understand your beliefs]. 

That is why undoubtedly he was atheistic .... he made up his own religion.

Christianity on the other hand got theirs from the son of God, Yeshua.

Stalin and communism were and are the largest atheistic-state-believing nations of all time!

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