One thing that strikes me about religion is that it sometimes purports to answer questions when the answer is actually just emptiness. Job is a classic example. We read about his intense afflictions and want to know the "why" of it, just like Job did. Then God comes out of the whirlwind and basically says "where were you when I made the earth?" It's a non answer.
I always felt the same way about Paul's writings. Many of Paul's arguments have a patina of logic but no substance behind them. One of the emptiest arguments he used is a favorite passage of Calvinists to justify predestination of souls. It never seemed like anything more than a "might makes right" argument to me, which is no argument at all.
I recently read Thomas Paine's essay on Romans 9 and was encouraged that Paine felt the same way. He describes in much more detail why Paul's argument is nonsensical.
Here's a link to Paine's essay:
http://www.deism.com/paine_essay_pre..._calvinism.htm
His essay is all the more powerful considering the small religious minds he was addressing. At that time, preachers tended to overuse fear as a means to convert people.
I always felt the same way about Paul's writings. Many of Paul's arguments have a patina of logic but no substance behind them. One of the emptiest arguments he used is a favorite passage of Calvinists to justify predestination of souls. It never seemed like anything more than a "might makes right" argument to me, which is no argument at all.
I recently read Thomas Paine's essay on Romans 9 and was encouraged that Paine felt the same way. He describes in much more detail why Paul's argument is nonsensical.
Here's a link to Paine's essay:
http://www.deism.com/paine_essay_pre..._calvinism.htm
His essay is all the more powerful considering the small religious minds he was addressing. At that time, preachers tended to overuse fear as a means to convert people.
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