In my last blog post, I reported on my interaction with Mr. Bill Keller, and/or one of his minions.  In that episode, I had requested that Mr. Keller join me to take the altar challenge he proposed to the leader of ISIL, to show whose god was real.  Unsurprisingly, he has yet to agree to do that.  He has been a very voluble correspondent and has agreed that I may share his emails with you.  So, we have either Mr. Keller or someone who claims to represent him, one of supposedly 700 retired pastors who answer prayer requests and make sure that their god really does hear them evidently.  This exchange is very typical of someone who has been caught in a false claim and has many common claims and attacks made by theists.

My responses are in my usual longwinded, detail-driven, format.  You have been warned 🙂  Thus, this conversation will be in one or two more blog posts.

Notice:  These exchanges are not meant to indicate that all theists or all Christians are exactly the same.  These are the opinions and claims made by one Christian and are similar to those of a certain subset of Christians.   Most Christians are average nice folks, just like most other theists, agnostics and atheists.  The type of Christians depicted here in their own words are the ones that are best countered. 

You can see my response to his initial reply to me here after the break.  Here’s the response to that:

LOL…hate to correct a mensa..but Liveprayer gets 40,000 emails for prayer..EVERY 24 HOURS…we have over 700 retired pastors who work with the minsitry to insure each one is prayed over..and responded to… 

….and hate to break this to you..but Dr. Keller doesn’t waste his time with people like yourself….and really could CARE LESS what you have to say or think..sorry…..his time is far to valuable to waste it in email back and forths…because of his high profile..the fact he is on TV nightly with over 300k viewers..more than MSNBC..CNN..and a host of other “cable networks”..he attracts all kinds of people..most looking for help..many who need help.like yourself….and I’m very sorry but after your first few sentences you have even bored me to tears to the point it isn’t worth reading,….you really should get some help..but know we will pray for you.. 

..oh..and Dr. Keller has debated publicly and in the media numerous times the top atheists of the day..all who ended up looking like the confused foolish people they are to deny the very existence of God..like yourself..spend their lives trying to fight aginst the very God who created them..and sadly..will most likely die and their last moment will be having the God whose existence they deny casting them into hell for all eternity..but don’t worry..a genius like who has it all figured out has nothing to worry about..which is why those like you amuse me as you waste so much time trying to justify to yourself you are right..LOL!!..enjoy..we will pray you wake up before it is too late..Know that I am praying for you, be richly blessed

So, I’m waiting for these prayers to take effect.  Nothing yet.  Our correspondent has asked that I put a link his prayer service site so you all can realize how right he is and give him money.  I have made a nice link in his post.

Here’s my response to the above:

Mr. Keller, 

I am not in Mensa but it is again wonderful to watch you try to insult me personally.  You tried to insult me by calling me a genius.   I have no reason to believe that anyone gets 40,000 requests for prayers a day.  Even if this were true, and I would love to see the email logs to show that it is, the team of pastors can evidently handle the load since you spend time writing to me and making videos.  Again, your claims are demonstrated to be false by reality.   I also see that you cannot provide where you got your doctorate.  That is unfortunate.   

I do love how now you don’t “waste time with people like” me.  I guess that you have decided that the lost sheep and the doubting Thomas aren’t worth your time, as opposed to what your bible claims.   I am so glad to see that you could care less about another human being, in caps no less.  It does make it seem that you did indeed read my whole letter as opposed to your claims that you haven’t.   You have made a claim and you now refuse to honor it, Mr. Keller.    You have done a “stunt” as you claim because you will not accept an honest challenge, the same challenge that you made.  No one forced you to make such a claim, Mr. Keller.  You made it and now you are asked to fulfill it.  You of course refuse because you know you have no chance of your god answering you at all.  

Mr. Keller, there is no evidence you are on “tv nightly” with 300K viewers. Can you provide evidence to support this claim by providing the network and the statistics?   As for the nightly viewership of MSNBC and CNN, that is a little less than a million during primetime nightly for CNN and about 1.2 million for MSNBC (a random day’s stats for you to see through this source: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/08/28/cable-news-ratings-for-wednesday-august-27-2014/297369/)  So, again, your claims are false due to your willful ignorance and attempt to spread that ignorance around to people who you think won’t check.   Your viewership is not impressive when compared to reality.   You may want to do some research before making a claim.   

I know you would claim to not have read my entire missive, Mr. Keller.   It’s the usual tactic of a TrueChristian, trying to keep their ignorance intact so they do not have to admit when they are wrong.   You claim not to have read it so you don’t have to actually answer questions or address what was said.  What does it say about a faith that is so weak that it can stand up to someone you do you best to call stupid by your insults? You baselessly claim I somehow “need help”.   How do I need help, Mr. Keller?  I certainly do need help in finding evidence for your god and you have claimed to be able to provide it.  You have refused.   

I don’t care who you have supposedly debated.  I can find no record of him debating any of these “top atheists of the day” whomever they may be.  Perhaps you can give me a link to one or two?   It’s awfully easy to claim that you won debates but odd that on one can find them.  Please tell me who these supposedly “confused foolish people” are.  I am guessing you will not be able to because these supposed debates with “top atheists” don’t exists.  

I know you very much hope that people do try to convert in the deathbeds.  I know that many TrueChristians like you have made up completely false stories about atheists who have supposedly done so and have been shown to be intentionally lying about that. The supposed deathbed conversion of Darwin is a good one, as is the usual claim that Einstein was a Christian just like the Christian making the claim.   I also know that according to the bible, no one can do this because it claims that what one has done in one’s life is what matters, it is the book of life that will condemn a person to this nonsense of “hell”.  Per the bible, deathbed conversions are worthless.  I wonder, are you the type of Christian who claims that hell is merely the separation from this god or do you think that this hell is a place of fire and pain?  Again, if you hold either idea or another, I can see that Christians can’t even agree amongst themselves on what the afterlife will be.  This again shows that there is no reason to think your version is any more true than another Christians or another theists, especially when you refuse to provide the evidence you claim you have that yours is the “right” one.  I know that your god, as described by Christians and the bible, does not exist.  Even if it did, it is no more than other bronze age gods that impregnate women, have temper tantrums, be unable to deal with humans if they resist and make high buildings, make wagers with their archenemies, and as a rousing finish, having to let the evil being it imprisoned go because it has to do so, and has no choice but to intentionally allow more humans to be corrupted.   

You may pray for me as much as you’d like, Mr. Keller.   What happens if nothing happens because of those prayers? Is it that your god likes me as I am?  That you are ignored by your god?  That there is no god?  What is your excuse to yourself when your prayers don’t work?   I will be sure to email you again in a month or two to tell you that  nothing has happened.   Now, for a god who promises to answer prayers quickly and positively, the mountain will move immediately not in a million years from erosion,  not to give the son a snake if he asks for a fish, I do hope you’ll wonder why your prayers did nothing.   

And shucks, more personal insults. it’s such a Christian thing to do, it seems.  Again, I offer you a chance to show that you weren’t lying when you made the offer to the head of ISIL.    There is no reason to refuse the same challenge made by a atheists here on the east coast of the US.  I am not justifying myself at all. I am giving you a chance to justify yourself and to show that a self proclaimed prophet of God can call the fires of this god down onto an altar as promised.   

As you have not said I may not publish your emails, something I asked you in my letter which you chose to supposedly not read, I will post them verbatim to my blog.  Thank you for that.  Good night,  Continue reading “Not So Polite Dinner Conversation – part 2 of the Bill Keller saga, where excuses roam free” →