How can I respond to "God works in mysterious ways"

[SYZ]

I had that same argument for years, but after a while it doesn’t hold weight anymore.  According to the bible, god wants to be known but yet Christianity always asserts his mysterious ways the minute they encounter contradictions

You'll find that—as your atheism coalesces further—that the book
you once had "faith" in is nothing more than an ancient collection
of fantasy fiction, credulity, delusions, mythology, superstitions,
deceit, and even blatant lies.  Cobbled together by an ill-educated
and disparate group of desert tribesmen over the course of 400 years.

As any sort of reference document it's worthless.     

[Minimalist]

This horseshit in the Book of Ezra about the supposed return of the "jews" from Exile in Babylon:

64 The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 65 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred men and women singers.

touched off an amusing dispute among two Israeli archaeologists.  One was the esteemed author of "The Bible Unearthed," Israel Finkelstein and the other was a colleague of his, Oded Lipshitz.  Both had done studies of the inhabited space in Jerusalem by the returning "exiles."  So while "Ezra" claimed 50,000 people suddenly showed up Finkelstein and Lipshitz reached different conclusions.  Based on the occupied area of Persian Jerusalem and applying a standard population measure for built up areas Finkelstein came up with roughly 400 people.  Lipshitz reached a number of perhaps 1,000.  They argued about it in the journals for a while but both seemed quite confident that "Ezra" was a pile of shit.

Amen.

[Astreja]

I just asked my friend about something that doesn't make sense in Christianity, and he says no human can understand the mind of God.  I don't know how to make another point. What's a good response?

"You do realize that that includes the author of every book in the Bible too, don't you?"

(Cue backpedalling and various apologetics excuses in 3... 2... 1...)

[pattylt]

I just asked my friend about something that doesn't make sense in Christianity, and he says no human can understand the mind of God.  I don't know how to make another point. What's a good response?

"You do realize that that includes the author of every book in the Bible too, don't you?"

(Cue backpedalling and various apologetics excuses in 3... 2... 1...)

Excellent response!

[possibletarian]

This has always bothered me, why would a god create beings so lowly that they wouldn't understand him, then claim it wanted a close relationship with them. It's like me creating gnats to have a loving relationship with, that would be stupid.

If I wanted beings to worship me, the first thing I would do is make sure they understood and knew me well, after all wouldn't I want worship knowing they had that knowledge?

Mysterious ways simply means 'I don't know' at least I would accept that answer as honest. Theists just make fools of themselves otherwise.

[Minimalist]

The one thing not to seek in that shitty bible is logic or consistency!

[Thumpalumpacus]

"What's the difference between 'mysterious' and 'random'"? That would be my own reply.

[Cavebear]

This has always bothered me, why would a god create beings so lowly that they wouldn't understand him, then claim it wanted a close relationship with them. It's like me creating gnats to have a loving relationship with, that would be stupid.

If I wanted beings to worship me, the first thing I would do is make sure they understood and knew me well, after all wouldn't I want worship knowing they had that knowledge?

Mysterious ways simply means 'I don't know' at least I would accept that answer as honest. Theists just make fools of themselves otherwise.

So many possibilities here. I have to speak of this in biblical terms since you are discussing the nature and thoughts of a deity. So... Regarding its creations, it made angels which seem to understand it somewhat. Then a naked human to wander around a garden paradise on one particular planet (this may have happened on many planets) with no purpose in life. And then a different kind of naked human from that original human.

And tempted those different humans to break its rules by forbidding something that then intrigued them by the very nature it installed into them at their creation. And then punished them for their curiousity.

Perhaps it decided the angels lacked something it needed. It could have just changed the angels of course but seems to have decided not to. So it let "the gnats" anger it. And it decided to let them suffer in labor and incest until there were enough gnats to wipe out in whole big bunches and start over with the same flawed gnats it created itself, repeating the failed creation of them it caused.

Am I getting any of that wrong? LOL!

[Edible crust]

"It's impossible to work and sleep at the same time."

[Szuchow]

I had that same argument for years, but after a while it doesn’t hold weight anymore.  According to the bible, god wants to be known but yet Christianity always asserts his mysterious ways the minute they encounter contradictions

Mysterious ways are perfect cover for not acting at all. Per Exodus 33:11 he used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend and yet got serious case of shyness after invention of camera? Reason for yahu-wahu actions being so mysterious is the same reason for which we can't see Zeus or Odin actions. They're mythological beings.

[Cavebear]

I had that same argument for years, but after a while it doesn’t hold weight anymore.  According to the bible, god wants to be known but yet Christianity always asserts his mysterious ways the minute they encounter contradictions

Mysterious ways are perfect cover for not acting at all. Per Exodus 33:11 he used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend and yet got serious case of shyness after invention of camera? Reason for yahu-wahu actions being so mysterious is the same reason for which we can't see Zeus or Odin actions. They're mythological beings.

Take this as you wish, LOL!

God appeared in my living room the other day. It was awkward since I have only 2 chairs and one just has "stuff stacked on it". But He was kind and materialized one for himself. I asked Him about His "mysteriousness". He said that was "just Him" and we shouldn't worry about that too much. He likes to have his own secrets. Well, OK, who doesn't?

But I asked a few questions He didn't like much. And before he answered that (wow, imagine that. I pre-anticipated Him). Well, why not just flaming letters in the sky? He said he didn't like to be too direct.

So I asked why he flooded the world to kill all humans but saved a couple. He said "I was younger then and a bit reckless. And I did promise not to do it again".

OK, so what was that about Jewish slaves building the pyramids in Egypt when the pyramids were built by paid Egyptians while the Jews were in Persia? "Well, I needed them to feel aggrieved and Egypt seemed like the right place. The Egyptians were in Africa and I wanted peace in the SW Asia. So I lied. Sue me. I have a great list of lawyers in Hell you can use.

Well, what about Mary and you being her son while still being You? Heh, I say what you need to to get laid. She went with it. And I'm not exactly your average guy, so I don't strike out often...

So Jesus?...

Good kid. Talented carpenter and speaker. I didn't actually pay enough attention to him. I mean you know there are a lot of virgins out there hoping for some SPECIAL son, so I keep pretty busy with that stuff. Most kind of followed their Mother. But that kid had real talent. Could really talk up a storm. So I helped him out a few times. Lazarus, fishes, loaves. Easy-peasy for me.

Cruxifiction? I was busy elsewhere. Hey, I may be omnipresent, but I'm not "all-foccused". When I'm doing a virgin impregnation on the other side of what you consider "the universe", I can get distracted. Remember your Bubonic plague"? Like then.

Wow. I could use a drink after all that. But I'm out of Gin. Check your bottle. Oh wow it's filled, how...? I'm God, dumbass.

Are you real? Up to you to decide.

You aren't really here, are you? Nope.

[Edible crust]

"It's only mysterious when something goes wrong. When it goes right it's a miracle."

[Silly Deity]

The mysterious works of an invisible god look strangely like the mysterious works of a non-existent god.

[Reltzik]

I just asked my friend about something that doesn't make sense in Christianity, and he says no human can understand the mind of God.  I don't know how to make another point. What's a good response?

"I'm not trying to understand the mind of God.  I'm taking this far-fetched tale that Christians are trying to sell me on and I'm subjecting it to the smell test.  This is one of the parts that smells as if Christians are trying to sell me bullshit."

It's not about God.  It's never been about God.  It's always been about the people claiming to speak for God and trying to sell you the idea of God.  Keep your eye on that central fact and it will see you past something like 90% of apologetic sophistry.

[brewerb]

You could respond like this..............

[SYZ]

I just asked my friend about something that doesn't make sense in Christianity, and he says no human can understand the mind of God.  I don't know how to make another point. What's a good response?

If your friend asserts that "no human" can understand the
mind of God, then being human himself, how can it be that
he himself knows what's on God's mind in order to say that?