Have any atheists ever studied fulfilled prophecies?

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But there isn't any point trying to prove anything to an atheist. The fact is, we're smarter then you, and will pick any argument you make completely apart. Ignorance and arrogance, You can tell them by their snotty remarks and sarcastic attacks on the Church when again, they don't know what they're talking about....Show more

Um, gee, nothing like approaching a subject of study with a pre-conceived conclusion, now is there...?

I've done a fair amount of research on what are claimed by many as "prophecies," and the claims people make as to their fulfillment. From an objective point of view, to see how the claims hold up -- not from a conclusion reached before studying either way.

What have I found? I haven't yet -- not once -- found a "prophecy" that was unambiguously fulfilled. Meaning one specific prophecy that accurately predicted some future event that actually happened, and where the "prophet" making it could have no human knowledge about what would happen. Not one.

The vast majority of what people claim as "fulfilled prophecies" can be discounted very quickly, because the prediction was so vague that it could mean anything (and in most of those cases, others have claimed that it was "fulfilled" dozens or hundreds of times in the past). Those aren't worth considering.
A very large number of others, while a bit more specific in their predictions, are still too non-specific to consider them "fulfilled" by any one event.
There were a few -- very few -- that seem interesting. That are at least fairly specific, and that seemed to possibly have actually predicted something that later happened. Of course, to be fair one must always consider whether the prediction was "common sense" (for example, I could predict that a commercial plane will crash in the US between now and December 2009, killing all aboard. The odds are *very good* that my prediction will come true, but there's nothing supernatural about it -- I'm just playing the odds). We also need to look at other predictions by the same "prophet," and see what their hit/miss rate is -- because it's possible they were dead wrong on everything but this one, which probably indicates it was just dumb luck.

Anyway, yearh -- I've studied "prophecy." I'm not convinced. Haven't found one yet that unambiguously happened. It's not a question of belief, it's a question of evidence -- and there is none to support them.

Oh, one more thing: there are non-christian (or OT jewish) "prophets" that have a MUCH better hit rate than anything in the bible...and they're often a lot more specific about predictions, too. Still no unambiguous evidence, but much more impressive. You should look into it some time.

Peace....Show more

I've studied extensively.

Used to be a total bible thumper (and a pastor),

But there isn't any point trying to prove anything to an atheist. The fact is, we're smarter then you, and will pick any argument you make completely apart.

But I'd offer you the same challange you've offered us... have you examined the inconsistencies in the bible? How do you explain them?...Show more

What's the point? Claiming a prophecy that appears in a book was fulfilled by the same book is useless....Show more

There have been zero fulfilled prophesies. If you studied them with an open mind you would realize this.

EDIT - Link a source and I'll tell you if they are incorrect or not....Show more