if he wants you to find a fossil that will keep you deluded for years upon end, he can manage that too. quite easily. oh I am quite sure.
You're asking people to believe in a god who would knowingly plant false clues such as this? Why would he do that -- does he want a big laugh? And if that's the case, how many other false clues are there? Can I be sure that today is Thursday and that I wasn't born yesterday? He must be rolling in the aisles up there.
Everybody enjoys a laugh. We could not even have humor unless God gave it to us.
In Proverbs chapter 1 it says
[20] Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
[21] She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
[22] How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
[23] Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
[24] Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
[25] But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
[26] I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;[27] When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
[28] Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
[29] For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
[30] They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof
Why shouldn't God mock those that hate truth and knowledge? No matter what one claims to believe, one cannot reasonably hate the truth. It's a self-destructive endeavour, and obviously so. If such persons aren't worthy to be mocked, nobody is.
So if one hates the truth, it's just more evidence that God's Word is true when they become more and more deluded. I don't think He forces them to believe anything - that wouldn't be funny. Rather, He facilitates their desire to delude themselves. That
is funny. Not happy funny, but still funny. Could there be a complaint because these people get exactly what they desire? I see no basis for any.
Do you remember the Clergy Letter we talked about? These were leaders of Christian congregations who were saying that they believe God actually gave them a brain to use, and that he meant them to ask questions and work things out. I think I like their version of God better. He's not out to fool people for unknown reasons; he gave them the ability to learn about their world.
Don't recall it myself. But my God doesn't fool anyone for unknown reasons.
What's more, there's a (conceptually) simple solution for anyone. All they have to do is earnestly and diligently seek the truth.
Luke chapter 11: [9] And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
[10] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
It's not always quite so easy to do. I've heard the process can take some time. It seemed like forever when I tried it, but I knew there were only a few possible outcomes.
1. God's actually a big liar & just going to punish and torture anyone/everyone and there's no escape anyhow. (This can be ruled out, but it's better for people to figure it out on their own. PM me if you don't want to bother.)
2. God's make-believe and learning the truth will do no harm other than taking away from play time.
3. God's for real & a sincere seeker must find Him.
4. There's some other god, and seeking the truth is the best way to find it.
So no matter what, there's only one reasonable course of action.
