Thanks for responding.

1. Nobody knows what caused the Big Bang (the beginning, so far as we know, of the Universe). It’s just that there’s no reason to attach an unevidenced belief to it, that a Supernatural Entity caused it. You say the OT “is a guide on how G-d wants us to live our life for maximum happiness.” That doesn’t fly with me because the first order of business is establishing the existence of this Being. People believe that this Being exists, but believing isn’t knowing — and I don’t see the appeal of faith.
2. Science and religion are in conflict. Science makes claims about the nature of the world and the Universe, and the best claims are supported by evidence. It’s a fact that certain germs cause disease, and the germ theory of disease explains that fact. Ditto for other scientific disciplines. In terms of its supernatural claims or ideas, no religion has offered any fact about the world. I’ll take that one step further: No religion has ever said anything of value about the nature of existence and Universe. So whenever religion wants to chime in with a comment about the Nature of Things, the best response is “shoosh.”
3. “G-d created life here as elsewhere.” There is no evidence to support that claim. Absent evidence, what people believe isn’t interesting.
4. You passed, understandably.
5. You passed, understandably.
6. If morality wasn’t handed to us from on high, it means that our moral impulses are an “emergent property” of evolution. So the adage is true then: You don’t need God to be good. Excellent. But these “guidelines” you speak of are also the result of people working things out, coming to sociable agreements, creating a civilization, and so on. In other words, moral guidelines are codifications of human desires, which is to say no God has anything to do with humanity’s struggle over right and wrong behavior. Glad to hear it.
7. “The rankest sort of speculation”? What speculation? I merely said that, by the lights of believers, God is the most prolific abortionist the world has ever seen. That’s inarguable. If there’s any speculation it comes in two forms a) the speculation that “souls” even exist (there’s no evidence for souls) and b) that “the soul enters at the moment of conception.” That sentiment is not speculation. I’m just echoing a common refrain held by believers of many religious traditions.
8. What sophistry ? The story of Jonah is bananas, and anyone who believes it to be true needs their head examined, right? That’s my broad point here: There are all sorts of wacky and crazy stories in the Bible (a body of water spreading because some guy “commanded” it to spread, is another). I just wanted to focus on this one particular piece of nuttiness.
9. Your comment about Hell was the first response from anyone that made me laugh. I mean that sincerely. Really, I’m not saying this with any mockery or ridicule. “Live a good and honorable life, causing as little harm as possible or I’ll set you on fire.” It’s your deadpan sensibility that made me laugh. It’s worthy of a standup comic. Seriously. It’s good stuff.
10. This response broke my heart. You started out on a promising note: “Again, Jews do not have the Christian concept of Satan.” Very good, I thought. But then you wrote: “To Jews, Satan is just another angel.” Ah, so you’re affirming an intertwined belief here: Satan exists and he’s an angel. That’s disappointing. When you wrote that you “do not have the Christian concept of Satan” I thought you were going to end with a big finish, with something like “Jews don’t believe in angels.” Oh well.