Poll

Are you a Christian?

I would like to be 50% 50% - 157 50% 50% - 157
I don't want anything to do with that! 55% 55% - 174 44% 44% - 140
Total: 314
Chuckles
Member
+32|6786

Konfusion0 wrote:

OK, I will think in your way: God created man. God created free will. God, therefore, directly or indirectly created science. Why would god create something that contradicts him? Why would he make it so that the majority of humanity don't believe in him?
Furthermore, I still 'believe in' science... It's the only 'theory' that appeals both to my intellect and reasoning...
Well, you said God created free will, so obviously He knew that that could lead to disbelief, yet he did it anyway.  Free will also gave us other ways to sin and not follow His word.  But it's our choice.  He wants us to make the correct choice.

Personally I've never thought science contradicted the existence of God as much as people would like to believe.
PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6766|Portland, OR USA

Konfusion0 wrote:

puckmercury wrote:

if you could pick any woman in the world, and control them.  I mean totally dominate them and have them think do and feel in any manner that pleased you, would you?  Are you so desperate for attention that you would facilitate such a hollow robot?
Now where did that come into play?
it is what as known as an analogy.  An analogy is a literary device used to draw parallels to assist someone in understanding a point which they are having difficulty arriving to on their own.

The analogy being the situation I presented is identical and equally as ridiculous as an entity creating a race of beings pre programmed to worship and believe blindly in him.
konfusion
mostly afk
+480|6789|CH/BR - in UK

puckmercury wrote:

Konfusion0 wrote:

puckmercury wrote:

if you could pick any woman in the world, and control them.  I mean totally dominate them and have them think do and feel in any manner that pleased you, would you?  Are you so desperate for attention that you would facilitate such a hollow robot?
Now where did that come into play?
it is what as known as an analogy.  An analogy is a literary device used to draw parallels to assist someone in understanding a point which they are having difficulty arriving to on their own.

The analogy being the situation I presented is identical and equally as ridiculous as an entity creating a race of beings pre programmed to worship and believe blindly in him.
I didn't mean blindly worshiping, but so that he communicates with all, showing them he is REALLY there...
PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6766|Portland, OR USA
there's a difference in knowing and believing.  Believing is far more powerful.
konfusion
mostly afk
+480|6789|CH/BR - in UK

sadly, I have to know to believe, or at least see, or get a true hint
PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6766|Portland, OR USA
depends on your definition of evidence.  To not believe in it God requires far more faith actually.  Far more faith in far less evidence.  That being said, I fully recognize the possibility that religion and deities are fabricated due to humanity's inability to accept either the finality of death or the ridiculous set of coincidences and circumstances leading to their arrival.

I have seen evidence which leads me to believe in a higher power, and I know myself well enough to know that it is not simply a result of not wanting to accept the truth.  I'd much rather be wrong and know the truth than think I'm right and be ignorant.  There's a reason that line is in my sig ...
konfusion
mostly afk
+480|6789|CH/BR - in UK

+1 ...
You take all comments excellently, and don't go flailing out misgiving information like many others on this thread.
Great, I don't have anything else to say. I fail to believe in god, but I accept it that you do.
JaMDuDe
Member
+69|7016

Konfusion0 wrote:

OK, I will think in your way: God created man. God created free will. God, therefore, directly or indirectly created science. Why would god create something that contradicts him? Why would he make it so that the majority of humanity don't believe in him?
Furthermore, I still 'believe in' science... It's the only 'theory' that appeals both to my intellect and reasoning...
Science does not contradict God. Its your personal choice.

Even if you believe we evolved, we happen to get really smart and conscious at the same time we could see perfect solar eclipses.

Last edited by JaMDuDe (2006-07-20 18:40:07)

Daysniper
Member
+42|6874

JaMDuDe wrote:

Konfusion0 wrote:

OK, I will think in your way: God created man. God created free will. God, therefore, directly or indirectly created science. Why would god create something that contradicts him? Why would he make it so that the majority of humanity don't believe in him?
Furthermore, I still 'believe in' science... It's the only 'theory' that appeals both to my intellect and reasoning...
Science does not contradict God. Its your personal choice.

Even if you believe we evolved, we happen to get really smart and conscious at the same time we could see perfect solar eclipses.
What do you mean by smart and conscious?
jonsimon
Member
+224|6734

puckmercury wrote:

depends on your definition of evidence.  To not believe in it God requires far more faith actually.  Far more faith in far less evidence.  That being said, I fully recognize the possibility that religion and deities are fabricated due to humanity's inability to accept either the finality of death or the ridiculous set of coincidences and circumstances leading to their arrival.

I have seen evidence which leads me to believe in a higher power, and I know myself well enough to know that it is not simply a result of not wanting to accept the truth.  I'd much rather be wrong and know the truth than think I'm right and be ignorant.  There's a reason that line is in my sig ...
Wouldn't it be a greater sign of strength to follow the path of greater faith? I see evidence religions are lies. I see the incentives, motives, and ability for every religious leader or associate to lie, of their own knowledge or not. I know the working of the human mind, and my understanding is complete enough that it does not need an imaginary deity to fill the gaps. I see the advantages of religion, and I know that I am strong enough without its crutch.

But, I know to fight it is useless. I discriminate little against anyone for their faith and acknowledge that it will die out as fast without my aid as it will with.
PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6766|Portland, OR USA
Konfusion0 - very well met.  It was never my intent to sway your opinion or regard it as a failure.  I enjoy a good debate with no intent of either side changing opinion, but hopefully with both sides leaving with greater understanding.

these are your choices both in belief in interpretation.  I see the same data set and come to a different set of conclusions based in no part in weakness or ignorance.  Again, I am confident I am right just as you are confident you are right.  If I wasn't confident I was right, I wouldn't believe what I do - because I wouldn't think it was right.  The arguement is more than slightly circular.

To claim it takes more strength to have more faith in less evidence seems to not only contradict your position but comments you make further on in your post.  Would it not be stronger to know something based on complete evidence by your logic?

I do not believe that a strong sense of faith is in any way related to a sense of strength.  The individuals I typically come into contact with who have your classic sense of extreme religious faith are ultimately the weaker individuals I come across.  A faith which is unchallenged and unrefuted has no strength whatsoever.  The Titanic would have forever been the unsinkable ship had it never left port.

I also see the motives tendencies and evidence of religious leaders and religious dogma as a whole deceiving and manipulating those who would follow their teachings.  Which is why I believe in personal spirituality over subscribing to any school of religious thought.  I don't think any faction has it right, so I think for myself and form my own system of beliefs based on my own conclusions from my own experience.  I would call myself a Christian, but that is only because I define Christian as one who believes in Christ and what he stands for.  I would not call myself a Catholic despite being raised and endoctrinated within that very rigid and overpowering religious system.
JaMDuDe
Member
+69|7016

Daysniper wrote:

What do you mean by smart and conscious?
I mean by smart that we are intelligent and can make scientific discoveries. And i mean by conscious that we are aware of ourselves and can think and do beyond what we need/are taught to.

Last edited by JaMDuDe (2006-07-20 19:59:06)

PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6766|Portland, OR USA
I think a better word would have been sentient.

I used to think the brain was the most amazing part of the human body.  Then I thought ... well ... look what's telling me that.

As for being smart or intelligent, while the species has exhibited the ability to discover new truths, it has demonstrated an even more overpowering ability to simply adapt and manufacture new more convenient truths.  Society is an ill beast.
Vub
The Power of Two
+188|6733|Sydney, Australia

Konfusion0 wrote:

OK, I will think in your way: God created man. God created free will. God, therefore, directly or indirectly created science. Why would god create something that contradicts him? Why would he make it so that the majority of humanity don't believe in him?
Furthermore, I still 'believe in' science... It's the only 'theory' that appeals both to my intellect and reasoning...
Science was created by humans and intelligent creatures in order to attempt to explain every phenomenon they observe. It is the humans' attempt (and a very successful one in certain regards) at trying to understand how God created the world and the universe. Hence it is a human interpretation of God's mind which we can't possibly understand, so therefore sometimes science would seem to contradict the Bible.

But ultimately science and research is just our way of getting closer to God and his creations.
konfusion
mostly afk
+480|6789|CH/BR - in UK

JaMDuDe wrote:

Konfusion0 wrote:

OK, I will think in your way: God created man. God created free will. God, therefore, directly or indirectly created science. Why would god create something that contradicts him? Why would he make it so that the majority of humanity don't believe in him?
Furthermore, I still 'believe in' science... It's the only 'theory' that appeals both to my intellect and reasoning...
Science does not contradict God. Its your personal choice.

Even if you believe we evolved, we happen to get really smart and conscious at the same time we could see perfect solar eclipses.
I don't see your point... I don't even get what you're trying to say
JaMDuDe
Member
+69|7016
Science doesnt contradict God. The decision for if you want to believe in God is for you to make, not science.

For the 2nd sentence i was responding to what you said before which was "Humans didn't 'seem to hit earth right at just the right time'
The mutations, later to become humans, evolved then, because it was opportune for them, and the atmosphere or whatever was good for them... It was not an utter coincidence"

We happen to get smart and aware of what we were doing at the same time we could see perfect solar eclipses. The moon used to be much closer to earth, and it will get further away. Humans came to be when it was just the right distance so the moon and sun would make a perfect fit and make perfect solar eclipses. Heres a quote from a book im reading "the most habitable place in the solar system yields the best view of solar eclipses just when observers can best appreciate them"
konfusion
mostly afk
+480|6789|CH/BR - in UK

ah...but how can you know it was exactly then? It is then, that humans started recording this, but does this necessarily mean that there was none before?
JaMDuDe
Member
+69|7016
What do u mean how do i know it was excactly then? The moon is moving away at 3.8 centimeters per year. So we can tell by the speed its moving away what time periods had/will have perfect solar eclipses. We know there were none before because it was too close and the moon appeared bigger than the sun from earth.
Major_Spittle
Banned
+276|6894|United States of America
I'm not Christian, but I like the music.
PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6766|Portland, OR USA
maybe I'm missing something, but if the moon was closer, would that not serve to more easily facilitate a solar eclipse?  A closer object of the same size serves to block a larger relative area behind it.

Put a 12" rectangle in front of your face and you've blocked out any view.  Put it 100' away, and it has no affect.
Major_Spittle
Banned
+276|6894|United States of America

puckmercury wrote:

maybe I'm missing something, but if the moon was closer, would that not serve to more easily facilitate a solar eclipse?  A closer object of the same size serves to block a larger relative area behind it.

Put a 12" rectangle in front of your face and you've blocked out any view.  Put it 100' away, and it has no affect.
yeh thats all well and good and all, but show me a tractor big enough to pull the moon closer??? 

Maybe if we were only born with smaller eyes, then there would be more solar eclipses?  Try squinting, everything looks darker.

Last edited by Major_Spittle (2006-07-21 22:45:55)

PuckMercury
6 x 9 = 42
+298|6766|Portland, OR USA

Major_Spittle wrote:

yeh thats all well and good and all, but show me a tractor big enough to pull the moon closer???
erm ... well you see ...

JaMDuDe wrote:

The moon is moving away at 3.8 centimeters per year.
I neither support or refute this statistic, but I have no real reason to believe it is not true, it makes scientific sense that it would be getting farther away given orbital physics and the proposed nature of it's genesis, so I'll but that ... for a dollar even.

So, if it is getting FARTHER away that means that it once was closer ... ergo perceived as a larger object in the night sky.

By the way ... to whoever just sent me that karma message?  I'm not even going to begin to try to decypher it ... I just feel dirty.  ;-)
Daysniper
Member
+42|6874

Vub wrote:

Science was created by humans and intelligent creatures in order to attempt to explain every phenomenon they observe. It is the humans' attempt (and a very successful one in certain regards) at trying to understand how God created the world and the universe. Hence it is a human interpretation of God's mind which we can't possibly understand, so therefore sometimes science would seem to contradict the Bible.

But ultimately science and research is just our way of getting closer to God and his creations.
You've got it backwards. Faith was created by humans to try to explain their surroundings!
Daysniper
Member
+42|6874

JaMDuDe wrote:

What do u mean how do i know it was excactly then? The moon is moving away at 3.8 centimeters per year. So we can tell by the speed its moving away what time periods had/will have perfect solar eclipses. We know there were none before because it was too close and the moon appeared bigger than the sun from earth.
He's right about the moving a way part. I'm not sure about the 3.8 cm a year, but it sounds right.
JaMDuDe
Member
+69|7016

puckmercury wrote:

maybe I'm missing something, but if the moon was closer, would that not serve to more easily facilitate a solar eclipse?  A closer object of the same size serves to block a larger relative area behind it.

Put a 12" rectangle in front of your face and you've blocked out any view.  Put it 100' away, and it has no affect.
It would make an eclipse, but not a perfect one. Right now the moon makes an almost perfect fit with the sun.

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