Most Christians accept evolution

[RonD1120 62]

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I've lost interest in such adolescence.

I'm a little slower on the uptake than you but I finally got there.

I can't believe that I've made so many contiguous posts even though the evidence is there.

I'm a counselor and a teacher. I am not a salesman. Some want to argue with me because I have no sales pitch.

Ephesians 4:11 pretty much explains the job categories for me. I readily admit I am not a very good evangelist.

In these last days, I am mostly looking for fellowship and appreciation in the mystery, reference Ephesians 3.

When someone desires to share that mysterious fellowship in Christ, for whatever reason, I am there. When all that is coming forth is adolescent arguing, I get bored.

I tip my hat to Coreece; he has infinitely more patience than I. He does a good job.

And you Mr. Popsjumper are a consummate diplomat and teacher.

Are you close to Hiawassee? Did I ask you that before?

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[RonD1120 62]

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If evolution is a fact, I want to know why it stopped?

Evolution stopped? Did I miss a memo?

Have you noticed any changes in the wildlife in your neck of the woods? Extinction being the exception.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[beowulf 1]

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Am I wrong to think that you believe God doesn't exist? What evidence do you have to support your belief? See how it works both ways? See the fallacy of that from both sides of it?

The person making the claim is the one with the burden of proof. The claim was made that god exists. I asked for the evidence to back it up. No evidence has ever been provided, so the only conclusion that can be made based on the evidence is that god does not exist.

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Again, it's irrational to ask for a test of something that can't be tested. Surely you see that."

If it can't be tested and there is no evidence to support it then there is no reason to believe it exists. That is why your logic is faulty.

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You can believe or disbelieve as per you mindset. I'm not trying to change your mind. Merely pointing out the fallacy of asking for physical proof of something that can't possibly be physically proven.

Surely you can think of a realistic argument to make to support your position, right? If, of course, that is what you want to do.

I'm not going to address this again with you. Either you see it or you don't. No skin off my back. I just wish you would be more relevant in your contributions to the topic

I don't care if you respond or not. Your logic is faulty. Just because people imagine a god and then stipulate that he can't be tested doesn't mean he exists. And by the way, he was tested in the past based on the Christian folklore in the Bible. So it apparently is possible, but he just doesn't do that anymore.

[beowulf 1]

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Millions of people can believe the Christian God is real. But that doesn't make it so.
Just like the Hindu gods are no more real despite the millions of people that believe Hinduism.

Do you think the Hindu gods are real?? Lots of people believe in them so they must exist right??

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How do you know God changed your life and your personality?

How do you know your faith and belief improves your quality of life?

You are kidding right?
These statements sound like middle school.
Are you really serious in making them?

OK....you're not playing with all the marbles.
Have it your way, my friend. Enjoy your life. I'll enjoy mine.

Those are serious questions. He made the claim that God changed his life and personality, what evidence does he have that it was God that did that? People can change themselves if they are fully motivated to do so.

His quality of life could have improved with out faith or belief in God, so how does he know those are what improved his life?

[jakee 1,500]

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The hilarity is you have no clue as to what my religious biases are. Mighty arrogant of you to think you do, though. Congrats.

There is no other way for you to be as in conflict with reality as you are without being blinded by bias.

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Typical Jakee. You substituted 'religious people' for 'religion'.

Oh, ok. In that case, no, religion doesn't tie you down and hold a gun to your head. Religion, being non-corporeal, doesn't have hands. Last time I had Hinduism over to dinner it couldn't even hold a fork.

You may have heard the term "feckin' eedjit" somewhere.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[jakee 1,500]

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That's fine with me. You may not have been following all the anti-religion threads in SC lately.

Go through and count the number of threads started by atheists bashing religion and then count the number of threads started by believers bashing atheism.

You may not have been following the real world lately.

Go take a drive and count the number of billboards shoving religion in your face and the number shoving atheism.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[jakee 1,500]

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If evolution is a fact, I want to know why it stopped?

Evolution stopped? Did I miss a memo?

Have you noticed any changes in the wildlife in your neck of the woods? Extinction being the exception.

You still haven't picked up a biology textbook and/or listened to a word anyone has said, have you?

Evolution is slow. It's not something you measure from season to season, unless you're looking at organisms that get through thousands of generations a year. Of course, if you do look at those organisms, then hey presto, there it is! Right under your eyes while you wait.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[DSE 5]

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Have you noticed any changes in the wildlife in your neck of the woods? Extinction being the exception.

The slow speed of evolution not withstanding (and ignoring the goat-f**k stupid people that run the Creation Museum claiming that man rode/hunted dinosaurs and that the earth is only 5000 years old), yes...changes are apparent. Elk are smaller than they once were (hunting records bear this out) and humans are getting much taller/larger (photographs, family histories, and anthropological studies bear this out).

You can claim this is is due to better foods, and it may well be. However...evolution is about evolving to adapt to food/environment, too.

And then there are the earthworms....

[RonD1120 62]

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Have you noticed any changes in the wildlife in your neck of the woods? Extinction being the exception.

The slow speed of evolution not withstanding (and ignoring the goat-f**k stupid people that run the Creation Museum claiming that man rode/hunted dinosaurs and that the earth is only 5000 years old), yes...changes are apparent. Elk are smaller than they once were (hunting records bear this out) and humans are getting much taller/larger (photographs, family histories, and anthropological studies bear this out).

You can claim this is is due to better foods, and it may well be. However...evolution is about evolving to adapt to food/environment, too.

And then there are the earthworms....

Thank you for the intelligent reply to my humorous query. I don't know where that 5K year theory/belief came from. I do remember Josh McDowell back in the 80's preaching a 10K year old human habitation beginning with Adam and Eve.

Do you think that if successive generations of wingsuit fliers in your tribe would eventually produce offspring that would develop their wings at birth? Thereby eliminating the need for artificial wings. Just a thought.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[billvon 3,006]

>Do you think that if successive generations of wingsuit fliers in your tribe would
>eventually produce offspring that would develop their wings at birth? Thereby
>eliminating the need for artificial wings. Just a thought.

They might under the right circumstances! (The right circumstances being that everyone who couldn't fly at all died, and those who could track really, really well survived.)

Attached is a picture of a rodent that's well on its way to growing its own wings. Check back in in 100,000 years to see if those new bones in its flight membranes become true wings.

[quade 4]

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They might under the right circumstances! (The right circumstances being that everyone who couldn't fly at all died, and those who could track really, really well survived.)

This would also require females willing to have sex with wingsuiters at a rate higher than regular skydivers. I'm not saying it doesn't happen occasionally, but . . . ya know . . . it's important to remember desirability of the adaptation also has to be part of the fucking equation.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[DSE 5]

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They might under the right circumstances! (The right circumstances being that everyone who couldn't fly at all died, and those who could track really, really well survived.)

This would also require females willing to have sex with wingsuiters at a rate higher than regular skydivers. I'm not saying it doesn't happen occasionally, but . . . ya know . . . it's important to remember desirability of the adaptation also has to be part of the fucking equation.

Yeah...but everyone who is anyone knows that wingsuiters get all the ladies these days....just ask Andy Malchiodi or Christiaan Rendle. That's the *real* reason swoop ponds are drying up.

Ron, if you don't know where the 5k year figure came from...you're not paying attention to what a lot of Xtians believe.
http://www.creationtips.com/earthsage.html is just one of several hundred references. That aside, I did visit the Xtian Creation Museum and it was almost as enjoyable as Lewis Black on a particularly intense rant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzjjxi7f0Oc
http://youtu.be/zdFVAUCM6X4 (the more fun of the two links, although the audio is annoying)

[RonD1120 62]

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Ron, if you don't know where the 5k year figure came from...you're not paying attention to what a lot of Xtians believe.
http://www.creationtips.com/earthsage.html is just one of several hundred references. That aside, I did visit the Xtian Creation Museum and it was almost as enjoyable as Lewis Black on a particularly intense rant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzjjxi7f0Oc
http://youtu.be/zdFVAUCM6X4 (the more fun of the two links, although the audio is annoying)

The really funny part about all this discussion is that in my world it only exists in the SC.

I have been walking with Jesus and sane since 16 Mar 81 and, straight, clean and sober since 26 Mar 83. That is all that holds meaning for me.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[Shotgun 1]

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His quality of life could have improved with out faith or belief in God, so how does he know those are what improved his life?

I think even an atheist can agree that faith or belief in God can positively (or in some cases, negatively) affect one's life, regardless of whether said God actually exists or not.

As a non-believer myself, I'm willing to accept that someone else's belief in God has improved his life. Of course, many people can improve their lives without any kind of religious belief; everyone is different.

[deltron80 0]

I just find it odd that for all their condescention to non-believers, Christians can never answer the simple question why they believe in their religion.

They just repeat that they have faith or believe in it, but they can never actually give a reason.

It's like asking a North Korean why they believe in their dear leader. It seems like they don't even understand the question.

[quade 4]

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I have been walking with Jesus and sane since 16 Mar 81 and, straight, clean and sober since 26 Mar 83. That is all that holds meaning for me.

Somebody remind me to stop drinking before I start having hallucinations. After is way too late.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Shotgun 1]

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I just find it odd that for all their condescention to non-believers, Christians can never answer the simple question why they believe in their religion.

They just repeat that they have faith or believe in it, but they can never actually give a reason.

I've heard a lot of different reasons from Christians about why they believe. None which were logical and/or convincing to me, but apparently logical/convincing to the believer.

And, while many Christians (or rather, people in general) are condescending about their beliefs, I've met plenty of Christians who are not condescending about it at all, who are willing to accept and respect the fact that other people have different beliefs.

[deltron80 0]

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I've heard a lot of different reasons from Christians about why they believe.

Such as?

[Shotgun 1]

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I've heard a lot of different reasons from Christians about why they believe.

Such as?

Let's see.... The "intelligent design" thing (nothing exists that hasn't been created; therefore there must be a creator, or something like that)... The "I should have been dead" thing (I was miraculously saved and there is no possible explanation other than that God must have saved me, or something like that).... The "God spoke to me" thing....

Generally something along those lines.

As I said, not logical/convincing reasons (IMHO), but "reasons" nonetheless.

[quade 4]

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And, while many Christians (or rather, people in general) are condescending about their beliefs, I've met plenty of Christians who are not condescending about it at all, who are willing to accept and respect the fact that other people have different beliefs.

I think that's true for most people, unless the conversation specifically goes in the direction of "my beliefs are better than yours." At that point almost anyone has a tendency to get a bit snippy.

For instance, we could all probably talk about some neutral subject at length until somebody chimes in with "isn't God great for making the world that way" OR "of course, only religious nuts believe that," then the camps split up and the gloves come off.

I believe the vast majority of all people, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, atheist and other would actually rather NOT start a fight, but almost all are willing to participate in one once things get going and especially if it involves an attack on their particular form of delusional reality.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[winsor 236]

I have been walking with Jesus and sane since 16 Mar 81 and, straight, clean and sober since 26 Mar 83. That is all that holds meaning for me.

[beowulf 1]

I agree and the point I was trying to make is that God is not needed to make those same improvements in life. Plenty of people improve their lives with out the Christian God or any god.

[billvon 3,006]

>It's like asking a North Korean why they believe in their dear leader.

Or why a skydiver likes jumping out of an airplane.

[billvon 3,006]

>Plenty of people improve their lives with out the Christian God or any god.

And plenty of people improve their lives _with_ God. Whatever works.

[quade 4]

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>Plenty of people improve their lives with out the Christian God or any god.

And plenty of people improve their lives _with_ God.

Perhaps with the placebo effect.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver