From an email I sent to a friend on religion. Any opinions?
mikesguitar
Posts: 55
There's one simple question that
atheists probably hear on a regular basis in one form
or another. If a god didn't 'initially' create matter
and motion, who or what did? In other words, how did
the initial motion and matter begin to exist? That's
the question the arguments all seem to come down to in
the end. Technical arguments about the earth could be made all day by either
side, but unless an atheist at least has an explanation
about the very beginning of matter and motion, then what's the
point in even trying to make a case against creationism?
It seems clear to me that God didn't create a
truth so technically sophisticated that it would take
half a lifetime of text book research to catch a
glimpse of it, even if that was possible. If that was
the case then only the
most scientifically-oriented, intelligent few would be
saved by His gospel (the gospel is the story of
Christ's death and the explanation of it's saving purpose)
and the gospel itself (the thread of the entire
Bible) would be of little importance. Instead, as the
Bible states it, God simply exists and His creation
makes it obvious to all. I believe the Bible teaches
that knowing the truth is only possible by having the
desire to know God (the truth). Being of the Calvinist
persuasion, I believe having this desire is only
possible when God gives it, and gives it only to some.
I can't advocate the Calvinism aspect of the Bible
with total confidence and I could even be wrong about
it. People having this desire to know God and humility
toward God seem to be an intertwining process.
According to the Bible, pride is one of the seven
abominations which God hates, the sin that ushered in
the initial fall (the angelic fall) as well as the
initial fall of man, and is the sin that most often
snared men throughout the Bible. It's no wonder then,
God choosing to unfold a creation story in Genesis
filled with so much wild, almost fantasy-like symbolic
imagery for the proud to scoff at and stumble upon.
I'm not trying to accuse you of being proud. I'm
trying to explain to you a mental pic of God's ways in
relation to mankind and creation.
atheists probably hear on a regular basis in one form
or another. If a god didn't 'initially' create matter
and motion, who or what did? In other words, how did
the initial motion and matter begin to exist? That's
the question the arguments all seem to come down to in
the end. Technical arguments about the earth could be made all day by either
side, but unless an atheist at least has an explanation
about the very beginning of matter and motion, then what's the
point in even trying to make a case against creationism?
It seems clear to me that God didn't create a
truth so technically sophisticated that it would take
half a lifetime of text book research to catch a
glimpse of it, even if that was possible. If that was
the case then only the
most scientifically-oriented, intelligent few would be
saved by His gospel (the gospel is the story of
Christ's death and the explanation of it's saving purpose)
and the gospel itself (the thread of the entire
Bible) would be of little importance. Instead, as the
Bible states it, God simply exists and His creation
makes it obvious to all. I believe the Bible teaches
that knowing the truth is only possible by having the
desire to know God (the truth). Being of the Calvinist
persuasion, I believe having this desire is only
possible when God gives it, and gives it only to some.
I can't advocate the Calvinism aspect of the Bible
with total confidence and I could even be wrong about
it. People having this desire to know God and humility
toward God seem to be an intertwining process.
According to the Bible, pride is one of the seven
abominations which God hates, the sin that ushered in
the initial fall (the angelic fall) as well as the
initial fall of man, and is the sin that most often
snared men throughout the Bible. It's no wonder then,
God choosing to unfold a creation story in Genesis
filled with so much wild, almost fantasy-like symbolic
imagery for the proud to scoff at and stumble upon.
I'm not trying to accuse you of being proud. I'm
trying to explain to you a mental pic of God's ways in
relation to mankind and creation.
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
My view of the universe is that is has no beginning or end, but spreads out in every direction. There is no real 'past' in the universe. What came before the big bang? An infinite series of big bangs that always has and always will exist. If you look at the universe the way we are taught to, then something 'had' to create the big bang. But what if that were not the case? Just because 'we' have to have a beginning and an end, does that mean everything does? To me, the universe makes a TON more sense if viewed this way. It didn't have to be created, it was always here.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
http://richarddawkins.net/godDelusion
Personal faith is Personal.
Listen... you have your faith... which I don't have a problem with. Just don't think that your truths (beliefs) apply to me (or anyone else). I'm not going to try to make you doubt your beliefs... as long as you don't try to tell me your Truth.
Hail, Hail!!!
Therefore everything was already here.
It's just what it is.
something or nothing... on or off...
voila...
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
hes as helpful to the creation argument as michael moore is to politics :rolleyes:
http://seanbriceart.com/
Awesome.
But who is anyone to an argument about a question that doesn't have an answer?
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Care to elaborate on why you think Dawkins is a "piece of shit."
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My guess: they just don't agree w/ Dawkins' stance. It's kinda like saying a band sucks because you don't like them.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
http://seanbriceart.com/
http://seanbriceart.com/
I'd say Dawkins is a lot more intelligent than Moore. Anyway, I don't think either of them are "pieces of shit" no matter how much I might dislike the way they put forth their information or opinions.
You could say, however, that I think religion is a piece of shit for those reasons, though
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An observation noted on both sides.
Probabilities in science close the gap on this more than anything man has come up with thus far.
At a certain point, the law of probabilities becomes substantially more than a guess.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Which infuriates me to extremes.
Agreed - the whole "all our concepts of right and wrong come from the Bible" routine gets old really fast.
I set my own laws of morals and life I go by. If I go to Hell for that, then oh well, whatever.
EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
http://seanbriceart.com/
Another strange thing I have noticed is that most people I have heard that are majorly against religion and/or God, had a bad experience with either the catholic church or the baptist church, Im not dissin' anybody from either, but I really dont like either of them for the most part.
I believe in evolution, I cant understand why so many christians cant accept the idea that God created us to evolve. Thats what I think, that God created us, and other things, to evolve.
All in all, I really dont hate atheists, I just want to know what made them decide that there was no God. I feel sad for them, (I REALLY dont mean it in a demeaning way at all) It just makes me sad.
"Its a secret to everybody."
The countless atrocities committed throughout history in the name of God or whatever deity you want to throw out there makes me sad. You feel sad for us while we wonder why you believe in fairy tales...
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http://earthtremors.blogspot.com/
Well, I know a lot of atheist are hostile towards people of faith because they are constantly assaulted by it. You gotta realize that some of us have to lie to our own damn families about how we feel so we won't be held in disfavor.
http://atheism.about.com/od/atheistbigotryprejudice/a/AtheitsHated.htm
We're the most hated, untrustworthy group out of all of them. Hell, people might like satanist more than us because atleast they beileve in a God.
On deciding there was no god. You know how you just feel that there is a god? That there is something higher and something after? I don't. Never have.
But here's the thing: what makes you believe there is a god? I don't want to get into a full-on god/no-god debate here, because it's futile and will just get locked after 9 pages of crap, but I don't think atheists have to justify a lack of faith. If you asked people why they don't believe cars exist, I could see your point, but it's not like there's undeniable proof that there is a god.
EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
"Its a secret to everybody."
Where I live pretty much everyone is an atheist and religion isn't a big deal at all. There are no creationist here. So I can't really relate with this reason, though it's a very good one for American atheists.
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Where do you live? AND, are there any apartments for rent?
The people who commit atrocities in the name of god are often convinced they are doing god's will. So, as an atheist I have to take your word or theirs.
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