christianity and dinosaurs> can they be friends? (3 Viewers)

[malkin86]

I heard Sydney has a bible belt... anyone know where it is? I heard it was up north, but I'm not sure.

I'd really like there to be a comparitive religion course available to all schoolkids - one that focusses on the similarities between the religions and promotes harmony.

 

[honky tonk]

"The Bible, the Koran, Buddhist scripture... they all carry similar requirements - and similar penalties. They claim that if I don't live by a specific code I will go to hell. I can't imagine a God who would rule that way." - Dan Brown

I wholeheartedly agree.

"God loves all of his children"... but he'll send you to an eternity of pain, suffering and torture in the blink of an eye. Thanks, but I'd rather have an ape for an ancestor than live by that.

 

[hipsta_jess]

Hey Josh...One of my mates had Gary in an arguement about evolution hey...Needless to say, Gary won

 

[Generator]

I heard Sydney has a bible belt... anyone know where it is? I heard it was up north, but I'm not sure.

The Hills District (Baulkham Hills, basically).

 

[Iron]

There seems to be a misconception here that religion and beliefs are something that involve logic, maths, right or wrong. It's deeper than that. It involves the Soul; something the west has long since stopped talking about.
Nobody can ever profess to know, through reason and cold facts, that there is no God. The whole concept is beyond man's capacity to comprehend. You might base your beliefs on what others say (or more to the point what they dont say), but the whole thing is deeply personal and probably not best suited to institutions. The nature of man, and the entire human story revolves around the idea of a supernatural being.
At any rate, it's not like there can be satisfaction at rejecting this theory. If anything, religion brings happiness and peace of mind, and who can deny the persute of that?

 

[hipsta_jess]

At any rate, it's not like there can be satisfaction at rejecting this theory. If anything, religion brings happiness and peace of mind, and who can deny the persute of that?

Science brings me happiness and peace of mind.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

Nobody can ever profess to know, through reason and cold facts, that there is no God.

I agree. But the reverse is also true: Nobody can ever profess to know, through reason and cold facts, that there is a god.

The whole concept is beyond man's capacity to comprehend. You might base your beliefs on what others say (or more to the point what they dont say), but the whole thing is deeply personal and probably not best suited to institutions. The nature of man, and the entire human story revolves around the idea of a supernatural being.

Just because we can't understand something doesn't mean it must be true. In ancient times if some sheep died or there was an earthquake or some such thing, they may have attributed it to some absurd origin, for want of a label for their fears.

At any rate, it's not like there can be satisfaction at rejecting this theory. If anything, religion brings happiness and peace of mind, and who can deny the persute of that?

What you are arguing is that the end justifies the means. I'd think carefully about that in this situation if I were you. If you still believe that, then don't you think there are other ways of leading a fulfulling, "good" life? You can be an astoundingly "good person" and not believe in god.

 

[Iron]

What you are arguing is that the end justifies the means. I'd think carefully about that in this situation if I were you. If you still believe that, then don't you think there are other ways of leading a fulfulling, "good" life? You can be an astoundingly "good person" and not believe in god.

Im saying that there is more reason for a religious person to 'spread the word' than an athiest to declare that God is dead, simply for the fact that one offers hope and comfort for millions of the world's unfortunate and disadvantaged, while the other offers...nothing.
Of course you can be good and lead a good life without religion, but you're aware that it's ultimatly futile and pointless. The issue of our purpose in the universe is not dead.
Im also thinking about russian communism, that enforced atheism and abolished most religious practice. However, when Stalin seemed in trouble in ww2, he brought it back. Why? for hope. He didnt believe in it, but he believed in the VALUE of it....but i digress

 

[waterfowl]

"God loves all of his children"... but he'll send you to an eternity of pain, suffering and torture in the blink of an eye. Thanks, but I'd rather have an ape for an ancestor than live by that.

God sent his ONLY son to die for YOU, I'd say that is an extraordinary act of love. And it is not God who sends you to an eternity of pain, it is you through the choices that you make. God hates having people go to hell; thats why he sent Jesus, and thats why Jesus sent out the disciples - to save people from eternal damnation.

 

[lengstar]

just keep telling yourself that

 

[spell check]

religion brings happiness and peace of mind, and who can deny the persute of that?

did you mean "pursuit"?

*laughs at irony of ignorance = bliss

 

[spell check]

God sent his ONLY son to die for YOU, I'd say that is an extraordinary act of love. And it is not God who sends you to an eternity of pain, it is you through the choices that you make. God hates having people go to hell; thats why he sent Jesus, and thats why Jesus sent out the disciples - to save people from eternal damnation.

sure he did

if God hates suffering so much why does he make it happen

 

[Rorix]

Since I've never clashed with Moonlight before I think, here's my logical argument

A task with infinite steps can never be practically completed.

We know reaching today, bringing along with it all the matter and energy, is a completed practical task.

On the way, there were a series of finite steps. Call it a day.

Now, each of these days has dependance on the one before them, the day before it leads to the current day, loosely based on Newton's Law of Inertia.

Thus, the initial driving force, the engine if you will, must be independant of these days.

Thus, it is outside the physical and infinite in ability and age. i.e. God.

Have at me!
It's a bit lacking in details coz i typed it out and accidentally closed the window

 

[Rorix]

Oh wait, found it.

Combine the two posts in your mind
Since I don't think I've clashed with Moonlight before , here's my best logical proof of a God, loosely based on scientific phenomena.

Newton states that things will not change unless acted upon.

Now, say we're looking at the last carriage of the train. I wonder, what is making this train move? I look ahead of it, to see another carriage. And then another one. And another one.

I'm witnessing the train move, so I know the engine's task is being completed.

Because I'm actually witnessing it move (i.e. it's not just an abstract formula), I know there can't be infinite cars. Because the task is practical, and I'm witnessing it's completion, the task can't have infinite steps (i.e. train carriages).

Now, what's alike between all the train carriages moving is that they're all dependant on the car in front of them. Except for the engine car. Which is independant (no gravity or coal please, it's just an analogy, I'm getting to the point).

So:
1. The situation is practical
2. The task is practical
3. I can see it finished.
4. There are not infinite steps (1,2,3).
5. I can observe all the cars are dependant.
6. Therefore, there is something invisible (as the train start has long passed), which is independant of the observed relevant dependancies.

Now, with the universe. We can observe the end of the long task,

 

[Rorix]

Oh wait, found it.

Combine the two posts in your mind
Since I don't think I've clashed with Moonlight before , here's my best logical proof of a God, loosely based on scientific phenomena.

Newton states that things will not change unless acted upon.

Now, say we're looking at the last carriage of the train. I wonder, what is making this train move? I look ahead of it, to see another carriage. And then another one. And another one.

I'm witnessing the train move, so I know the engine's task is being completed.

Because I'm actually witnessing it move (i.e. it's not just an abstract formula), I know there can't be infinite cars. Because the task is practical, and I'm witnessing it's completion, the task can't have infinite steps (i.e. train carriages).

Now, what's alike between all the train carriages moving is that they're all dependant on the car in front of them. Except for the engine car. Which is independant (no gravity or coal please, it's just an analogy, I'm getting to the point).

So:
1. The situation is practical
2. The task is practical
3. I can see it finished.
4. There are not infinite steps (1,2,3).
5. I can observe all the cars are dependant.
6. Therefore, there is something invisible (as the train start has long passed), which is independant of the observed relevant dependancies.

Now, with the universe. We can observe the end of the long task,

 

[Ziff]

Im saying that there is more reason for a religious person to 'spread the word' than an athiest to declare that God is dead, simply for the fact that one offers hope and comfort for millions of the world's unfortunate and disadvantaged, while the other offers...nothing.
Of course you can be good and lead a good life without religion, but you're aware that it's ultimatly futile and pointless. The issue of our purpose in the universe is not dead.
Im also thinking about russian communism, that enforced atheism and abolished most religious practice. However, when Stalin seemed in trouble in ww2, he brought it back. Why? for hope. He didnt believe in it, but he believed in the VALUE of it....but i digress

No, he brought it back as a propaganda tool just as he brought back the use of the old Soviet Hymn (National Anthem) rather than using the Internationale because it promoted nationalism and patriotism. The reintroduction of the Russian Orthodox church was used to further reinforce this nationalism and patriotism. He saw the VALUE of using this as a propaganda tool.

 

[neo o]

sure he did

if God hates suffering so much why does he make it happen

Probably because people, not God cause suffering to happen.

 

[spell check]

Probably because people, not God cause suffering to happen.

i should have known

people cause suffering to happen, god causes good things to happen, but god created everything and has a plan for all of us, so his plan must be for us to cause suffering

seems harsh

 

[Rorix]

sure he did

if God hates suffering so much why does he make it happen

suffering is a relative term.

you can't have people 'not suffer', unless everyone is in exactly the same mood, in which case there is no happiness.

 

[Rorix]

i should have known

people cause suffering to happen, god causes good things to happen, but god created everything and has a plan for all of us, so his plan must be for us to cause suffering

seems harsh

so if God has a plan for us, everything in the future is destined to happen so God is powerless to stop it.
QED.

I don't think Christians would agree that God has a plan for all of us.