Religion. The evolution, creation and everything in between megathread

[psyche]

Look I can tell your getting frustrated that we aren't falling for it. Try to remain calm.

So what/who is this God? Please explain this to me so I may understand what God is. Is God a thing? a person? A strange force that surrounds us, penetrates us, binds us together?

Yeah, I mean... I can't tell you exactly what God is, because i'm not entirely sure. I am just fairly confident that God exists, in one form of another. And the fact that some of the most intelligent scientists and philosophers in our entire human history believed similar, reaffirms this even more for me. But God could mean just about anything. It might be something completely different to what my idea of God is, or what Einstein's idea of God was ect. We can only make educated guesses.
 

But some fundamental, interesting philosophical questions you should ask yourself is, how does everything exist? Why does anything even exist at all? Why does life exist - if there is no purpose to the universe and the universe is just a random accident that somehow magically popped into existence in some freak random occurance  - then would life have even developed in the first place? Would stars have developed, or planets? Why does gravity keep the planets in perfect motion? Why are the physical laws that govern everything in the universe so well-defined for life? Why do these things even bother to exist, if they were not created for the purpose of life? What is time? What is consciousness?

If the universe was created (as the Big Bang theory predicts) what was the source of the creation? For example, you see an awesome painting that depicts a beautiful landscape. That painting didn't just randomly paint itself, it was painted by someone.  Creation isn't random, it's an ordered process. Just as the universe and nature is ordered and intelligible.

[psyche]

Hmmm I sense Psyche is as brainwashed as my mates brother. No hope for him now.

I'm brainwashed? By who? What the hell made you say that anyway? No, I think you will find I am a bit more intelligent and knowledgable about certain things than you people give me credit for. :disappoin

[Arnifix]

OK then, follow up question:

My daughter loves going to church and stuff because she gets to see her friends, so I'm not dragging her along kicking and screaming, and on the one occasion I can recall that she reeeeeally didn't want to go, we both stayed home and did painting together. I don't ram biblical teaching down her throat and we don't say prayers together before bed or any of that stuff. When I discipline her, its always from a moral position (ie "don't throw stuff at someone driving a car, they might crash") as opposed to a biblical position (ie "don't throw stuff at someone, lest ye have stuff thrown at thee"). I don't read her the bible stories book, because I want her to make the choice for herself to read it (plus, its good for her reading comprehension to do it herself). I bought her the Brooke Fraser CD because I wanted to make sure she was listening to music that had a reasonably positive message; I also bought her High School Musical and the soundtrack to Happy Feet.

So do you still think I'm conditioning her for religion?

Without a doubt.

Remember, all parents condition their children. From what I've seen of you, you're probably doing a good job at instilling a fair set of values. However you are still most definitely conditioning her to look at religion as a fair and reasonable concept, at the very minimum.

[Ngati_Grim]

To be fair, the nuts give the nice ones a bad name.

Yep, in a nutshell.

Can apply to many contexts too

[psyche]

It is a fair and reasonable concept. What is unreasonable about it? What, are you gonna tell people that they can't believe in anything that science hasn't confirmed to be correct?  That they aren't allowed to ask the interesting questions about life? I guess we should all just become dull, mindless atheists with no hope for anything but breeding to keep the population going?

Are you going to go to the Buddhist temples and say "YOUR CONCEPT IS UNFAIR AND REASONABLE AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT."  Get a clue ffs.

Arnifix wants us all to live in a totalitarian state.

[cobra]

I'm brainwashed? By who? What the hell made you say that anyway? No, I think you will find I am a bit more intelligent and knowledgable about certain things than you people give me credit for. :disappoin

well if you show up with chimp level intelligence that will be more than most people give you credit for.........

Did you even read any my fucking posts? STUPID PARENTS, NOT RELIGION'S FAULT. RELIGION DOESN'T TEACH TO USE PRAYER INSTEAD OF MEDICINE.

i think you will find that their religion does teach to use prayer instead of medicine - sure not all religion does, but when you use blind faith instead of thinking for yourself their is always going to be logic leaks in your life

[psyche]

well if you show up with chimp level intelligence that will be more than most people give you credit for.........

I am willing to bet I am slightly more intelligent than you. My grammar and spelling is coherent for a start.

i think you will find that their religion does teach to use prayer instead of medicine

Where? Care to point that out for me?

 

sure not all religion does, but when you use blind faith instead of thinking for yourself their is always going to be logic leaks in your life

Religious people do think for themselves. Most of us anyway. We aren't all mindless sheep ya know.

[cobra]

I am willing to bet I am slightly more intelligent than you. My grammar and spelling is coherent for a start.

are you willing to bet? - high stakes IQ test? - im keen

[krasher]

Now this is getting interesting...

Suggestion. Looser is banned from the forum???

[psyche]

are you willing to bet? - high stakes IQ test? - im keen

You can't be serious? A) Grow up. B) You aren't worth my time or effort.

Now this is getting interesting...

Suggestion. Looser is banned from the forum???

Or you could just fuck off instead? Yeah that's a better idea, try that. If you don't have anything of any value to contribute to the thread, just don't post. Simple as that.

[Slim]

+1 for loser to be banned.  Psyche, you are the loser.  Bad luck 'ol chum.

[psyche]

Ever heard of a thing called an ignore list? Use it instead of being a stupid pleb and constantly whinging like a little bitch.

This is a thread for a discussion, and all you can do is come and complain because you haven't got anything intelligent to contribute? How pathetic.

[Arnifix]

Ladies, ladies, ladies! Don't bicker. You're BOTH shit!

[psyche]

Neg, i'm fucking awesome.

[Zarkov]

Neg, i'm fucking awesome.

Calm down or you'll be history.

[psyche]

Calm down or you'll be history.

I'm calm, i'm just sick of these idiots that constantly have a go at me for no bloody reason at all. What exactly did I do to deserve the bullshit I get from people at this forum?

Seriously though, if people really really want me gone, I will go. I have no interest in wasting my time having this discussion with people who only continue to harass me for no reason. I would like to think that most people find this kind of discussion very interesting, but apparently not, apparently ignorant religion bashing is the more preferable form of converse for this thread.

If people here are so pathetic that they can't handle differing opinions or a serious discussion, perhaps it is best that I leave.

You can get back to posting dumb youtube videos and what-not. I'm sure that is the most intellectually stimulating activity some of you are capable of.

[cobra]

Or you could just fuck off instead? Yeah that's a better idea, try that. If you don't have anything of any value to contribute to the thread, just don't post. Simple as that.

its a wise man who can take his own advice

[psyche]

You have contributed barely anything of value to the thread, nor anything even remotely intelligent or well thought-out. You make inaccurate claims that you can't back up and then skype off like a coward when you are unable to answer questions.

Nevermind, i'm out of here. This place isn't worth my time, there are plenty of other people who would appreciate having this discussion with me without resorting to harassement and acting like a bunch of  assholes. Adios.

[cobra]

You have contributed barely anything of value to the thread, nor anything even remotely intelligent or well thought-out. You make inaccurate claims that you can't back up and then skype off like a coward when you are unable to answer questions.

Nevermind, i'm out of here. This place isn't worth my time, there are plenty of other people who would appreciate having this discussion with me without resorting to harassement and acting like a bunch of  assholes. Adios.

rage quit number 4

Dixon was chained up outside to the clothes line "like a dog," Ms Dixon-Foxley said.

Their mother would call "the brothers" of the church around to beat him, she said.

"The brothers would come and administer punishments on him."

Mrs Dixon took in boarders, many of whom had mental issues.

"It was like living in a madhouse."

turns out that Anthony Dixon was physically and sexually abused by a church before he went crazy

[KiLL3r]

rage quit number 42

edited for truth and awesome

[Codex]

I'm calm, i'm just sick of these idiots that constantly have a go at me for no bloody reason at all. What exactly did I do to deserve the bullshit I get from people at this forum?

Seriously though, if people really really want me gone, I will go. I have no interest in wasting my time having this discussion with people who only continue to harass me for no reason. I would like to think that most people find this kind of discussion very interesting, but apparently not, apparently ignorant religion bashing is the more preferable form of converse for this thread.

If people here are so pathetic that they can't handle differing opinions or a serious discussion, perhaps it is best that I leave.

You can get back to posting dumb youtube videos and what-not. I'm sure that is the most intellectually stimulating activity some of you are capable of.

calm down youre frightening the children

[Ngati_Grim]

I would like to think that most people find this kind of discussion very interesting, but apparently not, apparently ignorant religion bashing is the more preferable form of converse for this thread.

If people here are so pathetic that they can't handle differing opinions or a serious discussion, perhaps it is best that I leave.

You can get back to posting dumb youtube videos and what-not. I'm sure that is the most intellectually stimulating activity some of you are capable of.

What a shame.

This is an interesting discussion.
However, it seems that when people don't agree with you, or they question your beliefs you strike out in a blind fit of rage.
You start off all nice and post some interesting things, but as soon as people disagree or question, you turn into a raging angry person.

I'm still waiting to see your take on God, but I won't hold my breath for anything more than vitriol.

[krasher]

turns out that Anthony Dixon was physically and sexually abused by a church before he went crazy[/QUOTE]

If what you say is true. It is terrible - as is any abuse - however don't bother using it as church or God bashing stick because you may find that if you look at the statistics that there is less abuse within the walls of the church. I don't know...but you would need more evidence/stats before you could draw that conclusion. Either way it doesn't show more or less evidence of God or science.

*“Ministry of Justice statistics show that between 1992 and 1999 there were 13,709 convictions for sex offences against children 16 and younger. This represents 79% of sex offence convictions in that period (between 76-81% in any of those years). 7,903 offences were against children 11 and younger. … Between 1996-2000, male offenders comprised 99.1% of all convicted cases of child sex offending.”

*“About 25% of girls and 20% of boys are sexually abused by the age of 18”
Ken Clearwater of Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse

I am always disgusted when I hear about abuse within a church environment, but it puts it in perspective when you see how rampant sexual abuse is in our country.

[dirtyape]

My grammar and spelling is coherent for a start.

Orly?

[Ngati_Grim]

Orly?

Well, it was at the start, but then lost it in the middle!
:asian: