MRS Einstien
In refference to aliens; I don't know FOR SURE that they are
aliens but it seems statistically probable given the massive size and scope of the universe. Furthermore I am endlessly amused at Christians that ignore parts of the Bible that don't make sense or are irrelevant based upon new science. If you are a true Christian then you are obligated to believe in the WHOLE Bible as the work of men inspired by God, not just the parts that make you feel good inside. That means you MUST believe Jonah survived inside of a whale, that all the animals and people in this world are decendants of occupants of the Arc, that Josuah really did make the sun stand still (of course we know the sun doesn't move), that man is the one sole sentient creation of God, that God created all other animals and THEN man (and then rested, althogh I don't see why an omnipotent thing like God would even need a "rest"). You can't just ignore the parts that you know are bs to allow you to you to keep believing that you are a special creature that will never really die. In regards to the specifics in the Bible it is also important that the Catholic Church forced Galileo into house arrest for claiming that the Earth revolved around the sun and not the opposite, and then promptly changed the Bible knowing that Galileo's evidence was above refute. The proponents of the Bible weren't given this luxory after the Bible was made availible to the common man. That's why the Pope had John Wycliff (the man that translated the Bible into English) assasinated, for taking away their ability to control the "word of God".
I also noticed that you simply ignored the part of my argument </span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />
Originally Posted by libertyminded
c) Because pretty much every religious person is convinced that they know the plan of the all powerfull creator of the universe or at least know what moral code that creator wants man to abide by, they get particullarly zealous in regards to promoting this moral and ethical code. This has lead to horrific things such as The Crusades, The Inquisitions, Jihads, genocide, ethnic cleansing, wars and enforcement of draconian justice (prostitution laws and drug laws in this country [America] and horrific things like stoning executions of women that endevour to learn to read, cutting off of limbs for things as simple as theft in hardline Islamic countries and dowry burnings and the like in India where Hindism is the thing). While I concede that religion also creates a culture of charity and philanthropy in many cases, this doesn't absolve religion from it's responsibility for the horrific acts perpetrated by it's adherents. I can also hear you thinking "Well that's just the sinful nature of man, not the fault of God", it's is because these people believe in God and the superiority of "His" moral code that these sort of things occure.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
this describes why religion is a bad thing to subscribe to in easily quantifiable terms.
I am having a tough time wrapping my mind around this "God is not subject to our senses" argument. If God's not subject to these senses then how did any of you religious folk come to an understanding of Him in the first place. I can only assume you used your sense of sight to read the Bible, your sense of sound to listen to your parents and sunday school teachers when they were brainwashing you and your sense of emotion when you got that warm feeling inside once you'd convinced yourself that you would never really die. How is God tangible if not through human senses?
To reply to Larry
</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />
Originally Posted by You might have noted that you really pissed me off when you put me on an even footing with nutcases? You agnostic, you.
larry <hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
I couched my argument in noninflamitory terms to ease the exitement of all those fundies out there. It was my goal to try to calm them before the onslaught of logic in the interest of gaining some semblance of reason within them. I'M NO AGNOSTIC!!! I've done ample amounts of research into the origins of every major religion and can safely say that I'm sure each one of them is no more than an attempt by a small group of individuals to garner some sort of allegeance to a narrowminded moral code by massive amounts of people. I beg your forgiveness in relation to equating your stalward arguments to those of the agnostics.
Sorry if there's any point I missed... but I've been in the habbit of having a few drinks before I get on to do my posting in the evening.