Do I Have to Believe Evolution?

[Elderman]

Well,For 116 years it graced the halls of the National Museum of Wales at Cardiff—the fossilised skeleton of a 200m[illion]-year-old predator that once cruised the Jurassic seas,” says Britain’s newspaper The Guardian. “Then curators at Cardiff decided the remains of the ocean-going carnivore ichthyosaurus needed a brush up—and realised that they had been taken in.” “When we stripped off five layers of paint we found it was an elaborate forgery,” said conservator Caroline Buttler. “It was an amalgam of two types of ichthyosaurus plus a clever attempt at fake parts.” Instead of disposing of it, the museum will put it on display as an example of a fake fossil.

[beso]

What about God's disgrace?

[EDDIE51]

The end of the Earth will come , in about 3 billion years, when the Sun uses up all it's supply of Hydrogen and expands to become a 'Red Giant'
It certainly will be a firery end with temperatures around 8,000 deg C.
Mankind and all life will have been vapourised many millions of years before that. God will have had nothing to do with it however.

[jomifl]

OK Sandy, I think I understand what god's grace is. It is when you think you understand something but can't explain it to anyone else and have a glimpse in your minds eye of something but can't quite see it all. Let me give you my take on this from my experience in cientific research..If you can't explain something it is because you don't understand it..If you can't quite see something it is because it is an illusion.

[WaldoMcFroog]

“There are no atheists on life rafts.”

The expression is usually rendered as 'There are no atheists in foxholes', but whichever it is, it is manifestly untrue. You can find countless examples of atheists who thought they were in a situation where they were going to die but did not even consider converting to some religion.

It is, as some wag once observed, less an argument in favour of God, than against foxholes.

[sandyRoe]

I knew I was walking into a minefield when first I dipped a toe into the quagmire that is R & S.
Faith isn't something that can be examined under a microscope. Either you have it, or you don't.
I think myself fortunate that I have and pity those who haven't.

[WaldoMcFroog]

If God were real, he would know the levels of proof required for me to believe in him in the face of considerable evidence that he doesn't.

I am unable to 'ask' God to prove his existence to me in the sense that Christians so often use, which is, "humble yourself and accept Him". This seems to be nonsense, since it relies on your acceptance of him in the first place. I would be quite willing to accept God's existence if he were to provide proof of it.

Unfortunately, too much of what I see is smug twits and people who tell lies about what the theory of evolution says. The decent Christians I know are no more or less decent than the decent atheists or the decent Hindus or the decent Muslims. If God is putting these people forward as his proofs, he's doing a very poor job of it. Other - and I would suggest, potentially superior evidence that could support his existence is similarly lacking.

It's like he's not even there at all.

[jomifl]

Sandy, there are lots of references in the bible to 'finding grace in god's eyes' or something similar. An inspection of my dictionary reveals that it just means finding favour or being privileged. So if you suck up to god you will get to the front of the queue. How very christian.
How very fortunate for you. Whilst I appreciate your feelings of pity towards me and my fellow atheists I feel compelled to inform you that your pity is misdirected, you should direct it closer to home since that is where it is needed. Perhaps a 24 hour prayer vigil would help too, as you have no shillings left to help materially.

[naomi24]

Sandy, I'd like to ask why you pity those who don't have faith?

[sandyRoe]

To write: '... and pity those who haven't,' was a piece of sloppy writing. People who don't believe are no more to be pitied than anyone else.
Faith helps me along the Via Dolorosa that we call life. Despite what I've sometimes written here on AB, I don't want to convert anyone.

[jomifl]

I am very careful about whom I pity, after all i might end up being pitied by them. :-)

[Elderman]

Yes,You can convince yourself of being very smart and wise, yet really very pitiful

[DTCwordfan]

How rude and personal - you should be reported, Elderman.

[atalanta]

If we had descended from monkeys, we'd have tails. That would make clothes rather tricky

[DTCwordfan]

There is nothing so pitiful as a (Elderman) cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.

Maya Angelou, as quoted in The Truth in Words (2005) by Neal Zero

[Elderman]

“How rude and personal” O sorry you can, I Can’t Ok

[DTCwordfan]

Seeing that Elderman has tried to be funny and post an "amusing" copy of my spoof on a previous poem here - by just substituting his name for mine and no adaptation of the text, yawn...........perhaps he would appreciate a re-rendition of this joke, published over there by slapshot (apologies, slapshot)

Students at a local school were assigned to read two books, 'Titanic' & 'My Delphinian Christian Life' by Elderman.

One student turned in the following book report, with the proposition that they were nearly identical stories!

His cool professor gave him an A+ for this report.

Titanic: cost - $29.99
Elderman: cost - $129.99 - discounted to $2.99 because of lack of take-up

Titanic: Over 3 hours to read
Elderman: Over 3 hours to read

Titanic: The story of Jack and Rose, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe.
Elderman: The story of Christ and Mary Magdalene, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe, perverted by those ABites, naomi and her ratter "gang"

Titanic: Jack is a starving artist.
Elderman: Mary (and naomi) is a bull**** artist.

Titanic: In one scene, Jack enjoys a good cigar.
Elderman: Ditto for Mary (and probably naomi and her mob) as they enjoys smokin' funny substances......

Titanic: During the ordeal, Rose's dress gets ruined.
Elderman: Ditto for Mary.

Titanic: Jack teaches Rose to spit.
Elderman: Let's not go there, there are the AB Aetheists waiting for me.

Titanic: Rose gets to keep her jewellery
Elderman: The Delphinian Church may be forced to return my gifts.

Titanic: Rose remembers Jack for the rest of her life.
Elderman: I will remember naomi for the rest of my life.

Titanic: Rose goes down on a vessel full of seamen.
Elderman: ...ooh, I don't think I will go there, either.

Titanic: Jack surrenders to an icy death.
Elderman: I will go home to the Day of Judgement- basically the same thing.

[naomi24]

DT, just so that you know, since most of us here in R&S left school a long time ago, unless a post amounted to something seriously libellous, I don't believe the majority would ever dream of resorting to the pettiness of pressing the 'report' button. Opposing opinions are challenged, and personal insults are either ignored and treated with the disdain they deserve, or they are sorted out between the relevant contributors.

Elderman, //“How rude and personal” O sorry you can, I Can’t Ok//

What?

[jomifl]

Elderman, not to worry I don't find your post offensive, I do however find it informative. It is curious how those who preach tolerance, forbearance etc. are usually the first to resort to petty insults. And the answer to your question is 'No you can't because your god does not allow it' but he will of course forgive you as the prodigal son was forgiven in your holy book.

[naomi24]

Did you understand his last post, Jom? I'm blowed if I did!

[DTCwordfan]

I did use the conditional, naomi, it was more of a demonstrative statement.... the accusation that was made was, IMHO, rather derogative but then I guess he has been resorting to insults this evening - wit his contributions to other threads. Losing the plot, I would surmise......