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Post by Bengl Von Shadowstein on Apr 6, 2007 20:28:32 GMT -5
The more you try to understand, the more you realize how insignificant you are. eventually, it will drive you insane.
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Arnold
Iron Bane
Page Centurion
Posts: 4,367
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Post by Arnold on Apr 6, 2007 20:38:35 GMT -5
Yes, that seems to be the case.
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Post by MightySage on Apr 6, 2007 20:41:22 GMT -5
*points to Hitler* anyone else see this weeks South Park? very enjoyable and still relevant enough for me to not be off-topic!
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Post by SquirrelBoy on Apr 7, 2007 7:55:01 GMT -5
That's why I try not to think about it.
*shoots Hitler*
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Post by PacoJoe on Apr 7, 2007 20:27:06 GMT -5
Paco, I don't want to sound like jerk or anything, but that's just my opinion. I believe in Evolution so I have never read a Bible. Where as the rest of my family (except for one cousin) as far as I know all believe in some kind of religion. SB, I'm not calling you a jerk or anyone a jerk, this is just a debate forum thingy so I'm just asking for evidence that supports arguments. I respect your opinion and everyone else's opinions, but if they have sound basis for them, it makes them that much more pursuasive.
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Post by SquirrelBoy on Apr 8, 2007 9:16:19 GMT -5
Ok.
*sets Hitler's body on fire*
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Post by PacoJoe on Apr 8, 2007 11:49:42 GMT -5
And on the topic of religion, happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it!
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Post by SquirrelBoy on Apr 8, 2007 18:43:24 GMT -5
Not me anymore.
And I hope you guys don't kill me for this, but,
FUCK RELIGION!!!
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Post by phantom general on Apr 8, 2007 21:59:14 GMT -5
..............................................
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Post by MightySage on Apr 8, 2007 22:51:52 GMT -5
Not me anymore. And I hope you guys don't kill me for this, but, FUCK RELIGION!!! dangerously close to being a point with no argument behind it....
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Post by SquirrelBoy on Apr 9, 2007 7:50:18 GMT -5
I'm going to stop posting here.
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Post by phantom general on Apr 16, 2007 0:57:53 GMT -5
*kills off-topic bug* fun fact: early christians made sacrifices another fun fact: satanism is not what christians say it is... it also has pagan origins
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Post by SquirrelBoy on Apr 18, 2007 11:49:33 GMT -5
What a bunch of bull shit.
Will Reality of Extraterrestrial Life Shatter Religion? by John Milor
Posted: 12:00 April 16, 2007
Physicist Paul Davies In the words of physicist and author Paul Davies, "The existence of extraterrestrial intelligences would have a profound impact on religion, shattering completely the traditional perspective of God's special relationship with man. The difficulties are particularly acute for Christianity, which postulates that Jesus Christ was God incarnate whose mission was to provide salvation for man on Earth. The prospect of a host of 'alien Christs' systematically visiting every inhabited planet in the physical form of the local creatures has a rather absurd aspect."1
Most Christians don't give much thought to the existence of extraterrestrial life, and if pressed for an answer, they usually either deny their existence, or suggest that there is an underlying deception that links them with fallen angels. According to Tariq Malik, staff writer for Space.com, a telephone poll, which questioned one thousand Americans, revealed that regular churchgoers were less likely to believe in extraterrestrial life (about 46 percent) than non-churchgoers (about 70 percent) …"2
Additionally, in May of 2005, a survey conducted by the National Institute for Discovery Science was given to pastors, priests, and rabbis across the United States, asking basic questions relating to extraterrestrial life.3 Out of all of the comments posted in the survey, not a single one formed the basic conclusion that angels, by definition, are intelligent beings whose origins are not from Earth. All of these people have been reading and studying the Bible most of their lives, and couldn't see the basic fact that one of the primary themes of the Bible is God's intervention in the affairs of humanity through extraterrestrial beings.
Furthermore, of the 42 percent that gave positive responses, most of them had theological questions they thought might be a struggle to deal with, reminiscent of Paul Davies statement above. My question is, WHY?
According to the Bible, God picked Earth to initiate his great plan of attack against Satan and to save all the casualties of sin who want to be saved. To do this, God undertook a two-part mission, which is still in progress: come to Earth in the form of a human being (Jesus) and die for everyone's sins-then after conquering death, ensure the spreading of the Gospel of repentance and salvation.
Concerning the first part of his mission, scripture states that Jesus suffered death on the cross once and for all (Hebrews 10:10).4 I personally see no reason he should have to suffer a similar fate anywhere else. Why would Jesus' dealing with sin and death be any different as another species on another planet? God defines sin and death with absolute definitions that pertain to all life. Therefore the cross is sufficient for all of it, even if it extends into the cosmos.
Creationist museum challenges evolution By Martin Redfern BBC News, Kentucky, USA
For some a battle between science and religion is being fought for the soul of America. The Creationists argue God created the world in six days and want their beliefs given equal status to evolutionary science.
Across the divide - evolutionist Scott with creationist Ham Petersburg, Kentucky, is in the middle of North America. It is supposedly within a day's drive of two-thirds of the US population.
For the rest, it is just 10 minutes from Cincinnati International Airport. That is why it was picked as the site for a new museum, due to open in a couple of months.
We enter the landscaped grounds through gates flanked by wrought iron stegosaurs.
The lobby is modelled on a cliff in the Grand Canyon. But this is no ordinary museum of science and geology.
It is the dream of Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, a Christian ministry that promotes the idea that the Biblical book of Genesis should be taken literally in describing the creation of the world, life and humans as carried out by God over a six-day period a few thousand years ago.
We get as far as the museum bookshop - already well-stocked with creationist titles - but no further.
Officials tell us that state regulations forbid it. It is still under construction and closed to visitors.
In the card game of creationism, the Bible trumps science every time
Eugenie Scott Is this, I wonder, because I am accompanied by Eugenie Scott, director of the National Centre for Science Education and a polite but determined campaigner against attempts to teach creationism alongside evolution in American school science classes.
Sharp teeth
So, it is round the back to the offices, to receive Ken Ham's crushingly sincere handshake.
He came to the US from Australia 20 years ago, founded Answers in Genesis and never left.
He lectures or broadcasts almost daily and clearly has the charisma to raise $27m (£14m) for this ambitious museum.
He is also not afraid to show us what is inside, and turns on the animatronic dinosaurs.
Creationists say T. rex and the humans co-habited Earth On a rocky ledge, there is a pair of small theropods - young T. rex individuals, we're told. And near to them ("hold onto your hat", says Ken, anticipating our disbelief) there are two human children playing by a stream.
Most geologists would say humans and dinosaurs were separated by more than 60 million years. And those dinosaurs have very sharp teeth!
"So do bears", says Ken, "but they eat nuts and berries! Remember, before the sin of Adam, the world was perfect. All creatures were vegetarian." One of the dinosaurs lets out a rather contradictory roar.
Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, but what annoys Eugenie Scott is the way in which the received wisdom of Genesis is given equal or higher status to scientific evidence; and the way in which the latter is used selectively.
"In the card game of creationism, the Bible trumps science every time," she says.
But in her game, science is dealt a hand that is purely materialistic. Ideas of a supernatural being belong in a different game, be it philosophy or theology.
"Steve Steve" the panda is intended as a parody As we prepare to leave, Eugenie Scott quietly slips a panda glove puppet from her handbag and photographs it among the dinosaurs.
It is introduced to me as Professor Steve Steve. Creationists are fond of lists of "scientists who doubt Darwin".
Many thousands more support evolution, but rather than play the same game, Eugenie has parodied the lists by concentrating on scientists named Steve (Stephanies are also eligible).
So far, more than 700 have signed up. Their mascot is a panda because of a notorious creationist text entitled "Of Pandas and People".
Steve was picked in honour of the late evolutionary biologist Stephen J Gould. Steve Steve because - well, all pandas have double names.
Noah's Ark
Much of the Creation Museum in Kentucky is still under construction and we were not able to go on to see the section through Noah's Ark or the model of the Grand Canyon.
Instead, we visited the real thing - the Canyon, not the Ark!
For the creationists, Noah's flood IS science Grand Canyon park guides will tell you that the canyon took more than a million years to form and cuts through rocks that span more than a billion years.
Not so, say "Young Earth" creationists. All those rocks were deposited by flood waters at the time of Noah.
Though the Bible does not mention them directly, Ken Ham thinks there is no reason to suppose that dinosaurs were not still around at the time of the flood.
Indeed, he speculates that two of each may have been taken aboard the Ark (newly hatched dinosaurs are quite small so fitting them in would not have been a problem).
And what about the animals from other continents? Did Noah sail to Australia to drop off the kangaroos?
No, the flood waters lubricated a process called runaway subduction in which the continents subsequently drifted apart at a sprint!
Challenged with this scenario, a uniformed park guide says that, while everyone is entitled to their belief, he prefers to stick to accepted science.
For the creationists, Noah's flood IS science.
For them, the Canyon is a gash in the surface of the Earth left by that flood, representing the wrath of God against the sins of mankind.
Here at least, sin and anger have turned into something surprisingly beautiful!
From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 14 April, 2007 at 1130 BST on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times.
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Post by Bengl Von Shadowstein on Apr 18, 2007 12:13:00 GMT -5
I believe God is an entity who created the universe a couple billion years ago, and now just makes slight pushes in the right direction for any intelligent species that screws up. Occasionally, he'll do things to remind them. Adam and Eve? Not Possible. According to the Bible, the earth is a couple thousand years old. Its Impossible for just two people to create the entire world population in that amount of time. Plus, There'd be allot of inbreeding involved, causing birth defects. But the message it was telling is clear; Intelligence leads to Corruption. But so does power. and McDonald's.
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Post by SquirrelBoy on Apr 18, 2007 12:32:37 GMT -5
Hehehe, and MC Donalds. You funny.
I'll post my idea later today.
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