Merged (edited) General thoughts about Christianity and the bible

[Steve]

This thread seems to have devolved into one where it's less about squaring Christian beliefs with the TOE than it is about squaring Christian beliefs with Christianity.

That is so frequently what it comes down to. The diversity of christian beliefs makes it impossible to square them with anything. Unlike the TOE which is internally quite consistent.

 

[Helen]

He hasn't managed to demonstrate a depth of knowledge on anything, but in fairness he has displayed a breadth of ignorance that few could match, particularly impressive in such a short time.

I resemble that remark, I can too match his breadth of ignorance; mine is as broad as the reflecting tool is tall, and as wide as the Burj Khalifa would be if you laid it down sideways, abd as deep as the hole would be if Mount Everest was turned upside down!

 

[Carrot Flower King]

I resemble that remark, I can too match his breadth of ignorance; mine is as broad as the reflecting tool is tall, and as wide as the Burj Khalifa would be if you laid it down sideways, abd as deep as the hole would be if Mount Everest was turned upside down!

The actual roots of Everest, and the rest of the Himalayas, are deeper than if you just turned it upside down.

But I doubt evangelimical christianity religionistas are too bothered with that sort of geology, let alone plate tectonics and the acksherall structure of the planet...

 

[Rusty Tyler]

Here's a question I've wanted to ask a believer for long ages: Where does religion exist?

From my perspective, religion was created by humankind to answer questions about where we came from and where we are going.

Evolution can only theorize about where we came from if you leave religion out of it.

Both live in the minds of humankind.

 

[Mojo]

Evolution can only theorize about where we came from if you leave religion out of it.

That's still better than religion can do.

Especially since you have just admitted that religion is a human invention.

Remember: scientific theories are based on evidence, not Bronze Age campfire stories.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

That's still better than religion can do.

Especially since you have just admitted that religion is a human invention.

Remember: scientific theories are based on evidence, not Bronze Age campfire stories.

Rusty doesn't understand that 'Theory' in science has a distinctly different meaning to colloquially.

 

[Mojo]

I'll add it to the list.

 

[sinnikal]

That's still better than religion can do.

Especially since you have just admitted that religion is a human invention.

Remember: scientific theories are based on evidence, not Bronze Age campfire stories.

And science makes accurate predictions ... not half-assed 'prophesies'.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

I'll add it to the list.

No need, a carefully curated list already exists

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

I hear you're a communist now, Rusty. How'd you get interested in that type of thing?

By listening to the words of Jesus? From some of the things He purportedly said he seems pretty left wing.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

By listening to the words of Jesus? From some of the things he purportedly said he seems pretty left wing.

He had long hair, wore a dress and hung around with a bunch of dudes. I'm not saying that if they'd had electrolysis back then he'd have taken advantage of of it, but if one really wanted to live by his example, well, you'd probably get run out of Alabama..

 

[Foster Zygote]

From my perspective, religion was created by humankind to answer questions about where we came from and where we are going.

Evolution can only theorize about where we came from if you leave religion out of it.

Both live in the minds of humankind.

Please look up the scientific definition of 'theory'. Some other scientific theories include, gravity, electromagnetism, chemistry, thermodynamics, atomic physics, etcetera.

That being said, have you noticed that science has led consistently in one direction, while religion has given us many, many One True Religions®?

If you could reset human history and replay it, science would lead us back to the same fields of knowledge. We'd perhaps have different metrics and names, but it would all convert to work with what we have now. We'd still have a theory of electromagnetism - we'd still understand chemical reactions.

But you wouldn't get Christianity again, nor Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Wicca, Scientology, Druidry, Packers fans or people with Apple logos on their car windows.

 

[Foster Zygote]

By listening to the words of Jesus? From some of the things He purportedly said he seems pretty left wing.

Don't hear many sermons about Acts 5:1-11.

 

[Thermal]

Don't hear many sermons about Acts 5:1-11.

The first word of the above post is a concise answer to the title question.

 

[Mojo]

Rusty doesn't understand that 'Theory' in science has a distinctly different meaning to colloquially.

In particular he doesn't understand the difference between a theory and the facts that the theory attempts to explain.

For example:
Fact: things fall
Theory of gravity: description of how things fall

Or:
Fact: species change over time
Theory of evolution: description of how species change over time

 

[Mojo]

Don't hear many sermons about Acts 5:1-11.

There's famous one about Genesis 27:11 though.

 

[Thermal]

Don't hear many sermons about Acts 5:1-11.

The church I grew up in had it inscribed on the collection plate.

 

[Darat]

That's still better than religion can do.

Especially since you have just admitted that religion is a human invention.

Remember: scientific theories are based on evidence, not Bronze Age campfire stories.

I'm willing to give the bronze age folk the benefit of the doubt and say they came up with theories that matched what they saw around them, the problem of course is that our knowledge has increased since then so we now know their theories were wrong (indeed some of their theories were known to be wrong by some people at the time). It's the holding onto outdated theories that is the problem and elevating those to be a religion.

 

[sackett]

....in the minds of humankind.

And the mind is located where?

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

And the mind is located where?

I think it may be in the head. There's lots of evidence that when you cut of someone's head their mind stops working. (Though this is just a theory.)