Wow, those are a lot of questions. Take a book to answer, and, unfortunately, I'm under bigtime deadline pressure in my work today.
Sorry, but they're all sort of the same question. At least, I was trying to make the same point with all of them.
After 150 years of Darwinism, it has never been proved that a single plant or animal species evolved a single new function. Mutation as an engine for developing new functions simply does not work.
But there are so many insurmountable problems disproving evolution that one scarcely knows where to start.
Don't see them? Well, that brings us back to that business of blindness.
As far as I know, that is true, but it is because evolution is too gradual for us to have observed it long enough to notice significant changes. We haven't been studying evolution for enough time. We could probably observe species for another million years and the changes in species would still be very subtle. So at this point in time, we can't prove evolution in that way, however the evidence for it is astounding.
If there are "insurmountable problems" why do so many scientists support the theory? And what are some of these problems exactly? You can't simply call me blind because I don't see your argument, you have to actually tell me your argument if you expect me to believe it. That ain't gonna fly.
How do I know Christianity is true? Many reasons. Consider: Against Christianity, thousands and thousands of books have been written, seeking to disprove it. Against other religions, very very few. Why? Because they're not a threat, that's why.
If there are many reasons, why did you provide only two rather weak ones? Surely there must be something more convincing than that to make you be a christian. Have you ever though that the reason there are so many books trying to disprove it is because there are so many people following it and using it to affect the lives of people around them?
FOr example, there aren't too many books about disproving Wicca. Is that because it isn't threatening? No. It's because there aren't that many people following Wicca (relatively) It's because Wiccans don't use their belief systems to justify prejudice against others. It's because Wiccans don't use their beliefs to try and get tax breaks or to try and change laws. It's because people's belief in Wicca doesn't affect their lives enough to write a book about it. Also, in countries where Islam is more common than Christianity, oftentimes writing a book against Islam would be dangerous. Their countries tend to be less free and writing such a book could be risking their safety and the safety of their family. So, no, you're not really right on that one.
And I didn't use any "blankie" argument, whatever that is, but thanks for sharing I guess.
[Jesus'] life and teachings and miracles and sacrificial death and resurrection and subsequent influence in the world through his people simply cannot be explained away, in naturalistic terms, as can every other religious founder or guru
His life, teachings, sacrificial death and influence on the world certainly can be explained away. Perhaps he was a prophet. A mortal man like any other. He taught his values to the people and lived his life by them, eventually dying for what he believed. He accumulated followers who formed a religion based off of him and it spread to much of the modern world. Bingo. THis is not an uncommon explanation. See: Judaism.
As for his miracles and resurrection, that only matters if you believe in them. I can explain it away thus: It never happened. It is a falsity. Bingo.
Oh really? Please explain away all religious founders and gurus in naturalistic terms. How about Muhammad? In the teachings of Islam, he performed miracles. How do you explain that away? The same way you explain Jesus' miracles. They didn't happen. So again, your reasoning doesn't really work.
I'm sorry you are so angry, with Christians, the bible, God, Christ, and the world. But I guess I'd be upset too if I thought I was just a machine with an expiration date stumbling through a mindless purposeless world gradually losing its hopeless battle against entropy, among billions of other expiring machines all trying to scratch out a few fleeting pleasures before the batteries run down.
Excuse you, but I'm not angry with Christians, the bible, god, christ, OR the world. I resent the fact that you assumed I was upset, because I'm not and I didn't say I was. I'm a little upset with you now, if that makes you happy. And please do not ruin my respect for you by claiming that all people besides christians think they are "machines with an expiration date stumbling through a mindless, purposeless, world..." because that's just ignorant and rude. Not to mention untrue.
