Evolution

[embrace innocence]

There are those that instead of intelligent design for how we came to be believe that all living things came from chemicals that accidentally came together and formed the basic structure for life. I cannot wrap my mind around it. How could something so that is in such chaos turn into something so complex?

If someone believes that man came into existence outside of the intentional hand of God, that is to deny the existence of God as creator... in which case there is no God. It's beyond my comprehension that someone doesn't believe God exists, although I have met people who seem to embrace that.

But this of course leads us to the real question: How accurate is our understanding of the character of God as creator? He is certainly not like man, and i fear we ascribe to many human traits to an infinite, uncontainable, incomprehensible Creator.

 

[wndwalkr99]

If someone believes that man came into existence outside of the intentional hand of God, that is to deny the existence of God as creator... in which case there is no God. It's beyond my comprehension that someone doesn't believe God exists, although I have met people who seem to embrace that.

It is beyond your comprehension that a person might not think there is sufficient evidence for a god? Why? The evidence for a god is roughly equivalent to the evidence for Sasquatch, or the Loch Ness Monster. Hence the emphasis on faith. if there was evidence, faith would be unnecessary.

How accurate is our understanding of the character of God as creator? He is certainly not like man, and i fear we ascribe to many human traits to an infinite, uncontainable, incomprehensible Creator.

He is not like man in one very poignant way. Humans are demonstrably not imaginary. No faith is required to believe that man exists.

 

[AV1611VET]

The evidence for a god is roughly equivalent to the evidence for Sasquatch, or the Loch Ness Monster.

The evidence for Sasquatch or Nessie don't have designations named for them in the Gregorian and Julian calendars (to wit: BC & AD), hospitals, humanitarian organizations, Scriptures, edifices, iconography, symbols, bumper stickers, greetings, holidays, major artwork, statuary, and a history of attempted suppression by major empires.

 

[embrace innocence]

Okay so you aren't a believer. I get that. I cant *really* comprehend it, but your words indicate that it is your stance. What I don't get is your presence HERE. You dont seem to be interested in finding out about God and don't seem to be open to the idea that God might at least POSSIBLY exist. We aren't co-workers or next door neighbors, or family members in that our lives dictate that we learn to deal with each other. So your contributions here, in this defined and limited space, while allowed, seem counterproductive.

If you are attempting to use a rational which excludes the possibility of God as a tool to undermine MY faith, you are wasting your internet. I have met God. He made Himself real to me in a way I could never fully explain, or explain away. But if you cannot see, or are unwilling to acknowledge God, the Creator of the world and everything in it, by evidence of its own detailed and glorious existence, why should I engage you in this format? What could I possibly say to convince you of what you don't want to know? And in a Christian forum, I feel that conversation directed at GROWING our faith is far more expedient that entertaining conversation directed at dismantling it.

 

[LoAmmi]

Okay so you aren't a believer. I get that. I cant *really* comprehend it, but your words indicate that it is your stance. What I don't get is your presence HERE. You dont seem to be interested in finding out about God and don't seem to be open to the idea that God might at least POSSIBLY exist. We aren't co-workers or next door neighbors, or family members in that our lives dictate that we learn to deal with each other. So your contributions here, in this defined and limited space, while allowed, seem counterproductive.

If you are attempting to use a rational which excludes the possibility of God as a tool to undermine MY faith, you are wasting your internet. I have met God. He made Himself real to me in a way I could never fully explain, or explain away. But if you cannot see, or are unwilling to acknowledge God, the Creator of the world and everything in it, by evidence of its own detailed and glorious existence, why should I engage you in this format? What could I possibly say to convince you of what you don't want to know? And in a Christian forum, I feel that conversation directed at GROWING our faith is far more expedient that entertaining conversation directed at dismantling it.

Not that I'm telling you what to do, but if that's what you're interested in doing, there are a whole bunch of Christian only sections of this forum you could go into and get exactly what you're looking for. In other words, you're less likely to get the steak you want hanging out in a vegetarian restaurant, you know?

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

There are those that instead of intelligent design for how we came to be believe that all living things came from chemicals that accidentally came together and formed the basic structure for life. I cannot wrap my mind around it. How could something so that is in such chaos turn into something so complex?

Well, we've got a theory that covers that. Maybe you've heard of it? Evolutionary theory?

 

[gord44]

wrong thread.

 

[embrace innocence]

Not that I'm telling you what to do, but if that's what you're interested in doing, there are a whole bunch of Christian only sections of this forum you could go into and get exactly what you're looking for. In other words, you're less likely to get the steak you want hanging out in a vegetarian restaurant, you know?

I think limiting myself to interacting with only Christians would be terribly unscriptural (how self serving would THAT be?) I HAVE noticed that people of many faiths come here, hopefully to find what we all have in common.
But forgive me for ordering steak. I guess i misunderstood the sign which read STEAKHOUSE. Not to beat the restaurant analogy to death, but I wouldn't expect someone who is having only salad "in a STEAKHOUSE" to tell me how bad steak is for me. And while I don't have the authority to refuse admittance to anyone ( I"ts not my restaurant/forum) I don't believe its inappropriate to discourage such behavior.

I will try to enjoy my dinner either way. Would you like some Nova? I hear the lox is awesome here.

 

[bhsmte]

I think limiting myself to interacting with only Christians would be terribly unscriptural (how self serving would THAT be?) I HAVE noticed that people of many faiths come here, hopefully to find what we all have in common.
But forgive me for ordering steak. I guess i misunderstood the sign which read STEAKHOUSE. Not to beat the restaurant analogy to death, but I wouldn't expect someone who is having only salad "in a STEAKHOUSE" to tell me how bad steak is for me. And while I don't have the authority to refuse admittance to anyone ( I"ts not my restaurant/forum) I don't believe its inappropriate to discourage such behavior.

I will try to enjoy my dinner either way. Would you like some Nova? I hear the lox is awesome here.

What you should expect in this part of the board though, are people who don't agree with you.

 

[embrace innocence]

What you should expect in this part of the board though, are people who don't agree with you.

I expect to find MANY people who don't agree with me... whether on small principles of faith and large ones. BUT I don't feel I need entertain those who adamantly disagree with the principle of faith itself.

 

[DaisyDay]

How could something so that is in such chaos turn into something so complex?

Chaos is more complex than order.

 

[bhsmte]

I expect to find MANY people who don't agree with me... whether on small principles of faith and large ones. BUT I don't feel I need entertain those who adamantly disagree with the principle of faith itself.

Cool, you can ignore who you like and hopefully you now understand why others who disagree with you, are on these boards.

 

[gord44]

I expect to find MANY people who don't agree with me... whether on small principles of faith and large ones. BUT I don't feel I need entertain those who adamantly disagree with the principle of faith itself.

That's what this one small sub-forum is for. It's a place where Christians and non-Christians come and discuss/debate stuff. Non-Christians are of course going to disagree with the 'principle of faith' itself. As Loammi mentioned, 95% of the rest of Christian Forums is Christian only and you won't run into those that oppose what you hold dear.

 

[dlamberth]

But if you cannot see, or are unwilling to acknowledge God, the Creator of the world and everything in it, by evidence of its own detailed and glorious existence, why should I engage you in this format?

I'm sorry to say, but conversation is a two way street. What the means here in this sub-forum is engaging with those who do not believe the same as you. If you choose to not engage with those who differ from you, than perhaps this is the wrong sub-forum for you.

.

 

[fatboys]

I am surprised at many of the responses. If have dump truck full of bricks and dump them over a cliff what are the chances that when they land it falls into an building of some sort? Let's suppose that by chance the right amino acids came together to make a strand that some how was the start of a simple cell. How would it continue to live. How delicate and fragile would this life be enough to survive such a hostile environment? I can't see that unless there was a higher power directing it that it would survive more than seconds. And then the process of amino acids coming together again to try duplicate it again does not seem plausible.

 

[LoAmmi]

I am surprised at many of the responses. If have dump truck full of bricks and dump them over a cliff what are the chances that when they land it falls into an building of some sort? Let's suppose that by chance the right amino acids came together to make a strand that some how was the start of a simple cell. How would it continue to live. How delicate and fragile would this life be enough to survive such a hostile environment? I can't see that unless there was a higher power directing it that it would survive more than seconds. And then the process of amino acids coming together again to try duplicate it again does not seem plausible.

What hostile environment?

 

[ViaCrucis]

I am surprised at many of the responses. If have dump truck full of bricks and dump them over a cliff what are the chances that when they land it falls into an building of some sort? Let's suppose that by chance the right amino acids came together to make a strand that some how was the start of a simple cell. How would it continue to live. How delicate and fragile would this life be enough to survive such a hostile environment? I can't see that unless there was a higher power directing it that it would survive more than seconds. And then the process of amino acids coming together again to try duplicate it again does not seem plausible.

I would recommend learning about extremophiles. The thing about life is that it's pretty stubborn, you can find life in the most hostile environments on earth--not just surviving but thriving. In fact, some microorganisms have been able to survive in the vacuum of space. If that's not hostile, I don't know what is.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[LoAmmi]

I would recommend learning about extremophiles. The thing about life is that it's pretty stubborn, you can find life in the most hostile environments on earth--not just surviving but thriving. In fact, some microorganisms have been able to survive in the vacuum of space. If that's not hostile, I don't know what is.

-CryptoLutheran

Not to mention that some of the hostility of the environment comes from... other life. Something the first life wouldn't have had to deal with.

 

[1213]

There are those that instead of intelligent design for how we came to be believe that all living things came from chemicals that accidentally came together and formed the basic structure for life. I cannot wrap my mind around it. How could something so that is in such chaos turn into something so complex?

Good question. If it is possible, it should be possible to do again. I don’t think anyone has managed to do that experiment successfully, which makes the whole idea improbable.

 

[dlamberth]

Let's suppose that by chance the right amino acids came together to make a strand that some how was the start of a simple cell. How would it continue to live. How delicate and fragile would this life be enough to survive such a hostile environment?

I suspect that it took billions upon billions of different configurations before the right amino acids came together.

.