Evolution Promotes Brutality

[TLK Valentine]

I disagree with your approach, Heissonear. You strongly imply that the only saved persons are those who think the way you do. That's arrogant. In solid theological discussions, you should work to fault your opponents position by providing solid rational rebuttals, and definitely not by casting dispersion on their character as lost souls, unsaved, etc .

Unfortunately, for too many people, that's the appeal of religion in the first place -- the chance to divide people into "us" and "them," with whatever rationale it takes to consider "them" inferior, thus justifying the sort of behaviors the ones in the "us" group wanted to do anyway.

 

[Hoghead1]

Sad but true, TKL.

 

[Extraneous]

Unfortunately, for too many people, that's the appeal of religion in the first place -- the chance to divide people into "us" and "them," with whatever rationale it takes to consider "them" inferior, thus justifying the sort of behaviors the ones in the "us" group wanted to do anyway.

I can understand you thinking that way, but that's not the case with the Gospel. The Gospel teaches that all people are guilty and no one has a right to think highly of themselves. It promotes humility not pride. It also promotes love for all people, not just its own kind. Sure, we have a lot of hypocrites but we are no different than others in that way, even atheists have hypocrites, except we are a work in progress and we grow in time to see our own hypocrisy and selfishness. Im telling you the truth, when Christ gets into a persons heart it changes them for the better.

 

[TLK Valentine]

I can understand you thinking that way, but that's not the case with the Gospel. The Gospel teaches that all people are guilty and no one has a right to think highly of themselves. It promotes humility not pride. It also promotes love for all people, not just its own kind. Sure, we have a lot of hypocrites but we are no different than others in that way, even atheists have hypocrites, except we are a work in progress and we grow in time to see our own hypocrisy and selfishness. Im telling you the truth, when Christ gets into a persons heart it changes them for the better.

That's all well and adorable, but there are plenty of people on this board and elsewhere -- including the OP himself -- who have used the Gospel for precisely that purpose. So this isn't just my thinking, it's my experience.

A tool (such as the Gospel) is morally neutral; no better nor worse than the person who wields it -- and what they wield it for.

 

[AV1611VET]

Unfortunately, for too many people, that's the appeal of religion in the first place -- the chance to divide people into "us" and "them," with whatever rationale it takes to consider "them" inferior, thus justifying the sort of behaviors the ones in the "us" group wanted to do anyway.

As opposed to all of us being "animals" -- right?

 

[TLK Valentine]

As opposed to all of us being "animals" -- right?

Well, we're certainly not plants or fungi, amirite?

 

[Extraneous]

That's all well and adorable, but there are plenty of people on this board and elsewhere -- including the OP himself -- who have used the Gospel for precisely that purpose. So this isn't just my thinking, it's my experience.

A tool (such as the Gospel) is morally neutral; no better nor worse than the person who wields it -- and what they wield it for.

That is true of religion, and non religion as well, i agree. a person can misuse or misapply the Gospel, or anything else. However, in my experience its more than just a tool for people who use it correctly. Its the real word/spirit of the one true God and creator of mankind. I know you don't believe that and that's ok, but i had to share my personal experience just as you did yours. So its not just my thinking either, but instead is my experience.

 

[TLK Valentine]

That is true of religion, and non religion as well, i agree. a person can misuse or misapply the Gospel, or anything else. However, in my experience its more than just a tool for people who use it correctly. Its the real word/spirit of the one true God and creator of mankind. I know you don't believe that and that's ok, but i had to share my personal experience just as you did yours

Much appreciated.

 

[AV1611VET]

Well, we're certainly not plants or fungi, amirite?

I can't argue that.

 

[TLK Valentine]

I can't argue that.

And I think we can agree that we're not bacteria, so at least on a "kingdom" level of classification, we are, indeed, animals.

If you want to discuss what differentiates us from other animals, we'd have to get more specific.

 

[AV1611VET]

If you want to discuss what differentiates us from other animals, we'd have to get more specific.

You mean like having a soul and a spirit -- making us a gestalt?

 

[TLK Valentine]

You mean like having a soul and a spirit -- making us a gestalt?

Well, if that's what makes us different, you'd first have to show that no other creature has a soul or spirit... best of luck with that.

 

[AV1611VET]

Well, if that's what makes us different, you'd first have to show that no other creature has a soul or spirit...

Not without documentation I can't.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Not without documentation I can't.

Then you have a problem... any clod can write "documentation," but the trick is documenting something based on what can be shown, demonstrated, and/or proven.

 

[AV1611VET]

Then you have a problem... any clod can write "documentation," but the trick is documenting something based on what can be shown, demonstrated, and/or proven.

Like mankind having a body, soul and spirit; but not animals?

 

[PsychoSarah]

Like mankind having a body, soul and spirit; but not animals?

I personally think that if people have those things, chances are animals do too.

 

[AV1611VET]

I personally think that if people have those things, chances are animals do too.

I'm not willing to take that chance.

I think using the argument: "You can't prove animals don't have a soul and spirit" is nothing more than an armchair attempt to refute the argument that man and animals differ because man is a tripartite being.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Like mankind having a body, soul and spirit; but not animals?

Best of luck with that.

 

[PsychoSarah]

I'm not willing to take that chance.

I think using the argument: "You can't prove animals don't have a soul and spirit" is nothing more than an armchair attempt to refute the argument that man and animals differ because man is a tripartite being.

It just makes logical sense to me, that if people do, animals would as well. Especially ones with brains. Since any viable view of the soul I consider relates it to the physical mind in some way, it seems practical that the nature of animal souls would be different from humans, in the sense of how well they function or perhaps even how long they last, but that there would be similarities. Basically, the higher your brain function, the higher the soul function.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

TLK Valentine said: ↑
Unfortunately, for too many people, that's the appeal of religion in the first place -- the chance to divide people into "us" and "them," with whatever rationale it takes to consider "them" inferior, thus justifying the sort of behaviors the ones in the "us" group wanted to do anyway.

As opposed to all of us being "animals" -- right?

Well, we're certainly not plants or fungi, amirite?

I can't argue that.

And I think we can agree that we're not bacteria, so at least on a "kingdom" level of classification, we are, indeed, animals.

If you want to discuss what differentiates us from other animals, we'd have to get more specific.

You mean like having a soul and a spirit -- making us a gestalt?

Well, if that's what makes us different, you'd first have to show that no other creature has a soul or spirit... best of luck with that.

Not without documentation I can't.

Then you have a problem... any clod can write "documentation," but the trick is documenting something based on what can be shown, demonstrated, and/or proven.

Like mankind having a body, soul and spirit; but not animals?

Isn't spirit essentially the same as "breath"?
If man or animal stops breathing, don't they die?

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H5315&t=KJV
Strong's Number H5315 matches the Hebrew נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh), which occurs 753 times in 683 verses in the Hebrew concordance
5315 nephesh neh'-fesh from 5314; properly, a breathing creature,

Genesis 1:
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath H5315 life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature H5315 that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature H5315 after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, H5315 I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Gen 2:
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. H5315

Take a look at the similarity of the events of the "valley of the bones" in Ezek 37 and the 2 witnesses in Revelation 11:11. They don't come alive unless they can breath again.
I just thought this was interesting:

Ezekiel 37:
3 Then said He unto me "Son of adam! can these bones live". And I said " my Lord Yahweh, thou knowest!
10 And I prophecy as He instructed and the spirit/breath is coming in them and they are living and are standing on their feet,
an army/host, great, exceedingly-exceedingly.
[Luke 2:34/Reve 11:11]

Reve 11:11
And after the three days and half-equal, a spirit/breath of life out of the God entered into them and they stand on their feet
and great fear falls upon the ones observing them.

On another note, what I found rather amazing is the similarity of Ezekiel 37:9 concerning the "breath" coming from the 4 winds and the Indian prayer below giving their interpretation to the great Spirit giving the breath of live from 4 directions.
http://biblehub.com/ezekiel/37-9.htm
Ezekiel 37:
9 Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life."'"

http://www.indians.org/welker/greatspi.htm

"Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, Whose Breath gives life to all the world. Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.

O Great Spirit of the North, who gives wings to the waters of the air and rolls the thick snowstorm before Thee,
O Great Spirit of the East, the land of the rising Sun, Who holds in Your right hand the years of our lives
O Great Spirit of the South, whose warm breath of compassion melts the ice that gathers round our hearts,

O Great Spirit of the West, the land of the setting Sun, with Your soaring mountains and free,


.