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Natural selection v Intelligent design

Loudmouth

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Well i believe in a creator or a cause, and i find nothing Science can do to disprove it, Science and its failure to understand how life originated out of a prebiotic soup has even led people into an extreme of making controlled lab studies to concluded RNA first models. Why are you bothered on filling my Gaps if you got nothing to offer?

God could have created the universe just last Tuesday with a fake history and fake memories. God could have done this so perfectly that we could never know that it happened. Since you can't disprove this idea, does this mean that people should believe it's true?

The argument from ignorance that you are using is also an argument of special pleading. Out of all of the billions of unfalsifiable claims that we could make about the origin of life, you choose one. You don't choose it because it has the most evidence. You choose it because of personal preference. That is special pleading, and also an argument from ignorance.

God is not a gap for me to fill, Science and God are compliments for me, Science fills the Gap of God not the other way around.

You are actively putting the explanation "God did it" wherever science is ignorant of how something happens. That is a God of the Gaps. That is an argument from ignorance.
 
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Zlatanara

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Why would you need to learn anything to increase your faith? Faith is a belief held in the absence of evidence.
Faith is based on Trust and confidence, there are days that my faith goes down and then there are days that my faith goes up, every aspect of life matters for the sequence of faith. Verses in a scripture and Verses in nature both aid me in strengthening the invisible rope of faith which i hold with pride, confidence and trust.

To be honest what makes a religious person so hard to leave that invisible rope is not merely science but it is the comfort that's achieved through faith. If i was living with something which did not comfort me i would easily be tempted to leave it, in case of religion if you notice people hold to the invisible rope of faith sometimes at any cost because it has such a positive effect to life.

Isn't it wonderful i can believe every science that you believe too, i can enjoy every fruit that you enjoy too but at the same time i am confident that my personality will last even after this temporary life.

Religion can make suffering and death meaningful, No we are not talking about extremist that use religion to hurt others, but there are millions or billions out there who can find happiness through religion even in the worse of condition.

A prisoner at the time of Nazi concentration camp said in the book ''Mans Search for Meaning''

‘’But in reality our sacrifice did have a meaning. Those of us who had any religious faith, I said frankly, could understand without difficulty. I told them of a comrade who on his arrival in camp had tried to make a pact with Heaven that his suffering and death should save the human being he loved from a painful end. For this man, suffering and death were meaningful; his was a sacrifice of the deepest significance. He did not want to die for nothing. None of us wanted that.’’

Some people who go through real hardship benefit from faith, Science is beautiful but is it worth for us believers to give up Faith based on beautiful science that actually will never factually disprove God?.

Variety is what makes people so wonderful and special, if we all followed the same principles and same way of life it will be very uncomfortable. The life matters and issues i have gone through might not fit the story of another conscious human who is as special as me or anyone else. We all are narrators of our own temporary life, there is nothing wrong to ad some spirituality into while not giving up things we already love :)
 
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Zlatanara

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God could have created the universe just last Tuesday with a fake history and fake memories. God could have done this so perfectly that we could never know that it happened. Since you can't disprove this idea, does this mean that people should believe it's true?

The argument from ignorance that you are using is also an argument of special pleading. Out of all of the billions of unfalsifiable claims that we could make about the origin of life, you choose one. You don't choose it because it has the most evidence. You choose it because of personal preference. That is special pleading, and also an argument from ignorance.



You are actively putting the explanation "God did it" wherever science is ignorant of how something happens. That is a God of the Gaps. That is an argument from ignorance.
this is once again misunderstanding

if you read through my responds i am an individual who use Science to fill the Gaps of God, Science for me is ''how God did it'' rather than proving ''God did not do it''. So every gap that science has filled to you has also filled mine, yet i am interested and curious to know how the world view the actual origin of life. I always ask questions from other faiths or atheists to enhance my ever growing intellectual knowledge. You people have been very kind and quick responding which makes me return to this forum.

Since everyone did not have interest in discussing the actual chemical topics regarding the questions, i am fascinated and delighted that now we are discussing more of philosophy.

Forgive me if i sounded like a dictator promoting one way of life, if i did that i humbly request you to forgive me.

I never came here to dictate one way of life, but i am here to get the essence of many ways of life :)
 
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Loudmouth

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Isn't it wonderful i can believe every science that you believe too, i can enjoy every fruit that you enjoy too but at the same time i am confident that my personality will last even after this temporary life.

Do you accept the science that demonstrates universal common ancestry for all species, including humans?

Religion can make suffering and death meaningful,
No we are not talking about extremist that use religion to hurt others, but there are millions or billions out there who can find happiness through religion even in the worse of condition.

For atheists, truth is more important than comfort. At least in my case, I would rather know the truth and feel uncomfortable than believe something that isn't true just to feel more comfortable.
 
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Zlatanara

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Do you accept the science that demonstrates universal common ancestry for all species, including humans?



For atheists, truth is more important than comfort. At least in my case, I would rather know the truth and feel uncomfortable than believe something that isn't true just to feel more comfortable.

I strongly believe that every being was created by the similar material to fit the Earth, Why cant God create many species and let them organize and get better and better? Indeed i believe its possible. God could pick the vessel he preferred for homo sapiens through his process of evolution.

We are a very fresh kind to this earth, we are not far than 100 thousand years and we have known something as fascinating as electricity and light only for the last 100 years. Human are progressing through knowledge than evolution for some reason, the past 100 years have shown very less genetic changes in our species but very high brain changes in the way our brain functions.

I remember in a verse of scripture, Angels ask God why are you setting the human on Earth knowing that they will shed blood on it? This indicates that before us there might have been similar ancestors which triggered the angel to question God.

Gods answer was ''I know what you do not know''

Truth can mean allot of things, for me God is both faith and truth, Science is purely truth as far as it moves out of its theory or hypothesis stages.
 
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Archaeopteryx

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No I didn't say he was an authority and this is where you are taking it. As I said before surely he should know more than the average person. He had described the processes in the brain on a video which was evidence in itself that he had more knowledge than most about the processes in the brain. I didn't say he was an expert but merely said because he was a brain surgeon and studied biology he was in a good position to know more than most. In the context of the topic being discussed it was a trivial side track because it was one bit of evidence among many bits. But you chose to focus in on this and then run with it and now still continue to run with it.

You could have focused in on a number of other bits of evidence that also were relevant. The credibility of Carson doesn't discredit the overall proof of the point. If I was to not use Carson as support or you were to discredit him does that then prove you are right and I am wrong in regards to the original point. No it doesn't. But what it does do is take a lot of time on one piece of evidence when there may be another 20 pieces that need to be looked at that may also have a bearing. But because so much time has been spent on this its become another issue about Dr Carson and not the original point. I cant believe you are still going on with it when things had moved on.
Yeah, I'm running with it... because you refuse to concede that you were wrong.
 
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Loudmouth

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I strongly believe that every being was created by the similar material to fit the Earth, Why cant God create many species and let them organize and get better and better?

So you don't believe that species evolved from a universal common ancestor through the mechanisms described by the theory of evolution? You aren't being very clear on this question.

We are a very fresh kind to this earth, we are not far than 100 thousand years and we have known something as fascinating as electricity and light only for the last 100 years. Human are progressing through knowledge than evolution for some reason, the past 100 years have shown very less genetic changes in our species but very high brain changes in the way our brain functions.

Are you saying that humans 100,000 years ago could not learn what we have learned? It would seem to me that our brains are exactly the same. The only difference is how we record our discoveries so the knowledge can be passed down to later generations.
 
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Zlatanara

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So you don't believe that species evolved from a universal common ancestor through the mechanisms described by the theory of evolution? You aren't being very clear on this question.



Are you saying that humans 100,000 years ago could not learn what we have learned? It would seem to me that our brains are exactly the same. The only difference is how we record our discoveries so the knowledge can be passed down to later generations.

I have not studied evolution enough to give the clear answer, but up-to my knowledge that is my current answer. If my knowledge expands further i will give you more thoughts on it, currently that previous respond i gave stands as how i see God play a role in it.

Nop, what i am saying is we have made so much progress in the past 100 years, changing things around inventing new things such as Software's etc, yet our DNA has not changed as much may be because 100 years is too little to judge. We are one kind of a species.
 
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Loudmouth

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I have not studied evolution enough to give the clear answer, but up-to my knowledge that is my current answer.

What is your current answer? That all species evolved from a common ancestor?

If my knowledge expands further i will give you more thoughts on it, currently that previous respond i gave stands as how i see God play a role in it.

That wasn't very clear, either. Are species separately created with no common ancestor? Are you saying that the entire process of natural evolution is something that God created as part of the Universe?

Nop, what i am saying is we have made so much progress in the past 100 years, changing things around inventing new things such as Software's etc, yet our DNA has not changed as much may be because 100 years is too little to judge. We are one kind of a species.

Why would our DNA have to change in the last 100 years in order to learn and discover these things? If you took someone from 100,000 years ago, do you think they would be able to learn everything we have and add to those discoveries?
 
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Zlatanara

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What is your current answer? That all species evolved from a common ancestor?



That wasn't very clear, either. Are species separately created with no common ancestor? Are you saying that the entire process of natural evolution is something that God created as part of the Universe?



Why would our DNA have to change in the last 100 years in order to learn and discover these things? If you took someone from 100,000 years ago, do you think they would be able to learn everything we have and add to those discoveries?
Yes i think there is a great chance that all species originated from one place such as a chemical soup, and then were let to organize and get better and better to fit the surface. God is all knowledgeable so he knows which vessel out of the originated creatures that will fit best for his ultimate creation homo sapiens. Like i said before why cant God create life that gets better and better with time? If he planned an intellectual being he picked the right process or family of ancestor that will qualify to be human.

The Quran says at verse 21:30

Sahih International: Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?

Its like an artist throwing the brush in all directions, spreading variety but all comes from the same bucket of paint.

My answer might not be perfect because of my lack of knowledge in evolution, but i can assure that there is no good reason to refuse evolution. Anyhow scriptures are not here to speak of creatures that lived before, or ''how'' it was done but it also does not contradict if you understand the purpose and time it was revealed.

Regarding the 100 year progress, well its not a serious thing its just what i find interesting you can agree or disagree. But never in our history has information been so accessible and available at the finger tip. If a homo sapien from 100,000 years ago suddenly walked to today's world he will find it uncomfortable. His digestive system will not be adjusted to the chemical or processed food we eat, he might (not sure based on assumption) lack some traits that were passed by generation to generation in those 100,000 years he skipped. Apart from that it will be pretty normal and fine for him.

God knows best
 
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Loudmouth

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Yes i think there is a great chance that all species originated from one place such as a chemical soup, and then were let to organize and get better and better to fit the surface.

Just a couple of questions so I can better understand your position.

Do you also think that all life shares a common ancestor that was a living organism? Or are you saying that the created kinds emerged separately from the chemical soup?

Like i said before why cant God create life that gets better and better with time? If he planned an intellectual being he picked the right process or family of ancestor that will qualify to be human.

At the same time, why couldn't God have created a universe with laws of chemistry that were able to produce life all on their own?

Its like an artist throwing the brush in all directions, spreading variety but all comes from the same bucket of paint.

Paintings by the same artist using the same paint do not fall into a nested hierarchy. Life does. That isn't quite the same thing.

Regarding the 100 year progress, well its not a serious thing its just what i find interesting you can agree or disagree. But never in our history has information been so accessible and available at the finger tip. If a homo sapien from 100,000 years ago suddenly walked to today's world he will find it uncomfortable. His digestive system will not be adjusted to the chemical or processed food we eat, he might (not sure based on assumption) lack some traits that were passed by generation to generation in those 100,000 years he skipped. Apart from that it will be pretty normal and fine for him.

God knows best

You seem to indicate that the sudden emergence of technology is due to changes in our brain.

Most scientists think our brains haven't changed in the last 100k to 200k years, and that the sudden emergence of technology is due to accumulated knowledge passed on from generation to generation.

Am I misunderstanding what you are saying?
 
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stevevw

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Yeah, I'm running with it... because you refuse to concede that you were wrong.
Wrong about what.

And just out of interest, hypothetically if I conceded can you remind me what does that prove.
 
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SkyWriting

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With junk DNA making up 90% of the genome, they could completely change 90% of the DNA that we share.

There is no Junk DNA. Just DNA with unmapped function.
 
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SkyWriting

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DNA is nothing like a language

The Language of DNA

"Intriguing for those with a familiarity with quantitative linguistics and current work on natural language processing is how the instance of a dual-functioning code in DNA begins to make genetics seem more like a language with all the messiness that entails and less like a pure instruction set. If certain sequences have an ambiguous identity and shift modes between description and process, there is room for many errors and chaotic recursions to arise, just like in human language."
DNA As Language
 
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pshun2404

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Why would you need to learn anything to increase your faith? Faith is a belief held in the absence of evidence.

Only in absence of what YOU would call scientific evidence....I never required evidence to believe my aunt Daisy in Halifax was real even though I never personally met her...especially scientific evidence. I never required scientific evidence to KNOW my children love me but they do...I see it in the effect we have on each other...how we affect one another...even when they are not here.

I was raised an adamant agnostic and was very arrogant in that world view...after a few encounters with things I would have described as outside the natural order (though not God) I realized my material world was only a small part of reality...when I sought for answers I and found I was being sought...when I followed the protocols laid out in the Bible I got the same results as everyone else....a transformed life. But thats me...
 
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Loudmouth

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Only in absence of what YOU would call scientific evidence....I never required evidence to believe my aunt Daisy in Halifax was real even though I never personally met her...

Did you have photos, phone conversations, letters, emails? Those are all scientific evidence.

especially scientific evidence. I never required scientific evidence to KNOW my children love me but they do...

You have scientific evidence that they exist which means you don't have to use faith.

I was raised an adamant agnostic and was very arrogant in that world view...after a few encounters with things I would have described as outside the natural order (though not God) I realized my material world was only a small part of reality...when I sought for answers I and found I was being sought...when I followed the protocols laid out in the Bible I got the same results as everyone else....a transformed life. But thats me...

The only arrogance is in claiming that there exists a supernatural realm that no one can detect.
 
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pshun2404

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Why would you need to learn anything to increase your faith? Faith is a belief held in the absence of evidence.

No it isn't. Well perhaps for some. But for others it is a conclusion reached as the most obvious explanation of the same evidence that you would see. Faith basically is a trusting in, relying on, and cleaving to someone or something...these speak of something tangible to the person, not something merely imagined.
 
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pshun2404

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Do you also think that all life shares a common ancestor that was a living organism? Or are you saying that the created kinds emerged separately from the chemical soup?

A universal common ancestor? No! But all canines have common canine ancestors, all apes have common ancestors, all humans have common ancestors...but what I see does not mean God could not have used your model for most creatures. After all, besides specifically creating some firsts, He also commanded the seas to bring forth species after their kind and then the earth to bring species after its kind...but one universal ancestor for all....no!
 
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