Why?

[DMMullinax]

But we know homosexuality is not a choice. It is a behavior that we are born with just as you and I are born with the desire for women.

About the bible, just because it's old doesn't mean it's true. For example Greek mythology is much older than Christianity yet that is not true. Also the Karan also relates many problems and feeling about life, we have to realize that the authors of these books were people too who also went through the same things as us.

And faith, faith leads you no where. If you believe solely on faith there is no way to distinguish between Islam and Christianity. Evidence must be required for any justifiable beleif and a god who surely knows this and has given us critical thinking skills would realize this and provide undeniable proof for his existence, or at least not rely on text that has no evidence to support it.

I believe some people have tendencies and desires of homosexual nature, but saying that they can't control themselves and choose not to act on those is what I don't believe. And I haven't read any case studies that without a doubt proved undeniable evidence of a homosexual gene.

I'm not saying that because it's old it's reliable, but I think that because of the timelessness of it I believe it is divinely inspired. And seeing the span of when the books were written and the connections I believe God influenced what was written, so that it's not some random people over the years writing things without purpose.

And in response to the faith issue. I just don't buy that there is so much a separation of faith and logical evidence in your life and other people's. When you sit in a chair you don't check each corner of it to make sure it's sound, you have faith it will support you. You see the evidence, but to believe it will hold you up didn't require you to check it each time. I just don't see the lack of evidence you seem not to see. While we can't gauge and measure what the soul is, how can we prove it doesn't exist, and in its own right it does have proof in how people are and how they are unique and how there is an innate sense of things. We probably won't agree either way, haha, but from my perspective and faith I don't see the lack of evidence you seem to see. I just don't. The world is replete with evidence. And I just am not at a point in my knowledge and study to satisfy you to the extent I think you are looking for in scientific ways.

But as someone who is showing legitimate care for you, I just say be careful in your quest for that kind of separation of faith. Faith is not as disposable as I think a lot of people are lead to believe. And while men of these days seek knowledge and proclaim wisdom, they live in misery and fleeting happiness, where the Bible offers the joy of eternality, which can't dissipate after a few months or even a few years. Even you have to admit that there is a hunger among men? They are constantly seeking something, and I feel the answer is with their Creator. But these are my views, and I'm not forcing them on you, I'm just saying how I've been affected in tremendous ways.

 

[Myshkin99]

I seem to have trouble believing in God. I want to so bad but my mind won't let me. Does anybody have a reason to believe that hasn't already been proven ludicrous?

I'm probably in the minority here, but my take is that you can't will yourself to believe. If God calls, you will believe. If God does not call, you will not.

John 6:44 - No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him to life on the last day.

There's not a darn thing we can do. It's like being stuck in a plane at 30,000 feet. There is absolutely no way to control that situation. Worrying is pointless. Trying is even more pointless.

I only believed when I gave up trying to believe.

 

[StickwithJesus]

These are just rare events which are very possible. How do you distinguish between a rare event and a miracle?

Well I've noticed that my life sucked something awful before I met God and then suddenly all these really cool things are happening to me. I guess the reason why this is happening to me is because I've laid down my life completely to God; I'm not holding anything back and I guess that is allowing more room for God because the more I reduce the more he increases.

I'm not that lucky for life to simply smile on me.

The thing is; at some point you need to let go of doubt and just fall into God. What's the worst thing that can happen? If you're right and we're wrong then you've got nothing to loose; but if we're right then aren't you simply missing out?

My mother witnesses a lady being cured of polio; she saw her leg grow out a pull couple of cm's during a Christian meeting. This lady was my Mom's best friend when she lived in South-Africa which is really cool.

Anyway; I didn't mean any of this to offend you.

 

[Chany]

The earth came about from a dying star. All elements are forged when a star dies. Those elements erupted from the star when it explodes and gravity causes them to clump and form planets. There are trillions of stars in the universe so a dying star is a quite common occurrence, therefore even if a planet forming under the right conditions was one to a hundred trillion, life could have formed and under the right evolutionary circumstances, humans could emerge.

Also I assume by where do 'we' go after we die you mean where does our soul? For one thing I am not completely convinced a soul exists. For example, a soul is given to every living thing, correct? But we are not a living thing. We are in fact trillions of living things working together for a common purpose. Does that mean we have trillions of souls? Do they all go to the same place? What if the souls in my foot are better than the souls in my hands? And since my brain controls my actions are my brain souls have authority over the rest of them? This just doesn't make sense for obvious reasons.

Let's go over what, as an atheist, you must accept:

Our universe came out of existence from nothing. Out nothing, an incredibly ordered way came into being. Gravity, velocity, light: all of these things that we can measure came into being from nothing. The atoms of the elements that this nothingness created are so perfect and complex that they can form entirely new compounds with their own unique traits. These compounds formed in such a way as to produce something with the semblance of life- a combination that no other way in nature every comes close to replicating. This new life somehow found it in itself to grow into new life forms so complex that one of them had an intellect so great it could comprehend the universe.

In short, you believe the universe somehow came out of nothing and formed a perfectly ordered system all on its own.

Also, as a true atheist, you can not make any claims on morality. Morals, good, evil- they are nothing more than faulty human constructs -figments of man's imagination- and should regarded as such.

I wish I could go into greater detail about the necessity of God, but if I give Aquinas' "uncaused cause" argument one more time today I'll explode.

I've never thought of your cell example before. It's probably the most interesting thing I've seen so far in these forums. I'll need time to think it over and discuss it with others before I give a solid response.

To expand upon your genocide issues:
www.newadvent.org/cathen/03569b.htm

The Canaanites were not as innocent as they seem. Scroll down to "The further particulars given by the Bible..." and you'll see why.

 

[Arqo]

Let's go over what, as an atheist, you must accept:

Our universe came out of existence from nothing. Out nothing, an incredibly ordered way came into being. Gravity, velocity, light: all of these things that we can measure came into being from nothing. The atoms of the elements that this nothingness created are so perfect and complex that they can form entirely new compounds with their own unique traits. These compounds formed in such a way as to produce something with the semblance of life- a combination that no other way in nature every comes close to replicating. This new life somehow found it in itself to grow into new life forms so complex that one of them had an intellect so great it could comprehend the universe.

In short, you believe the universe somehow came out of nothing and formed a perfectly ordered system all on its own.

Also, as a true atheist, you can not make any claims on morality. Morals, good, evil- they are nothing more than faulty human constructs -figments of man's imagination- and should regarded as such.

I wish I could go into greater detail about the necessity of God, but if I give Aquinas' "uncaused cause" argument one more time today I'll explode.

I've never thought of your cell example before. It's probably the most interesting thing I've seen so far in these forums. I'll need time to think it over and discuss it with others before I give a solid response.

To expand upon your genocide issues:
www.newadvent.org/cathen/03569b.htm

The Canaanites were not as innocent as they seem. Scroll down to "The further particulars given by the Bible..." and you'll see why.

Things accually CAN come from nothing. In empty space particles are randomly and rapidly popping in and out of existence. They appear for a short time with a lot of energy and disappear. Or with a little energy and stay for a bit longer. Our universe has a total energy of nearly 0 which would allow it to stay in existence for an extremely long time. Look up quantum mechanics. Also morals developed through social conditions with our more primitive ancestors they are adaptations so our species can successfully live together.

 

[Chany]

Things accually CAN come from nothing. In empty space particles are randomly and rapidly popping in and out of existence. They appear for a short time with a lot of energy and disappear. Or with a little energy and stay for a bit longer. Our universe has a total energy of nearly 0 which would allow it to stay in existence for an extremely long time. Look up quantum mechanics. Also morals developed through social conditions with our more primitive ancestors they are adaptations so our species can successfully live together.

What is the official name of these particles?

 

[Arqo]

What is the official name of these particles?

I believe they are electrons or something similar. I don't know if they are but I do offen hear them referred to as particles when dealing with quantum mechanics.

 

[Chany]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the "empty" space your talking about just composed of negative energy to balance out the positive, "non-empty" space? Remember, just because something is empty does not mean it is nothing. Because there is energy there, these particles are not coming out of nothing; they are coming out of potential energy.

 

[Arqo]

Although it is not scientific and more philosophic, isn't it possible that energy has always existed? It does comply with the law of conservation of energy along with the idea that all causes require energy therefore it is possible that the uncaused cause is the 'causer' if you will.

 

[Chany]

It's a question I pondered, too. Why couldn't energy always just existed?

It's called potency. I cannot give you a hundred dollars if I don't have a hundred dollars. As I'm sure your well aware of, our universe has been, is, and will be constantly changing. There was a time before the universe as we know it existed. What caused energy to do this? I'm no science major, but I'm pretty sure if energy is not moving, stationary, and not reacting, it will never change unless moved by something from outside of itself. Something that lacks the ability to manipulate itself to form something can and will not. You would have to ascribe some sort of intellect and self-awareness onto energy, a trait we know energy does not possess.

There must be some sort of event that occurred that would the start chain of events and change energy. However, if our entire plane of existence but this stagnant energy existed, there would never be a change at all; things would always remain the same. The only possible way the energy could move is if something completely independent and separate from it prompted it.

We'll call this something by the term of God for ease of writing, because writing the uncaused cause a lot is annoying.

 

[jesuslover94]

Have you ever tried to actually talk and pray to God? Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and help you believe. There's a lot of evidence that points to God being real. And what about prophecy being fulfilled? A lot of that has happened. But good luck, stay strong and God bless you!

 

[StickwithJesus]

Have you ever tried to actually talk and pray to God? Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and help you believe. There's a lot of evidence that points to God being real. And what about prophecy being fulfilled? A lot of that has happened. But good luck, stay strong and God bless you!

This

 

[Girder of Loins]

Seeing as how I haven't contributed to this, I'll put my two cents in.

Relativism. It is the backbone of reality if you think about it. Einstein's Second Theory of Relativity states that all laws of physics are uniform depending on the frame of reference. This implies that from a scientific point-of-view, everything is relative. What may be one thing in one point of reference may be another in another POV. It is this subjectivism that casts doubt in my mind towards a pure science answer to life. A metaphysical world is necessary for comparison. Something concrete(which is a definition of God). Another way to look at this is science as one point on a graph. We don't have any other evidence for this dot's existence, and we are trying to find the line that goes through it. This is impossible, as an infinite amount of lines can go through a single point. However, add an extra point, and you narrow that field of possible lines, in reality, theoretically, there would still be an infinite amount of lines.