World View and Science

[Micaiah]

What are your beliefs? Do you believe in the Christian God, another deity, an intelligent designer who as yet you do not know, that everything we see came as a result of random chance and natural selection, or something else. Maybe you just don't know or are not sure about anything. How do you think we got here, and what is our purpose on earth?

What is the interaction between your beliefs stated about and topics discussed in this forum such as big bang, abiogenisis, and evolution. What shapes what?

Note this is a chance for people to share their views and beliefs so others can better understand where they come from in discussions in this forum. These are not loaded questions. Discussions should not include a critique of the views and beliefs expressed by others.

 

[Zadok001]

I am an atheist. My world view is relatively simple: I evaluate what I know based on principles of logic and science, to discover as much accurate knowledge as I can. In order to accomplish this, I am required to evaluate all theories with equal objectivity, including Creationism. I find that Creationism fails ever test imaginable to make a functional scientific theory, and therefore reject it.

 

[Melchior]

Today at 12:39 PM Micaiah said this in Post #1

What are your beliefs?

Scientific method and peer review.

Do you believe in the Christian God, another deity, an intelligent designer who as yet you do not know, that everything we see came as a result of random chance and natural selection, or something else.?

I don't need to make up my mind about the origins of the universe, or the creation of life on Earth to be at peace with myself.  I do not see an intelligent design on our planet or in the universe.  There are some very good theories out there on the evolution of the universe, and the origins of life, but I am sure that they do have some flaws in them that will be discovered and fixed in the near future.

How do you think we got here, and what is our purpose on earth?

We evolved on this planet though I am not as confident that the basic building blocks of life (proteins, ameino acids) evolved here.  As for our purpose, we have only the purposes that we set upon ourseleves both as individuals and as a race.

What is the interaction between your beliefs stated about and topics discussed in this forum such as big bang, abiogenisis, and evolution. What shapes what?

These theories, although incomplete, have been derived through using the scientific method and have gone through exhaustive peer review.  Because I base my "beliefs" in the trueness of this process, I take the conclusions to be true.

Discussions should not include a critique of the views and beliefs expressed by others.

But where is the fun in that?

 

[JohnR7]

Today at 10:31 AM Melchior said this in Post #3

Scientific method and peer review. 

It is a good thing there are christian scientists. Anything that God is not a part of, He will destroy. Abraham asked God and if there were 10 righteious men in all of Sodom, God would not have destroyed the city. But when Lot was removed, there were no righteous men left and the city was destroyed.

Noah and his family were the only righteous people God could find in all of the land (Adamia). So He removed them, and destroyed everyone else. When the Hebrews took over the promised land, there were whole towns where everyone and everything was destroyed. If you go out west, you will find ghost towns that no one lives in any more. There was not a righteous man to be found, to give a witness and a testimony for God, so He scattered them to the wind.

 

[Melchior]

Today at 03:48 PM JohnR7 said this in Post #4

It is a good thing there are christian scientists. Anything that God is not a part of, He will destroy. Abraham asked God and if there were 10 righteious men in all of Sodom, God would not have destroyed the city. But when Lot was removed, there were no righteous men left and the city was destroyed.

Noah and his family were the only righteous people God could find in all of the land (Adamia). So He removed them, and destroyed everyone else. When the Hebrews took over the promised land, there were whole towns where everyone and everything was destroyed. If you go out west, you will find ghost towns that no one lives in any more. There was not a righteous man to be found, to give a witness and a testimony for God, so He scattered them to the wind.

Umm.. OK.  Good thing there are Christian scientists then.

 

[PhantomLlama]

'What are your beliefs?'

Scientfic method, peer review and the stregnth of evidence over personal beliefs.

'Do you believe in the Christian God, another deity, an intelligent designer who as yet you do not know, that everything we see came as a result of random chance and natural selection, or something else.'

Possibly an intelligent designer created the universe, possibly its properties are the result of trandom chance, possibly the result of more fundamental aspects of reality

'Maybe you just don't know or are not sure about anything. How do you think we got here, and what is our purpose on earth?'

At this point the evidence supports the position that humans came into being through mutation and natural selection, so I hold to that theory. I do not believe there is any higher purpose to life, as no higher purpose is at this time apparent. Life is a freak of nature.

What is the interaction between your beliefs stated about and topics discussed in this forum such as big bang, abiogenisis, and evolution. What shapes what?

My belief in the stregnth of evidence rather than faith determines my attitude to other matters.

 

[Corey]

My personal beliefs are pretty much: if there's a god, that's fine, but I doubt it would be anything like we think it is. If there isn't, I'm fine with that too.

 

[Morat]

What are your beliefs? Do you believe in the Christian God, another deity, an intelligent designer who as yet you do not know, that everything we see came as a result of random chance and natural selection, or something else. Maybe you just don't know or are not sure about anything. How do you think we got here, and what is our purpose on earth?

I believe in utility. I believe, for instance, that in a world of infinite possibilities, I'm going to have to use the best method I have to pare it down to a manageable amount, something I can then asses.

I believe in human error. Mine included. No method, not even mine, is perfect, and no conclusion immune to criticism or reassesment.

I believe in experience and an objective world. I believe my senses, mostly, tell me the truth.

I believe in self-delusion. Even in myself. While my senses don't lie, my brain's a champion at it. It bears watching.

What is the interaction between your beliefs stated about and topics discussed in this forum such as big bang, abiogenisis, and evolution. What shapes what?

Well, I've come to the conclusion that science is a darn useful tool for answering questions.

It's baby sister, engineering (*grin*) applies those answers all the time, and it works.

So, I think it's a safe conclusion to say that what science thinks is probably the best answer possible. And, of course, that science is self-correcting.

So not to build some sort of faith on what science has uncovered.

 

[Micaiah]

Thanks for the posts.

I think my position is clear from other posts. I'll give a summary anyhow.

First I am a Christian who believes the Scriptures are the word of God. Since the Scriptures are the word of God they are true and reliable. This truth extends to all areas whether spiritual, scientific, historic, or other.

I believe that when all the facts are fully known, God's word will be vindicated. Until then I am prepared to trust God.

1 Peter 1

22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit[4] in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,[5] 24because


"All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man[6] as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25But the word of the LORD endures forever."

 

[wblastyn]

This truth extends to all areas whether spiritual, scientific, historic, or other.

So you believe the earth is flat, has corners, sits on pillars, bats are birds, mustard seeds are the smallest seeds and the Roman Empire is "the whole world"?

 

[Micaiah]

Today at 08:18 AM wblastyn said this in Post #10 (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?postid=682469#post682469)

So you believe the earth is flat, has corners, sits on pillars, bats are birds, mustard seeds are the smallest seeds and the Roman Empire is "the whole world"?

You should read the guideliens for this thread given in the first post and I'd be interested to hear your own world view.

 

[Cantuar]

Do you believe in the Christian God, another deity, an intelligent designer who as yet you do not know, that everything we see came as a result of random chance and natural selection, or something else.

Why would "random chance and natural selection" be a mutually exlusive choice with respect to deities? There are people who think we got here through natural processes (including random ones) and who also believe in God. You're trying to force a distinction where one doesn't exist.

Personally I don't know if there are any gods out there; I don't believe or disbelieve, I simply don't know. One thing I do disbelieve, though, is the sort of God who arranges things to appear that he worked through natural processes and then demands that people with true faith will reject all that.

 

[Humanista]

I am a humanist. I believe all gods are the product of the human imagination, and that theistic beliefs serve an important psychological and probably evolutionary purpose.

I am  an empiricist. I think the scientific method has an excellent track record for discovering the nature of the world.

I am also a naturalistic materialist. I think the natural world is all that exists.
However, I also am open to the possibility that there are forces we know nothing about yet--or may never know, so in a way, I am an agnostic Deist. Some force may have put the universe into motion, and may keep it running so well, but I do not believe this force could be one of humanity's mythical deities, or anything sentient.

I think humans evolved, like all the rest of life on the planet. Abiogenesis is as yet unsolved, but I believe it has a naturalistic basis. Not knowing the definitive answer to some questions does not bother me or compell me to form a particular view of the supernatural,

I do not believe there is any ultimate purpose to humanity or each individual. I find the question meaningless. Each person finds their own purpose (or not). I think humans should not be asking themselves "Did a God create us?" but What sorts of things are important to us right here and right now? How can we achieve the best possible life for as many people as possible? Who is to decide how we live?

If we can raise each other up just a bit, understand we are all brothers and sisters, and take care of the planet for the future, we're doing a good thing.

 

[Micaiah]

Today at 09:24 AM Cantuar said this in Post #12 (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?postid=682573#post682573)

Why would "random chance and natural selection" be a mutually exlusive choice with respect to deities? There are people who think we got here through natural processes (including random ones) and who also believe in God. You're trying to force a distinction where one doesn't exist.

Read insert "or any combination of these".