As I think about Evolution I wonder more and more how religious people can accept it as fact. I think it seriously disproves the idea that humans are the only ones that have a soul, which I know is Catholic doctrine, although I'm not sure what other religions claim. But if humans are the only ones with souls, and evolution took place, when in the fuck did humans magically sprout this soul thing. And also I think the idea of a soul is just stupid. The idea was first thought up when we knew almost nothing of the human body. Technology has since advanced by leaps and bounds to the point we've mapped out the entire human body. Where's the soul at? Oh yeah, that's right it's just a "spirit". You can't see it, but it's there...TRUST ME. That just sounds so stupid. Also it pretty much puts to rest the idea of Creationism. Evolution factually disproves the beginning books of the Bible. Before the discovery of natural selection and evolution, an overwhelming large majority believed in creationism. What's going to be the next discovery to disprove more parts of the Bible? I hope it's something involving the claim that Jesus rose from the dead because I'd love to see Christians try to twist the evidence as to make it look like it doesn't discredit their religion. And now we've learned that the universe is billions of billions years old. A generally accepted number is 13.7 billions years. http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_uni/uni_101age.html So if these religions are correct in assuming that God exists, what in the flying fuck was he doing for billions of years before he created us "in his image"? If we're soooooo important why did it take him 9 billion years to create earth, start evolution so that in another 4 billion years life could evolve into something "in his image". I don't see how science and religion are compatible, but my religion teacher loves to tell me they "answer different questions". What a bullshit excuse.
Guess who's back after a few days travel sans internet But ontopic. Nicely written, and strictly speaking true. But you generalize a bit too much. There is nothing wrong with being religious _and_ accept evolution as a fact. It depends upon how the believer interpret the religious aspect. Any literal interpretation of religious creation myths will ofcourse not do. Instant conflict of ideas. But most religious evolutionists see myth for what it is, and is more concerned with the overarching (moral-)philosophy and god concept their religion portray. That their god of choice is the first cause, not the tinkerer that is overly concerned with details. And as first causes go, a god is a good a reason as any other. At least for the time being. Nothing (with regard to origin of the universe) can be proven, and no clear plausability can be defined quite yet. But ofcourse, believing a god started the universe, is nothing more than the well know "god of the gaps" argument. Many such gaps have been filled, and I'm sure the remaining ones will be worked out within reasonable time. At least the origin of life issue. We're almost there already. And that is worked on by bio-chemists, not evolutionists. Evolution got nothing to do with origin, only how life transforms and diversify between generations.
That's just a shitty ass explaination offering no proof of what can be seen as an anology to understand WHY we can't see and study it. Actually it shows the existance of a creator if you look at it from another perspective. Why wouldn't things just be all in the same phase at this point if we've had an eternity for entropy to take it's course??? The answer is something is acting on the energy at all times, keeping it from all vibrating at the same speed. You can call that chance- I call that devotion. Once again, she treats you like you already see it. You aren't asking for the choirs' opinion, you are asking for an explaination that is beyond faith. Science answers "how" questions. God answers the "why" questions. She just doesn't want to take the time to break it down. Like Einstein said- "Science without religion is lame, and religion without science is blind" Religion is not spirituality- it's a club.
Major logical fallacy. Unstated major premise. Does there need to be a why? Is there any evidence pointing towards any higher meaning of this universe? To assume there needs to be a why, is quite simply nothing but faith in and by itself. In other words, it is also a circular argument. There needs to be a god, because that would explain why we are here, and only god can give meaning to existence. Round and round in circles we go. Getting dizzy edit: Who says it won't? Some 13,5bn years (age of the universe, give or take a billion) isn't an eternity. A long time yes. And as the universe continues to expand it will end up in a rather dull state. Might even be ripped to shreds.
I guess there was a need for a why, considering all the bullshit the world is going through over the question. To say that it is not logical to ask why would be to suggest that all the people who ever asked the question didn't really feel that it was necesarry to think it. It was logical because they felt necessarry to put a why into it. It is logical to say everything is because it is- but that doesn't really get us anywhere further now does it? So in order to move forward in understanding the what- we asked why.
That's a line segment, not a loop. For there to be a line segment there must be a loop of all possibilities. The beggining is connected to the end from this perspective.
Ah, but that we can think it, or want it, doesn't make anything true. That some need a "why" does not mean that there exists a "why". Besides, before you know everything about the "how", asking "why" is rather premature. edit: Huh?
Why is an important question. People who follow a religion have a why spelt out for them, though nothing beyond a religious explanation (which has no evidence to suggest it is true) even points to such a question being answerable. It is still an important question to ask, as are most questions, it may just be impossible to answer. There may be no why, it just is.
You believe what you believe isn't true because you can't prove it. If it was provable you wouldn't have to believe. There exists a why for me then and not for you. That is the power and the nature of our mind: What you see and feel and believe dictates your experience. I am saying there is no why that is for all because we are unique. However there is a why that is a personal thing and it exists and you can study it all you want because it's real. Maybe not for everyone- but for you. You are trying to make it seem like I know the answer or something... In fact- I believe there is no answer for all. Only for you. Whether we like to put a reason why or not- things are still unfolding before our eyes at all times, even when we rest. You can interpret that anyway you want. Edit- I see time as a line segment with a begging and an end. For there to be any begging there has to be something for it to come from, therefore the line goes on and on or is infinite. The end is the same way- there has to be something for the end to be and is reaching towards. That is the begging so that it remains infinite in both directions. I believe that time came from wanting to put a stop to eternity and define boundaries so that a story could exist as a realization of a possibility instead of just one in infinite choices.
Personal truth is not necessarily the truth. As such, it has no bearing on anything. If believing a lie makes you happy and allows you to find meaning, then cool, but just because you can come up with a why that you feel is true for you personally, does not mean that an actual why actually exists. "Why do bad things happen to good people?" A: "Because the devil runs around and hurts people". - That is a personal truth... Is there an actual explanation as to why bad things happen to good people? Of course not, at least not beyond a, shit happens to everyone and it does not take into consideration personal moral beliefs, because there is nothing directing the bad things in life to attack someone based on a moral position. Personal truth is utterly meaningless, except for in the confines of one's own head. Also, we are not all unique. We are all exactly the same.
Personal truth is not meaningless because it defines our character and makes us unique. If we all believed the same thing we would have all-knowledge. I don't think we want all-knowledge right now, which is why even though we are exactly the same- we look out and see others. If there is a truth it is that we all believe a lie at all times. There is no truth to this story, only of what makes it so. If what that is hides for as long as we are able to look, than the only truth was a personal one- that of the Almighty.
Sometimes my point gets mixed up with a lot of my personal beliefs. This is the farthest I have come to a universal truth on why we are here: "The answer to life is that there is no answer- only possibilty" Another way to say it would be God/existance/science is what it is and nothing more.
Evolution doesn't disprove religion (or the idea of a God) because they are both theories, therefore one can't disprove the other. Evolution, if it does exist, is a process that we couldn't possibly observe because it happens so slow that we wouldn't notice anything in an average human life. Debating religion v. evolution is pointless.
Evolution does exist and we have mounds and mounds of evidence to support the theory. Still, evolution does not disprove the idea of a God, or religion for that matter.
I agree, and that's not the ONLY reason evolution doesn't disprove religion. It just disprove creationism. And to many people who accept the bible as literal fact, are offending by the idea of evolution. That's foolishness. That's why we have anthropology, geology, palezoology, primatology, ichthyology, herpetology, entomology, cetology. All point to the same conclusion. There are mounds of evidence for evolution. And I have yet to hear of another valid hypothesis to explain the evidence we see. Aw c'mon, no it's not.
Do I really have to ? Put it together your consciousness is your soul. What makes you you and not anyone else. Let me put it to you this way if you mom would of had sex with another man besides your dad would you still be here or you would just cease to exist ? That is where it gets down to souls.
Explain someone who suffers trauma to their brain and gets permanent amnesia, they are never able to remember a single thing prior to the accident. They then become people who are, in some cases, vastly different than the person they were. How does that fit into your definition of a soul? Does your soul change? Or does your soul have nothing to do with what you think, feel, know, and believe?