"Intelligent Design" and "Irreducible complexity"

Anyone interested in reading what the Bible has to say about this should read the book of Romans.

Start with Romans 1:18 and proceed.

 

Outside of the gospels, Romans is about as clear of a road map, as is given in the New Testament.

 

Correct.

 

Why must it be all or nothing? I wasn't suggesting that your geographical location and parental affiliations didn't or couldn't play role in your religous beliefs. Simply put that isn't always the case.

 

I was not raised in Church, The only time I ever went was for Cub Scouts or invited by someone. We had a big white Bible in the Living Room that no body went into. I did not start going to church until I was about 23 years old.

 

It is the vast, vast majority of the time.

 

Statistically I have no idea but it sounds like a safe and logical assumption.

 

Since the idea of faith has been broached....

For me, the concept of faith was one of the main facets to seal my aversion to religion and a confirmation of my status of agnostic that is probably as near to atheism as possible. There are many factors in which I am not a Christian, including the implausibility of the system and blatant contradictions, among other issues. However, focusing on the main factor, promotion of faith as the critical factor in being a Christian fails in two distinct areas;

1. It is simply a method of control over the subjects of the said religion. It eliminates all discussion, contemplation, arguments against, etc. and beholdens people to the religious idea and the structures that govern it. What better social control is there than saying God told you this and you aren't allowed any other thought than to accept it? It's an odd requirement to have as a system and one that screams insecurity.

2. Faith as the one required component creates what I call the "Low Self-Esteem God", i.e. a god who's prime desire is for people to believe in Him/Her/It/Whatever. It's a weird concoction that God created man for the main function of servicing that god, worshiping that deity and, above all, believing that there is a god. Why is this necessary? Why is this a main, rather than an ancillary or irrelevant, component of the existence of a god?

 

All day long........really makes you wonder.

I find it hard to express why I went back.

 

Seems like you should find this about as worrisome as an ancient Scandinavian saying you won't get to Valhalla without dying sword in hand.

I doubt many people have told you that you deserved any terrible fate, but more likely have inquired about you following a pretty simple path toward something better.

 

The many Christians I know and associate with believe that God gives us all free will. Religious indoctrination is not something me or anyone else who believes as I do is interested in. Just wanted to throw that out there.

 

Looked more like a discussion as to the entrance to heaven, not necessarily the condemnation to hell.

 

Me calling a belief is childish is insulting. Someone saying I am innately worthy of eternal torture is nothing to worry about. Cool.

 

Well, you are of Canadian descent...

 

Yeah. What a loser.

 

fyp

 

No more innately than anyone else.

 

Your post has too many big words for me to fully understand what you are trying to say. Can you dumb it down for me? Just want to make sure I don't misinterpret.

 

bump. Always enjoy these discussions. If IP (or any on that side of the argument) feel so inclined, I would be interested to hear what you think are some of the weaker points of evolutionary theory.


Here is a site that was linked on TOOS during one of those threads. It has information on several of the issues in this debate. I'm not necessarily asking you (IP) to respond to any of this. It's just interesting reading.

http://www.darwinismrefuted.com/molecular_biology_02.html

 

God created evolution, then interrupted it a few times....cause he had better things tooo do.....