Does any religion matter at all today?

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I will be interested to read peoples thoughts on this question. Does any Religion matter at all today?

I cannot see that any religious church's or anything religious even matters today at all. The only true religion I have ever come across is, Money, Political Power, Land, and greed. all the things we are told they are against, this goes for all religions too in my view.

in fact all the faiths I have come across use all of the tools of money, political power, Land and greed to re-force there religious views on there followers. i have never come across any religion that does not use at least one of this tools to enforce there religious views on the people they are said to be looking after.

I have read over the years all the religious books i can find, and have yet too be moved by any of them. some have very good stories that have something in them for every reader. but their it ends for me. maybe someone can explain why any of this is so important today? as i cannot find anything within the books that states this is very important today or in the past. I myself have come to believe that religion has more to do with the thought of death or dying and the human need to believe that life goes on after death.

However, when we was all born we did not feel pain or come into being with some religious thought in our heads or a book in our hands did we? in fact we had know idea about religion at all? so only find out what religion we are when someone tells us that this is our religion? yet you would think we would all know this already if there was a god? So we only find out what our religion is after birth? or do you believe you know what you religion was before birth? (i did not) if someone told me i was a follower of Islam, I would of said OK at five years old. in fact they could of given me any religion and i would of said fine.

So religion seems to me, religion only matters a get deal more the older you get? so I am told, well if so its failing on me badly. so anyway, it matter more as you get closer to death then? so is this more to do with our human need for life to go on somehow? as we find it hard to believe that life comes to an end and we go into darkness of no mans land? just like before we was born?

I was told at about 6 years old by my mother that this was my faith. but in total truth my mother could of said any faith was my religion and i would of gone along with what she said. To me that was it, Its that simple then. i did not then think about anything religious till i was in the Army in standing in a street in the middle of green line in a war zone in the Lebanon. with both Christains killing, Muslims Killing, Catholic Maronite's Killing, Druze faith Killing, Jewish killing. at first wondering why they was all doing this? not for religion or faith but power and using religion to justify there actions. I remember thinking. just suppose these people had been given a different religion by there mothers. they would instead of killing as a Maronite gunman they would of been killing Maronite's as a Druze gunman?

So your religion is picked for you in my view and some even change it too. yet you would think if you know your god at your death. you should know who you god is before birth? but we do not. So does any of this really matter any more?

well i well be interrested to read your thought on this. its not about any one religion but all of them.

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Whatever Rock. The leaps and bounds your mind goes through to make the bible "true" to you is visually astounding. It isn't rational but it is astounding.

Affirm to your hearts content. All the affirmation in the world only makes it true to you and other believers in nonsense. It doesn't make it the truth though.

Genesis 1:1 is an opening statement of a creation myth story not a data set. It does not provide a data set for comparison to the data set of Big Bang. It doesn't mirror anything any more than "it was a dark and stormy night" is proof of weather forecasting.

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Imagine all that effort put to some charitable purpose.

Awesome.

The Fab Four of the Gospels are no more historical fact than Harry Potter is historical fact.

Is that John, Paul, George and Ringo?

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I'm very familiar, Rock, with your belief that the big bang theory mirrors Genesis 1:1. That is your belief. You are allowed in a free world to believe what you like whether it is false or not. The fact that you choose to believe a falsehood over truth yet continue to call your falsehood truth is delusion in its finest form.

As I said, the first words of the bible are no indication of anything any more than the first words of any fictional story are an indication of scientific truth. Especially when there is NO evidence to support your claim.

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bobby wrote:The Fab Four of the Gospels are no more historical fact than Harry Potter is historical fact.

Is that John, Paul, George and Ringo?

It can only be a question of time before the God Botherers take up the "Harry Potter" books as a legitimate subject for dissection.

Then there will still be Tolkien, CS Lewis and Enid Blyton to pore over.

Fascinating.

One thing is certain.

As we presently understand things, there is no chance of getting something from nothing.

If God used the Big Bang to start creation, then that is fine by me.

Another thing is certain, if God decides to let us know exactly how he created everything, it will be as simple as anyone expalining how a match works to a person who has never seen on.

As we presently understand things, there is no chance of getting something from nothing.

I agree. I do not understand a state of 'nothingness' because no matter how small the singularity, it must have been at some point at some 'time' at some place. It must have been 'in' something.

This conundrum does not take away from the big bang theory at all because the rest of the evidence, cosmic background radiation, universe expanding, production of elements etc. supports the theory.

However, christians, when you don't know the answer you can't just slip God into the slot and shout ta da! That doesn't work.

There is one thing you always overlook Shirina, if Christians are correct in their belief everything is answered, in your theories nothing is.

There is one thing you always overlook Shirina, if Christians are correct in their belief everything is answered, in your theories nothing is.

That's the big question, polyglide. 'IF' christians are correct. The answer for you is God. That satisfies you. Fortunately, many of us want to delve deeper. We want to know the truth and we search and research for evidence and facts.

in your theories nothing is

This is hyperbole. The theories answer many questions and such is the nature of scientific theory that it oftens raises more questions. That does not mean the theory is irrelevant. It just means that there's more work to do.

If you're happy to accept God as your be-all and end-all answer that's fine. I just find it intellectually lazy.

Snowyflake, I use the word IF because I am aware that there is not enough irrefutable proof to the satisfaction of some that God actually exists. although it is there if you seek it.

I have not based my faith without both considering all the evidence regarding evolution and all other matters.

I agree that evolution does take place but only to a very small degree and leaves more problems than it actually attempts to solve.

I can assure you if you had considered and experienced what I have over many years your opinion would be somewhat different.

Well that's the first time anybody has mentioned evolution causing problems, silly me believing evolution by it's nature simply evolves to survive in the place that it exists in. (Attacks from all sides).

Snowyflake, I use the word IF because I am aware that there is not enough irrefutable proof to the satisfaction of some that God actually exists. although it is there if you seek it.

Perhaps, you use the word IF because you are not sure yourself that God exists.

I have not based my faith without both considering all the evidence regarding evolution and all other matters.

That would be impossible since you don't know 'all other matters'.

I can assure you if you had considered and experienced what I have over many years your opinion would be somewhat different.

Whatever your experiences, they are not proof of the existence of God. They are your experiences to which you have attributed the influence of God personally interacting with you in some way. The mind is easily fooled into believing in the supernatural. We've all done it at some point in our lives. Most believers (and children) do it on a daily basis and it gets to be like a bad habit that they can't let go of.

People want to believe in something that is bigger than themselves. A psychiatrist will tell you it's the fear of growing up, growing old and dying so we invent a father figure that is invisible, always watching out for us and always with us and who loves us. And if we are faithful in our belief of this father figure, when we die we will go to a nice place and be with our loved ones for all eternity. It's wishful thinking taken to an art form.

Where is the freakin " who or " what "" in the Big Bang theory, its not a vehicle is it ?

LMAO....truly demented.

We do not know " what " caused the Big Bang, its not part of the theory, as for the " who ", maybe it was Norse Gods pretending to be aliens.

Jesus, how unhinged is Texas ?

In the Big Bang theory, the universe began as very hot, small, and dense, with no stars, atoms, form, or structure (called a "singularity"). Then about 14 billion years ago,space expanded very quickly (thus the name "Big Bang"), resulting in the formation of atoms, which eventually lead to the creation of stars and galaxies. The universe is still expanding today, but getting colder as well.

We do not know " what " caused the singularity to expand, end of stupid comparisons with Genesis 1:1.

The firewall of my pooter has been instructed to reject any posting that includes reference to Genesis 1:1.

Why has everything gone quiet?

Texas is sticking pins in a doll of me and chanting some Hebrew spell without using vowels, and polyglide was last seen at a Science convention with a bible in her hand, spinning like a Dalek on the podium chanting " evolution is not proven " " evolution is not proven " " exterminate " " exterminate".

Polyglide = 46,XY

I have no objection to the Big Bang theory.

God could have used energy to form the atom. the atom to form matter and matter to form all life and everything else.

In doing so he could have originally put everything into one part of the universe in it's original state until he decided to create the unuverse as we know it today by using the Big Bang to distribute what he had created.

The size of the universe is beyond our comprehension, just taking the last additions made to the proposed age of the universe, multiply that by two, then by the number of hours then by the hourly speed the scientists thinks the universe is expanding at and even that is beyond our understanding.

Then think in terms of additional millions of years of expansion and it becomes ???????????.

I have no objection to the Big Bang theory.

So now you trust science.

God could have used energy to form the atom. the atom to form matter and matter to form all life and everything else.

God could have used evolution as a mechanism to design humans in his image.

But you don't trust science, and object to evolution.

Go figure.

In doing so he could have originally put everything into one part of the universe in it's original state until he decided to create the unuverse as we know it today by using the Big Bang to distribute what he had created.

I don't think you've quite grasped the Big Bang theory, polyglide. The singularity, which was smaller than a walnut, was the universe at the beginning. Everything begins from that point. According to the theory, the density and gravity was so great and so hot that it 'exploded' and expanded very rapidly.

If all things begin at the singularity, where was God? Inside or outside the singularity? Was the singularity in something else?

We don't know. And for 13 billion years no one knew God and then he suddenly decided to create earth and put man on it so they could worship him. I wouldn't call God a high achiever would you? Alright, he might have created the universe but he certainly took his time about it and the earth was 4 billion years old before he put man on it. Do you think God has other planets that he has put people on so they can worship him as well?

What is God for?

I believe the singularity was infinitely small......whatever that means.

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I actually agree with this but " bara " does not mean " create from nothing " just because the context never mentions what from, too much poetic license to assume nothing.

As I have indicated to Snowyflake in a previous post.

Just read The Final Theory regarding science.

I di not dismiss evolution, I dismiss the thought that it was the source of creation.

I di not dismiss evolution, I dismiss the thought that it was the source of creation.

I don't think any one said it was the source of creation, polyglide. We all said, if I remember correctly, that we don't know.

I di not dismiss evolution, I dismiss the thought that it was the source of creation.

Try and remember what you post, you need a good memory to be a fake troll.

Now, now, Tosh were I a Troll I would put you down more often.

I do not have to remember anything I post because I always tell what I feel is the truth.

I do not have to remember anything I post because I always tell what I feel is the truth.

You DO need to remember what OTHER people post.

You've already botched this once today by claiming I've said things I never said.

[quote]

I do not have to remember anything I post because I always tell what I feel is the truth.[/quot

The truth is not felt my friend, it led to people with a squint eye being burnt as a witch etc etc, there were very good reasons for establishing the truth through objective methods.

Evolution is an explanation for the diversity of life, and yet you keep connecting it to the beginning of life, your memory is absent.

Is that you Andrew ?

The Final Theory:

There's something I've been trying to figure out about this guy, Mark McCutcheon, and his "Final Theory"; is he serious? I find it pretty hard to imagine that Mark actually believes what he says. So, I'm wondering whether he's a charlatan trying to make some money off his book sales, or maybe he's just doing this "for the fun of it"? If he is serious, it seems to me that he needs professional help. Talk about delusions of grandeur! Also note all the rave reviews on his home page, are these reviews real or made up by Mark himself?

Someone get a 14 year old to explain high school physics to this guy.

I think the problem is that he relies on a 14 year old's physics knowledge to make him sounds like he knows what he's talking about.

He basically rewrites the definition of work(which I am calling definition of work Markons since it's his definition) and tries to tell everyone that physicists are lying and trying to get everyone to believe them. It is a scam.

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=119385

There is something irreligious about those who need to pervert science and logic in order to PROVE their religious beliefs, IT LACKS FAITH.

So you have to be selective in what you consider and dismiss matters that you obviously have not even considered.

Why should one scientist be worthy of consideration and another not and why should a none scientist be unable to come to a better conclusion than an actual person who calls himself a scientist?

I agree that evolution takes place but only within that which has been created.

Show me an example of any creature that has turned into a completely new one.

Of course things evolve all domesticated animals have evolved in the manner that man has treated them.

But all have been originally created by one method or another and not by evolution, evolution has only occured after creation.

The reason things have evolved is because of changed circumstances and all have retained their originality.

I know, I know you cannot believe that I keep on about the butterfly and how it's reproduction method works but if you consider all the implications and think that they could come about without any kind of intelligence being involved then please do not attempt to decry what I say just get the attention of a good brain surgeon.

Why should one scientist be worthy of consideration and another not and why should a none scientist be unable to come to a better conclusion than an actual person who calls himself a scientist?

mmm, have a wee think about this you nit wit, if a scientist is trained in civil engineering are you happy for him/her to read your x-rays ?

Its not just about scientists, its about evidence and the objective scientific method, when will you get this through your thick skull ?

There is nothing wrong with you submitting your objections for peer review, to date not one creationist has bothered, ever wonder why ?

Maybe they are too busy writing pseudo science books to sell to ignorant suckers like you.

I know, I know you cannot believe that I keep on about the butterfly and how it's reproduction method works but if you consider all the implications and think that they could come about without any kind of intelligence being involved then please do not attempt to decry what I say just get the attention of a good brain surgeon.

WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND FREAKIN BUTTERFLIES, YOU ARE DOING MY HEAD IN ?

What are the implications, show me why intelligence must be behind the reproductive method of a butterfly ?

A butterfly does not need a brain surgeon, what does this imply ?