[guytoronto]

ABC News: Kirk Cameron vs. Atheists

The Atheists vs The Christians (no lions involved).

A very entertaining watch. It will be appearing on Nightline tonight.

 

[Dr.G.]

Good question, with no easy answer. One might ask "Do we exist?" and, if so, for what purpose? Paix, mon ami.

 

[guytoronto]

One could ask "Do we require purpose?"

 

[Kazak]

Watch for a possible appearance by atheists, too.

(I'm fighting the good fight, Margaret.)

 

[Dr.G.]

"One could ask "Do we require purpose?"" Another good question. Still, having some relevant and authentic purpose other than just existence might be helpful. In the Jewish faith this purpose is seen through "mitzvahs", which are good deeds towards all sorts of people/things (e.g., family, ordinary people, animals, nature, etc.).

 

[Kazak]

A person who requires purpose but finds none around him can still create a purpose for himself. The "mitzvahs" you mention, Dr. G., sound like a positive version of this. Unfortunately, not everyone chooses so well.

 

[MasterBlaster]

.

 

[talonracer]

I've claimed I was god a few times...

So far no lightning bolts...

 

[Ottawaman]

Who's god?
That question has caused some trouble over the years.
Any theologians in the house?

 

[An Old Soul]

Life is just a playful way for God to have that "where'd I put my keys?" type of experience.

 

[Eukaryotic]

Richard Dawkins will be on "The Agenda with Steve Paiken" Thursday night at 8:00PM. If folks are interersted in this topic, Dawkins might be someone you find interesting.

 

[bryanc]

Good question, with no easy answer. One might ask "Do we exist?"

I think Descartes handled this one fairly well with "I think therefore I am."

Beyond that, it's all speculation. But we can use parsimony and other logical tools to help us generate ideas that are more likely to be true (or, to be more precise, less likely to be false).

and, if so, for what purpose? Paix, mon ami.

This question assumes that there is some purpose, and that we simply need to find it. I much prefer to start with the null hypothesis, that there is no purpose to existence, as this leaves us free to create whatever purpose and meaning we want out of our existence.

Cheers

 

[Macfury]

This question assumes that there is some purpose, and that we simply need to find it. I much prefer to start with the null hypothesis, that there is no purpose to existence, as this leaves us free to create whatever purpose and meaning we want out of our existence.

...as long as we don't listen to our high school guidance counselors!

 

[20DDan]

It isn't an answer anyone but your own belief can bring you. Do you go with the .... this world evolved from a big bang, complete chaos, my distant cousin over millions of years is a frog, no purpose in life, evolution kind of thinking or do you believe.... Everything in this universe was created for a purpose, everything is balanced precisely in the universe so that we may exist on earth, we were designed by a higher being that being God and for his pleasure, every creature on this earth was designed precisely and a frog cannot evolve into a human being (even over millions of years), you are not here by chance... you have a purpose to fulfill... find out what it is!

I personally believe there is a God! I know many here would rip my head off for my beliefs as I've seen before in previous threads on this subject but I dont care. I'll say it like it is!

- Look into the human body, DNA, the unbelievably complex makeup of the human body n how absolutely perfect it is, can you honestly believe that it all started from swamp fungi (swamp fungi is perfect too), we are the only creatures on earth that were given the knowledge between right n wrong, the animal kingdom was made perfectly too... but for another purpose.
- The way that only a select few scientists determine the (billions n billions of years) ages of things is unscientific and extremely unacurate, in actuality the earth is very young around 4000 - 7000yrs old, look at the coast lines disappearing they used to say these events took millions of years... well thats a bunch of garbage because real life proof shows a HUGE difference than their fantasies
- There is more real evidence/proof that Jesus existed than there is that Cleopatra existed! There are things that were prophesied that would happen (the odds of all of these things all coming true was unbelievably huge)... it all came to pass.... I'm refering to things in the Bible... what about nostra damus or whatever his name is... how many of his vague ideas came true???

This is me... this is what I believe, I will not be shaken! I'm not imposing my beliefs on anyone here, all I'm saying is look at the facts... from many different sources not just 1 named Darwin!

 

[20DDan]

So I'm watching that debate.... laugh out loud!!!! All you need is eyes that can see and a brain that works! So true..... Your car ... was it designed or did it fall together over millions of years into the random precise car that it is today? You know there is a maker even though you cant see, hear, smell, touch, taste him but you know he made it! As many world famous for being the most brilliante scientists of all time have said... the universe is in such harmony n perfection it only goes to prove that there is a maker!

 

[darkscot]

- Look into the human body, DNA, the unbelievably complex makeup of the human body n how absolutely perfect it is, can you honestly believe that it all started from swamp fungi etc.

So you're saying if there was no God, then our bodies would be imperfect? We'd have malformd limbs and live like animals? Does it really make sense that "imperfect" beings would even exist? Don't you think swamp fungi is perfect too. It had an ancestor as well and is way more complex than it.

 

[20DDan]

Again... I'm not here to argue about it because I've tried before but I'm 1/10000 in this ehmac forum who shares this belief... all I wanted to say is

This is me... this is what I believe, I will not be shaken! I'm not imposing my beliefs on anyone here, all I'm saying is look at the facts... from many different sources not just 1 named Darwin!

 

[rgray]

- Look into the human body, DNA, the unbelievably complex makeup of the human body n how absolutely perfect it is, can you honestly believe that it all started from swamp fungi etc.

Yes I can because the theory of evolution is the only theory for which any observable evidence exists. There is not one single shred of observable evidence that will stand up to any kind of objective scrutiny to support the god theory, so I'll go with what I can show.

There is plenty of evidence around to show that DNA is far from perfect. You just have to start counting up the number of variations of human dis-ease that are demonstrably related in some way to errors of DNA. In a lot of ways it is the imperfections related to DNA that has enabled the whole panorama of life.

I find life in the most general sense is a total "Wow!!!!" experience without any need to recourse to some sort of supernatural 'special friend'.

 

[20DDan]

One good example of a scientist that knew of the existance of a God yet did not put faith in him as in a religous way is Einstein. I'm listening to an audiobook about him n his life... although I find it personally disappointing that he did not put his faith in God he did believe in his existance because of the perfect harmony in this universe echoes that! I shall say no more.

 

[darkscot]

Again... I'm not here to argue about it because I've tried before but I'm 1/10000 in this ehmac forum who shares this belief... all I wanted to say is

This is me... this is what I believe, I will not be shaken! I'm not imposing my beliefs on anyone here, all I'm saying is look at the facts... from many different sources not just 1 named Darwin!

But this is a discussion board and I'm discussing.

So what are the facts you speak of?

And just because there is a "god" you must/should put faith in him? Why?