Poor trump - Page 16

Where I work the temp this summer has gotten to a nice 115. Trying working 10 and 12 hours in that heat with high humidity. Bee I will say you have never tried to convert me and you are similar to me in that you don't start threads about religion but you will comment. I am not real big on keeping the OT threads on topic. Threads evolve and I think that is fine. I try to stay away from insults but at times I still slip back. Lets say I have evolved in my posts over the years.

The thing is, if I say believing in Noah's Ark is silly it isn't necessarily an attack on religion. Plenty of Christians believe that Noah's Ark is just a myth. Also, can certain beliefs be silly? It's insulting to tell an adult that believing in Noah's Ark is silly but what if he believed in the Tooth Fairy? In my opinion labeling a belief as religious doesn't mean it is off limits to intelligent (or even moronic) critique. That's the hypocrisy of many and even some who post here. They will talk about Islam like it's the worst set of ideas that humans ever codified but if you tell them that believing in Noah's Ark is childish they take offense. If someone really believes they should welcome criticism. It manifests itself in other ways of course. I have seen people who have been very critical of Islam, on Bill Maher's show for example, and others have gotten upset because they believe that you can't criticize religion period (as well as culture).

As far as intelligence goes, that was based on studies so if people have a problem with that they can always read them and come up with a critique that is based on more than hurt feelings.

GSDadmin:
I think some people who are atheist know the bibleS so well because they didn't start out as atheists and only came to their conclusions after reading the non-sense of the bible and getting half of a brain. The earth is way older than the bible presents it as. An ark large enough to hold 2 of every species on earth? With humans wiped out we should all descend from Noah and his children but we don't. Logic should tell you there is something wrong with biblical stories. Is this then considered brainwashing?

Hans: Finally good post worth to answer. Let me explain about belief in God. I am born again Christian . What that means is that at first I was born out of my mother and then I was born again spiritually. Same as nobody can get ubnorn from mother nobody who truly is born spiritually can not be unborn. Thus once you have faith in God you can not lose it. Thus people who claim that they used to be Christians and they are now atheist, were what I call so called "rational " Christians. However faith in God is not based on rational reasoning. That is why it is based on faith.

6000 years old earth?
Nowhere in bible "present" such thing. Such is coming from interpretation and misconceptions of Archbishop Ussher (1581–1656) and Dr. Jones and others who have attempted such impossible task. Most sane people do not beleive such nonsense and IMO that is akin to prediction of end of the world based on Biblical writing. Thus if you condemn Bible based on you saying that "the bible presents it as" the earth being 6000 years old I asure you that you will not be able to find it anywhere in Biblical writings.

Noah's ark.
Remember all in Bible is true and if we do not understand it that is our fault. For example some argue that Noah's ark actually stored genetic code. I mean if we accept that man was created then DNA was also created and if it was created it also could be stored in Noah's ark.
There are other explanations like that the story is symbolic. Or since size of the ark is not possible to store all animals has persuaded some Christians to believe that it was only a local flood involving comparatively few local animals.

I did read those studies you cited, and came to the conclusion with a small bit of outside help, that besides my instinct, there is the fact that "belief" on its own, does not stay within the confines of faith. Such a fact would negate the claim of a cognitive disadvantage, such as you state, and in fact atheists will also see patterns and make associations, so that insures that we all are on the same level field when it comes to intentionality and imagining things that might not be there.

The idea that everything in the Bible is true is not shared by all Christians or Jews. Almost 2,000 years ago there were those who said some stories were allegorical.

Also, for a believer to state that everything in the Bible is true is incorrect. He believes it is true but that is not the same as asserting it is true.

And why would God need Noah to preserve the genetic codes for him on a boat? That's a like a chef saving a cookbook from a fire in order to not lose the recipe for boiling water. So God is powerful enough to create EVERYTHING using will power alone. He can cause the earth to flood. But he needs a drunkard to preserve the genetic codes he used to create life?

GSSD admin: Kinda my point. I don't really consider myself as an atheist, I just believe differently than Christians and they hate it. Organized religion is not for me. To me religion is brainwashing.

hans: FYI true Christians do not hate you nor anyone for not believing in Bible.
And do not mix organized religion and Christianity. Organized religion uses and try to explain Christianity. So many Christians are not affiliated with any organized religion nor need to be members of some specific church. Bible explains that church is assembly of people talking about Bible or God . Thus even if just two people talk about God that is basically Church. The word church in the Bible comes from the Greek word ecclesia, which means a called out company or assembly. It may or may not be organized. The point is Christianity is the faith and concept of belief based on Bible. Church as you claim it be organized religion is just a organization dealing with Christianity.

Atheists can fall into the same cognitive traps since they predate religion and are thus part of being human. And it isn't always a bad thing to see patterns and associations because they do exist. We may start out on a level playing field, although it is possible genetics plays a part, but we don't end up playing in the same league.

Organized religions are responsible for the Bible, or the various versions of it, that people who don't belong to a particular denomination use. You still read through their filter.

GSDTravels:"WTF difference would it make knowing another's beliefs? Why would anyone care , as long as they're not forcing it on someone else???"
Hans: It is not Biblical to force beleive in god on anyone. Belief in God is totally voluntary and that is biblical concept. if someone forces religion on you like radical Islamists do for example , then that is not possible to in person to establish true faith in God. Faith in God is personal relationship between God and one man. Nobody can force it or take it away nor lose it once it is established.
All Christians will question presence of God at one time or another but they will not lose their faith once they have it.

Organized religion = money and control, no more, no less. Genetic codes now that is funny. So, did they also store the genetic codes for different lines of people? Because we aren't descended from Noah. How did they keep this DNA from rotting? 40 days and 40 nights later? Did they then take this DNA and snap their fingers and crinkle their noses and poof an animal emerged? Born again means nothing. It is a ruse. I believe Santa flys around the world delivering packages on Christmas, does that make it true? You believe because you want to believe and those beliefs came from a form of brainwashing. Usually with scary tales of burning in this fairy tale place of hell. I do not know the bible because as a teen I grew up and fairy tales became unbelievable. If you want to believe that is fine but don't blow smoke up my ass expecting me to fall in line with your beliefs. I have a lot of born again family members and I can tell you most will tell me straight up if I do not accept God as my savior I am going to hell, BS. Delusional to say the least.