Not at all. The fact that you profess that you don't know "the truth," puts you on a much higher plain than those who insist that they know "the truth" and that does not allow for a deity.
If you accept that there can be a deity that created humankind with free will to choose how to live their lives, but that those choices have consequences, then you can find your own "truth." While a Catholic myself, it is my conclusion that the differences among all religions is one of human failing. Basically in being so arrogant as to try to understand God and his plan and trying to craft rules based on that human interpretation.
I believe that JC was a real person and a human manifestation of God. His teachings are simple and basically boil down to "love one another as you would love yourself," or perhaps a less squishy form being "do unto others as you would have done unto you." While that doesn't present the "why" argument that Objectivists seem to need to identify, it leads to the exact same set of principals and morality, thus I cannot see why so many of them are so anti-religious.
As for science - my conclusion is that God gave us a brain in order to use it. He also created the laws of nature, so discerning them is part of the glorification of God.
As I said, perhaps all religions are some slice through "truth." Kind of like having some convoluted 3D item. Each one slices through on a plane, exposing some different cross section of the same entity. None are the whole "truth" but all are some part of the "truth." Add to that a human "lens" that distorts the "truth" to varying degrees.
Rand Paul as Secretary of State would be very interesting. It would be like telling the world that we are going to deal with our own problems first. If you want to interact with us, you will come here on our terms.
Allen West could easily have been governor down here in Florida and missed a golden opportunity to primary a RINO in Rick Scott. I guess he was holding out for higher office?
The link between the two is that Christianity states the origin of life. In that way faith ties into the rational argument. As for creation there is no way to know how it came about. At this point, unless Life can be duplicated in an controlled environment, the only thing you have if you want to look at this issue is faith.
I write sci-fi and there are dozens of ways that I can see life developing. Happenstance isn't one of them. In fact my new book (due in August or September 2014, hopefully) will touch on this issue most profoundly (and piss off everyone, including my wife).
I also donated to Cain....But if we couldn't get Cain, I'm hoping for either Ben Carson or Allan West. BOTH would be ever better: one as president, the other as Vice=President. Huzza!!
So far, I follow and agree with your statements. Although you seem to be talking about two separate subjects - the benefits of Chistianity and the origins of Life. The benefits is a separate subjects, so I'm leaving it alone. As to the origins, your approach is quite acceptable to me, as it is based on a rational approach. Thus, any of your premises may change based on newly uncovered or understood information, which may lead to a different conclusion. That is a normal analysis; I don't see any faith in it. Unless we understand the terms differently, I take it that faith means "believe bacause a source of authority has said so" and one is not allowed to analyze the premises and, ultimately, a different outcome is not allowed.
Computers/machines will become only more sophisticated and affordable. People will need to learn to work with them. You can't get a job digging ditches if you can't work the necessary machines. This is why I'm becoming a Computer Scientist.
Long discussion topic - in short, existence, to me, is not random. Someone or something has created space (space is not infinite), someone or something has created humans simply because the improbability of the long string of reactions that have to precisely occur for any single step leading up the "supposed " primordial soup" that created life.
If these things aren't random then someone or something is or was at work. That's rational.
Religions: no one can be sure who is right and who is wrong. But, history and 3 world religions tell us that Jesus did exist (but cannot confirm his resurrection). Jesus's teachings have done immeasurable good for the world and perhaps fostered a maturity in mankind unrivaled by other religions. Good reason to lean toward Christianity as truth.
Rationally the fact that we exist is enough to ask why and how, no?
I was not making any comment or reference to the benefits of Christianity. What I was and am saying is that even if Christianity is the greatest and best religion ever, that in itself does not prove that the Christian God (or any other) is real. I would like to understand, though, your premise that faith is a rational solution. Please explain.
You are still left with the same questions: Where did existence come from? where was the kernel that made the universe? Where did the first link in the chain of life stem from?
If a being made the computers and the computers made our universe who made the being?
Basically all this theory did was reset the questions to times even more remote than what was already being argued.
I wouldn't be so sure. The measure of Christianity's impact on the world is immense. Yes, there was brief brutal times within the Christian path but there was so much more that propelled mankind forward toward a more peaceful co-existence its hard to draw any parallel with any other religion. While it wasn't always the case throughout the world, tolerance is a cornerstone of Christianity along with a litany of other noble ethos that have made this country as great has it has been. As far as faith disallowing critical analysis, I beg to differ. There are those, like me, who look at faith as a rational solution to questions that only have wildly outlandish scientific answers. In that way the probability of a creator is much more feasible (and rational) than winning infinite lotteries for every process of the evolutionary origin chain. But, that's just me.
Maybe. I don't profess to know the "truth." But I do profess to being able to fairly well recognize when someone's approach or method has an unrealistic chance of finding the truth. Such methods are often tied to a dogma, which precludes any analysis based on information available. Faith and dogma expect, demand, that the "truth" be accepted because "it is." I find it curious that people of scientific persuation, educated in scientific fields, require analysis and proof in all aspects of life except in what life is in the first place. Life, as we know it, may very well have been created by an intelligent being (or beings); I have nothing against that concept; I do have something against believing it simply because it was said and written down (eventually) by semi-prehistoric people. Should we just as well believe in their other beliefs?
Previous comments... You are currently on page 2.
GOD's ears!!
If you accept that there can be a deity that created humankind with free will to choose how to live their lives, but that those choices have consequences, then you can find your own "truth." While a Catholic myself, it is my conclusion that the differences among all religions is one of human failing. Basically in being so arrogant as to try to understand God and his plan and trying to craft rules based on that human interpretation.
I believe that JC was a real person and a human manifestation of God. His teachings are simple and basically boil down to "love one another as you would love yourself," or perhaps a less squishy form being "do unto others as you would have done unto you." While that doesn't present the "why" argument that Objectivists seem to need to identify, it leads to the exact same set of principals and morality, thus I cannot see why so many of them are so anti-religious.
As for science - my conclusion is that God gave us a brain in order to use it. He also created the laws of nature, so discerning them is part of the glorification of God.
As I said, perhaps all religions are some slice through "truth." Kind of like having some convoluted 3D item. Each one slices through on a plane, exposing some different cross section of the same entity. None are the whole "truth" but all are some part of the "truth." Add to that a human "lens" that distorts the "truth" to varying degrees.
I write sci-fi and there are dozens of ways that I can see life developing. Happenstance isn't one of them. In fact my new book (due in August or September 2014, hopefully) will touch on this issue most profoundly (and piss off everyone, including my wife).
It is much more efficient.
get Cain, I'm hoping for either Ben Carson
or Allan West. BOTH would be ever better:
one as president, the other as Vice=President.
Huzza!!
If these things aren't random then someone or something is or was at work. That's rational.
Religions: no one can be sure who is right and who is wrong. But, history and 3 world religions tell us that Jesus did exist (but cannot confirm his resurrection). Jesus's teachings have done immeasurable good for the world and perhaps fostered a maturity in mankind unrivaled by other religions. Good reason to lean toward Christianity as truth.
Rationally the fact that we exist is enough to ask why and how, no?
If a being made the computers and the computers made our universe who made the being?
Basically all this theory did was reset the questions to times even more remote than what was already being argued.
Life, as we know it, may very well have been created by an intelligent being (or beings); I have nothing against that concept; I do have something against believing it simply because it was said and written down (eventually) by semi-prehistoric people. Should we just as well believe in their other beliefs?
Load more comments...