<<religion would have you believe that some guy went up on a mountain and talked to God who gave him a stone tablet engraved with the 10 commandments...up until that time humans had no morals>>
Not true. We've already established that having religious faith is not necessary to have morals. However, religion has provided a moral foundation that a HUGE number of people follow to this day. I think thats great
<<Atheists, by definition, have to be thinking people as opposed to the believers>>
The only thing I'll say to this is that a sweeping statement like that is an insult to many great thinkers who also had great faith.
<<you demand 100% proof from science but will not subject a single religious belief to the same conditions>>
Its not me...science is fact based where much of religion is faith based.
<<Recent studies of DNA from chimpanzees and humans show about 99% identical sequencing>>
Its better than that. Human DNA around the globe is so similar that there is a growing group of scientists who believe the majority of human life was wiped out which created a DNA bottleneck. The great flood (recorded by many religions) seems to be a common potential event.
<<You say there are eye witness accounts of Satan, Angels, and human gods in the bible? Know of anything more recent and reliable than that? Science can't disprove them, but reason can.....>>
I'm sure you have but read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John again. These were eyewitness accounts written by 4 different men at different times. Very striking similarities
<<You need 100% proof of evolution?" You mean you don't accept evolutionary facts that are already proven? What would constitute 100% to you?>>
I actually believe in evolution. I just think there was a higher power at the wheel during this process. Science and religion have started to merge with a theory of intelligent design
<<Religion has a had a huge influence on human behavior usually through fear....ie a "God fearing man". If you don't behave, you'll go to "hell".>>
Actually one of the cool things about Religion/God is that its give people, all people, the freedom to decide on their own. It's not imposed - its taught and the receiver of this information is free to decide for themselves.
Now lets think about influence on the other side because it sure sounds like hell to me. When I was a kid (10 years old in 1976) we were being taught that science believed we were headed into another ice age. Today, not only was that not the case, but now they have us going into a global warming phase. The dire predictions do sound like hell! Humans must change their ways or we will die because we'll have destroyed the world. Talk about fear! If we don't behave our cities will be under water and we'll all be cookin' like a Kenny Rodgers roaster. Now, I believe in God which to you means I'm a non thinking guy - but I'm thinking long and hard about global warming. I'm thinking that with the flick of a switch (in this case a switch being a natural occurrence) a volcanic eruption cold cool us down in a way none of us wants. We could get hit with a small meteor or any number of things that would change the direction of global warming in a flash! Its happened before. Its happened in our (recent) recorded history. The number of humans could be reduced in any number of ways just as it has in the past. Science would have us believe we have the wheel and can do something about this issue - I don't think we have that control. Just by virtue of making a change in our habits we could be changing the dynamics of climate variation in such a way that if any event happened it could tip the scales and kill us all. But science is sure we're the controller of climate change and if we don't change our ways - we die. Now you talk about influence by fear - isn't that what science is doing now?
What I'm not saying is that science has no basis - it does. But so does religion. Realize this one thing - people who believe in god are not all like Falwell. I'm a moderate republican who believes in god. I was raised in a Christian home and the people around me were not non thinkers nor am I. Its way to easy to paint everyone who thinks a certain thing out to be either this or that. When that happens everyone - EVERYONE is being a non thinker. I have some friends who are very religious that from an intellect standpoint would make you and I look like a tadpole. They're far from non thinkers.
<<Sorry, but the renewed attack on evolution in the last few years by the Christian Right bugs me big time>>
I don't see that but lets assume its true. What does it say about people like Bill and Hillary Clinton who go to church together during campaigns? They're democrats - are they non thinkers or are they just putting on a show when they actually don't believe in God? I don't think they're non thinkers! I don't agree with their views but they aren't non thinkers. Are they doing it just for show? I don't think so....I hope not. They don't need to prove anything to me with regard to their religion. I'm going to vote for the person I feel will best lead this country.
What you and I and everyone in this country should really be worried about is that so far there doesn't seem to be a very good candidate out there. If that stands it will make 3 election cycles in a row where our options were shit! Now did you hear that? 3 cycles of shit. What does that tell you about me being a religious right guy? I'm a republican but before anything I'm an American! I'm not so full of myself that I think only 1 party can do the job. I voted for Bush twice and if I could go back in time I'd vote the same way. DO I like where we are as a country at the moment? Nope! But I look back at Kerry and Gore and I don't exactly view them as value picks. Not VALUES - Value. Like a football team as they survey their options in the 3rd and 4th rounds. We didn't have a first round pick - there wasn't a first rounder runnin'. It's time to go off the board and start electing neighbors who haven't been bought and paid for.
I want someone to run that makes the establishment on both sides say "FUCK - this guy is dangerous!" I want someone that will take on Washington, cooperate America, special interest groups and knock them all down a few pegs. I want a person that, when military force is require, will act swiftly and only deploy troops if we intend to back them to win. We SHOULD be in the middle east - but not like we are now. Everyone knows we have a situation in Iran that needs to be dealt with - and probably militarily. But people are going to sit back and try to use this as a political tool rather than do the deed. We'll end up doing the deed - I promise that. But it wont be done until our leaders fuck around so much for political positioning that "the deed" is going to get much harder to accomplish. So...don't be pissed about evolution and the Christian Right - its a waste of energy. Be pissed about the fact that while our leaders on both sides jockey for political position we ignore a problem that will only get worse by the day.
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