What's your Religion?

Holy Hell, this is one open-ended topic.

I have one thing to add, and I hope I dont offend anybody (truly, its not my intention).

But, the people who do not believe in evolution, simply don't believe in evolution because it is too complex for them to understand. They simply "don't get it".

Just like many were laughed at hundreds of years ago when they suggested the Earth was spherical and not flat, people who don't believe in evolution (and out right attack it) do so because it is far easier than understanding the science behind why it does exist and the proof that it does exist. It is far easier to believe what a book tells you that this Earth was created exactly 10,000 years ago to this very day (give me a break). Or it is easier to believe that the Earth is flat because the current King of the land has said so.

The Wright brothers were laughed at when they suggested a plane could fly, anti-evolutionists just don't accept it because they got a C- in Biology and it is easier to keep your blinders on. Good thing is, in less than 100 years, most of that type will be gone, and we will all be like Columbus and open our eyes to what really exists.

Oh, and for the record, I am very much theistic. I believe in God, but have not found any credible religions that clearly state evolution does not exist.

-Done.

 

It's all about the survival of the fittest. Those creatures that have favorable traits end up surviving long enough to reproduce, thus passing down their favorable traits to their offspring. Over time, the creatures with the non-favorable traits end up dying off, and only those with the favorable traits are left to continue producing. Yes, it takes millions of years, but it does happen...step-by-step, gene-by-gene, trait-by-trait.

 

I think people misunderstand evolution very very very often. I think people think of evolution in terms of an instantly transforming organism that goes from an apple to an orange overnight [figuratively speaking], when in reality its just particular characteristics staying in the cycle much longer than others due to the environment, which causes a change in which characteristics remain in the cycle in which go extinct.

The word evolution has many negative connotations when it comes to theists and perhaps re evaluating it, and taking the time to truly understand it will help us realize that we agree on many more levels that once thought.

 

Raised a Catholic, but started doubting it when I was eight years old. Now I am best described as a Diest which is not a relgion in the traditional sense. Basically, God exists but does not get involved in our lives on a personal basis. Famous American Diests: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

 

JD? Would Manny be considered a missing link?

 

Manny needs to stop copying and pasting from mutated evo hippy novels. Lol.

 

too complex...lol

 

That was the "nice" way of saying everyone that believes in religion are idiots. It's too complicated for us apparently!

 

Yes I am considered a missing link, Im what humanity has been looking for all along. Im the link to peace and understanding, and Im finally here guys. Everything is gonnna be okay.

 

"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus." Thomas Jefferson [Letter to Benjamin Rush April 21, 1803]

Maybe only in his latter years of life I think, true Diest early on...?

James Madison:
At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, James Madison proposed the plan to divide the central government into three branches. He discovered this model of government from the Perfect Governor, as he read Isaiah 33:22;
"For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
He will save us."

I believe James Madison was a Diest, but maybe infulenced by the Bible?

I'm not trying to be negative or sarcastic toward your beliefs. I am not saying I am better than you by any means. We see in history that many quotes can contradict others, especially regarding religion.

 

Many different interpretations of the same thing.............

 

we should really take this great discussion over to the creation evolution thread.........

you really opened yourself up here brother. You are discussing natural selection not evolution. Those creatures that drop off traits and add traits are still the same creature/species. Your words are true but they don't prove that one animal changed into a completely different animal.

 

Or try at least.

 

The way I see it is this. We can all believe what we want. No one can tell you are wrong for thinking how you do. Nobody knows for SURE. I guess in the end, we will all find out one way or another. So lets all get along.

 

It's all done the same way...there isn't one gene that is going to change one animal into an entirely different animal. Step-by-step the animal will change, and at some point the resulting animal will be so different from it's ancestors, that it can then be considered a different animal all together. Mutations in the gene pool along the way help to speed up the process.

Why do you think we share 98% of our DNA with apes?

 

Yes, both Jefferson and Madison were influenced by the Bible and Jesus's teachings. Their philosophy was Judeo-Christian as is mine. However, they did not believe that Jesus was divine and thought that Jesus did not consider himself devine.

Jefferson wrote that Jesus was the 'Great Reformer of the Jewish Religion' and taught the most pure form of morals. He also thought that Jesus's teachings were corrupted by his followers and used to gain wealth and power for themselves. What Christians today think is the word of God is just used by the leaders of the various religions to control their members and con money out of them.

I do not think everything I was taught in Catholic School was wrong, the basic morals of Christianity I agree with. It is the beliefs like God's direct intervention through miracles, the Divinity of Jesus and the authority the priests derive from it that I think are nonsense. This authority is used by them to abuse and oppress their followers in a very dictatorial manner.

I came to this conclusion myself and never could understand how the founders of this country could not see it. Then I read some of Jefferson's letters and saw I was not alone in my thoughts. If anyone wants to believe in the various religions of the world that is their right. Jefferson thought it was everyone's right to believe in a religion but they were foolish to do so. He wrote, 'What does it matter to me if my neighbor believes in twenty gods or no god at all, it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.' and '...the sway of priests in New England is indeed formidable, no mind above mediocrity dares there to develop itself.'.

 

To a degree, yes, which is why everyone needs to be able to read and interpret what is written for themselves first in order to avoid blindly following some other human's flawed interpretation of God's word IMO. Humans speaking for God sets off an alarm for me. I do feel there is, has been and always will be something bigger than we as humans can properly comprehend. I don't feel some entity waved a magic wand and poof we were here but also don't feel like this all just happened on it's own either. A lot of things that have happened in this world cannot be explained scientifically or otherwise and I feel these miraculous things aren't able to occur naturally on their own so again with the something more to it than just science and facts and history. I do believe we are better off believing and having faith of some type. Lack of any kind of religion or faith in something bigger than us displays a misplaced arrogance and superiority complex that humans have no right to IMO.

 

Grew up as a Jehovah's Witness. Turned 18 and became AGNOSTIC...