Not fair. This was a way to make things simple and relevant to the people of that day - people who did not see the earth as a near-sphere, but people who dealt with what they saw and understood. This was not meant to be a geographical standard that people need to adhere to. Once again, the bible is not a scientific document. Much of it is written in metaphors and simple, occassionally poetic language. Refering to the “4 corners of the earth” as being a foolhardy statement is like trashing a poet for coining “to the ends of the earth”, “from the bottom of my heart” “to the pit of my stomach” (it’s not a pit, but more of a greater curviture).
“Jesus” could have told them, some brilliant scientist like Thales prove the earth was not flat. I think it show us how “human” the bible is, if we look how much it look like a normal book of the time, not a book inspired by an higher being. It just seem like a book of stories, like those about how Zeus rape Hera or those about Belenos… I can understant that when you are christians it seem otherwise, but with a little objectivity, is the book so special ?
Again FinsterniS? I don’t get it. this is more of your “A Christian acted like a jerk therefore there is no God” argument. Need i remind you that we may apply this “christians and dogmatic persons slow down science” thing to “Germans killed innocent people by the millions”, or “Communists killed innocent people by the millions”? really. this was pointless
hmmm… As i matter of fact… as a… well i am out of words. No seriously, you are right, i have to admit i am not very proud, it was fallacious and unfair, i should’nt use that kind of arguments as a tool against religion; it does’nt prove anything. While i still think religion is not of good help for science, it was sometime a good motivation, and anyway i could’nt blame all christians just for some fanatic. I said i could give exemple of fanatism in religion, Ident ask why (it was legitimate), i give some exemples (anecdotal evidence, no real values), so i was wrong. I’m sorry.
here i agree with you. Christians do not need to “prove” that God created the world. We couldn’t, and using a flawed argument like “thermodynamically it’s not possible” does not help the creationist argument.
I always say that as long as christianism does’nt get involve in science there is no problem.
FinsterniS, it appears that your arguement against God is limited not to god himself, but to Christianity. If you successfully win the arguement against Christianity, and perhaps do a little research on some other religions, then you can attempt to argue agianst them. AS it stands, it appears you are attempting to paste Christian beliefs and ideals onto other religions.
I does’nt believe in any god that with intelligence of conscience*, in short in a god with some of our traits, it’s irrational. Because as i see it, religion is created by LOTS of factors, i don’t say it’s for power, nor because of fear or ignorance, it thinks it’s lots of factors. One of this factors is very clear, people want a stable explanation of the universe, and using anthropomorphic trait is making all much easier. Just see how eager people where to claim someone draw a human face in mars surface, we easily recognise what is human, using a being with human trait; intelligence, conscience, is easier than believing in an inhuman nature; it’s too far, too hard to understant. Just look how often people, in a formal debate about god, will use anthropomorphic argument, they say “a design need a designer”, they say we need a first cause, and it seem impossible to consider a first cause without intelligence of conscience. I just see no reason to believe something with intelligence or conscience design us, but i see reasons to believe otherwise, also i believe it’s VERY, VERY hard for someone committed to “god” to question his own believe rationally.
- I’m not sure it’s a human trait at all, looking how much futile violence and pollution we are creating :evil: