Philip wrote:Truly: Since we are the only species among the millions of other species that can even conceive of a God, I'd say that nature would not be considered Godly.
I haven't the foggiest as to what that statement means?
Truly: I can't explain how life wasn't designed(which would assume that it was), anymore than I can explain how life really began.
Which means that ANYONE arguing for a Godless universe is ridiculous - particularly if one uses science to assert such. Science cannot go there.
Truly: I can only speak about what happened after life had started.
And so, per the point and focus of this forum, spamming it up with "science talk" is irrelevant. If one is here to engage over the possible evidences in reality that may point to God, that's great. But if someone merely wants to regurgitate textbook scenarios concerning what would have been SECONDARY issues involving evolutionary scenarios and their assertions - heck, point people to a textbook. But pages and pages of talking about what ALREADY existed, and how mechanisms and organisms SUBSEQUENTLY interacted, but only AFTER 10 billion years of NO life yet on earth - these have absolutely nothing to do with God or any assertions He does not exist. And I think Truly has acknowledged this. So, then why go on about it, as if has anything to say about why ANYTHING exists, how anything can, how the characteristics and functionalities of what instantly appeared at the Big Bang was possible? Answering how those things could even exist, instantly appear, and instantly begin functioning as they did - THOSE are the questions that really matter.
Evolution talk is but a circus sideshow compared to the questions of what came first and how - least as far as this board is concerned. If processes occurring only
after the fact of physical matter and existence is one's focus, they would be better off frequenting an evolution forum. Arguments over secondary and totally dependent things and processes are totally irrelevant to the questions surrounding God's existence. We here on G&S have seen countless people come on to argue for the non-existence of God, and then they almost immediately, pointlessly and relentlessly start spamming up the site with their analysis of evolutionary processes - as if they even matter. As per the FAR more important question and the forum's central purposes - they don't!
Thank you Philip, and I appreciate your words and opinions. My comment only meant that no other animal on the planet shows any evidence of conceiving of a God. Since we are only one of millions of other species, it would seem that the conception of a God is not a necessary ingredient for survival. Therefore Nature is motivate without the need of God, thus unGodly. This was in response to another comment made. I do not speak on the existence of God, because I don't know enough to offer any insight. If 4 Billion people on the planet believe in the existence of God, then there must be something to it. They can't all be wrong. So I speak only about topics that I do know something about. Maybe there are those that share a different opinion than yours, and
want to understand Evolution from a scientific perspective. As far as spamming, I only asked for one thread for those interested in visiting, but unfortunately that was out of my control. So I'm not spamming. If I posted my ideas on other threads, then I would be spamming.
My comments have nothing to do with whether a God exists or not. A person's beliefs provides many positive social, emotional, and psychological benefits(security, sense of belonging, purpose, wisdom, a moral framework, sense of community, unity, etc.). Of course there are the negative aspects(separatism, exclusivism, censorship, obedience, inspired conflicts((the killing of Atheists in Bangladesh)), mistrust/distrust, closed-mindedness, etc.), that are hard to ignore.
All I'm saying is there might be some that may share an interest in both Religion and science. My students and colleagues claim that my method of teaching is a lot easier to understand than many textbooks. Although, I do recommend textbooks as an optional aid for a more detailed understanding. I really expected that those that read my topics, are sincerely interested in what I am saying. I did not expect all this unwarranted vitriol and latent invectives. Since overwhelmingly, it is moderators that are making comments on my thread, I don't see the justification for such unwarranted fears. But, as I have said before, if no one visits my thread, then I am effectively muted. If this is your purpose, then eventually the threat will end. If you would like to censor all opinions other than your own, then simply say in your screening process, "No Non-Christians, No Skeptics, No Atheist, and No Critical Thinkers allowed". This would alleviate all other dissenting opinions, and maintain Religious exclusivity. Of course you would then be no different than any other radical organization or ideology(Klu Klux Clan, IRA, Black Radical Congress, Radical Feminism, Racists Organizations, Cultism, Radical Islam, etc.). They also censor any and all dissenting opinions. Exclusivity in society, only leads to social separatism and mistrust/distrust. We have seen the results of exclusivism in the pasts(slavery, radicalism, racism, antisemitism, women's suffrage, social and religious intolerance, nazism, segregation, lynchings, wars, etc). This is what happens when only one point of view is allowed. It was amazing how quickly the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses changed their practice, when they were threatened with paying taxes, because of their policy of not allowing other races into their higher levels of faith(by Biblical interpretation), simply because of their race. This was a blatant example of Religious discrimination and intolerance.
I would never have posted anything at all, if I hadn't seen your thread about the extraordinary scientific proof that proved the existence of God. So, are you suggesting that I post only non-scientific, metaphysical and philosophical mumbo-jumbo, or go elsewhere? We all live in the same human society, and we all need and depend on each other for our survival. So social interaction is inevitable. So rather than sow the make-believe seeds of self-serving logic, just to justify another banning, just don't visit the thread. Especially, if the the strength of your belief seems this easily threatened. Don