Well George, I, as a progressive thinker, student in the west, whatever you want to call it, I DO research my own religion. All of it makes sense to me in context and that's why I believe it.. You mention atmospheric changes, yes God has control over everything, God also says in the Quran that He is constantly expanding the sky. Today's science tells us that yes the universe(sky) is expanding. And I can point out numerous verses in the Quran that serve as proof for me that Islam is from God. All these verses that were revealed 1400 years ago, have much of what science is learning TODAY. That is the reason I believe in God, that is the reason I believe God is still here. You said the Creator created and left? The burden of proof is on you as to WHY a Creator just *poof* disappears? Why the need? If you don't know, then why I ask me why is He still there? That's a bit dishonest don't you think? I mean it's not even relavant but heck I stated my reasons above - I say, God is still is here and will be here. As for the Evolution Theory, from the little research I did (remember I am still a student age:21 in uni) I come to believe that the fossil records show us that life didn't just evolve, it came and went. It didn't just evolve from one species to another. Even evolutionists say the same: Anyways, the living being is a complex thing, even the cell is so complex, as you said there is a Creator. I say there MUST be a Creator.
Just the guy I need... I'm doing a bit of research on free will vs gods law Islamic style. Just in case I wanna join. I understand Mohammed got engaged to his favorite wife when she was 6, then married her at 9. I need a little detail. Why the delay? Is the rule of thumb that you wait for their adult teeth to come in before the wedding? So just to be sure... homosexuality is out, but basically pedophilia is A-OK... right? How many wives should I have... is this determined by tax bracket of do you have to have more if you're convicted of a felony or something? Thanks... I look forward to learning about this. I can't wait to exercise a little free will Islamic style.
^ I have put you on my ignored list from another thread because of comments like those. But I will just guide you to the answer anyways, http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=7&ID=4604&CATE=1 and you can search up that site whenever you feel you need an answer without the need to post ignorant and hate filled posts, Heck why don't you go to the local mosque? if there are any in that part of Texas....
There's a local mosque about 12 miles away in Arlington... but since guys in both the 96 and 01 World Trade Center bombings were outta there I'm guessing they know nothing about Islam's message of peace. [Maybe they missed the memo.] As for your objections to my posts... you've spewed filth about other people & countries, dont rub the lamp if you dont wanna see the genie. Thought you were looking for drama. Besides, how can my posts be *ignorant* if theyre right? Are you saying Mohammed DIDNT marry a 9 yr old girl? I'll be happy to share my sources... it isnt like its a big secret how old Aisha was... it's on half the Islamic sites I looked at. What exactly is your definition of pedophilia if 9 year old girls are fair marriage material for grown men?
good for you M5Love that the only weapon they have, and they will use it over and over again. no matter how hard we tried to explained them with proves, valid proves they keep their eyes closed. god already warning us about that kind of people
if god didnt give us free will he would never be able to banish us to the firey pits of hell... end of discussion my heart goes out to the fallen angels who werent worthy of forgiveness and unconditional love. and i know that this may seem misleading, but i am one of the most unreligous people you will ever meet, always have been. i decide for myself what is right and wrong, not some book written centuries ago that is almost completely irrelevant to world we live in and the problems we are faced with today. in my opinion, although im sure religion was started with the best intentions at heart, it has caused more harm than good. i think seeking spiritual guidance is a human right, but arguing over who is right and who is wrong goes against gods word... we are to accept each other for who we are, faults, differences, successes. and if you truly believed in god you need to believe in the power of humanity and realize that just because someone doesnt worship "your' god that doesnt mean they are not a good person, it doesnt mean they are any less deserving of the life we've been given, it doesnt mean they dont live their life every day trying to make this a better place for us all to live in, something i think god would be pretty proud of. and i dont think ANYONE should be able to judge the worth of someone elses life... at least not anyone who is unwilling to show their face while doing so. who are you to judge and think less of someone because you dont agree?? diversity is what we all have in common. if he wanted us all to look feel and act the same way, he would have made us like that. on the other hand, god gave us free will to decide for ourselves what we want to believe and this god seems like he could be a little tricky, how do we know that he didnt throw in little parts here and there to throw us off?? keeps us on our toes with little tests... if he gave us free will, he also gave us a chance to use it. and not for nothing, i dont know much about 9 year old marriages but i do know about arranged marriages... how is it ok for 2 people who have no relationship, no friendship between them to be married but 2 people who are truly in love cant be married b/c someone else isnt comfortable with what goes on in their bedroom?? there is a girl who lives down the street from me who is in an arranged marriage, she has tried to leave, ive seen her a few times, they carry her kicking and screaming back into the house every time. how is forcing someone to be unhappy something god would want???
Actually no, atmospheric changes are caused by a variety of circumstances and events that have nothing to do with God. All weather events are heat (or lack of heat) driven. It's actually pretty simple science. That's called the big bang theory my obviously under researched "researcher of your own religion". The theory that the universe and life exploded from a single point in space/time hence the pattern of expansion we see in the universe. I find it INCREDIBLY ironic how you'll accept this scientific theory and try to use it as proof of God while dismissing other theories. The mental energy it must take to reconcile that hypocrisy within your mind is astounding. And before you go and get all squirrely on me and try to give God credit for the big bang, be prepared to provide proof or be prepared to be mocked. Your choice. Re-read that sentence again and ask yourself it it makes sense. If it was written 1400 years ago science would not be learning it today. We already know it. All science does today is try to prove or disprove the misconceptions we had in those days. So many things we believed back then that are completely wrong. I can't see how you can even go there and open this can of worms.... So you believe in a magical mystical sky daddy being and you want ME to prove he's not still here? The burden of proof is on me? Seriously? Don't get defensive bro. I merely asked you why you believe it. A question that understandably draws a lot of hostility from believers but still a valid question nonetheless. Why do you come to believe that? Let's take your quote for example.... That quote is allegedly of an evolutionist saying that fossils cannot prove evolution. It's a common trick used by religion. It takes the truth and tries to get you to look at it in a different way in order to lend credibility to itself. For example, it is of course impossible for fossil records alone to prove evolution because we don't have every fossil on earth. So trying to say that because we don't have a definitive fossil to prove evolution is like trying to say that because a page isn't indexed in Google it doesn't exist. Religious types of course, like I said, try to use that fact as proof that evolution did not and does not take place..... But here's the real truth.... What the fossil record DOES prove is that simple animals and plants existed on earth long before more complex ones (invertebrate animals, for example, were around for a very long time before there were any vertebrates). Use that information to draw a rational conclusion or dismiss it because you can't explain it and continue believing in a sky daddy. Your call.
Did you really just try to ask a religious person for proof? Shame on you They should educate themselves at least in the meaning of doublespeak before they say anything. Here, I'll help: noun or or do you understand it now?
Laws of our universe, this is the one thing that most atheists have extreme trouble handling. Every law is there for a reason and doesnt come out of thin air like magic or from randomness or chaos. There is a reason and purpose for everything from the inner working of our cells to the creation of galaxies to the great laws that our scientists try to understand each day. This is proof of gods great purpose and his plan. God bless
there is no reason for anything, no cosmic force with a grand plan. And since time cannot pass without these laws, as soon as these laws came into existence, time began to flow. Thus practically these laws have been there for the history of everything, 13.7 billion earth years.
Just because we have the free will to make our own choices doesn't mean that we'll always make the right choice. So, praying to God for guidance to make a choice that results in our ultimate benefit is conducive to a happy life. Simple as that.
so this god of yours doesn't even have the power to change your decisions? Hell, Napoleon or even Bush had/has more power than that.
Well of course He does. But He chooses to dignify us by allowing us to make the choices based on our own free will. You've got to be joking if you think a human ruler has power over your mind.
Your understanding of God's 'omniscience' is a little off. Just because someone has the ability to know all, doesn't mean they exercise that ability at all times. If I had the ability to lift anything, it doesn't mean I would go around lifting everything I saw...
from dictionary.com An omniscient being is by definition all knowing, at any time. perhaps you mean potentially omniscient? Word meanings are fixed, don't redefine them.
If my will is a subset of a higher will, Gods, then I have all the free choices I like inside my subset but what those choices are, would be influenced and controlled by the larger set of will, God. My hamster has free will but I control the environment it can make those free will choices in. My will dominates but at a level the hamster may not even recognize me and think it merely nature that his cage has gotten smaller or bigger. I seriously doubt the hamster would be able to realize I moved its cage around because I need to make room for my Sandman collection. One area I do not have free will is the will to change time. Or to even perceive time differently than a linear series of event markers. I cannot will it to be yesterday or tommorow and I cannot see into the past or the future (but I can get close ) But if there would be a being who could, God, then I would assume time would become almost meaningless to that being. What cares a timeless being what I do today if today, yesterday, and tommorow are all written in the same ink on the same page instead of the way I experience it? We are not able to see much farther than our noses, we cannot think much farther than the thoughts others have shared with us, we cannot experience more than this "now" how the hell can we even consider to know there is no being capable of doing all that? God is not a human ruler. God is not limited to our terms or understanding. These are our limits and to impose them as universal truth instead of the imaginary boundary they are is folly in my opinion.
Great now find passages in the Quran or Bible that can support what you've said here and you too can start your own religion! In all seriousness though. Your post is well thought out... except.... It is completely contradicted by the wonderful book of stories we call the bible. All those fantastical stories of God speaking to man and causing miracles here on earth for man to see kind of forces you to apply Occam's Razor here as well Either God is magical and mystical beyond our ability to comprehend (quite likely) or God did all those things described in the bible, then suddenly decided, "eh... I'm too big for this", and stopped. Because those miracles seem to have stopped just when mankind evolved to the point that they could be accurately recorded.... Fascinating coincidence, no?
Not a follower of the Bible and if I ever get around to writing a book it will probably be one of those coming of age urban fictions rather than a religious book. Besides starting a cult seems like such a full time job. I prefer a more personal approach to spirituality instead of walking the common path or avoiding the question at all like many people I know do. Actually according to the two books you named I should probably be stoned to death in the town square for a number of reasons, my posts about religion being number one.