If you are human, you are not capable of understanding God.

[ding]

There

There's a Darwinian reason why religion still exists

Not necessarily. There may be a Darwinian reason it formed in the first place. And maybe even not that, save for indirectly.

Well... William James offered an explanation that seemed reasonable...

When all is said and done, we are in the end absolutely dependent on the universe; and into sacrifices and surrenders of some sort, deliberately looked at and accepted, we are drawn and pressed as into our only permanent positions of repose. Now in those states of mind which fall short of religion, the surrender is submitted to as an imposition of necessity, and the sacrifice is undergone at the very best without complaint. In the religious life, on the contrary, surrender and sacrifice are positively espoused: even unnecessary givings-up are added in order that the happiness may increase. Religion thus makes easy and felicitous what in any case is necessary; and if it be the only agency that can accomplish this result, its vital importance as a human faculty stands vindicated beyond dispute. It becomes an essential organ of our life, performing a function which no other portion of our nature can so successfully fulfill.​

He may be right in cases and in general.

The list goes on and on.

 

[ding]

I'm not sure why you think Darwin is relevant to gods existing or not existing.

He is trying to forward the idea that it was all designed this way by magical gods just for us special humans.

Designed? No.

For us? No.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

.9​

I bet you have suggested everything is according to god's will.

.

Shit no ... Not even close ...

.​

Well, better tell the others. Strange, you all have the same instruction book.

 

[ding]

I say we have a showdown like Elijah did against the prophets of Ba’al.

People who believe in humankind on one side and those who believe in God on the other side. Put two alters up with a lamb. Then ask a group of humans to consume the sacrifice and then have the other side ask God to consume the sacrifice.

Then we will know once and for all. Do humans exist or does God exist? We can’t have it both ways.

.

What one offers God, or asks God for, is not God's will.

.​

Riiiiight....everything according to god's will, unless inconvenient to the narrative. That's a cute little game you guys have rigged up.

Sort of like everything is Darwinian unless it's inconvenient to YOUR narrative?

I'm not sure why you think Darwin is relevant to gods existing or not existing. He contributed significantly to biology, not epistemology.

His scientific discoveries merely demanded that some folks alter their ideas about gods and creation.

I don't. It is relevant to religion existing. Religion and God are two different things.

Actually it was known 6,000 years ago that man arose from creation.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

I'm not sure why you think Darwin is relevant to gods existing or not existing.

He is trying to forward the idea that it was all designed this way by magical gods just for us special humans.

Designed? No.

For us? No.

Noted.

 

[BlackSand]

​

Well, better tell the others. Strange, you all have the same instruction book.

.

Tell the others what ... That you don't have a clue what you are talking about?

People like you are the only ones that would need an instruction manual, some kind of sacrifice ...
and someone else to explain what is Good and Evil to you.

Don't make the mistake of thinking we all suffer from your handicaps ...

.​

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Tell the others what ... That you don't have a clue what you are talking about

Yes, feel free to tell them i don't know things about you. I am sure they will be enthralled!

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

People like you are the only ones that would need an instruction manual

Oh please....just an angry little self righteous bible clinger who cant seem to write any of his own material. Cling to that little instruction manual...

 

[BlackSand]

Yes, feel free to tell them i don't know things about you. I am sure they will be enthralled!

.

I am sure they don't give a shit about me, and I wasn't asking for your permission to say anything.
But if you want me to advertise anything for you ... You're going to have to pay me.

.​

 

[BlackSand]

Oh please....just an angry little self righteous bible clinger who cant seem to write any of his own material. Cling to that little instruction manual...

.

You're so stupid, you don't know that giving the Glory to God isn't being self-righteous.
Anything you want to make up about the way I view the Bible isn't that smart either ...

.​

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

You're so stupid, you don't know that giving the Glory to God isn't being self-righteous.

Of course it is. You are doing it for completely selfish reasons. I know you guys fool yourselves, each other, and small children with that act, but it doesn't work on functional adults not steeped in your iron age myths.

 

[Grumblenuts]

Instruction manual. Practice pure sophistry. Name drop like crazy. Pound straw if necessary to enlist Darwin as a primary supporter of your narrative. Rinse and repeat..

 

[BlackSand]

Of course it is. You are doing it for completely selfish reasons. I know you guys fool yourselves, each other, and small children with that act, but it doesn't work on functional adults not steeped in your iron age myths.

.

What's selfish about what I believe, what myths are you talking about, what fiction are you trying to create?
You are simply bound to your ignorance, and your desire to play games by your rules ... You are the selfish one.

What I believe doesn't require your handicap ... If you have a problem with that, take it up with God ...

.​

 

[BreezeWood]

So natural selection confirms that spirituality offers a functional advantage over materialism ( a point you even agreed with).

False. Sometimes traits form as artifacts, and if those traits are not disadvantageous enough to prevent most individuals expressing it from breeding, then there is little to no pressure for the trait go away. Spirituality may just be an artifact of sentience. Furthermore, natural selection no longer has the effect on the human gene pool it once had. And you can bet your life Darwin would agree with me on all of this and not you.

You need to go back and start reading from here to see where you agreed that spirituality offers a functional advantage over materialism.

If you are human, you are not capable of understanding God.

Does God exist? Yes and no. God is not constrained by existence one way or the other. No one can impose existence upon God, or deprive God of it. God is none, or one, or many. Or all simultaneously. Or not. That is what it means to be God. If you insist God exists, God does not exist...

www.usmessageboard.com

.

You need to go back and start reading from here to see where you agreed that spirituality offers a functional advantage over materialism.

.
a placating jester for a meaningless and irrelevant obsession.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

What's selfish about what I believe

You want eternal life, of course. Without that payoff, you wouldn't believe any of this nonsense.

 

[ding]

What's selfish about what I believe

You want eternal life, of course. Without that payoff, you wouldn't believe any of this nonsense.

I didn't realize that functional advantage conveyed to the after life. Who knew

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

I didn't realize that functional advantage conveyed to the after life.

A stupid comment. Play dumb for too long... And well, then you're just dumb.

 

[ding]

I didn't realize that functional advantage conveyed to the after life.

A stupid comment. Play dumb for too long... And well, then you're just dumb.

I thought it was funny.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

I didn't realize that functional advantage conveyed to the after life.

A stupid comment. Play dumb for too long... And well, then you're just dumb.

I thought it was funny.

Yeah, i guess it kind of was. My own preconceptions got in my way.

 

[Colin norris]

Does God exist?

Yes and no.

God is not constrained by existence one way or the other.

No one can impose existence upon God, or deprive God of it.

God is none, or one, or many.

Or all simultaneously.

Or not.

That is what it means to be God.

If you insist God exists, God does not exist.

If you insist God does not exist, God exists.

God does that to remind you that you are not God.

It takes one to know one.

It's way above your pay grade.

View attachment 480914​

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View attachment 480917​

"DO I BELIEVE HUMANS EXIST?​

WHAT ARE THEY FOR?"​

​

​

If that's the type of conversation which comes with God, I'll stick with atheism.