DawnL

What makes you so certain that you know for sure?

I'm only looking for serious answers, I just want to understand that position better.

I'm also not looking for theories from non-atheists. I could make those up myself if I was so inclined.

I'm just saying, something that never existed can't actually be dead. Only something alive and existing can die. Rocks don't die, and things that are not do not do anything, and that includes ceasing to live.

I'm going to give the best answer to someone who says something witty and amusing but still relevant to the question.

In my last question I got some interesting answers, and led me to another thought. One person provided proof that atheists were actually more intelligent than the national average. Seems open and shut, no? Time to burn my Bible and distance myself from the imbeciles!

There's a few ways to interpret those findings, though.

It may be that:

a) Atheists are just smarter and the rest of us should sit back in awe.

b) People who are more intelligent may develop better coping strategies and be more self sufficient than people who have less resources to rely on, thus less intelligent people might feel that they need God more.

c) More intelligent people more frequently end up continuing on to post secondary institutions that are usually very anti-Christian, pro-naturalism.

d) Something else...

The findings in the studies are correlations, they only show that A increases as B increases, NOT that A increases BECAUSE B increases. It might be that stupidity causes religion, or that religion causes stupidity or may be neither, but either way a correlation can't prove it.

Previous question: http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200...

I see a lot of generalized claims about creationists on this site. I'm all for healthy debate, but it seems the vast majority of critics say things like, "Creationists are stupid" or "Creationists ask things like Why can't I see evolution happening?" in a haughty tone as if they are aware of all truth in the universe. Yes, there are some people on the creationist side who don't understand evolution, but on the other hand, I've heard scores of so called evolutionists who don't even seem to know the difference between natural selection and macroevolution.

There are many educated, intelligent people out there who have rejected evolution because they believe that all of the facts just don't line up. And before you burn me at the stake for my heresy, remember that there is some contention even among evolutionists in their theories. It's only to the media and public that evolutionists put up their united front.

Also, I'm endlessly tired of being painted with the stupid brush because I believe that creation is actually more likely than evolution. If the best evidence that evolutionists can come up with for evolution is that they are vastly more evolved, intelligent, etcetera, etcetera than creationists, I must say that is a pretty pathetic set of reasoning, and very unscientific to boot.

Even more disheartening is that those who claim to be scientific atheists but don't even bother to know what they are arguing about, just throwing about popular misconseptions rather than actually putting in the effort to know the issues.

If you are sure that you are right, then you won't lose anything by knowing what the other side really thinks, no? www.answersingenesis.org

From a biblical perspective, how are we supposed to tell someone that they have sinned?

Is there are different approach for a Christian or non-Christian?

Sometimes I see people who are supposedly Christian on here making accusations in a very angry manner. (And just experienced on my last question. Some of them seemed to think that I wasn't Christian, and if I wasn't I certainly would not have become one with the tone of some of the responses that I recieved.) There must be something in the Bible that tells Christians how to effectively reproach someone. Does anyone know specifically where?

I'm coming from the perspective that God (of the Bible) does exist, so if you're going to answer please don't waste your time saying something like, "No, because an imaginary being can't be wrong and all Christians are deluded."

I hear a lot of people complaining that God is wrong, cruel, unjust, etc in damning people. On the flip side though, would people seriously be happier to see a complacent God who allows murderers and child abusers (and so on) automatically go to heaven?

I would just like to hear what various people believe about humans and their place in the universe.

This question is directed to those people who are forever making all encompassing statements like, "Christians are ignorant", etecera.

I'm curious how educated the people saying these things actually are. Making statements like that seems to indicate that they had not thought things through very well and have nothing intelligent to say, not to mention that comments like that are entirely beside the point in nearly all cases.

Correct me if I'm wrong, of course.

Picture this: You believe that someone is walking towards a cliff. You aren't sure if there actually is a cliff, you only believe that it is one ahead. You can't prove that there is a cliff, short of running ahead and screaming your descent down. Would you want to warn the other person even though you had no proof?

Now, for a minute, discard any notions that Christianity is stupid or wrong. I know that you may think that Christians are uneducated, ecetera. I must admit that Christianity could very well not be real and we can't prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt, either.

But we Christians do believe that heaven and hell are real. It is not just a game or a fairy tale to us. How could we sit by, in good concience, and say nothing when if we are right, people will be punished with eternal damnation?

If you have a reason why Christians (and no one else) should quit speaking openly about their beliefs, I'd like to hear it.

(I'm Christian but not Catholic, that is why I am asking for an answer from someone who is, preferably. I'm just wondering...)

There was a lady in my philosophy class last year who said that she was Catholic. (She was raised in a Catholic home.) However, she said she didn't believe in Jesus and I thought that the Catholic faith was based on Jesus as the Son of God, our saviour, etc. (Correct me if I am wrong.) Anyways, how can someone say that they are of a group based on a certain belief, if they don't share that belief? Didn't make sense to me, but she didn't seem to think it mattered what she believed.

Is she Catholic? Is someone raised by a practicing family Catholic forever? Is being Catholic just a title that you can take, then believe whatever you want?

Just wondering, because that wasn't what I thought being Catholic means, but hey, I am no expert, only have the vaguest idea...

Do you believe in literal Genesis? If not, how do you work science into your belief of the Bible? If you don't believe in the Bible, how do you feel you know the truth?

Just curious on how other people resolve this. Please give only serious answers. I'm not interested in answers like "There is no God so..." or "Evolution is true because..."

Also, if you feel the need to insult the intelligence of Christians please do so somewhere else.

I understand, of course, that I can not prove to you that God exists even though I truly believe that He is there. On the same token science can not prove that He is not. I'm not telling you that you have to believe what I believe, and I certainly can not force you. However, if I am wrong and God does not exist, we are nothing more than finite, doomed animals and when we die our bodies will be broken down over time. On the other hand, if Christianity (or I suppose to be fair insert other religions if you must) is real this could be the most important decision that you ever make.

Have you ever actually thought (without scoffing at the supposedly gullible, uneducated fools who believe in Christianity) about the consequences if Christianity is right? Just curious...

If Hubbarb is, who is running Scientology now, I mean, getting all the money that they take from their followers? Do you think that they actually believe the teachings?