Sam G

I've heard there are four parts to it, but I can only remember three. Can anyone help me expand on these (or critique them) and/or help me remember the fourth or any more than that? Or if I've fused them/don't need more than these?

1) Genes that survive proliferate. The will to survive is pretty beneficial for survival, so that's the basic "self-serving" gene.

2) Then, because we pass on our genes to our children, a gene that urges us to help our children survive also proliferates.

3) As for charity towards people we don't know, the earliest form (observable in many animals and to an extent us) is a display of dominance--"I can afford to give my stuff away and ask for nothing in return." In modern society, truly selfless giving has been seen as beneficial, and makes people like (be attracted to) you, and as such that gene survives as well.

I've seen things that say "evolution is basically: things need stuff so they get them" even in many reputable publications with authors who accept evolution. I realize that it needs to be kept short and sweet, but this makes evolution look silly. Do you think that there should be some kind of...campaign or something to explain to people what evolution really is, considering that just having it in school curriculum is apparently not enough?

I have seen many people on here who say that they realized evolution was real upon serious study of it. Is there any good way to get the facts out to the people and have them listen? Or is it more of a waiting game considering the slow but steady drop in %-total of religious people?

Go ahead and try to prove me wrong, and you will know why people who accept fact over religion don't take "prove that God(etc.) ISN'T real" seriously. Its called Burden of proof, and it lies on the person who makes the claim.

So why not treat us like it?

Does it not contradict the meaning of faith?

Treaty of Tripoli, article 11

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

If you believe that things like Noah's Ark or Jonah and the Whale are just stories, why do you believe that Heaven and Hell are also not just stories? What sets them apart from the myths?

First off, we know that omnipotence is impossible*. We also know that God supposedly loves and cares for all things and has the ability to make them better. Obviously no such thing like that occurs, so would it not be more rational to believe, if one must believe, in a non-omnipotent God?

And also, as a side question, would God really be so insecure, being God, that he would send people to Hell just for not believing in him, or from being born into a family with the wrong religion?\

*The burrito/create more powerful being/rock paradox among other reasons.

Does it make you feel special and creative, like the 900 other people who use it?

Tell me how it works, just a little quiz.

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Notice that does not say "any random person." It says "well-regulated militia."

Militia: The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service.

So, are you, your gang, or your hunting buddies a militia?

Isn't heaven in itself a "sin society" only the attributes of strength and intelligence are replaced with "goodness" and "piety"? It does the same thing as with "sin society" that people say we "evilutionists" idealize, it just replaces the kind of filter.

What do I do now?

and it is silly to believe such a thing

It is often asked if Barack Obama simply won because he is black. Let's do the math.

97% of African Americans voted for Obama.

92% of African Americans are Democrats.

African Americans make up 15% of the US population.

That's 0.75% of the population (Non-Democrat African Americans). Obama won by more than that.

Even if you assume that they all would have switched to McCain:

52%-1.5%=50.5%

The 52% is a round down, even though we SHOULD round up, just to prove the extent of this.

That's still more than half of the population, and the electoral map, strongly in Obama's favor, can still stand to lose a couple states.

And of what religion?

Just curious.

Then why do some people have worse diseases and genetic disorders than other people?

So I sent them to burn in Hell forever.

If "salvation" is a gift, and we don't take it, is it really so bad that we should go to Hell for it?

Message: The fact of the matter is that if the majority of this country were atheists you would be all for the shoving of atheism down everyone's throat. I know this to be an absolute, irrefutible fact because I can tell you already are, so if you had the advantage of having the majority on your side you would be much worse than you even accuse me of being. I know how rights work just fine. One of your rights is to pull your head out of your butt and quit throwing a trantrum and calling Christians and other theists brainwashed just because your attempts to brainwash us into believing that God doesn't exist and to convince society as a whole that religion is the cause of all evil in the world. In short I, unlike you, believe strongly in the seperation of head and anus. Our forefathers chose to come here and start a new country with one of the main principles being the freedom of religion so if you want to start a country based on the principle that religion is evil and causes all wars then what you need to do is get together with all the like-minded people in this country and go elsewhere and form a country of your own instead of childishly staying here just so you have something to whine about like the immature, snot-nosed little brat that you are.

I responded like this, in case you were wondering.

Read your email. I don't think I sound anything like you do. Would we really? Secularism=/=Atheism. Not mentioning God is NOT saying that God does not exist. It does not hurt anyone to not mention God.

The context is that the person who message me was talking about taking "In God We Trust" off of money.

The start

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As95B...

And yeah I know I'm not totally innocent.