A challenge for everyone?

Nor can I and that is an excellent challenge.

What are the criteria for "best explanation"? It's not necessarily that straight forward:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explanatory_power

"Why is the water boiling?"

a) The average kinetic energy of the water molecules...(scientific answer)

b) I am making a spiritual tea for the leaf gods...(religious answer)

Either answer might be better depending on the situation. And notice that they aren't incompatible or inconsistent with each other.

Edit:

a) Is a description of what is happening. b) Is an explanation of my intention. They *are* both explanations on different levels.

If somebody asked you, why are you going to school?

You could say, "Well you see, I'm in a car and my neurons are directing my limbs to direct the car in such a way as to take my body to school." That's a scientific explanation, description of what is happening. But it's not necessarily the *best* explanation. In most cases, people would be confused or think you're being facetious.

If you said, "Because I want to have a better career." That's also an explanation and a better one most of the time, even though it's not a scientific description of what is happening.

And you've missed my point that you need *criteria* to established what is *best*. If you wanted the best whimsical explanation, then "gravity exists because pink bunnies die". Sure it's not a useful scientific explanation, but that doesn't mean it's not an explanation, and it could still be the best explanation if what you wanted to do is make somebody laugh.

P.S. In your 2 examples, you haven't provided the question to which those two answers are answering.

Heliocentrism.

Science taught that the sun was the center. But now, with the red shift data we can see that all points are moving away from Earth - where we are observing from.

So the Earth must be the center of the universe. Just like what the Bible taught!

Just ignore the fact that everything is moving apart, so all points in the universe appear to be the center of the universe

wait a sec, you did not say it has to be an old religion.

Scientology is a better answer than science!

Much better at moving the money out of the pockets of gullible idiots into the bank accounts of a few people than anything science ever produced.

(You did not say how it had to be better, did you!)

Sure. For centuries science has been saying certain things have made us geniuses.

When the disciples asked Jesus Christ who would be first in heaven, He called forth a child and sat the child in their midst. He told them to study the child and become like the child. (Matthew chapter 18)

The 40 year study of genius at Harvard, Project Zero, has finally caught up to this teaching. They have now shown that almost all humans are functional geniuses between the ages of 2-4. This is also why a 4 year old knows more about God than all Atheist authors combined.

If Sam Harris wanted a good answer, he would ask a kid and be humbled. But sadly he and his drone book-buying cult followers are completely ruled by pride. Pride is all they are about.

Added: "I personally can't think..." I mean, understatement of the day?

What you mean is you can't think unless your hand is being held by someone who hates God and sells books. That is what you mean.

Added: Want another? OK! Jesus Christ told the disciples that with the faith of a mustard seed they could cast a mountain into the sea. (Mark 11, Matthew 21). Science scoffed at this notion for thousands of years. How could one man cast a mountain into the sea? And with such small faith?

Well, today we can plant an explosive big enough to knock several mountains into the sea. And all it takes is the faith to push a button.

This one was easy. Too easy. What is passing for theology in this culture is really sad.

Thumbing down the truth doesn't make it go away. It just reveals the kind of fake thinkers and intellectual midgets who populate this God-hater factory. If one of you even realized for one second how far from bright you were and how it was really just pride? You'd wise up.

Fat chance!

Keep it up thumb jockeys! Maybe if you thumb it enough the big bad man will go away and stop ripping apart your priest's ideas. :D

Added: Invent a what? When the disciples asked who was first in heaven, He used wisdom that science has now just caught up to.

I hope you are seeking answers. The problem is when you are an unrepentant biblical illiterate, hucksters and God-hating book pushing ego trippers like Mr. Harris vex you. They can literally tell you anything about religion and you buy it. How would you know any better?

The science of mathematical probability offers striking proof that the Genesis creation account must have come from a source with knowledge of the events. The account lists 10 major stages in this order: (1) a beginning; (2) a primitive earth in darkness and enshrouded in heavy gases and water; (3) light; (4) an expanse or atmosphere; (5) large areas of dry land; (6) land plants; (7) sun, moon and stars discernible in the expanse, and seasons beginning; (8) sea monsters and flying creatures; (9) wild and tame beasts, mammals; (10) man. Science agrees that these stages occurred in this general order. What are the chances that the writer of Genesis just guessed this order? The same as if you picked at random the numbers 1 to 10 from a box, and drew them in consecutive order. The chances of doing this on your first try are 1 in 3,628,800! So, to say the writer just happened to list the foregoing events in the right order without getting the facts from somewhere is not realistic.

Ummmmm

Perspective. If you find science difficult or hard to believe, "Goddidit" might be more satisfactory.

So much for your challenge. Take the Sermon on the Mount challenge, if you dare and if you're serious

This, I have to see.

Religion isn't about science; it's about Truth.

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God.

Jesus said "I am Truth." Was Jesus telling the truth when He said that? Or was He a liar?

Furthermore, He said that the only way you can know God is through Him.

Jesus said there is none good but God, then He told someone that He is the Good Shepherd, claiming to be good!

Jesus said that He did ONLY what He saw His Father in heaven do. (No man has seen God at any time, yet Jesus SEES God and copies His behaviors, so Jesus must be something MORE than a mere man, since no MAN has seen God.) He KNEW God. He even said that He came from the very HEART of God, so He could say objectively, "When you've seen ME, you've seen the Father."

Jesus said "I am Life", and again, "I am the bread of Life that has come down from My Father in heaven to give Life.", and again, "I am the water of life. Whoever is thirsty, come to me, and out of his inner-most being shall flow rivers of living waters", and finally, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. If any man believe in me, though he may die, yet shall he live again."

He said, "When you've seen me, you've seen the Father."

He said, "You already believe in God, now believe in me."

Jesus prayed, “Father, I have glorified your name here on earth, now I ask that you would give me back the glory I had with you before the world was ever created.”

But these are just words.

Jesus said that if you REALLY want to know if His teachings were that of a mere man, or from God (implying the existence of said God), then "OBEY THESE COMMANDS, and you SHALL know (one way OR the other)" (Referring to the Sermon on the Mount, beginning in the 5th chapter of the gospel according to Matthew)

These words don't prove that these words are true; all they do is expose you for the hypocrite you really are, because you really don't WANT Truth! You're afraid to even take His challenge!

This is a "litmus" test that Jesus gave, and He said nothing at all about having faith or believing. If you want to know if Jesus really IS the Son of God (the God who is there), (er – DO you really want to know?) then read and obey the Sermon on the Mount.

If Jesus never existed, then nothing will happen. Are you absolutely certain that God is not there? Then take the challenge - if you dare!

If Jesus was a liar, then nothing will happen. Are you absolutely certain that Jesus was NOT the Son of God as He claimed? Then take the challenge - if you dare!

If Jesus was a lunatic, then nothing will happen. Again, prove what you claim by taking the challenge Jesus gave - IF YOU DARE!

If the Bible is nothing more than the writings of some crazy bronze-aged, goat-herding cave men as the atheist mockers keep insisting, then nothing at all will happen. That's the claim of most atheists here in R & S, but they refuse to PROVE that they really believe it! They don't really believe what they claim! If YOU believe what you claim to believe, then PROVE it and take His challenge - IF . YOU . DARE !

For anyone who flat out rejects this test, I have to remind them of some other words Jesus said. Jesus said that the reason people reject God is “because they are evil (their deeds are evil), and they love darkness (i.e. they love their sins and immorality), and they hate the light (i.e. they hate Truth)!” I can only conclude that they are in an ever increasing line of hypocrites who talk a good talk, but don't really mean a thing they say, and that the only reason they don't believe in God is because they don't WANT to believe in God, and for no other reason; and their theme song is "Don't confuse me with Truth; my mind's already made up!"

In his famous book “Mere Christianity”, C. S. Lewis makes the following observation: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a mad man or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."