Book of Acts: Pure Fantasy

[DeistPaladin]

Interesting isn't it that you seek after a sign but say "don't bother" when I ask God to give you one. Perhaps this may shed some light on why you haven't yet seen anything that would convince you.

Oh no, I didn't say "don't bother". God said, "you're wasting your time." It was God speaking not me.

Since you believe that God can speak to people, you have to give my claim of divine revelation full consideration or else your beliefs are based on special pleading.

I'll ask you this. Are you interested in knowing the truth, regardless of what it is?

Absolutely. I think it would be cool to live in a universe with a personal loving god who provides us with an afterlife. Who wouldn't want that to be true? I know would love for this to be true. Too bad there's no evidence for it and plenty to the contrary.

I don't believe or lack belief because it's what I wish were so. I go where the evidence leads regardless of my personal desires.

So which one of us do you think has the "hard heart"?

Your God isn't omniscient, so what would He know?

??? Do you think lack of omniscience precludes knowing anything? I don't get your point.

Oddly, you seem to believe that we could be omniscient (acquire infinite knowledge) but the God whom you believe in is not. Why could we potentially be omniscient but your God cannot be?

***FACEPALM***

OK, I'm going to go slow here. Sometimes when exploring possibilities in a discussion, one person will offer a hypothetical scenario to illustrate a point. It's not important that this scenario be realistically attainable. To focus on how such a scenario would be achieved is to miss the point.

For example, if I were to say something like "even if we had all the money in the world, we wouldn't have enough resources to..." it means I'm discussing the limitations of the resources in the world and what is possible. To interrupt me with an objection like "How would we possibly ever manage to acquire all the money in the world?" is to miss the point.

I don't suggest that we could ever acquire infinite knowledge. I was outlining a hypothetical in order to make a point.

Clear?

Regardless, it is still special creation and intelligent design, whether life was designed to appear on the scene immediately or gradually evolve over time.

***BUZZ***

Sorry, wrong answer.

Intelligent Design, as defined by its very proponents, is that life has always existed in its current form as zapped into existence by a divine agent. It specifically precludes evolution.

Evolution, on the other hand, does not preclude a deity either creating life or tweaking the process as said life developed. All it says is that live changes over time as selected for its environment.

The Universe was clearly programmed to create life, and that is design. So yes, I would say your ideas about the Universe contradict pretty much everything modern science believes about the way the Universe works.

***BUZZ***

Sorry, wrong answer again for reasons already articulated above.

Here's a great video that should disabuse you of your notion that evolution = atheism.



and scroll to 3:55

Why do you believe evolution has occured, specifically?

Where do you want me to begin? Do you dispute that life changes over time? We know about and can observe changes in micobiology. Even Creationists, confronted with this evidence, are forced to grudgingly admit that "microevolution" happens. Do you dispute that micro changes can be macro over a much longer period? What would you imagine would stop such a process from happening? If you can walk 5 blocks you can walk 5 miles. It just takes longer.

I'm also keen to know just how you believe a faulty model could become so ingrained into the field of biology to the point where the whole field of study makes no sense except in light of it? Evolution has been the accepted model in science for 100 years now. What conspiracy would you assert exists that has subverted the whole process of peer review not just in America but all over the world, and has kept a lid on the truth all this time? What powerful forces are at work? What is their motivation?

What exactly do you believe about this God?

Mysterious First Cause of the Universe as we currently know it. Full stop.

Why do you believe in millions of years, specifically?

A thing called "science".

You don't believe it because according to scripture you are resisting the Holy Spirit. When you hear the word preached you harden your heart towards it. It is not a catch 22, you are simply resisting what God is trying to tell you, and that is why you don't believe it.

I'm not sure how to have a rational discussion with someone who claims to know me better than I know myself. How might I convince you that your beliefs about what motivates me are not true?