Why I'm Still a Christian

[Lek]

Even if that story weren't as far fetched as Alpha Centauri, it still doesn't compute with an omniscient being. There could have been no test, since that being had to know the outcome before setting up the rules. Otherwise it wouldn't be omniscient.

How do you know what computes with an omniscient being? You don't know because you're not omniscient.

In fact, that story doesn't compute on many levels. We, as a species, are nothing but a chicken fart in the chain of an evolving planets. If we were on the clock, we arrived a few minutes before midnight - and that's being generous. So far we've clocked off about 5 percent of the time dynosaurs walked the earth. That's how important we are in the history of our planet.

How do you know how important we are in the history of the planet or the universe for that matter? How do you determine what is more important to the world? How could you argue that man hasn't done more to affect the world than any other creature on the planet? What part of the universe is more important than we are?

So there's some god, omniscient, but at the same time not, who chooses to show up a minute before midnight to create his own two Sims and have a little playing session with them. Why? Because he got bored?

Here you go again telling me what an omniscient being should and shouldn't do.

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Okay, so you believe the stuff in the Bible about god making Adam out of dirt and Eve out of his rib is made up. But you believe that god gave two special humans the first souls because why? You might reasonably argue that the story is metaphorical. But you can't get to two humans chosen to have the first two souls that way. It's just plain making up your own new story. Did you have a personal revelation? Or did you just like the idea?

I heard the peal of thunder and was blinded by a flash of light, and then a voice from heaven revealed it to me. It happens to me all the time. Actually, I was thinking it over in the light of my new found acceptance of evolution and the idea came to me. In the light of scripture it seems pretty reasonable to me.

Okay, in your mind, humans are the only spiritual beings. What do you mean by spiritual? I think ritual, meditation, inner reflection, wonder, awe. You appear to think a sense of morality, i.e. knowing right from wrong.

In either case I think you are wrong about people being set apart from nature. Primates and other animals that interact socially do seem to have some sense of right and wrong, mercy, and justice. It's not as developed as ours, but the beginnings are there.

The same can be said of ritual. Anyone with a dog knows dogs love rituals.

Inner reflection is harder to assess but I'd guess that brighter animals may have the beginnings of that too.

It's evolution all over again.[/align]

No. None of that stuff is what I mean by man being a spiritual being. It's not in how we behave, like rituals or whatever, but in our essence. There is a part of our being, which we refer to as our soul, which is made in the image and likeness of God, which no other earthly creature possesses. You are familiar with christian doctrine and should already be aware of this Jenny - the flesh and the spirit.