Isn't it funny...

[Astonished]

But it is how God did it.  And therefore misstating His actions is, by definition, heresy.

At one time your church leaders were rather touchy on that issue.  Nothing says they won't be again someday.

Be a shame for your efforts here to result in some unpleasantries in a potential 'back to basics' revival in your denomination.

I don't think details of HOW God did it is a theological matter. Only that we believe He was behind creation.

I guess I just have a hard time taking it seriously when you say things like that, and fail to acknowledge all of the horrible implications of the aforementioned 'perfect design' that went horribly wrong in more ways than we can count. I would understand if you believed in a creator/designer god out of fear but absolutely cannot understand that you could possibly love or worship it.

[Ravenshire]

I accept evolution, but I do think God was behind it and planned for things to line up so perfectly the way they did.

That laryngeal nerve tho, C_L. And the coccyx. And the appendix. And the upside down cornea.

If god guided evolution, he certainly made some careless mistakes.

(emphasis is mine)

Or some truly malicious intentional flaws.

[Astonished]

That laryngeal nerve tho, C_L. And the coccyx. And the appendix. And the upside down cornea.

If god guided evolution, he certainly made some careless mistakes.

(emphasis is mine)

Or some truly malicious intentional flaws.

Well, Yahweh is a sadistic fucker indeed, so that wouldn't be a surprise. One would think he designed us in such a way that, when we're burned as human sacrifices to him, we smell as good as possible to his divine nostrils.

[Jackalope]

Please tell me you didn't lead with your best material.

Is this seriously the state of Catholic apologetics?

[vorlon13]

BTW, turns out an appendix is a good thing to have if you come down with cholera.

Thanx Darwin !!!

[Astreja]

Isn't It Funny...
 

• that gravity on earth just happens to be the perfect value to allow humans to move freely, and never varies such that people become stuck in place or float into the atmosphere, wiping out humanity?
  

The precise strength of Earth's gravity varies depending on location.

• that the air quality on earth just happens to provide the perfect environment to sustain human life, never varying... such that human beings become poisoned or suffocated, wiping out all humanity?
  

There is a huge variety in air quality, both in purity and in oxygen content.  Compare smoggy Beijing to the summit of Everest to an isolated area on the seashore and you will get three completely different readings.

•  … that the distance of the earth from the sun never varies such that all humanity either burns or freezes to death?
  

That distance varies as Earth orbits the Sun.

• … that atheists admit there are laws of nature, but deny there is anyone who created those laws?
  

Equivocation fallacy, confounding two different definitions of "law."  A "law of nature" is merely a description of some consistency in a natural phenomenon; it is not enforced by a celestial court of law.

•  … that studies have been performed confirming that there is no place on earth where religion hasn't been practiced? Why do people have this built-in instinct?
  

You might want to tell that to the Pirahã tribe in the Amazon rainforest.  According to [linguist Daniel] Everett, the Pirahã have no concept of a supreme spirit or god,and they lost interest in  Jesus when they discovered that Everett had never seen him.

Oh, and I've never experienced that so-called "instinct."  Religion is a learned response, not a natural inborn one.

• that every person is born with a built-in knowledge that actions such as murder, suicide, theft, and deceit are wrong, without ever having to learn about this in school?
  
•  that every person that goes against this built-in knowledge (the natural law) also has a voice of conscience that rebukes him repeatedly that what he did was wrong? Where does this voice come from and why do we all have it?
  

Apparently you've never heard of psychopaths.  As for learning about morality in school, that is superfluous to the teaching already received  in early childhood from one's parents:  "Don't hit your brother.  How would you like it if he hit you?"  "Share your toys."  

• that every person has a built-in desire to pursue the truth in matters, and to balance the scales of justice when they become imbalanced?
  

I know people who do the exact opposite, using wishful thinking to avoid confronting their addictions, behaviours, bad relationships, financial problems, and other things.  (And on what grounds do you purport to know the desires of "every person"?  I'm reasonably sure that if we gave you a mind-reading test you would fail it.)

• that every person instinctively begs God for help when death appears imminent, whether they previously learned to do this or not.
  

Nope.  I know from my own experience that the above statement is false.  When I was 11 I was mountain-climbing and got into a dangerous spot where I was one misstep away from plummeting 1400 feet to certain death.  It never even occurred to me to ask a god for help; not only did I not believe in any gods, but I was much too busy trying to establish a strong handhold and chart a safe course to a nearby ledge.

•  that men and women just happen to be created with a built in desire for one another?
  

I take it that you've never heard of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Two Spirit, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTTQ*) community, then?  

• that men and women just happen to have the built-in desire for self-preservation and procreation?
  

Oh, that's an evolved trait.  Animals that have no desire for self-preservation or procreation die without reproducing, leaving only the animals that do have those survival instinct.

• that there is an automated food chain across the globe that continuously maintains life?
  

Again, an evolved ecosystem.  We eat what's available, and other animals eat what's available.  Photosynthesis plays a pretty big role in the system, too.

•  that the human brain, a 3 pound piece of tissue, is the most complex computer found on the planet?
  

I expect this to change as computing technology continues to improve.  This so-called "computer" also lacks a great deal of precision and is subject to biochemical derangement and retention of false information and unhealthy behavioural patterns.  It's also tied to substandard input devices:  Compared to other species we don't hear all that well, and we don't see all that well either.

• that the human heart can maintain life for over 100 years with its own mysterious source of energy?
  

"Mysterious" as in "brain, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, food, water and air"?  Take away any of the above, and you can wave bye-bye to Mr. Heart.

• that of the countless functions of the human body, if any of them were omitted or occurred in a different order, it would wipe out humanity?
  

Well, I think that most of us can do quite nicely without an appendix -- and we'd be in considerably less danger of choking to death if we had separate ingress to the lungs and stomach.  Hair growth is nice, but hardly essential.  (Oh, and the lumbar spine and the knees are engineering nightmares.)  One would think that a divine "designer" with more than half a working brain cell should  have figured out by now that humans could benefit from better joints, self-healing spinal cords and peripheral nerves, limbs capable of regeneration, and an endocrine system capable of dealing with high stress and high carbohydrates without having conniptions and screwing up hormone production.

• that many atheists try to assert there is no God due to deaths in past wars, while they neglect to acknowledge the fact that 4.5 million people die of natural causes across the globe every MONTH (55 million per year)?
  

I do not belong  that particular group of atheists.  I fully acknowledge the reality of death and see the existence or non-existence of gods as a completely separate issue, being a nonbeliever simply because I've yet to see any evidence for gods that I find convincing.

• that atheists will become angry when these facts are pointed out in this forum post? This anger obviously stems from the atheist continuously fighting his own conscience as it repeatedly points out all of these facts.
  

Angry?  No, I'm smirking at your gullibility and at your use of the word "facts" in connection with your paean to religiously-fueled wilful ignorance.

[Homeless Nutter]

Isn't It Funny... [...]
 

• …that a puddle fits perfectly into a concave in the ground. That must mean, that someone designed the hole so that it has the same exact shape, as the water it contains, right?...  Let me guess - Jebus travels all around the world, making sure every puddle has the right shape?  
  

 

[...]Is all the above a coincidence? Clearly not, but rather it is proof for a Divine Creator.

LOL... No - it's just nonsense. You got it all a**-backwards. The water conforms to the shape of the hole just as life conforms to the laws of physics, like gravity, or the make-up of atmosphere. I'm sure it's difficult for you to accept, because someone promised you sky-cake, but that's just a fact.

Also - if your Tooth Fairy made this whole huge Universe especially for you - how come you can only survive in less than 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% of it? You go a few kilometers away from the surface of the Earth - you die. That seems pretty idiotic, don't you think?

Ignorant people believe in magical bullsh*t all over the world - funny how their idea of gods changes drastically, from one set of fairy-tales, to another, depending on geography. And funny how mealy-mouthed religious muppets like to bring up other religions as evidence for existence of god, while at the same believing that ALL the other religions and denominations, except their own are DEAD WRONG and DAMNED. The dishonesty is astonishing. LOL...

If you want to believe in childish fantasies - knock yourself out. But if you try to justify your irrational notions - you'll just come across as a moron, because your religion was created by ignorant barbarians, who knew pretty much nothing about the world.

[Cyberman]

LOL... No - it's just nonsense. You got it all a**-backwards.

Indeed. I'm wondering if all catholics have such a hard time figuring out which bit is the horse and which the cart, or is it only this guy?

[Brian37]

Isn't It Funny...
 

• … that gravity on earth just happens to be the perfect value to allow humans to move freely, and never varies such that people become stuck in place or float into the atmosphere, wiping out humanity?
  
• … that the air quality on earth just happens to provide the perfect environment to sustain human life, never varying such that human beings become poisoned or suffocated, wiping out all humanity?
  
•  … that the distance of the earth from the sun never varies such that all humanity either burns or freezes to death?
  
•  … that atheists admit there are laws of nature, but deny there is anyone who created those laws?
  
•  … that studies have been performed confirming that there is no place on earth where religion hasn't been practiced? Why do people have this built-in instinct?
  
•  … that every person is born with a built-in knowledge that actions such as murder, suicide, theft, and deceit are wrong, without ever having to learn about this in school?
  
•  … that every person that goes against this built-in knowledge (the natural law) also has a voice of conscience that rebukes him repeatedly that what he did was wrong? Where does this voice come from and why do we all have it?
  
•  … that every person has a built-in desire to pursue the truth in matters, and to balance the scales of justice when they become imbalanced?
  
•  … that every person instinctively begs God for help when death appears imminent, whether they previously learned to do this or not?
  
•  … that men and women just happen to be created with a built in desire for one another?
  
•  … that men and women just happen to have the built-in desire for self-preservation and procreation?
  
•  … that there is an automated food chain across the globe that continuously maintains life?
  
•  … that the human brain, a 3 pound piece of tissue, is the most complex computer found on the planet?
  
•  … that the human heart can maintain life for over 100 years with its own mysterious source of energy?
  
•  … that of the countless functions of the human body, if any of them were omitted or occurred in a different order, it would wipe out humanity?
  
• … that many atheists try to assert there is no God due to deaths in past wars, while they neglect to acknowledge the fact that 4.5 million people die of natural causes across the globe every MONTH (55 million per year)?
  
• … that atheists will become angry when these facts are pointed out in this forum post? This anger obviously stems from the atheist continuously fighting his own conscience as it repeatedly points out all of these facts.
  

 
Is all the above a coincidence? Clearly not, but rather it is proof for a Divine Creator.

Isn't it funny that earth in it's 4 billion year old history has had 5 mass extinction events to which only 1% of life remains?

Isn't it funny that cockroaches and bacteria outnumber humans and have existed far longer?

Isn't it funny out of our species 200,000 year history we only got to writing and cities about 10,000 years ago and most of our existence has been in dark ignorance?

Isn't it funny that we have to deal with 50 to 60 million deaths per year worldwide from everything, on average per year?

Isn't childhood cancer and famine and crime against kids funny?

What a perfect planet we live on.

[vorlon13]

Isn't it funny that despite having God's Absolute Truth Christianity has still managed to schism 70,000 times ??