Religion & Spirituality - 14 June 2007

Evolutionary biologists passionately debate diverse topics: how speciation happens, the rates of evolutionary change, the ancestral relationships of birds and dinosaurs, whether Neandertals were a species apart from modern humans, and much more. These disputes are like those found in all other branches of science. Acceptance of evolution as a factual occurrence and a guiding principle is nonetheless universal in biology.
Unfortunately, dishonest creationists have shown a willingness to take scientists' comments out of context to exaggerate and distort the disagreements. Anyone acquainted with the works of paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould of Harvard University knows that in addition to co-authoring the punctuated-equilibrium model, Gould was one of the most eloquent defenders and articulators of evolution.

2007-06-14 23:48:42 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous

I know that in most of the religions it is strongly allowed.
They say that those idols represent god/god's son. what is the proof?
What is the use of worshiping an object which is non living?
what are the benefits you get by this?

2007-06-14 23:40:18 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-06-14 23:37:03 · 9 answers · asked by CHEESUS GROYST 5

This surprisingly common argument reflects several levels of ignorance about evolution. The first mistake is that evolution does not teach that humans descended from monkeys; it states that both have a common ancestor.

The deeper error is that this objection is tantamount to asking, "If children descended from adults, why are there still adults?" New species evolve by splintering off from established ones, when populations of organisms become isolated from the main branch of their family and acquire sufficient differences to remain forever distinct. The parent species may survive indefinitely thereafter, or it may become extinct.

There is now NO REASON for you to make this ignorant statement EVER AGAIN..!
But will you..??

2007-06-14 23:35:21 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-06-14 23:33:17 · 7 answers · asked by MMMM 2

Many people learned in elementary school that a theory falls in the middle of a hierarchy of certainty--above a mere hypothesis but below a law. Scientists do not use the terms that way, however. According to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), a scientific theory is "a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses." No amount of validation changes a theory into a law, which is a descriptive generalization about nature. So when scientists talk about the theory of evolution--or the atomic theory or the theory of relativity, for that matter--they are not expressing reservations about its truth.

In addition to the theory of evolution, meaning the idea of descent with modification, one may also speak of the fact of evolution. The NAS defines a fact as "an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as 'true.'"

2007-06-14 23:31:44 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous

Vatican procedure requires that a potential saint perform one miracle to be beatified and a second to be canonized. Can anyone especially knowledgable Catholics explain in plain English what is "beatified" and "canonized"?

2007-06-14 23:28:31 · 3 answers · asked by Ray Mystery 3

just wandering..

2007-06-14 23:17:41 · 22 answers · asked by love me 2

2007-06-14 23:15:10 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous

Do any of you have any good ideas on where we should go? The trip will be sometime towards fall.

2007-06-14 23:12:42 · 7 answers · asked by PatTheCat 2

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6705521.stm

2007-06-14 23:11:49 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous

When I was growing up I was what could now be termed as a fundie. I was taught as a child that it was illegal for a child to pray in school. Now I am 36 and I just discovered that this was an outright lie. It is not illegal to pray in school, it is simply illegal for a teacher to lead prayer and in essence force a child to pray to a god they do not belive in. Which makes perfect sense. Now the fundementalists are telling a lie that new legislation will make it illegal to preach against being gay when no where in the legislation does it mention or prohibit churches at all.

All I ask is wont you people please please start reading these things for yourself? All religous leaders are MEN and being so are just as prone to mistakes and lies as any other MAN.

Be a christian but THINK FOR YOURSELF..

2007-06-14 23:09:25 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous

the dream was about a friend who recently died he was at his own funeral as a corpse and sitting on a big chair there seemed to be a carnival at his funeral and his wife (who isn't dead) was seated beside him. There was a family member there who i don't speak to, who was with a scary old woman and the woman was trying to grab at people. I know dreams dont always mean anything i was just curious about this dream.

2007-06-14 23:08:38 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-06-14 23:08:23 · 13 answers · asked by shanufin 1

2007-06-14 23:05:54 · 9 answers · asked by MMMM 2

Am I the only one who sees a contradiction here?

Please explain it like I'm stupid.

2007-06-14 23:01:02 · 14 answers · asked by ? 7

what is all that money doing in their accounts, they will never live long enough to spend it all, unless they live to be 300! Stop flaunting your riches when children are dying of hunger and disease!

2007-06-14 22:59:22 · 6 answers · asked by sims II 2

As in, for example, Malaysia:

http://www.reason.com/brickbat/show/120669.html

2007-06-14 22:58:42 · 9 answers · asked by ? 7

Should people with different beliefs and of different religions outside of Christianity be entitled to the same opportunities and treated with absolutey the same fairness?

Should people also have the right to freedom from religion if they do not believe?

2007-06-14 22:57:39 · 14 answers · asked by Jadochop 6

Ive prayed to God to forgvie my sins and to come into my heart as my personal savior. but im not sure that im saved. i wana be SURE that im going to heaven. And sometimes i dont wana read the Bible or pray..... how can i avoid that.

2007-06-14 22:57:23 · 11 answers · asked by МɨҞҾ 3

The email began, “I am having a bit of a crisis of faith here” and ended with “Thanks for your answer and any other help you can give me.”

So, I emailed her. A few emails later, I got a reply that was very hostile. She accused me of things I didn’t do, such as name-calling & harassment. I was baffled by this because I never called her any of the names she mentioned, nor would I ever! I was respectful in all of my replies. I did not seek this person out – I’m not in the habit of taking it upon myself to email strangers about their beliefs. I feel that’s invasive unless they invite you to discuss it.

Anyway, I emailed her to try to clear the air, and she called me a liar and said that it was me who emailed her first! I absolutely did NOT! And, she threatened to report me for abuse.

I’ve never been reported before, so what would happen? Would I be banned? I honestly feel like I’M the one who’s been abused in this situation. I only emailed her because she asked me to.

2007-06-14 22:54:18 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous

I don't think he knows the Lord and I have never approached someone on their death bed. In words it is easy to give adivce, but have any of you really done it and how >?

2007-06-14 22:41:21 · 17 answers · asked by I Love Jesus 5

I don't, or at least I have my doubts.

I posted a response to a similar Yahoo question a short time ago--see

http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuAixsr74X4AmUgjLyjrr1ytcRV.?qid=20070614213518AAju88X&r=w&cp=2&tp=2&tnu=53#all-answers

In that response, I pointed out how there were several "Jesuses before Jesus Christ".

I also pointed out some facts about the authorship of the Bible, and some links. What are your feelings after reading these links?:

Information about the first Council of Nicea, in which the Bible was rehashed:
http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=98&contentid=4440&page=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea

Information about actual authorship of the Bible:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Mark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Matthew

Information about Jesuses before Jesus:
http://p081.ezboard.com/fmomministryofmasonsfrm7.showMessageRange?topicID=33.topic&start=1&stop=20

2007-06-14 22:34:07 · 21 answers · asked by John S 2

I will eat my shoe!

Thats how dedicated I am to the cause of freeing your mind from the bonds of religion.

2007-06-14 22:30:59 · 35 answers · asked by Anonymous

Jesus would do celibacy?...so why are most of us not celibate? Many of us are not Christians at all so that let's us off but what about Christians themselves?

2007-06-14 22:25:59 · 25 answers · asked by CHEESUS GROYST 5

...or all the other modern technology for that matter?

2007-06-14 22:20:32 · 36 answers · asked by Anonymous

Proven false, theoretically, just absolutely no doubt that the religion you led your life by was for whatever reason, completely untrue.
What would you do? How would you feel?
Would your life change?

2007-06-14 22:19:52 · 19 answers · asked by bridgetize05 3

I recently lost a loved one, i desparately need to believe that this isnt the end.

2007-06-14 22:18:37 · 15 answers · asked by sims II 2

From any Christian viewpoint (Protestant, Roman Catholic, Christian Orthodox) explain to me how God can know my future and me still have free will? I've been explained it a thousand times in the classic Minority Report format. (EXAMPLE: If Person 1 throws a ball at Person 2. I know Person 2 will move or catch it). But this doesn't take into account the fact that you don't have absolute control over the situation, you didn't create the inertia that will move the ball, you didn't create gravity which will pull the ball down, you didn't create human intelligence that tells us being hit with a ball hurts, and finally yours is just a guess, you don't actually know the future, what if person 2 is a moron and chooses not to move, you're theory of predestination is shot.
Like did He know I'd type this:oegopewoiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I didn't even know I was going to type that.

2007-06-14 22:17:36 · 15 answers · asked by Jon 4

I'm going to smash my computer soon as it drives me up the wall. It takes ages to load up, and when I use the internet it takes ages to come on and get's slower and slower the longer I'm on. I've tried de fraging and deleating internet history and it's still slow. Can anyone help me make it run faster, before I get the hammer to it?

2007-06-14 22:13:48 · 26 answers · asked by chopper 2