why religious people lead intellectually closed lives - lesson 1......?

Question

you tell a christian about the big bang theory, and they will reply "but where did it all come from?"

what theyre asking is, see all this stuff around you, that you can see and feel and hear and touch, where did it all come from?

however, when you ask them where did god from, they laugh at you

in other words, something that has NEVER been seen, NEVER been heard, NEVER been felt by the physical sense of touch, is immune from scrutiny regarding its origin

now, call me what you want

but that sort of carry on is ridiculous in the extreme

not to mention infantile and it kills all motivation for learning

if medicine had clung to such primitive thinking, our life expectancy wouldnt be anything as long as what it is now

im right arent i?

Answer 1

You're teetering on philosophy more than physics. But to your point, I would rather study the physical world around me than the beliefs of people who couldn't read or write over two thousand years ago. There are people who disagree with me on that, and would rather study that ignorance (which is inspired with alot of good common wisdom, at the same time) on Sunday mornings in a social setting of a church. Let's not argue who's right or wrong, just do what you want. For me, there are more truths in science than the bible. But I'd rather not argue the point, especially with people who have chosen to stop thinking and just believe.

Answer 2

I do not lead and intellectually closed life...we can't see air..but we breath it.. that is the same philosophy..you can't see God...but I believe he is there... you don't have to subscribe to it..but you do not have to be rude...plus Muslims, Jews, what about their gods?? and Reincarnation wow so I can't kill a bug it might be grandma (for the record I do try and catch and release)...

Plus I believe that if God said Bang...then there it was..no one can prove 100% that God does not exist just as we cannot prove 100% that he does... You can not tell me with 100% fact and proof that the Big Bang theory is true or that evolution is true...so frankly we are at a wash...you can't prove any more than I can..

Oh and the medicine thing..People have brains and luckily they use them..however medicine isn't perfect either (oh and I do believe and love doctors)...but now 1 in 166 children are diagnosed with autisim..which is a 300% rise since they started giving the MMR vaccine mid 80's...so hey the knife slices both ways...but we have chemo therapy and many other wonderful life saving techniques that are used..Oh but wait I am intellectually closed off to the world..so I don't read books about vaccines and health..I forgot..guess i will take them back to the bookstore.

Answer 3

Fireball, the ministers have PhD's... not MDs. A doctor of theology is not anywhere near the same as a biologist. I have a bachelors in English literature. That may enable me to comment on the works of William Butler Yates very intelligently, but it doesn't say didly about my ability to understand calculus. A PhD in an unrelated field is the same as quoting a buss driver. If you are brought up on murder charges, would you let the DNA "expert" who asserts your innocence be a doctor of comparative literature? If you were on a jury and that's who they produced, would you vote to acquit on this persons testimony?

And the laws of physics preclude the need for a "lawgiver." That's like saying wood doesn't burn in states where the congress has passed a law forbidding it.

Answer 4

Generalizations never illumine truth.

Read John Polkinghorne in relation to some of the issues that you raise. Further, Christianity has engendered an rigorous intellectual tradition that explicates what is actually believed about God's existence and essential nature-- an intellectual tradition that is far more demanding than the answers that you might be receive in casual conversation.

(My advice to you is this, if you are going to take on a religious tradition or opt for atheism, be intellectually rigorous about your decision. Even if you profoundly disagree with an interlocutor-- never underestimate them.)

Answer 5

you are trying to make the case the god does not exist, and you cant do that. on the other hand many christians try to make the case that god does exist, and we cant do that either. why? in your case you are starting with the assumption that the universe as we know it started of it own accord from a single compressed point of matter. then a christian counters with where did that bit of matter come from? you of course counter with where did god come from? this is a catch 22 situation, that in truth only god knows those answers, because we as humans sure as heck dont. all we can do is speculate, observe, experiment, etc. and try to figure things out that are as yet far more complex than we can ever know at this time. personally i believe that god and science can coexist peacefully. too bad most people dont allow for that to happen.

Answer 6

You're right, but your thinking is incomplete.


I think you have pretty much touched on one of the most profound mysteries of the universe, and it can be looked at from a deist or a scientific perspective. Regardless, I think we can agree on one thing here, there is, there MUST be something eternal about the universe. Matter was not spontaneously created. It cannot come from nowhere. If our "now" universe cam from another or was held in another, where did that one come from?

Some say it was God's doing. Others say science will figure it out. B ut, again, no matter what the answer is, it seems there is some infinite component of the universe. Whatever anyone chooses to call it or refer to it as, it IS indeed mysterious.

Answer 7

Send me a link to a page that proves without a shadow of a doubt the big bang actually occurred?There's not one.
Were you there when it happened?No.
You must be the one with an intellectually closed live for stating something that ridiculous.Seriously though,send me a link.Send me one from a scientist with a non biased presupposition.How's that?
God is infinite.God doesn't have to have a materialistic answer to describe him,or to prove he is real.But you have to show something materialistic to prove your point.I don't.

Answer 8

i have felt the Lord's prensence like many other christians, so you can actually leave out felt. i dont care bout the big bang that means nothing to me. lesson 1 for you, how can you say were not intelligent cause we choose not to believe how you do? you dont know how intelligent i am or not. its NOT always bout what you can see. there is a house in a different neighborhood on fire, but i cant see it. does this mean its not on fire since i cant see it?

Answer 9

History has shown that sin and then the removal of the greenhouse type water halo that once surrounded the earth is what made life expectancy go from eternal down to 969 years and continue down to our now 75 years. What made life expectancy go from 40 to 75 was food and its availability--not medicine as you suppose.

Answer 10

Fireball, arguing that you know someone with a phd doesn't mean anything, why don't you stick to the point and answer the question, or leave a comment that shows that you even thought about it.

Arguing that some pope has great intellect is not an argument either. He could be very smart and deluded.