<p>I know this has nothing to do with college, but.. you CC'ers seem like interesting people :) </p>
<p>so...</p>
<p>I'm basically an atheist. I believe in the whole "things happen for a reason" thing, but i have a hard time with the things in the Bible. I was just wondering how you scientists out there can believe in god (especially if you believe in evolution, natural selection, spontaneous generation of life, etc)</p>
<p>If you are Christian, please explain how you can believe in the whole "god created the world in 6 days" when evidence on the contrary exists.</p>
<p>Ahh! You stole my thread. I made one like this a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>But it's fine.</p>
<p>I'm somewhat religious. I just practice good morals and believe in a God. I just believe in a God, but I don't exactly have a belief that God made the world. I'm still trying to figure that out.</p>
<p>As for the one-week theory, if there is a Creator, you can ask him when you meet him, if you meet him (not specifying heaven or hell, he just may not be the one at the door when your ring the bell, if you catch me).</p>
<p>To me, religion is basically the act of confronting your mortality (or in some cases, lack thereof) and setting out to define your existance appropriately.</p>
<p>I'm leaning more toward Deism, because I don't necesarily believe things happen for a reason, but the Bible is a credible book (I can be intelligent in explaining the most controversial of verses) that can be read for those needing examples of virtuous ways of living.</p>
<p>The religious scientists are the most sensible ones, between those who believe that perfection has a pill and those who believe creationism should be taught as science in schools. The religious types understand mankind's ability to control their own destiny, as well as their ability to see past the logical aspects and into the spiritual aspects of an issue rather than attaching numbers to every issue.</p>
<p>I respect everyone's beliefs, and every religion has its good points. I just don't like it when people try to force their ideas onto me. I'm agnostic, by the way.</p>
<p>I'd like to be Christian, but it's hard for me to have faith because I grew up atheistic. I hope that I have some sort of epiphany when I'm an adult that'll inspire me to believe, though.</p>
<p>I used to be a pretty devout Christian and went to church every week and stuff. However, I haven't gone at all in like four years because I'm losing faith a little as to whether God really exists. I don't know, maybe he does, but I'm not as religious as I used to be. I won't lie when I say I still pray before a big test or something like that.</p>
<p>I'm a Christian, and I'm not a young-earth creationist. I believe in science- I trust the big bang theory and evolution, I just believe that God set it up like that, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>Not every Christian takes the Bible completely literally. It is, after all, the product of man.</p>
<p>The explanation I have heard from Christians for this vary:
- The old testament shouldn't be read literally
- The Flood disturbed sediment layers, mixed up the geological column
- "Days" means something different, possibly a day in the eyes of God
- Carbon dating is wrong
- Before the Fall, mutations occurred less frequently
- Immediately after the Fall, radioactive decay occurred more rapidly
- God works in a different time frame than humans</p>
<p>I think that it's great for scientists to be spiritual. Biblical literalism is bad science, but so is denying the existence of anything you can't observe and generally being an antagonistic wanker (Richard Dawkins). When you get into things like quantum theory, you start to hit a line that science can't cross where religion steps in.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you are Christian, please explain how you can believe in the whole "god created the world in 6 days" when evidence on the contrary exists.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Contrary evidence? Ha, the Second Book of Genesis contradicts the First. Most of the Old Testament stories aren't meant to be taken literally, there's a meaning behind each story. The Creation stories are just that. Stories by a simple people meant to explain things they didn't know. Just like all numbers in the Old Testament and Book of Revelation have a significance (age = importance, 7 = perfection, etc.). </p>
<p>The Bible has an insane amount of factual contradictions. It isn't a historical account. </p>
<p>(Btw, people who believe in the Genesis stories are called Creationists. Only a small amount of reasonable people really believe that the Earth was created in a week.)</p>
<p>^In my experience, people who find that the Bible "contradicts itself" either aren't reading carefully enough or aren't reading at all, but rather following what everyone else says.</p>
<p>Now. Was the earth created in a week? I don't know. I wasn't there. But I do put a lot of stock in what the Bible says, and I do believe that it is the living Word of God.</p>
<p>you can't really reason with the bible. Because most of bible isn't logical - it is based upon intuition, not reasoning. Just like you can't prove your parents' love for each other is divine or based upon genetics and hormones. marxists would argue that life is purposeless, and that religion is a drug. However, I think religion is the ground upon which we walk.</p>
<p>the bible defies common logic. that is why you can't prove god exists through some sort of mathematical proof - you have to feel Him, believe Him, and trust Him.</p>
<p>Ok, lets think about this. God, who is the almighty spiritual being retains \"powers\". So why cant Christians believe that the world was created in a week, let alone an hour? If someone retains phenomenal powers, why not believe that being can accomplish the unimaginable. </p>
<p>The truth is, no mortal definitely knows that God exists or not. Quarrels are pointless since the core of religion is absolute faith. Thats there is to it.</p>
<p>I'm a christian but I don't like saying I am "religious". It sounds as if God or christianity is just one of many religions out there. If you truly seek Him, and get filled with the Holy Spirit, you will realize that "christianity" is not a religion, but that it is a relationship with God. Let me tell you that God exists! There are some things that CANNOT be explained by science or logic or reasoning or human knowledge. God's plans and his will are beyond our measure... I truly hope that you may seek Him and be filled with his Grace (;P HisGraceFillsMe) so that you may be delivered when the day comes.</p>