Did I stutter?

I found the hypocrisy confusing..

You have my apologies, sir Penguincat. Wrong of me to judge. We christians are certainly sinners, too, and imperfect.

Well then thank you, and I certainly have no problem with your religion as long as you're still polite/nice to those who don't share your views. :)

I don't remember the last time I saw a civil and logical disagreement like this

I know, I believe it's been at least a Millennium

Welcome. :) While we're on the subject though, why don't you guys believe in God? Agnostic rather? Something else?

I'm agnostic because I don't particularly believe the bible was inspired rather than written by regular men, who knows if the 'right' religion has even been thought of yet? I do tend to lean towards believing in a god but I think that anything is possible. Our understanding of the universe is too limited I believe to really know, and I'm not one to cling to things on faith.
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So if there's a god I hope my being a good person and trying to understand the world is good enough for him. If that's not good enough and he/she can't understand or doesn't care that I've tried my best for the personality I was made with, then I don't see how much of a divine/ultimately kind being he could really be, and I wouldn't want to worship him.

to be honest in the end it's all about not being a total asshole apit doesn't matter what religion or background you are from I don't give a fuck, it's just being nice that matters because that's all that we need

I think we need a little more (I'm a Christian), but your views are totally cool too:) I do think being generally nice has a big part, though! I mean, religious or not, being considerate and just a good person should kinda, you know, be a given. Well there's my speech for the day though haha

Okay, there's a lot there... Do you guys also believe in evolution? How do you think the earth and man were created?

I believe in evolution as in adaptation as a scientific fact, but the theories people tend to link to it like the big bang theory and primordial soup theory are not actually part of evolution. I've not a clue how earth and man got here but hopefully I'll find out someday or when I die.

The current model of the universe is unclear on what caused the Big Bang or how life was first created. It is certainly possible to say that some form of higher power put them there because science doesn't have a better answer.

I must say, this comment section is about the most sensible one I've ever seen. That said, I think we do have a model already. https:// youtu.be/JG6ol841uIs and https:// youtu.be/shyI-aQaXD0

I know, this is like the first time people are actually talking without arguing (can we please do that more often).
As for me, I do believe God created everything and as for evolution, I don't believe the life-came-from-rocks stuff they taught me in 8th grade science class but I do believe species can adapt (survival of the fittest). So I don't believe the evolutionist theory (I'm a creationist), but I think species definetly could change over time, just not change completely. I'm trying to explain clearly but I don't know if any of that made sense haha

Sir Penguin, you mentioned you weren't a man of faith, yes? Does it not take faith though to contemplate how everything came to be? :) In the New Testament of the bible, in the book of Hebrews, the 11th chapter, and verse 1 reads: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen." Are you married, sir? Perhaps a girlfriend? Certainly you have faith that she won't lie/cheat/steal from you? The assurance that she won't do those things, the conviction that she hasn't. :) My point is that most everyone has some experience with the word 'faith' in their own lives. Now, sir Guest. Good day. :) Why don't you think science has that better answer? And lokihasthephonebox, good day to you also. :) It certainly makes sense to me. Evolution obviously exists within SPECIES, agreed. We have thousands of species of birds, fish, reptiles, etc. But man evolving from a single-cell organism? Right, not so. :)
What does the phrase "intelligent design" mean to you guys?

You just explained exactly what I was trying to say but failed at

Ha, thanks. :) Done a lot of thinking on these things.

I am a different guest from the Big Bang one, and I personally don't believe in intelligent design; I do think that all life on Earth evolved from single-celled organisms. There is strong evidence that all land plants descended from single-celled green algae (their shared chlorophyll types and sporophyte/gametophyte reproductive cycles, for example), so I think that, given how long life has been on Earth, the same is easily possible for all other species. Evidence of divergent evolution, like the analogous structures in human arms, cat paws, whale fins, and bat wings, have reinforced this view for me. I think the complexity of the human body is amazing, and I find the idea that we are the apex of millions of years not only plausible, but completely fascinating and exciting to think about.
However, I don't dispute your right to believe whatever idea appeals most to you, so long as you treat others with the same respect.

Take a pair of eye glasses, separate the lenses, screws, the nose pieces, and the frame pieces. Place them into a bag. Shake the bag back and forth, up and down, until you have a complete set of eyeglasses. I mean no disrespect, but what you suggest about evolution is entirely the same thing as the above illustration. Assembling a pair of eyeglasses requires intelligent design to understand how the pieces fit together, the great intricacy of torquing a screw, popping the lenses in place, and not to mention avoiding damage to the lenses.
God is the epitome of intelligent design. :) All things He created were made by Him for a purpose. The water cycle, not an accident. Trees giving off O2, not an accident. Ocean and air currents, not an accident. Our human heart, the most efficient pump ever known, our intestines - 25 feet long, our brains, spinal cord, nervous system, circulatory system, our bones, etc, all created by God for a purpose. :)

In that sense yes I have faith but not in the sense most people use it in so I tend to avoid the term, I don't have faith in a creator or in any theory relating to how the universe got here. As far as intelligent design it's possible, but I believe it's also possible that in this huge universe things have been bumping together and mixing randomly for millenniums and maybe it finally hit the right combination just once for us and our planet to come into existence.
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However, I think your beliefs are just as valid as anyone else's I just don't see how anyone has so much faith that they can say with absolute conviction that everyone else is wrong. Myself I'm open to anyone's suggestion, even if they told me there was a flying lizard that made the universe, sure it's weird but I can't prove otherwise so who knows. Also, I'm a girl but no worries xD

I think, given the overwhelming evidence, that it's preposterous NOT to believe in intelligent design. :)

Oh! :D Sorry, MISS Penguincat. :p Well I certainly have that much faith. :) Hopefully, some reading these comments will be open to consider God's word and that He'll grant you the increase, for I have planted the seed. :)

The thing is, evolution isn't the same as the glasses analogy, because evolution isn't random. Over time, natural selection preserves what works and eliminates what doesn't.
What if, every time the glasses came closer to being complete, they stayed that way? If whenever a lens came into contact with the frame, they couldn't be shaken apart, only shaken closer together? If a screw that happened to fall into its hole would stay there, and slowly be screwed into place but never loosened? I think that if that bag was then shaken constantly for a few centuries, I wouldn't be surprised if a pair of glasses came out at the end.
Also, if I may ask, what is your view on dinosaurs? Why did they die out while smaller species lived on?

I have to leave the computer for now, but I hope to read your reply later :)

Well, honesty I think we've reached the climax of this debate, an impasse. But a respectful one. I don't know why God chose to eliminate the dinosaurs - maybe he knew how much of a hit Jurassic Park was gonna be, I don't know (Well of course He knew, He's God). What I do know is that God exists and I choose each and every day to serve faithfully the God who loved me (and everyone else who chooses to serve Him) gave unto me His only Son to die willingly that I may have eternal life in Heaven when my time is up. :) Goodnight, all.

This is a great argument. No aggressiveness. I personally am an atheist and believe in evolution, but you can believe whatever you want. There isn't solid proof, so

Right, no proof because it takes faith to please God. Hebrews 11:6. :) God will never provide, absolute, definitive proof of His existence because then everyone would arbitrarily believe in Him. Which feels better?... Telling your child to tell you they love you? Or, your child coming over to you unsolicited and saying "I love you". :) There you go. God loves those who believe through faith. John 20:29.

Ah ok. So it's a sin, but still love and take of them. Thanks!

Yeah! I'm personally against homosexuality and I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and nothing else. But that doesn't mean you should hate someone for it, we're all sinners and we should love each other like we would want to be for ourselves!

But, In the same book of the bible where homosexuality is condemned, so is cutting your hair, eating shrimp (Four times more than homosexuality actually), and wearing mixed fibers. If I'm going to hell for loving another woman, Then we can carpool because you're going too.

To lokihasthephonebox, that's entirely correct. :) A lot of people refer to that phrase as "the Golden Rule" (treat others as you'd want done unto you). What many don't realize is that phrase came directly from Christ Himself! :D Matthew 7:12. As christians, our job is to spread the gospel - not to condemn others for their sins! WE TOO ARE SINNERS! How arrogant of someone to say they're better than someone else - THEY'RE NOT! Jesus WAS better than everyone else, yet He didn't boast about it!!! - talk about humility! :)
To aradia_megido... Actually, those are misconceptions. :) Cutting you hair isn't sinful. We can now eat any food we want (provided we control ourselves), and we can wear whatever type of clothing we want, as long as it's modest. And I'll tell you why. Many people today don't understand the differences between the Old Testament, and the New Testament. To put it simply, Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Law (Mosaic, Levitical, etc). Read Matthew 5:17. :)

Therefore, since Christ fulfilled the Law, the Old Testament laws are no longer valid in terms of the tedious "hows, whats, and whys". HOWEVER! Let me be perfectly clear... 9/10 commandments that Moses recorded are repeated in the New Testament as to how we're supposed to live our lives. All but 'Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy' is recorded in the NT. Christ also fulfilled that, too. Sunday is the Lord's Day, not Saturday.
Many people quote the bible incorrectly because they're ignorant (the word 'ignorant' isn't an insult, but rather means 'without knowledge') of the context of what they're quoting. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to consider when trying to interpret any bible passage is its context. :) For example... many people think they're saved (will go to heaven) simply by this verse... "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." This verse is found in Romans 10:9...

... they're not properly interpreting the context of that verse. Paul is addressing the church in Rome! THE CHURCH, CHRISTIANS! People who have already obeyed the gospel. :) Baptism is another issue people have about salvation, yet the bible is perfectly clear that baptism IS essential to salvation. Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:38, 1 Pet 3:21. In fact, every conversion story in the book of Acts involves baptism.
I do apologize as I've written a lot, but PLEASE read all of what I have written. :) It just might save your soul. I'm more than welcome to discuss any other biblical topics of discussion. :)

Marriage isn't a religious institution, Atheists still get married. It isn't a monetary institution, poor people still get married. It's not an institution based on reproduction, infertile people still get married. Marriage is an institution of love, so I will marry who I love, regardless of your objections. your opinion is just that, an opinion. you are allowed to have one, and I am also allowed to ask you to kindly shove it. Have a nice life, hypocrite. :D

Well, I've done my job. I'm sorry you won't listen. :( I have taken the time this afternoon to spread some of the good news of Christ Jesus. I am told, by Christ Himself, that'd I'd be hated, slandered, and persecuted for His name's sake. And that's okay. :) For I am blessed.

Aradia, c31107 was talking about what marriage means to us. Yes, marriage is in love how you said but we believe it's between a man and a woman. Nothing else. Marriage, in a biblical view, is a sort of promise between one guy and one girl. We aren't being hypocritical. You are right though, you do have an opinion and you certainly have a voice to say it. We just do too :)

Ironic though how atheists and agnostics get married though, for marriage is, in fact, a covenant with God regardless as to whether or not you believe in God. :) Don't mean to step on any toes with that comment; just speaking up for what's so/right.