debates. (first up: creation)

[dreempup]

As one scientist said,
"The large changes we witness are not of hardly any importance. It is the small changes, that happen OVER TIME that make a huge diffrence."
Animals, humans, pretty much every living thing evolves to adapt to it's new surroudings. Let's take, hmm, something we can look at in the closer past. How about Newfoundlands? Yes, selective breeding again. These dogs were used in Canada, way up were the water was frigid. People took ordinary dogs, and bred them for certain traits to swim out and catch fish for food, and bring in the nets. They were bred for traits such as webbed paws, oily fur, so the water runs off, and thick fur to keep them warm. This selective breeding, wich is technically speeding up evolution, has been documented with designer dogs, such as cockappos, and such. Contact AKC, they will most likely have documents shpwing selective breeding for breeds. And no, we do not have any proof as rock solid as, say, a picture of these furry pre-dolphins, but we have some pretty strong proof. I believe in god and what not, but I have a secure beleif in science. I mean, just take a look at all the advancments we have made in the last 15 years, 30 years, even 50 years. We have discovered cures, and all that. So, yes, I do believe in Evolution. Now you may close this thread, sorry, just had to get my two cents in.

[jessicalawes11]

Eh, still not 100% sure about evolution. I mean, I'm allowed not to totally buy it, right? As you're allowed to dismiss the Bible as just a 'book'. That's fine. Now, this may sound stupid, but I'm gonna use this idea that Friends brought to mind, because I actually think it has a point about how anyone could be wrong.

Scientists aren't always right. Far from it. I mean, there must have been a time when the smartest people on Earth thought that the world was flat? And only until recently, people thought the atom was the smallest thing, until they broke it, and more stuff came out. Evolution could just be another of these things that most people as a whole believe, and actually turn out to be completely wrong. So if I said to you that I believe things like fossils were only put there by God to test our faith, then you techincally don't have the right to think this is a stupid opinion, yes? All the proof we have of evolution could just be mis-understood, as people from a long time ago mis-understood a lot of their 'proof' today. I'm not saying you have to believe in anything religious, or anything like that, but I will personally never put all my faith into science.

Hey, you don't have to agree with me. It's just my opinion.

[dreempup]

Ya, nobody has to agree with anybody. I don't have a religiong, but I have my own beliefs in energy and other things such as that. And, yes, if I was christian, I would robably go along with your idea of god putting the fossils to test our faith thing. We could very much be wrong about things, but so could diffrent religions. I do believe a lot in science, but not all my faith. But in my opinian humans and living things started out of evolution.

[Cheetah]

I don't think anybody on this thread called anybody else's opinions "stupid". And the bible is just a book to me simply because I'm not of that faith. That's my choice. You don't have to live with it, just me.

And like I said, if anybody ever really proves that the world was created in 7 days by a god, with physical evidence and everything, science will accept it. They keep theories updated like that. If something is proven wrong they throw it out and go back to the drawing board.

[Tokashi]

admin said:

I am not a Christian. In fact, I'm not religious. I'm Agnostic, meaning I believe that there is no proof either way.

Although, I do believe that what everyone calls "god" is the life force that keeps everything in the universe going. It keeps us all alive, keeps the planets turning, keeps order in things (life, death, adaptation, evolution, extinction, reincarnation, etc). So I do not believe in an invisible man in the sky who is watching us, but in God as the life force of the universe.

I also don't believe we disappear when we die. I do believe that we have souls (there is energy running through all our bodies), and they don't just disappear. Matter and energy do not just cease to exist. They are turned into something else. So our souls could possibly be "recycled" in that they can just be transferred to another living thing that is born (reincarnation). And I am content with that. >^_^<

I also have no problems with other peoples' religions/beliefs, as long as they don't push them upon others.

And I do believe in evolution.

Well said, that's how I think too. ^^ Though I don't really call anything a god or gods, I guess. When I think of 'god' I think of the man in the sky christians worship and stuff. I guess you could say I believe in The Great Circle Of Life heehee. <3 I think that when you die, you basically fizzle away into the ground, becoming nothing more than a supplimenting life force for the plants, aka; plant food. xD Then you live again as the plant, which then may be eaten by an animal, then the animal may be eaten or dies, and life goes on. ^^

[dreempup]

I believe in rencarnation, and all that stuff. But nobody has to believe in the things I have to. Yes, I don't really think of anything as a god/gods except for one egyptan god for some reason.

[Kelila]

I will say this one thing, and then you won't have to worry about my so-called "religious dogma" anymore. Both Evolution and Creationism are accepted by a little thing I like to call... faith. No one saw it happen. No one has been around to watch the processes of life long enough to OBSERVE. Observation is the core of science. Testing and observation. Your faith is who you are, so you might as well make sure where you place that faith. Are we only animals, forever just a energy blip on life's radar? Or are we loved, special sons and daughters of our Father? Chose wisely. I will not be replying to this thread any longer. I also challenge you to read this site like a civilized human being: everystudent.com/features/isthere.html
--Kelila

[Cheetah]

>9.9< I assure you, I am not a "blip", and just because I am not of your faith it does not mean I'm unloved. That's all I have to say about that...

The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze. Any closer and we would burn up. Even a fractional variance in the Earth's position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible. The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph.

According to more recent discoveries, the earth moves fractionally closer to the sun in its orbit each year. Its orbit also varies each year. It's not perfect.

Water...colorless, odorless and without taste, and yet no living thing can survive without it. Plants, animals and human beings consist mostly of water (about two-thirds of the human body is water). You'll see why the characteristics of water are uniquely suited to life...

I'm sorry but I don't see how this has ANYTHING to do with whether god exists or not.

Does God exist? God not only has revealed Himself in what can be observed in nature, and in human life, but He has even more specifically shown Himself in the Bible.

I think it would make news if God suddenly revealed himself. I could say the same thing about evolution.

The Bible was written by HUMAN MEN. PERIOD. Humans are not exactly known for keeping the facts straight when they write and rewrite things. Half of history is hiding and changing details. Ever hear how a rumor starts? It starts off as fact... and that it get more outrageous every time somebody new passes it on. Every bible I've ever read words things differently and leaves things out, and adds things in.

I read your article and it was informative... but I'm sorry... it doesn't miraculously cause me to see the light...

[Kick-flare the insane newbie]

*cheers* nicely said cheetah.

as an american once said

IN God we Have faith.

Neither god or evolution can be observed neither are proven as truth.

[Kishi Kat]

I can't at this point in time respond without laughing, so I'll just keep quiet.

[Joker]

Okay, I'm not going to say much, because if I start going into WHY I believe what I believe, it'll be a whole long discussion about my belief paths (which are REMARKABLY complicated). But, since this is on the topic of creation from a religious standpoint, I will say this:

We exist. How we came to be is difficult to know. I feel that human-kind spends far too much time looking into the past and far to little time appreciating what's here. I will say that I do not believe in the "big bang" theory, nor in the Christian concept of 'creationism' and the whole 7-day POOF idea. Evolution is a clear and obvious fact of life, IMHO.

The Christian idea that God created the earth is a valid one, but the time line impractical. It is possible, in my mind, that a massive force such as say, "God", did create the world in his image or ideal. Is it not possible then, like any artist or scientist, that he had to try many things before he came to a final happy stasis, being humanity and the earth as we knew it in more natural times? Is it not also possible that he is still working out the kinks in his overall plan and idea? Is it not, then, possible that we are all just one big phase in his grand scheme and image of his world?

You see, far too many new questions come into play when one delves into this huge question. I prefer to stick with this belief:

We live. The earth lives. Everything is connected and that is all there is to it. What the world was and what it has become are both very important things to believe in, but knowing how the world came about is something that is no more sure than faith itself.

IMHO. BTW, great debate guys! If anyone cares to know more about my complicated beliefs, feel free to ask.

[stormi]

I think God caused evolution, so why question the existence of either?

[dreempup]

I agree with Stormi.
But also, how can you absolutly prove that the people who wrote the bible wrote the truth? That maybe Jesus was just a normal person who did amazing things, no more or less human than you or me? But then again, how can we be so sure that evolution is the truth? How can we be sure about anything? We don't know the truth, and will we ever?
I've just been having this revalation. No matter what, we will never know the truth, we will never be able to know if there is an after life, and my worries on po9litics, but that has nothing to do with this.

[stormi]

Could be. But then again, a friend of mine said,

"God could say, 'I want a chicken' and POOF! There's a chicken." Maybe she's right, maybe she's wrong..
And yes, I believe in God and evoloution, in case you couldn't tell.