Monday, March 16, 2009

thought of the day.243

Reason or the bible?

Reason says people can’t live to be nearly a thousand years old.
The bible says they can.

Reason says men can’t turn sticks into snakes and rivers into blood.
The bible says they can.

Reason says snakes, donkeys and burning bushes can’t talk.
The bible says they can.

Reason says the sun can’t be stopped in the sky.
The bible says it can.

Reason says hordes of rotted people can’t walk out of their graves.
The bible says they can.

Reason says there are no witches.
The bible says there are—and to kill them.

Knowing this, shouldn’t we teach our children to listen to reason
rather than the bible and its preachers?

6 comments:

homesicksooner said...

In light of Genesis 1:1, all of what you have listed is entirely possible.

Naturalism or Theism?

1. Why is there something instead of nothing? The naturalist has no answer for this question, the theist does . . . it's Genesis 1:1.

2. Is it more likely that God caused life or that aliens planted it from another Galaxy? The naturalist opts for aliens. Now that's faith!

3. The naturalists says it looks designed, but you must tell yourself repetitively it's not. If it looks like walks like a duck, quacks like a duck . . . you know the rest. What could be more reasonable???

4. The Bible establishes why humans have value. The naturalists has no solid answer.

5. What happens after death? The naturalist says you done, that's it, game over. Theism says there is an afterlife. If this is true, then there is no meaning to life whatsoever. Most people find this to be one of the most uncomfortable aspects of naturalism.

john evans said...

Hey Anthony,
Nice to hear from you. How was the book expo and Hitchens? Hope all is well.

Thanks for your comments. In response I would say:

1. It seems to me one common characteristic I have noticed with many Christians I have had serious talks with is that they are uncomfortable with mystery. I think perhaps people with that personality are drawn to religion at least in part because it provides answers for questions like the one you posed here. Personally, I would rather admit the answer is uncertain than say “God” did it. But I understand how comforting that must be to someone that needs answers.

2. I would guess there may be life elsewhere in the universe. It is possible they planted life here. Probably not, but possible. I have absolutely no reason to think there exists this thing you call “God” so that is even less likely.

3. I think if you were to read a few books on evolution and maybe take a class in order to truly understand it you would see that life was indeed designed but designed from the bottom up not top down.

4. Do you only value your wife and children because the bible says they are valuable? How sad for you, how sad for them.

5. I agree that many most people find the idea of no afterlife uncomfortable. That is one of the primary reasons religions and notions of gods and demons, heavens and hells were created. It actually is quite freeing to let go of the need for an afterlife and realize there is nothing at all to fear about death.

There is no meaning to life. You are responsible for injecting meaning into life. The more people and actions mean to you, the meaningful your life is. My life is overflowing with meaning. And simply because life does not go on forever in some fantasy afterlife does not diminish life here and now but makes it all the more precious.

Unknown said...

There is a reason that God is what is known as supernatural. If you could understand all his ways, what kind of a God would that be? A very small one. I don't even want to understand everything that he does. That would be such a burden to bear.

john evans said...

God is a “he”? How so?

Unknown said...

Not necessarily a "he". God is a spirit. Spirits do not have gender. He is just the pronoun that we use to describe God. Do I need to go into another English lesson about words not having meanings until we give them one? ;-)

Although your question really has nothing to do with the topic that I just raised. A supernatural God, by definition of the word "supernatural", would not always work within what our minds see as natural or as normal and therefore might even work against what we as humans say is "reason".
But of course, as stated in one of your most recent posts, you believe that everyone's perception is flawed anyway. So maybe God makes perfect sense, you just don't see it that way.

john evans said...

Thanks for clarifying. Many people do think of “God” as a definite male. I wonder why you don’t use the word She or refer to “God” as Mother as these would be equally valid terms.

Your Jesus still has a male body, right? Or did he shed it on his ascent into space, perhaps as he passed pluto and before he switched gears into hyper drive on his way to heaven? Where is that anyway, just past the last planet on the left? Just wondered what he does with that penis. You think he urinates from time to time? Does he get excited when a hot angel flies by? How silly to contemplate a God with a body!