@jakelafort I have for a long time thought people can be programmed with any beliefs I used to think it required early indoctrination…
It reminds me of a recent conversation I had with an Evangelical of some type. He was trying to tell me that he did not believe in Evolution. I told him I agreed with him. He looked puzzled and asked me to explain further.
I told him that I accept the Theory of Evolution as an interpretation of the available evidence to indicate that the Theory is factually correct. I understand that we are evolved from a common ancestor and that genetically, we share a great deal in common with all other species. But I do not hold it as a belief. When you tell me that you don’t believe in Evolution all I hear is someone telling me that they have no proper understanding of how Science works. It is not that you don’t believe it, it is that you do not understand it, and that is obvious to me from the long-debunked arguments you are making against it.
You accept what you are told on faith and these become your beliefs. Then you actively attack atheists with arguments, not to convert us to your way of faith but only to reinforce your own beliefs. Scientists pursue the truth by looking for a theory that best explains the observable facts. When they find it, other scientists attempt to demolish it. If they cannot, then it can be accepted and it becomes part of our understanding of one aspect of nature. When other information is discovered that leads to it being changed, we then adapt the new knowledge into our understanding. Our “beliefs” have not been shattered as theists often claim. All that has happened is that we have improved our theory.
We do not believe in the Big Bang. We hold it to be a credible theory, again based upon observable evidence. If a new space telescope gives us new evidence that alters the theory we don’t fret about it. We evaluate the new evidence and its implications and then we adapt our views. No sleep is lost over it. So, you cling to faith-based beliefs to form your reality and I build mine upon strongly supported evidence-based theories. Your beliefs are static, my understandings are always being further enhanced.
If Darwin went into a medical university today to take a degree course in Modern Evolutionary Science, he would understand very little of it because his theory has evolved so much in the last 150 years. But it still demonstrates that we are an evolved species. Don’t take my word for it because there is plenty of information about it in other books.
He still disagreed and refusing to argue any further while insisting that I made a deliberate effort to not see any value in the beliefs held by Christians, that I was just being closed-minded.
Feigning my shock and surprise at such a statement I replied –
In seeking to hear the reasons for believing in the Christian God, I might be compelled by an intellectual curiosity that transcends the mere pursuit of knowledge, venturing instead into the realm of existential inquiry and metaphysical contemplation. The desire to engage with your theistic arguments is not simply an exercise in academic rigor but an acknowledgment of the profundity with which such beliefs have shaped the moral, philosophical, and cultural landscapes throughout history. To disregard these perspectives would be to eschew the rich tapestry of human thought, wherein theology intersects with ontology, epistemology, and ethics, don’t you agree? By embracing this discourse, I open myself to the possibility of encountering a paradigm that offers coherence, transcendence, and a narrative that speaks to the deepest yearnings of the human spirit. Thus, my inquiry into the reasons for belief in the Christian God is not merely a superficial dalliance with dogma but a serious, thoughtful exploration of ideas that have profoundly influenced civilizations and continue to offer a framework for understanding existence, purpose, and the ultimate reality. But I am not sure if asking Christians is the correct approach if you assume from the start that I am being close-minded.
_Robert_ 2 weeks, 2 days ago.
