If you think I wrote that I decide who is f--ked, you need to re-read the post a little more carefully. What I said is that there are no consequences in my beliefs. Calling God evil, on the other hand, or some of the other shenanigans on this thread have consequences. That's the point I was getting to.
If you're going to throw around the compatibility of 'evolution' with Christianity, I'd be curious to know exactly what you mean. Do you mean that Christianity and natural selection are compatible, OR that Darwin's theory of common ancestry and Christianity are compatible?
You DO understand that Darwin claims that all life decended from more simplistic life over time, which is difficult to square against Christianity without making as many twists and turns as the evolutionists have done over the years and on this thread.
Evolution is just as much a 'belief' (that is, not a FACT), as any religion. Just because some eggheads claim that they can prove it (which they can't or we wouldn't be having this debate), it doesn't become true.
I can't say that I understand what you claim to believe, nor do I get the compatibility between the two things you are comparing, but that's okay with me.
Lighten up. It's amusing to watch the other side belittle me for my beliefs then puff up their own.
Theory: a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena; "theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses"; "true in fact and theory"
Hypothesis: a tentative theory about the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory"; "he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices"
Observation: any information collected with the senses
Data: factual information, especially information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions
Fact: when an observation is confirmed repeatedly and by many independent and competent observers, it can become a fact
Belief: any cognitive content (perception) held as true; religious faith
Dogma: a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof
Impression: a vague idea in which some confidence is placed; "his impression of her was favorable"; "what are your feelings about the crisis?"; "it strengthened my belief in his sincerity"; "I had a feeling that she was lying"
Based on this, evolution is a theory. CS and ID are beliefs.
Hope this helps.
If I say I believe I do believe in God, consider myself a Christian, and also believe in TOE, you want to question that, and imply that I must be making so many twists and turns in order to square evolution with Christianity...
Well, tho I am not a Catholic, I am proud to be in the company of so many popes, who also said that they believed in evolution...they stated something to the effect, that God did indeed start the whole thing, but God also used the mechanism of evolution to suit His purposes...and there are millions of good fine Christian folk who believe in evolution and find no horrible conflict between Christianity and evolution, do not find themselves making twists and turns in their thinking to square the two together...
Its you who put God into a little tight closed in box, and say that God must have designed things and He must have designed them in only the way which you think corresponds to your own personal interpretation of the Bible...its you who chose to limit God, you who are afraid to allow God to be God...you want Him to correspond to your beliefs, and you dont want Him to be true to His nature(which none of us can ever know)...I just chose to allow for the possibility that God used evolution...but I also have an open mind, and await the IDers to prove things otherwise...so far, every single arguement I have read here on FR, falls far short of doing such a thing....
If you want ID taught in schools, then who would you have the school teach is the 'designer'......would it be God?...would it be aliens?....would it be one of the spirits so common in Native American creation stories?...we could go on and on, as each culture and religion that has a creation story, has a 'creator', or 'designer', which differs from all the other cultures...who would pick which 'designer', we should discuss?...You?...Me?...my neighbor next door?...your family doctor?...should we vote on which 'designer' we want?...and how do you actually 'prove', that your personal pick for the 'designer', is in fact, the actual 'designer'?...You cannot prove, in any scientific way, that your God is in fact the 'designer'....you can believe it all you want, but to introduce your God as a 'designer', into a science class is to dumb down science...you cannot in any way, scientifically test for the presence and power of God...that is purely a matter of belief....
You can have your beliefs, and you can limit Gods power(which is what I see you doing)...me, I prefer to believe that God is all powerful, and if evolution is His way of doing things, who am I to question that...
Just because I view things differently than you do, does not make me less of a Christian, because you think I have to twist things to make Christianity and evolution compatible with each other...this is in fact, a result of your own narrow thinking...
You suppose yourself to be a Christian, yet you say you will be laughing when those who disagree with you about evolution are meeting a terrible fate after death...frankly I find that to be a very un-Christian sentiment...I thought Christians were supposed to try to witness to others, try to as a loving brother, bring others to Christianity...I dont think laughing at, what you consider to be the terrible fate of others is a Christian attribute....
You and I obviously see this matter differently...I just find your manner to be repulsive...