Smithsonian: How to Talk with Evangelicals about Evolution

[Batcat]

God loves no one. Regardless of which god it is, the top ten biggest atrocities were done on the name of religion…..and the Christian God is among the most violent.

Top 10 Biggest Atrocities Committed in the Name of Religion

An estimated 89 percent of the world's population believes in some sort of monotheistic or polytheistic system - some type of religion. While the numbers per religion are only estimates, the overall message is that humans are a religious race.

www.thetoptens.com

People committed many of those atrocities in their belief their god supported their actions or as a way to misuse the local religion they didn’t believe in to obtain support to achieve a goal.

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/what-was-hitlers-religioni

 

[Batcat]

Because they new the original was stupid, so they changed it.

True. God approved of a lot of killing in the Old Testament.

For example: Joshua 6:20 - 6:24
New International Version

i20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

 

[Grumblenuts]

25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

To this day, ay?

 

[Dagosa]

People committed many of those atrocities in their belief their god supported their actions or as a way to misuse the local religion they didn’t believe in to obtain support to achieve a goal.

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/what-was-hitlers-religioni

God did nothing to correct them, because he doesn’t exist….
People committed all those atrocities in the name of a god they made up.

 

[Dagosa]

People committed many of those atrocities in their belief their god supported their actions or as a way to misuse the local religion they didn’t believe in to obtain support to achieve a goal.

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/what-was-hitlers-religioni

BTW, I’ll believe Catholic opinion when they give away all their wealth and become true followers of the man they choose to emulate, Christ.

 

[Batcat]

BTW, I’ll believe Catholic opinion when they give away all their wealth and become true followers of the man they choose to emulate, Christ.

The wealth of the Catholic Church bothers me too.

 

[Batcat]

To this day, ay?

Perhaps the author didn’t consider how long his writings would endure.

 

[Dagosa]

The wealth of the Catholic Church bothers me too.

Yes, but it isn’t just a Catholic phenomenon. The wealth and prowler of other churches is obvious too.

List of wealthiest religious organizations - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Batcat]

Yes, but it isn’t just a Catholic phenomenon. The wealth and prowler of other churches is obvious too.

List of wealthiest religious organizations - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

When I pick a church to attend, I usually attend a small church. The bigger churches seem too awe-inspiring and grandiose to me.

 

[Dagosa]

When I pick a church to attend, I usually attend a small church. The bigger churches seem too awe-inspiring and grandiose to me.

I hear you. Imo, if we are so inclined. we should support the smaller churches.

 

[Dagosa]

When I pick a church to attend, I usually attend a small church. The bigger churches seem too awe-inspiring and grandiose to me.

I would be in favor of re-examining the tax structure for the nonprofit status that Churches seem to enjoy.
The practicing net worth should be limited. It’s for sure that the Salvation Army and AmericanRed Cross remain humble in their endeavors . Why can’t all churches ?
Salvation Army. 2018
Total Revenue: $3,863,646,000

Total Expenses: $3,703,604,000
ARC, over 91% effective service expenditure rate.
Pretty big, obviously with very little fat.

 

[Batcat]

BTW, I’ll believe Catholic opinion when they give away all their wealth and become true followers of the man they choose to emulate, Christ.

I will be quite impressed with the Catholic Church if it ever does just that.

 

[Batcat]

Yes, but it isn’t just a Catholic phenomenon. The wealth and prowler of other churches is obvious too.

List of wealthiest religious organizations - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Unfortunately true. Once Constantine made Christianity the state religion men started to use it as a tool to accumulate great wealth.

Rome, Constantine and Christianity - A Very Brief History - Christian Valour

The story of the fall of Rome, is a rather patchy tale, depending on what you consider 'Rome' and what you consider 'Fall'.

www.christianvalour.com

***snip***

Simply lifting the heavy persecution of Christianity was enough to mark its flourishing beginnings. More than this, Emperor Constantine poured funds into the Christian religion, exempt religious officials from certain other civil obligations, built extensive and prestigious buildings, produced Christian inspired currency, and more (Pohlsander, 2004). Indeed “during the thirty years of his reign, more change took place in the status, structure, and beliefs of the Christian Church than during any previous period of its history” (Drake, 2005). Although I would argue that Christ’s resurrection and the spread of the early Church was also slightly influential (but whatever).

Nonetheless, Constantine was a big deal for Christianity.

Of course, as good as all this was for the Christian religion and the salvation of countless souls from the Lord’s righteous Judgment, we can always trust humans to really humanize the whole situation. The rise in funding and status of Christianity inevitably brought with it a rise in those who would embrace it for financial gain, and other benefits. Thus we see what eventually came to be a rather unofficial (but quite serious) difference between “the Church of power and the Church of piety” (Stark, 2009). Not only this of course, but general disagreements from within the Church itself on many matters. Long story short Christianity became the official religion of the ‘Roman empire’, but not necessarily with all the right outcomes. Fast forward from here and you end up with a Catholic dominated West (Holy Roman Empire), and the Latin orthodox dominated East (Byzantium)… sort of (Verkholantsev, 2012).t

God did nothing to correct them, because he doesn’t exist….
People committed all those atrocities in the name of a god they made up.

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. I personally believe God is a designer who uses evolution as one of his tools.

I decided to believe in a creator or designer in a biology class in high school where we were studying chemistry of a leaf.

HOW A LEAF MAKES FOOD :: PHOTOSYNTHESIS ::

 

[abu afak]

Unfortunately true. Once Constantine made Christianity the state religion men started to use it as a tool to accumulate great wealth.

Rome, Constantine and Christianity - A Very Brief History - Christian Valour

The story of the fall of Rome, is a rather patchy tale, depending on what you consider 'Rome' and what you consider 'Fall'.

www.christianvalour.com

snip

Simply lifting the heavy persecution of Christianity was enough to mark its flourishing beginnings. More than this, Emperor Constantine poured funds into the Christian religion, exempt religious officials from certain other civil obligations, built extensive and prestigious buildings, produced Christian inspired currency, and more (Pohlsander, 2004). Indeed “during the thirty years of his reign, more change took place in the status, structure, and beliefs of the Christian Church than during any previous period of its history” (Drake, 2005). Although I would argue that Christ’s resurrection and the spread of the early Church was also slightly influential (but whatever).

Nonetheless, Constantine was a big deal for Christianity.

Of course, as good as all this was for the Christian religion and the salvation of countless souls from the Lord’s righteous Judgment, we can always trust humans to really humanize the whole situation. The rise in funding and status of Christianity inevitably brought with it a rise in those who would embrace it for financial gain, and other benefits. Thus we see what eventually came to be a rather unofficial (but quite serious) difference between “the Church of power and the Church of piety” (Stark, 2009). Not only this of course, but general disagreements from within the Church itself on many matters. Long story short Christianity became the official religion of the ‘Roman empire’, but not necessarily with all the right outcomes. Fast forward from here and you end up with a Catholic dominated West (Holy Roman Empire), and the Latin orthodox dominated East (Byzantium)… sort of (Verkholantsev, 2012).t

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. I personally believe God is a designer who uses evolution as one of his tools.

I decided to believe in a creator or designer in a biology class in high school where we were studying chemistry of a leaf.

HOW A LEAF MAKES FOOD :: PHOTOSYNTHESIS ::

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Tanks for the informative post.

 

[abu afak]

I already knew you were functionally illiterate, but sometimes you still amaze me with your complete inability to read and understand words.
Here's the full quote that you deliberately mangled so that you could pretend to "answer" something it didn't say, but that you preferred to what it ACTUALLY said:Oh, so Smithsonian Magazine forced you to come to this message board and start a thread about how "brilliantly" you were going to "destroy" evangelical Christians by explaining something they 1) already know about, and 2) don't care about in regards to their religious beliefs, because it doesn't affect them in the slightest?

It is obvious to anyone who is not Fart Fun and who can therefore comprehend the English language that the "they" I was speaking of was Christians, not the people you slavishly worship as your heroes because you mistakenly think that adoring them will somehow convey their intelligence to you by some sort of fanboy osmosis.

Christians are already well aware of evolutionary theory, contrary to the apparent belief of your spiritual boyfriend, Abu. Christians also don't give a damn about evolutionary theory in regards to their religious beliefs, because evolution is irrelevant to Christianity, also contrary to the apparent belief of your boyfriend, Abu.

I find it heartwarming that you could find a soulmate of the same intellectual caliber as you on this message board, and I wish you and Abu many happy years of babbling mindlessly at each other and pinning clippings from Smithsonian to your walls together.

One can be an evangelical and believe in evolution, Just like Pat Robertson now acknowledges 'Million of Years old."

Religious doctrines change, or most do. The most indoctrinated just get to be funnier and Funnier.
Even the Saudis are lightening up a bit.

 

[Dagosa]

I am saying we have trouble understanding.

God should be understandable by any human being he wishes to communicate with. After all, he/ she is god.

 

[fncceo]

God should be understandable by any human being he wishes to communicate with. After all, he/ she is god.

My dog just tilts his head when I talk to him.

 

[scruffy]

My dog just tilts his head when I talk to him.

My drummer friend has a dog that's so smart, you can tell it what color socks to fetch. You say "go get the socks" and it brings back a pair, then you can say "no, not the blue ones, the red ones" and it'll go get the red ones. It's just a scruffy little mutt like me.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Update:

You give them the facts, then you sit back and watch them lie and post half truths and post youtube videos they didn't watch.

 

[scruffy]

Update:

You give them the facts, then you sit back and watch them lie and post half truths and post youtube videos they didn't watch.

lol

That's not their only problem.

Apparently.

They abuse language. Play stupid semantic games, try to change word meanings.

It's necessary that way, to get anyone to listen to their bullshit.

They can't just come out and admit the simple truth, they can't just say "it's a matter of faith". Instead they have to claim "truth", so they cross over into science and math and other places where authority lives.

Because they're fundamentally insecure in their own faith. That's where this stuff comes from. Deep down inside, there is doubt.

Whereas real science is exactly the opposite. Doubt is not an issue for scientists. There are OTHER issues, to be sure, but doubt isn't one of them.