the difference with science and religion is that science will and does change when new evidence that arises WRT to speed of light the whole thing was about scientists getting results that didnt seem right and ASKING the rest of the scientific community to help prove them wrong
guess what they were wrong LINKY
religion doesnt change of its own accord faith doesnt allow to even question it
"many scientific theories are just used to cope with not wanting to deal with an unseen God."
you dont not need to invoke god at all to want to have an understanding about our surroundings science gets on fine without ever refering to a god
there is mountains of evidence that points to a very very old earth and an even older universe yes it is laughable the story of genesis and a 6000 year old earth
scientists dont think the universe as we see it sprung into form instantly it was hundreds of thousands of years before matter even condensed into existence
while we cannot prove/disprove the existence of "god" in what ever his form we can happily look at the holy scriptures where his "idea" comes from and cast a critical eye over them and say this is not gods words. and if people open go about saying they believe in pink unicorns that survive on love and worship from faithful followers then it perfectly reasonable to question them on such beliefs
I guess what I don't understand, and I mean this with all the respect I can type, is this.
All the tests we have, carbon dating for example. We know that carbon ?? looses so many electrons per year so by testing something we can get a general idea of how old it is. (this is VERY oversimplified, but so am I
) Now keeping my speed of sound point in mind, we have been able to study carbon atoms for say 100 years (its not that long.. I know) but lets just say it is. So we measure an item carbon, then 50 years later we study it again. Looses 5 electrons. So logic & science say that is something has say 1000 missing electrons than its 10000 years old. But what we don't know for certain is that perhaps after 100 years it loses electrons at a reduced rate, or a faster rate. Either way, we have no idea for certain because we've only had the ability to test for say 100 years. But carbon dating is taken as scientific fact. The sound barrier didn't work out the way logic & science said it would. BUt we take it as an absolute. I am skeptical of both religion & science when they make hard & fast rule.
The basics of a God/Jesus based faith is the golden rule. Love God more than anything else & love your neighbor more than yourself. This has never changes. Is the same now, yesterday & forever. The rest of the crap done in His name is irrelevant. Doesn't say anywhere in the bible to go on a crusade & kill the muslims, doesn't say priest cant marry, doesn't say 90% of what's done in His name & most of them were terrible & unnecessary. I believe Christ came to do away from all the superstitions & rules that man was enforcing to the death. You lit a match on the sabbath & they wanted you put to death.
True faith in Jesus allows for change & we are told to study & question. What you are referring to I think, with unchanging rules & what not are when religions try to push morals & how we should live things. Doesn't say you can;t dance, but the Baptist say no way. Not a biblical rule, its a Baptist rule. Pentecostals believe if you don't speak in tongues your not saved. Not a biblical rule, a pentecostal rule. Those are the religious beliefs that are fucked in my opinion & the ones that they fight to the death to not change. My father is a pastor & I have a fairly inside look at the inner workings of various church organization & what not. I know how people get an opinion of what they believe God wants & I know how hard they hold on to things like that. TIll death I swear.
Those are mans rules not the Lords. IMO. God made it so simple. I mean it. SOOO simple. We are referred to as sheep in the bible because sheep are not that smart. We may think we are, but we're really not. At least I'm not anyways. KISS: Keep It simple Stupid
If you put your neighbor before yourself & everyone else does as well, it would be a far superior world
Let you believe what you want, let me believe what I want. Lets have some great conversations without calling the other person a brainwashed fool or an ungodly heathen who's headed to hell.
Even though thats what you are & I can prove it!
(JOKING)!!!!
Honestly, I would LOVE nothing better than to sit down with my father & discuss this, even having a nice blunt. Fuck.. where can you do that? Smoke a blunt & discuss life. I have never smoked with anyone else really other than at a concert or something. I picture like you know in the olden days the jews or the greeks would debate. I would LOVE that without all the childish name calling of course. That's where is looses all interest for me. I was talking with my father a couple weeks ago about the middle east & holy crap I couldn't believe his attitude. He made some comments that totally blew me away. THat is NOT what I consider a Christian I don't care how long he went to bible college or how long he's been a preacher. I love my dad & all that, but holy crap he's got some firm ideas. Similar to the baptist & the dancing.