Why has man never evolved?

[sandy whitelinger]

Yeah, I wasn't sure which words to use. I like Philippeans 4:8 a lot better than what I wrote.

What you offered seemed to be the fruits of the Spirit from Galations 5.

 

[Magic Man]

You may come upon a bridge someday while driving down the road. You may believe (have faith) that the bridge will hold you up if you were to drive across it. It is not until you get on the the bridge that you are exercising your faith.

1) I will not have faith in the sense of believing without evidence. I will believe the bridge will hold up because of the fact that I understand how bridges are built, and they are generally sturdy, even though I will realize the possibility that in this one instance, the bridge will fail.

2) That's not a good analogy for what we're talking about anyway. I either believe in God without evidence or I don't. I don't, therefore I don't have faith. I just plain don't have it. It's not stored away somewhere until I pull it out to use it; it's just not in existence.

So, God makes some people have faith in him but not others? Why?

 

[Midnight Pete]

This is a considerably weak argument.

People born into a Muslim faith can worship the Opposite. A Christian can become Satanic and vice versa.

You don't remember your baptism. It doesn't mean anything. I know plenty of Atheists that were baptised and believe in the Opposite.

What does this have to do with evolution by the way?

Read post #194

Thanks, but I wasn't trying to impress you. I don't remember the experience of being baptized as an infant, but there are pictures of the event in family photo-albums. I don't remember being born, but I know it happened. If Atheists who were baptized want to believe in the Opposite, that is their business. It's kind of like going from 0 to -1 on the integer scale.

A few posts back I mentioned the cocnept of spiritual evolution and this post is a result of that.

 

[Midnight Pete]

So, God makes some people have faith in him, but not others?

God is always calling out to people. Some hear the call but ignore it. Some hear the call and respond to it. Some don't hear it and don't respond. Why is that? Because of the presence of Satan. Satan's job is to keep people away from God by any means necessary. Satan is the ruler of this world and there's not much he can't do to seperate wayward sheep from the flock.

In other words, God is not the only supernatural power at work in the world.

 

[Midnight Pete]

What you offered seemed to be the fruits of the Spirit from Galations 5.

Yeah, that sounds right.

 

[Tristesse]

God is always calling out to people. Some hear the call but ignore it. Some hear the call and respond to it. Some don't hear it and don't respond. Why is that? Because of the presence of Satan. Satan's job is to keep people away from God by any means necessary. Satan is the ruler of this world and there's not much he can't do to seperate wayward sheep from the flock.

In other words, God is not the only supernatural power at work in the world.

So, satan is more powerful than god? And instead of making bald assertions about god and satan, why don't you provide some evidence, or at atleast some type of argument.

 

[Midnight Pete]

So, satan is more powerful than god? And instead of making bald assertions about god and satan, why don't you provide some evidence, or at atleast some type of argument.

Satan is a created being. How could he be more powerl than the One who created him?

I have no evidence for any of this outside of Scripture. Natch.

 

[Father Heathen]

Well ain't that convenient.

 

[Tristesse]

Satan is a created being. How could he be more powerl than the One who created him?

I have no evidence for any of this outside of Scripture. Natch.

Well, you're claiming that satan is keeping people away from god. So, why doesn't god just destroy satan? It seems like a colossal dick head move to create something that was messing up my other creation's lives. Especially when you take into consideration that this god claims to love "us."

 

[Autodidact]

The material atheist mentality always prefers technology (the outer world) over spiritual cultivation (the inner world). I don't know how you can argue with that.

I can't argue with your grossly bigoted stereotypes? I think I can. How's this: Can you provide an iota of support for you assertion, or do you prefer sheer prejudice?

 

[Autodidact]

I can't actually see the earth rotating around the sun. I can't see gravity. From my perspective as a little bug crawling on the face of the earth, nothing would indicate how the heavenly bodies actually move relative to the earth and each other.

It's true. Without science, you're stuck in ignorance.

 

[Autodidact]

Foiled again!

Okay, so what do you consider spiritual cultivation?

Well you referred to as the "inner world." That's what I'm interested in. Aside from a basic level of comfort, I'm not very interested in material possessions or wealth, and have no interest in status.

 

[Autodidact]

Actually it's very NT. The only verse I know of that spells out biblical virtue is Phil. 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

He seems to have come up with his list from Gal. 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

It seems he has called these fruits which come from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit virtues and ergo called them spiritual virtues. I think he is mistaken in that they are not Biblical virtue.

I meant "off topic," not "Old Testament." Sorry.

 

[Autodidact]

I didn't decide anything. I did not make them up off the top of my head. A virtue is any positive quality or any attribute seen to be beneficial.

You didn't decide? Then where did you get this list? You posted it, and you say these are spiritual virtues. But you never decided that they are? Then where did you get them from?

O.K., well then I would argue that faith is not beneficial; it is detrimental. Again, we're OT here, and should probably move this discussion, which has nothing to do with the subject of this thread.

 

[Midnight Pete]

Well, you're claiming that satan is keeping people away from god. So, why doesn't god just destroy satan? It seems like a colossal dick head move to create something that was messing up my other creation's lives. Especially when you take into consideration that this god claims to love "us."

God could have destroyed Satan but instead chose to use him. To keep him on a leash. The Book of Job is probably the most well-known example of this, where Satan does to Job only what God allows.

... One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

 

[Tristesse]

God could have destroyed Satan but instead chose to use him. To keep him on a leash. The Book of Job is probably the most well-known example of this, where Satan does to Job only what God allows.

So, instead of destroying one of gods many failed creations, he decides to use him? Thats even more ****** up than the original scenerio. What, god can't do his own dirty work?

 

[Autodidact]

God could have destroyed Satan but instead chose to use him. To keep him on a leash. The Book of Job is probably the most well-known example of this, where Satan does to Job only what God allows.

I see. So God is responsible for the evil Satan does?

 

[nonbeliever_92]

Wait, this thread is serious? Like are you refering to men evolving from other speicies or just man plain old evolving?

 

[jarofthoughts]

I can't actually see the earth rotating around the sun. I can't see gravity. From my perspective as a little bug crawling on the face of the earth, nothing would indicate how the heavenly bodies actually move relative to the earth and each other.

So I guess Galileo was just a crazy bugger then? :sarcastic

 

[Midnight Pete]

So I guess Galileo was just a crazy bugger then? :sarcastic

No, Galileo was sent by God to a be nuisance for the Catholic Church. Just like Martin Luther.