Things I wish I knew

[bobAlike]

Keith, the question about religion always leaves me dumbfounded. I don't understand with how intelligent people are meant to be and all the facts of evolution around us that such a large percentage of people are religious.

I guess it's people who are scared of dying, all religions offer an afterlife for you but unfortunately that's not true.

How do you know it's not true?

[Tal]

Keith, the question about religion always leaves me dumbfounded. I don't understand with how intelligent people are meant to be and all the facts of evolution around us that such a large percentage of people are religious.

I guess it's people who are scared of dying, all religions offer an afterlife for you but unfortunately that's not true.

There is a real beauty in science, but to suggest it is either science or religion is simplistic.

13.8 billion years ago, a single point, comprising every piece of matter that has existed, exploded, causing an enormous expansion of particles in every direction. Slowly, those particles began to cool and collide, forming neutrons, protons, then Hydrogen atoms. Then they combined more greatly, as gravity owing to their mass attracted a surge of other particles, forming stars, giant nuclear reactors, smashing hydrogen atoms together to form Helium and, through that, heat. Stars collected clumps of other particles, which became clouds of gas and bits and bobs, some of which collided to form planets. One one of those planets, billions of years later, life began from nothing. That life split and split again. When it got bigger a few generations on, it mated with another bit of life, over generations getting bigger and bigger still. From that single bit of life, every living thing we see today has descended.

Or there is a single being, vastly beyond our wisdom, knowledge and understanding, which created and allowed to evolve the life we know.

I don't see how God isn't possible.

[bobAlike]

Please hide this thread from Kinboshi, or God deliver us from his evil.

[The Camel]

Keith, the question about religion always leaves me dumbfounded. I don't understand with how intelligent people are meant to be and all the facts of evolution around us that such a large percentage of people are religious.

I guess it's people who are scared of dying, all religions offer an afterlife for you but unfortunately that's not true.

I'm not scared of dying.

I just don't want to be around when it happens.

[Woodsey]

Please hide this thread from Kinboshi, or God deliver us from his evil.

ban him from this thread now imo 

[bobAlike]

Keith, the question about religion always leaves me dumbfounded. I don't understand with how intelligent people are meant to be and all the facts of evolution around us that such a large percentage of people are religious.

I guess it's people who are scared of dying, all religions offer an afterlife for you but unfortunately that's not true.

I'm not scared of dying.

I just don't want to be around when it happens.

The Woody Allen of yesteryear was untouchable IMO.

[Acidmouse]

I guess it's people who are scared of dying, all religions offer an afterlife for you but unfortunately that's not true.

I am glad you know that's fact based assumptions.

[horseplayer]

12. How come if you make a deposit to a poker site/bookmaker with a debit card they get the money instantly but when you withdraw it always takes "3-5 working days"?

have noticed a couple of firms now were withdraws show up the next day rather than the 3-5 working days

[mondatoo]

12. How come if you make a deposit to a poker site/bookmaker with a debit card they get the money instantly but when you withdraw it always takes "3-5 working days"?

Bet365 are normally next day, as are a couple of other sites I've noticed, Stars is also 1-2 days (email receipt always says longer though).

[redarmi]

Keith, the question about religion always leaves me dumbfounded. I don't understand with how intelligent people are meant to be and all the facts of evolution around us that such a large percentage of people are religious.

I guess it's people who are scared of dying, all religions offer an afterlife for you but unfortunately that's not true.

There is a real beauty in science, but to suggest it is either science or religion is simplistic.

13.8 billion years ago, a single point, comprising every piece of matter that has existed, exploded, causing an enormous expansion of particles in every direction. Slowly, those particles began to cool and collide, forming neutrons, protons, then Hydrogen atoms. Then they combined more greatly, as gravity owing to their mass attracted a surge of other particles, forming stars, giant nuclear reactors, smashing hydrogen atoms together to form Helium and, through that, heat. Stars collected clumps of other particles, which became clouds of gas and bits and bobs, some of which collided to form planets. One one of those planets, billions of years later, life began from nothing. That life split and split again. When it got bigger a few generations on, it mated with another bit of life, over generations getting bigger and bigger still. From that single bit of life, every living thing we see today has descended.

Or there is a single being, vastly beyond our wisdom, knowledge and understanding, which created and allowed to evolve the life we know.

I don't see how God isn't possible.

How exactly do you get the last statement from the preceding statements?  Of course god is "possible" but he is also probabilistically very unlikely at least assuming we are talking about "a single being, vastly beyond our wisdom, knowledge and understanding, which created and allowed to evolve the life we know."

Do I now qualify as like a stand in Boshi?

[Tal]

My post sounded a bit ranty, but I mean it more in the sense that science - the facts on which we apply logic and reason - can be just as fantastic as religious concepts.

We make much of what we know and it is great that we push boundaries to learn and understand more.

Pythagoras is believed to have killed someone for proving that √2 is irrational (cannot be expressed as a fraction). A few hundred years ago, someone who made a wire heat up through a potato would have been burned as a witch.

Richard Dawkins enjoys arguing that all religion is false and it is easy to mock the only response of 'these are matter beyond mortal comprehension'.

There's no reason why there couldn't exist tree sprites (some seemingly completely rational people believe in them like they believe in the existence of television), more intelligent life on other planets or an infinite number of universes with different laws of physics applying.

It could all be like the end of Men In Black.

One of the great joys of life itself - the one area where scientist and spiritual guide agree emphatically - is that we know something is pulling the strings but we don't know what.

It is great to have reached rational conclusions but be receptive to new ideas and respectful (at least open minded) of the possibility that another view of the world might carry some weight.

[Tal]

Sorry redboshi. Was in response to the question of how rational people could believe in God.

[redarmi]

My post sounded a bit ranty, but I mean it more in the sense that science - the facts on which we apply logic and reason - can be just as fantastic as religious concepts.

We make much of what we know and it is great that we push boundaries to learn and understand more.

Pythagoras is believed to have killed someone for proving that √2 is irrational (cannot be expressed as a fraction). A few hundred years ago, someone who made a wire heat up through a potato would have been burned as a witch.

Richard Dawkins enjoys arguing that all religion is false and it is easy to mock the only response of 'these are matter beyond mortal comprehension'.

There's no reason why there couldn't exist tree sprites (some seemingly completely rational people believe in them like they believe in the existence of television), more intelligent life on other planets or an infinite number of universes with different laws of physics applying.

It could all be like the end of Men In Black.

One of the great joys of life itself - the one area where scientist and spiritual guide agree emphatically - is that we know something is pulling the strings but we don't know what.

It is great to have reached rational conclusions but be receptive to new ideas and respectful (at least open minded) of the possibility that another view of the world might carry some weight.

Good post.  Think I would rather be your stand in than Boshi's.........

[Tal]

Welcome aboard, redTALmi

[The Camel]

My post sounded a bit ranty, but I mean it more in the sense that science - the facts on which we apply logic and reason - can be just as fantastic as religious concepts.

We make much of what we know and it is great that we push boundaries to learn and understand more.

Pythagoras is believed to have killed someone for proving that √2 is irrational (cannot be expressed as a fraction). A few hundred years ago, someone who made a wire heat up through a potato would have been burned as a witch.

Richard Dawkins enjoys arguing that all religion is false and it is easy to mock the only response of 'these are matter beyond mortal comprehension'.

There's no reason why there couldn't exist tree sprites (some seemingly completely rational people believe in them like they believe in the existence of television), more intelligent life on other planets or an infinite number of universes with different laws of physics applying.

It could all be like the end of Men In Black.

One of the great joys of life itself - the one area where scientist and spiritual guide agree emphatically - is that we know something is pulling the strings but we don't know what.

It is great to have reached rational conclusions but be receptive to new ideas and respectful (at least open minded) of the possibility that another view of the world might carry some weight.

If the universe is infinite, there can't be an infinite number of universes, can there?

My head always starts to hurt when I think about stuff like this.