You keep asking for proof.
Yes. The party making the positive claim bears the burden of proof.
Just out of curiosity I am wondering if any of you believe in the Bible
Just out of curiosity, what, exactly, do you mean by "believe in the Bible"… because that is a loaded term that can mean different things to different people. To some people "believe in the Bible" means accepting it as the literal truth, the inerrant word of God, and that it should never be questioned. To other people "believe in the Bible" means that it has some valuable morality, and some history of the Israeli people.
…and that a man named Noah was asked to build an ark
Maybe.
…and bring 2 of every animal on board
Maybe.
…before the great flood came.
Depends on what you mean by "great flood". You realize that there is zero evidence for a global flood, right?
Or that Jesus was actually born on December 25
Probably not.
…and that is the real reason we celebrate Dec 25.
Or perhaps the early Christians adopted the Roman solstice holiday of Saturnalia in order to 'fit in'.
Or that Eve was created from a rib of Adam.
Did you know that a lot of people think that men have one less rib than women? No, I don't think 'Eve' was created from a rib of Adam.
My point being, there is no proof of any of these occurances,yet Billions of people believe what they read in the bible.
That is true.
We even teach this stuff to our children.
That is not necessarily true.
Does this mean you discount most of the Bible.
I 'discount' quite a bit of it, in that I do not accept a literal interpretation of it.
Does the Ark of the Covenant exist or the Holy Grail as mentioned in the Bible. Who knows?
Maybe.
Just because you cant prove something doesnt mean it doesnt exist.
Moving out of the regime of religion into science now… yes, it does mean exactly that. If you make a science based claim, then you darn well better be prepared to prove your claim.
Only closed-minded people dont accept the truth.
And how, exactly, are people supposed to discern the truth? Is "truthfulness" a gut feeling? Is it faith-based, or fact-based? If it sounds OK, does that make it a "truth"? Or do you simply compare the thing that you are judging against a bronze-age book?
A religious "truth" is a very different thing than a science-based "truth". We call those things "facts" and "theories", where the religious "truth" is called "faith". They are different, and have different standards of 'proof'.
All things in life cant be tangible.( can actually see,touch,smell)
Here's the deal. There is a realm of existence called "The Physical Universe" (a.k.a., "reality"). Things that exist within that realm must be provable in some manner. That is a criteria, a prerequisite of their existence in that realm.
There is a realm called "metaphysics". This is the realm of "faith", or "unprovable things". Even as a Christian, I see a clear delineation between the two. So if you ask me if Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, I will say "yes" but I will also say that it is a metaphysical claim, based on faith, feeling, and emotion. If you ask me if my wife and children exist, I will say "yes", and it will be a claim based on physical criteria. If you ask me if my family is the best family in the world, I will say "yes", and it will be one of those borderline claims, partly metaphysical, party physical.
So you must all be atheists
Not hardly.
or just really afraid of the real truth,
Please define "the real truth", because to me it smells like Scottish pudding.
and this is the best way you have of dealing with your fear.
No, we started this site to deal with other people's fears.
So if you do believe everything in the Bible
Again, please define "believe" in this context.
you best be spending you time praying,cause the last chapter supports the theory that there will be an end to this existence of Humanity.
(sigh). No, that is one interpretation of Revelation. It is a minority opinion actually, based almost entirely on modern American Protestant beliefs. Most biblical scholars believe that Revelation referred to contemporary events, not a prediction of the end of humanity.
Pray or Play doesnt matter it is inevitable.
Well, within a certain context, yes. It is inevitable that solar radiation will continue to slowly increase so that in 1 or 2 billion years life on earth will be impossible.
So you should all be making the best of your lives,and spending time with your loved ones, instead of wasting your time on a debate that you cant win.
There is no debate, really. The advocates of the "2012 doomsday" have yet to present any evidence. Their claims are tissue thin and collapse under the slightest scrutiny.
Cosmos (guest) 09 Jun 2010 17:40
