Evolution or Creation

ICANT,You already seem to know how it benefits you to believe in God. Suppose we were able to convince you how it would benefit you if you would "embrace" atheism. (Mind you, that's not the same thing as supposing that we convince you of the truth of atheism, merely of the benefits of its acceptance.) You would then be able to weigh the pros and cons of either believing in God or becoming an atheist.Are you seriously suggesting that such a calculation would be your basis for what you would subsequently believe? Your question certainly seems to indicate as much. Would it make any difference if you considered that only one of the options can be true? I mean, how can anyone blindly accept the result of a calculation if they don't factor in the possible truth values of the different outcomes? Or worse, if they do factor them in - i.e. recognize their logical necessity - but do not let them influence their decision of what to believe?This really goes against all reason for me.

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"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science." - Charles Darwin.

Dr. Eugenie Scott told of the biology seniors who would take her anthropology class to satisfy general education requirements and for an "easy A" ("the poor fools", since it was not an easy class). The biology department didn't teach much about evolution, but she did. Year after year she would see these biology students as, part-way through the semester, the light would suddenly go on in their heads as they would say to themselves "So that's why ... ". It quite literally wasn't until they had learned about evolution that anything they had studied and learned in those past four years made any sense to them.

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Seen in the light of evolution, biology is, perhaps, intellectually the most satisfying and inspiring science. Without that light, it becomes a pile of sundry facts -- some of them interesting or curious, but making no meaningful picture as a whole.
(Theodosius Dobzhansky, "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution", American Biology Teacher 35:125-129 (March 1973), p. 129)

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That's what you want? Just "promises"? Then atheism has nothing for you. There are no promises that come with atheism. If it's promises you want, perhaps you should join one of those 100 virgins religions? Or maybe I could create a religion for you. I could certainly give you plenty of focused-on-you promises.No, there are no promises with atheism. Atheism (generally speaking) is simply not believing in God(s). However, regardless of the dictionary definition difficulties, let's talk about what you want to talk about.Atheism (your naturlaistic-methodist thinking version of it) also has no promises. It is simply admitting that we do not know that which we cannot witness. Now, there are certain assurances that come with this. That is, one would be assured to not be guessing, and to be following the accuracy of this universe. You would be assured that everything you know is actually real, and tangible, and in existance. You would understand that there are things you can imagine that may or may not be real. However, you will have to reserve judgement on their reality until such time as you acquire some sort of objective evidence of their existance.No promises, just a calm, strong foothold in knowing that what you understand to be true can actually be proved and replicated at anytime. Just knowing that you are not fooling yourself, or being deceived by anyone else, and you're far from any involvement in any sort of conspiracy.Belief in God, however firm, is still just a guess. A promise of eternal life, however voraciously defended, is still nothing more then words on a page, or sounds in the air. Neither idea is as firmly rooted in objective truth as atheism (still dealing with your naturalist-methodistic idea of atheism).ICANT, what do you want in your life?
ICANT, what do you want for your grand-son's life?ICANT, if what you want is promises, your "atheism" has nothing to offer you.
ICANT, if what you want is objective truth, your "atheism" is the only path that currently provides this.

What a fantastic avatar, Schraff!Who won? The kitty or the kid? Looks like the kitty got a good sneak attack in the suprise round!Btw, my gf thinks it's cool, too but she thought the kid was a grown up and the cat was a giant.Edited by Larni, : No reason given.

Well...yes it does have something to do with the question.It has been pointed out that you cannot choose to believe. You even state that you didn't choose your belief. You already believed that God sent His Son to die for you. You chose to accept the gift that you already believed was offered.How is your choice to do something within your belief system result in the conclusion that everyone chooses their beliefs?Your question from the OP is framed by the belief that you hold. You believe concluding that the Theory of Evolution is true based on the evidence, requires you to renounce your God. Hence the either/or question.It's like saying that we must choose between serving a steak with squash or liver with a baked potato. Since we know that there can be different food combinations than these, why would we say to choose either one?The only thing anyone can do is try to clarify the parameters of the question by asking why you think that those are the only two choices ("evolution and athiesm" or "creation and theism")?

If you read the op you read that I would not trade what I have for all the money Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have put together. Those are two of the richest men in the world. That should tell you what kind of value I place on what I have at the present.

Who cares about money? do you value it enough to chose willfull ignorance?

Why do you think you would lose it, as an atheist?

Do you mean to tell me when I first read the Bible at the age of 7 I did not have a choice to believe it or not?If you cannot choose to believe how do you get belief?

No crashfrog I would not have it.

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"John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

Experience.Run a simple experiment. Stick your hand into steaming hot water.
Then try choosing to believe that the water felt like ice.Please come back here and report the results of your experiment._

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ArcherAll species are transitional.

That wasn't the question though. The question was "Why?"Edited by lechuga los muertos, : adding quotes

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I have had a happy full life and enjoyed every minute of it and I can say as Paul said, I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith and if it does end with my death what have I lost. I would not trade what I have had and still have for all the money Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have put together. That money could not buy the peace and satisfaction I have had for the past 58 years. I have never needed anything that my God has not supplied.

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Lets see I have had a happy full life and enjoyed every minute of it.
I have had peace and satisfaction for the past 58 years. (I am 67)
I have never needed anything that my God has not supplied.I would rather have these things and be ignorant and unlearned and go into Heaven and spend eternity there.Than: To be the most knowledgeable person cast into the lake of fire to suffer forever.

What I have comes from God if I was an atheist I would never have had what I have.

You're not gonna, though. (Sorry.)That's why I asked. The benefits of religion "in the next world" are illusory; they don't exist. And these things? What makes you think that atheists are unhappy, unfulfilled, and lack peace and satisfaction? What makes you think that we benefit any less from circumstance and good fortune?It's not a question of losing Heaven, because Heaven doesn't exist. Nobody goes to Heaven. So what, exactly, do you lose in this life as an atheist? I can't think of a thing.