Just a question...

Hi DiscipleFire....Just so you know bare links are not acceptable here. You are required to think things through, put them into your own words and defend your positions.Anyway i read the first few paragraphs of your referenced article and quickly spotted logical fallacies and bare baldfaced lies.Let's have a look.... The validity of a scientific theory is not predicated upon its supposed impact on the morals of humans. If that were the case then such a belief in a heliocentric solar system should be justly rejected because it displaces the earth - the place of God's special creation - as subservient to other celestial bodies. Obviously in error with scripture and should be soundly rejected.Next paragraphs we have this lie... Absolutely false. Hitler did not use evolution to explain differences. Hitler used religion. Hitler's ideas originated with founder of the protestant movement - Martin Luther. There is a recent thread here if you wish to discuss this furtherAnd then he continues with more lies.... The institution of slavery in the South was often justified straight from your holy scriptures. The President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis summed it up precisely... Now one has to ask why the hell did you point out such as crappy article?

I think you are playing the gang metaphor a bit too much in order to engender an "us versus them" camaraderie...I have noticed a common theme here. Every so often a new user will happen by who is fresh from participating in a youth group or spending way too much time preaching to the choir or reading the latest McDowell book and have a sense that their mythic ideas really do have some substance or basis in reality. When they encounter a skeptical more critical environment they are taken back and feel they are being attacked or piled-on.These folks have not been taught that the best ideas are those that can withstand the withering fire of criticism, examination and comparison to observation. These folks have been taught the opposite, that certain ideas should be protected and adhered to via a strong unquestioning faith and conviction, as you alluded to (ie "because of your convictions") - and don't forget simple has strong convictions in his flying saucer Yahweh theory - but it doesn't make it right.Further some believe that all ideas should be given the same respect. However few respect the demon theory of disease, or geocentric universe, or flat earth ideas anymore. In the same way many do not respect unsupported claims of instantaneous creation, young earth, mythic floods, mythic towers threating god or other superstitions. Edited by iceage, : No reason given.

Excellent! I for one want to hear about this empirical evidence.Really, this is not a rhetorical or cynical request. Every time I encounter this claim I am underwhelmed when the evidence presented.I don't consider myself cynical, but skeptical (and even skeptical of some skeptical positions). I have perused the Strobel books and heard the McDowell arguments but found them not only wanting but an illustrated handbook on logical fallacies, half-truths and outdated arguments.So let's here this evidence. Edited by iceage, : No reason given.

The problem with the approach is that subjective evidence, like you are hinting at, is extremely vulnerable to what is known as "Confirmation Bias" - a tendency to interpret results so that they confirm your preconceptions and reject or filter negative results which contradict those preconceptions.The second problem is that amazing coincidences happen! Astonishing occurrences of coincidence that defy explanation are known by the term synchronicity - a term coined by Carl Jung I believe. I would be willing to bet that everyone here at this board can relay some coincidence happening in their lives that defy statistics.The third problem is that human by nature are narcissistic in their approach to religion. I use to know a guy who would pray while hunting. He would sit in his deer stand and pray for god to deliver him a deer. When successful he would give his "testimony" on the faithfulness of God. Hmmmmm I thought... the creator of supernovas and architect of the atom is sitting around flushing deer out for you while babies die of hunger. It was just darn incongruent for me to accept.As another example of this narcissism and synchronicity working in peoples "spiritual" lives, I encountered a fellow one time that made a very similar claim that God had provided evidence, on several occasions, beyond a doubt of God's existence and God's loving focus on him.I inquired on this evidence and he finally came back with that one time he was lost and prayed to God and God had provide a sign by shaping the sun in the form of a star - the star of David - and he was rescued. He even had a picture that he snapped of this 'sign' to prove it, which he showed me. I search the internet for a "star shaped sun" and found one almost identical and showed it him and suggested that it is an atmospheric phenomena that occurs in regions with high humidity as the sun sets. He scoffed at my image and remarked that it was mostly likely taken the same day he was lost. Ok..... I left him with his folly at that point.I am not saying your results are not necessarily genuine but just some thoughts to consider.