Originally posted on 08/29/2012:
I will address all the points, but I would like you to do the same with mine. I hope by the end of this one of us can help further the other's knowledge. This stuff really is the most interesting stuff humans can discuss.
First of all the statistic I gave was in reference to the PROFESSORS that teach there (IE. when our brightest minds are asked, they are by far in large atheist). What good is a statistic about the college student's opinions on it when in this day virtually anyone can at least get into university? In that case it would almost be a re-framing of the public opinion and not indicative of any correlation between intelligence and religious opinion.
Okay so let's tackle your points. The argument you make in post #42 is something called the teleological argument for god's existence. It's essentially an argument that claims our world/situation is too perfect to have occurred by chance, ergo a supreme being must have created it. All you have to do to overcome this argument is not allow yourself to be "time-freezed". What I mean by that, is too often we put far too much emphasis on the time in which we exist, when in reality, it is miniscule. Let's look at the history and future of this planet in a more objective view. Here's one of my favourite ways of showing how "perfect" this earth is: 99.9% of species...yes literally 99.9% of all species that have ever existed are now extinct. (http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/cour...xtinction.html)
We live on a planet in which some of land, some of the time is hospitable. There are natural disasters at every turn, and global warming is also becoming another problem (albeit maybe not as big as some claim). More importantly, our galaxy is on a collision course for Andromeda, and our days are limited.
Still think we're well designed?
We live on one planet in a solar system that has between 200-400 BILLION planets...and we are one galaxy of BILLIONS of others. Try and imagine how massive that actually is and how unbelievably insignificant we are. Religion, and more specifically Christianity, tries to give us a sense of being somehow special (IE we were all created in his vision). In reality we are 1 of trillions and trillions of planets, we are not well designed at all, there is evil all over our world, thousands and thousands of children dying everyday, countless suffering, manipulation, corruption and torture. And you want to talk about this all being well designed and lucky? Please.
Now then, your next point on evolution! Here I find it hilarious because in one of Dawkin's books, he has a chapter specifically dedicated to people who claim "it's just a theory"...and lo and behold that is exactly what you're saying. Did you know that gravity is also "just" a theory? Just because there is a one gap in a theory, it does not discredit it entirely. We share 99.8% of our DNA with chimpanzees...how can you explain that? The reason there are still chimps/apes is because we only share a common ancestor with them, and did not actually evolve out of them.
I do not for one second doubt your sincerity when you say you saw a ghost. I believe something happened to you as you have no reason to make it up. However here's what I say to it and I think it's pretty reasonable. What you're saying is called an argument from personal experience. It therefore does not hold much credibility by itself, and for good reason. People have been claiming to see ghosts/demons and the like for years with absolutely ZERO evidence of it. Ever. There was an experiment ran in the 70's I believe in which James Randi offered 1 million dollars to anyone who could show anything supernatural. In thirty years do you know how many times something non-scientific was shown? None. (http://www.skepdic.com/randi.html)
"All scientist, atheist, believers, etc will agree that at the beginning of time there was nothing".
No, not even close to true. There is huge debate as to whether there was an ultimate beginning and the only proof we have is that this universe may have had one. But that says nothing about big crunch theory and universes prior. The truth is I don't have an answer for you yet. Just as scientists 1000 years ago did not know that we revolved around the sun, and that storms were caused by low pressure systems, and that people were not witches but instead mentally retarded. The list goes on ad nauseum. Just because we don't know how the universe started for certain is NOT reason to accept the authority of a book with zero scientific backing. Go where the evidence leads you, and there is nothing wrong with saying "I don't know" while our scientific understanding cannot yet grant us that information. Think for yourself and question everything. I look forward to your response and meant no disrespect throughout