aga : "Pity they do not Google BOTH sides."

Both sides of what? One is faith one is science, entirely different things.

Intelligent design has no body of evidence nor a proven mechanism. It's faith, pure and simple, mitochondrial DNA not withstanding.

I'm one of those who can't see the logic in creating a entire universe just for the purpose of holding some sort of competition to see who gets to win the "Big Prize" at the end by second-guessing what a bunch of people assumed to be the case millennia ago.

God must be very lonely if He has to create his own friends and somewhat insecure if He needs constant reassurance through worship.

Then He says we're all automatically bad because some rib woman was tricked into eating a piece of fruit from a magical tree by a talking snake and the only way to get this fixed is to ceremonially eat His flesh, drink His blood and speak to Him telepathically so he will change His Divine Plan just for your own convenience.

And some dismiss the mere theory of evolution outright because they say it's nonsense.

Isn't it a bit arrogant to believe that of all the Gods over all the centuries, we have stumbled onto the real one and not only know what His plan is but even what He looks like? How convenient.

It's more likely that the human mind is simply incapable of conceiving whatever the truth may be.

@RandomGuy: "1) It seems to me that a post like this helps reinforce those whose belief is shares, while those on the opposite side automatically claim it as "more athiest hatemail". I think most people, if they are susceptible to changing beliefs or views, are more likely to have that change hearing it from a friend or a trusted associate rather than an online blog, unless looking for that."

Well, we are changing views, and pretty rapidly, as the census data shows. But atheists don't want people to simply swap one received opinion for another; we want them to make a rational decision based on evidence. Part of that is calling out anyone who speaks or writes nonsense in public, and making it clear their views won't go unchallenged. And that applies to any kind of nonsense, not just religious nonsense.

I once suggested that the motto of the Existence of God forum on FRDB should be "Getting theists to shut up since 2003". It was -- slightly -- tongue-in-cheek, but it represents an important step forward; getting people to be embarrassed about admitting stupid beliefs in public.

Thanks aga. I think.

>>Pericles. Your right on this one. "Modern" youngsters boned up on evolution disproving religion. Pity they do not Google BOTH sides<<

Actually, the pity is that you have firmly grasped the wrong end of the stick, insofar as my observations are concerned.

Questioning the impact that people with sincerely-held beliefs have on others - for example, religious indoctrination that leads to unsocial behaviours, or scamming funds from government to support those beliefs - is fair game. On the other hand, holding the sincerely-held beliefs of other people up to ridicule, with no other agenda than to expose them as silly, is nothing more than bad manners.

Glen C defended the tone of his article with:

>>As you have not claimed that the question was unworthy of being asked, perhaps you might explain, or better still demonstrate, how it could have been asked unsneeringly and without bullying.<<

Perhaps, Glen C, if you cannot frame the question without a sneer, you should consider whether you might be asking the wrong question. As far as I can tell, your entire article led to the final line...

"And if you are a parent and a believer, how do you explain it to your children today?"

What did you consider to be the purpose of that question when you wrote it, other than to make the "parent and believer" feel really, really small, their beliefs having been smashed to smithereens on the pulpit of your superciliously-delivered logic?

I'm beginning to sympathize with Ricky Gervais, who in a recent New Statesman interview said:

"...there shouldn’t be a word for atheism: it shouldn’t exist, it’s ridiculous. If people didn’t keep making up supernatural deities, I wouldn’t have to deny they exist."

There is not a word that describes a non-belief in fairies, or the Easter Bunny. And there certainly isn't a movement of anti-fairy-believers, intent on wiping them from the face of the earth.

If atheism means anything, it is the right not to believe, without having militant soap-box orators claiming to speak on your behalf.

The way evolutionist have to shut their eyes daily in order to repeat the mantra ('their is no god ') to themselves pitiful. Design and order stare them in the face daily. The pathetic fantasy of their origins story is simply more often than not just a poor excuse not to come under the authority of their Maker. While obvious design might not convince all of God the pathetic irrational attempts of evolution certainly prove a devil (known as the Liar). Any thinking person can see that.

http://lightomega.org/Ind/the-Sacred-and-Holy-Covenant.html

" The holy Covenant - God's promise of abundance and blessing to those whose relationship with the Divine remained one of purity, love, and an immersion in the principles of light and truth - defines the relationship between Creation and Creator. These principles create an arrangement of reciprocity and blessing through which all that is good and desirable can flow.  On the one hand, the blessings of abundance flow to the embodied life of souls on the earth, creating a sense of nurturance and of gift; on the other, the blessings of love, reverence, obedience, and devotion flow toward the One, the Creator of all."

I wrote earlie..." Whats the effect of efforts to succeed in 'soul' issues...here very few people actually know by experience...and me thinks the answer to first posed question lies here...I need to ponder a while...sam"

And my pondering got me to...I need more information on 'soul' ...and its a personal pursuit...that which cant be obtained from others or in scientific knowledge...as science has not gone here...nor from organized religions and their highly drilled army and its convincing words in unision...ive learned to politely firmly avoid...

I need more information of my soul, and it seems asking if it 'exists' immidiately defeats the quest...insteading acting in what nutures it and watching the effects on me....would lead me to answering one of the important questions here...does a guiding protecting educating covenant exist between god and I...

sam