palimpsest,
Where did I mention 5,500 years? God is Eternal - timeless.

Philo, you didn't, but that is the accepted Christian timeframe. Is your number different? Agree that if religion is real then God is timeless, but that you and me must be eternal and timeless as well. Death or belief would be irrelevant, but conduct most important.

I am not so sure who are for and against here.
Could each author please state clearly on their first line whether they are Aethiest, Agnostic, and then denomination. to answer one of you who is not addressing the issues.-
"Great to see you are thinking clearly in the quote below by admitting that thinking people know privately there is a God."
MY OPINION IS THAT A PERSONS PERSONAL LIFE CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL THE INDIVIDUAL HAS RID THEMSELVES OF ALL RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE.
"No any clear thinking person knows privately that there is no God."
SELF EXPLANATORY IT IS QUITE CLEAR WHAT IS MEANT.
"The use of the double negative comfirms your faith in the reality of God. Welcome brother as a believer!"
TWO NO'S MAKE A NO. WHAT PART OF NO DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND ?
"Then perhaps you are confused or uncertain and not thinking clearly so admitt that such confused thinking persons know privately there is no God."
FROM THE AGE OF FIFTEEN I WAS SURE IN MY MIND THAT THERE IS NO DIVINE BEING. NOBODY SHOULD BE PLACED ONTO A PEDESTAL. THAT IS OBSCENE FROM THE START TO PLACE A DIVINE ONE ON TO A PEDESTAL.

"Well that might identify the depth of your thinking, by the following quote that gives evolution of itself power and design capacity"
Evolution that denies design and cause and effect has more to do with fable, myth and magic than the reality"
FABLE, MYTH, MAGIC, MIRACLE, SUPERSTITION IS THE BIBLE. CONTINUED FROM WHEN MAN COULD FIND NO RHYME OR REASON FOR DISASTERS THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND. KARL MARX WAS SPOT ON WHEN HE DESCRIBED IT AS THE OPIUM OF THE PEOPLE. TAKE THEIR LAND AND IN RETURN GIVE THEM THE BIBLE. EVEN TODAY IT DIVIDES THE LABOR PARTY AND DIVIDES ALL PEOPLE. WHILE THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR TRUE GOD. THE POOR BECOME HUNGRY AND FAMINE IS RIFE. ALL IRELAND WANTED WAS TO BREAK AWAY FROM BRITAIN YET THE CHURCH CONFUSED THE ISSUES.

HAS Anyone noticed the absence of some frequent posters? Hmmmmm.....

Please forgive me me for this small side track to the thread.
This working class man, a term that truly describes me, this unionist knows beyond and doubt God is not a communist.
He is not a Socialist.
He is unlikely to be rich.
But the worker enslaving communist/socialist system is not a product of any God.
I think nature is so wonderful some think it is God.
We see the most beautifully flowers and forget a thousand generations have crafted that flower to bring a bee to fertilize it.
No God, no God with time to be involved in every flower every thing but not enough time to sit us on his lap and show us why it is like that, just evolution.
No hijacked science saying evolution was a product of a God just the mystery of chance.

Dear Belly not a God.
An Idealism a utopia that can be reached, no greed, no selfishness, no capitalism.
John Lennon's song Imagine.
No borders the world and it's people united working for each other for the benefit of all. no dictator, no divine one. A set of laws and rules that makes all people equal it will happen if al participated.
No nuclear power, no nuclear weapons, no guns, no weapons of mass destuction, no religioun, would this fit into the way you would like to see it ?