david f,
A doctrine is any idea that is promoted as fact. Atheists do have a doctrine i.e. "There is no intelligent being greater than man." or "There is no God" both are doctrines promoted by atheists.

Dear Philo,

You wrote: A doctrine is any idea that is promoted as fact. Atheists do have a doctrine i.e. "There is no intelligent being greater than man." or "There is no God" both are doctrines promoted by atheists.

You are wrong. Atheists do not deny there may be other life in the universe on other planets. One can be an atheist and still admit the possibility that there is life on other worlds. That life may be more intelligent than man. All atheists do not deny life on other worlds.

I think you have also assumed that there is a God, and that God is more intelligent than man.

There may be a God, and he may be more stupid than man. If he was so smart he would have made it easier for his existence to be recognised.

Of course if you believe in the Bible as the word of God he clearly created evil.

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

According to that God is the source of good and evil. God creates all including sin.

God is an invention of humans. Satan is also an invention of humans. The ancient Jews who either invented God or got the idea from somewhere did not see evil as a separate entity. Theodicy which deals with the question of the existence of evil in the presence of an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent God is not a problem if one sees God as the Creator who has created everything including evil. It is only a problem if God is seen as omnibenevolent. Isaiah 45:7 does not see God that way.

Which God do you worship? The one in the Bible who creates evil?

david f,

SIN is the act of violating the natural laws of Creation and the divine moral law. Sin is a human act.

EVIL is the natural calamity caused by things outside man's own control. Things that destroy like windstorm, hail, floods, bushfires, earthquake, disease etc.

The text of Isaiah 45: 7 says "I bring prosperity and create disease (bacteria etc)." So I suggest you read the text correctly in its context. Many of the diseases are resultant from man's improper behaviour or abuse of natural principles of good health.

God has placed boundaries on what constitutes good living and by violating them brings natural consequences; e.g. the obese generation.

david f,
Don't tell me you are going to deny such natural principles of good behaviour and good health do not exist. Don't tell me you are going to deny that natural calamity is not part of our created existence.

Dear Philo,

You wrote:

"david f,
Don't tell me you are going to deny such natural principles of good behaviour and good health do not exist. Don't tell me you are going to deny that natural calamity is not part of our created existence."

I will do as you asked. I won't tell you because I think your mind is too clouded with superstition to understand.

But is it the right question, stevenlmeyer?

>>What about fuel from fungi?<<

The whole biofuel debate is so deeply saturated in self-interest that one of the key data points you will find it difficult to ascertain, is whether such products have a smaller carbon footprint than the products they replace.

Given also that the land area that will produce the raw material is the same land area that could produce food for human beings, the whole proposition is, in my view, fraught with danger.

Mind you, putting on my Dick Smith hat, it could solve two problems at once: use the land to produce fuel so that the rich survivors can drive around in their ethanol-munchers, while the rest of the world dies of starvation.

Good plan.