DiamondPete “Of COURSE people have "experiences" ...duh !!”

Supernatural experiences.
You said BELIEF was ALL they had. Experiences are not beliefs.

“But biblical literalists like yourself can only comprehend literally”

I'm not a biblical (or any religious) literalist.
If you actually *read* my comments, you'd already know I stated I have no religious affiliation and have argued that religious iconography *is* symbolic.
You're the one who can't comprehend English.

“you falsely "imply" that science is now embracing Gods”

I didn't imply anything. Holographic Universe is a *real* scientific theory.
It hypothesizes a “Consciousness”, not “Gods (plural”), is creating the universe.
I have no trouble expressing myself clearly.
You are either just stupid or playing games.

Keep trying to deliberately distort everything I say though.
I'm waiting...for anything of substance from you.

Belly's at it again, comparing church attendance with markets (not clubs this time), as if it's an Australian Idol show, where the “winner” is the one with the most votes.

Tell me, Belly, how exactly do you know how many people attend 10 different churches on the same day?
Do you go to each session and do a headcount?
When do you get the time to go to the market and the club, what with frantically running all over town counting churchgoers?

How about this for votes: religion is on the census, whether you go to markets or clubs is not.
What does that say about their relative social significance?

Yuyutsu “I am here to defend the people of God from persecution.”

Me too. And I don't even have any beliefs.

I'm also very concerned about the potential “heritage amnesia” atheists seek.
Even if everyone in Australia ceased to be Christian tomorrow, that's no reason to bulldoze our heritage out of the way.

Even the Christian churches avoided such irreversible damage to pagan monuments, but not the atheists (Religion: closing down, everything must go!)

Y you are playing mind games.
And sorry but my words to you and was it Pelicans? stand for me.
I hate no one, but highlight these people of your God include child rapists.
Your words are no less controlling than any used to control us over the centurys.

Dear Pete,

<<Hopefully, within the next 10,000 or so years science will have the "factual" answers to all questions regarding all existence.>>

May your wish come true:

You will then know when and how the world started (if it did), you will know when and how it will end (if it will), you will know how it works (if it does), you will prove that there are no deities anywhere and never where (if that's indeed the case), you will have every bit of information, then what?

Once everything is discovered, science will be used up and dead, curiosity too. Once you have all the facts in the world (literally!), you will become fed up with facts, yet still not wiser.

Once you reach that stage, then perhaps out of sheer boredom, you will begin asking yourself those questions that really matter, those questions which science cannot access, those questions that do not pertain to the objective world, those questions to which no empirical evidence can exist, those questions which go beyond facts.

Science is excellent in answering questions such as 'Where', 'When' and 'How', it can also answer many 'What' questions, but not for example "What is good?", because search as you may with microscopes and telescopes, you will never find "goodness". Science is also helpless answering questions such as of 'Who' and especially 'Why'.

Dear Belly,

<<but highlight these people of your God include child rapists.>>

Raping children is not a religious technique or teaching.
Raping children does not bring one closer to God.
Raping children goes against the First principle of religion: non-violence (ahimsa).
Is that not clear enough?

<<Your words are no less controlling than any used to control us over the centurys.>>

Care to explain?

What have I told you to do?
What have I forbidden you to do?

Thanks.

Y in the post I disliked, and in your last 0ne, now forgive me, but Saw a symptom of religion that threatens me.
You know do you, these rapes took place?
And mostly in Church owned buildings?
Mostly art the hands of SERVANTS OF CHURCH/GOD?
How does your view differ from those who covered this up?
I see only your attempt to blame others , and too, feel the very real pain and terror, some times lifetime, sometimes life ending, of the victims.
Y WHAT IF IT WAS YOU?
Your child or sibling?
Filth is only covered up by filth.
That is not a reference to you but all who hide the truth in life.

Yuyutsu "May your wish come true"

I have a sneaking suspicion we will never have any final definite answers. Science is mostly "workable hypotheses", not "facts".

If a Consciousness is creating the universe, it may:
(a) know what it's doing, but doesn't want us to know, so will keep putting red herrings and smoke and mirrors in our way
(b) be not sure what it's doing, the universe being an experiment-in-progress, and therefore open to further "editing"

If either is the case, we will never know The Answer.