Atheism

[What\'s up, doc?]

Sorry for the confusion. Have to thank you all for making the explanations, though that was not what I really meant. I can't really go into details about what I mean though. About those things posted earlier, I got into an "argument" with a friend, and she said that I was a little too ridiculous to think so far off from the truth and proven theories. Maybe I should really not think too much... Not forgetting to improve on expressing my ideas

[Frivs]

But until religion explains gods, religion doesn't explain creation either

hehe *grins*

[maxxrox]

FYI: The "under god" part of the Pledge was added later, I think during the Cold War. Just wanted to put that out there.

I am not anti-religion nor am I pro-religion. I believe what can be proven. If tomorrow, someone provides substantial evidence that a higher power exists, and I find their research valid, I will believe in a god. My problem with religion is that mostly, they don't tell you why. They say "just because," and I'm a scientist by nature. "Just because isn't good enough.

Science may not be able to explain all of the worlds' wonders, but it does a heck of a better job than religion.

To anyone who disagrees with my opinions, I challenge them: Prove it.

[InkSlinger]

Okay. how about this. Prove that gravity exists. Not changing the subject, by the way.

[the_peridexis]

Er. Sorry, but gravity is positively and without a doubt there. To prove it, drop an apple. Or anything at all, really.

-peri

[Gryphon]

I lost what I just typed, but let me try again.

Gravity is... well, everyone knows what it does. You drop an apple and it falls to the ground. However, everyone knows what it does; no one knows what it is. Gravity is just a name for a force.

[the_peridexis]

Wait...so sorry if I'm being slow, but are we arguing here? Or are you just pointing something out? Because mayber;;;;;.lllllllllllllllll;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;;;;;;. Ahm, that was cute little babysitting client teaching me to type. But anyway, maybe I should know if we're arguing or not so I can...I dunno...defend myself or something. XD I crack myself up.

*cracks knuckles* Back to NaNo, baby...I'm at over 1,000 words!...

-peri

[maxxrox]

Gravity is the 3-dimentional dip created in space-time by objects with mass. The larger the object's mass, the greater the depth of the dip. Think of a rubber sheet with a bunch of bowling balls on it. Each bowling ball makes a circular dip in the rubber that deepens as it gets towards the ball. Now if you take a marble and roll it around the edge of one of the dips, it curves slightly, or even circles down into the dip if you don't put enough force on it. The closer you roll the marble to the bowling ball, the more force that is required to get the marble out of the dip.

You won't be able to picture it, but space-time is like a 3-dimentional sheet of rubber. The bowling balls (planets, suns, etc.) make dips in it, and smaller objects get pulled towards them at a set rate based on the mass of the object.

Whew. Any questions?

[the_peridexis]

0_0 Well, no, except this: did you memorizethat from a textbook or something? And actually, it's not that hard to picture; you jut have to do it in layers...if that made any sense at all. XD

-peri

[maxxrox]

I'm a science geek. I study these things for fun. That particular analogy came from the Michael Chrichton book, Sphere. I know he's a fiction writer, but everything he writes is based on scientific fact, more or less.

[bluesalamanders]

neets_wiz -

For one, maxxrox asked first.

For two, what more evidence do you need for the existence of gravity then the fact that you, your chair, your desk, your house, and your computer are not floating off the planet? That's pretty good evidence.

I don't need proof of the existence of god(s) to relent a little against religion. Truly compelling evidence would do.

Blue~

[jwiz]

Whoa, this got all religious and scientifical. not much on Atheism anymore.

[bluesalamanders]

jwiz -

That is what the atheism vs religion debate tends to turn into, and most discussions on atheism that include theists become that eventually.

Blue~

[maxxrox]

So, I'm still waiting for anyone to provide substantial evidence that there is any kind of higher power in any way shape, or form, or for that matter, any supernatural existance. I also eagerly await more challenges to explain base laws of physics and nature.

If someone does provide substantial evidence of a power or powers, I will become religious. Keep in mind, this has to be evidence provable by the scientific method, not something like "God must have created the universe because it's too complicated to come about otherwise." I need a theory with evidence behind it.

[Frivs]

maxxrox--I'm all for scientific theories, and have great faith in the theories of evolution and the "big bang". I do not, however, think that science can explain everything, and if I waited for a scientific theory to explain everything I believe in before I believed it, I would be a very boring person indeed.

I challange you this: Say that the Big Bang did indeed happen, releasing all of the matter needed for our solar system and through a very unlikely but possible course of events resulted in this fragile little thing we call "Earth" (This, of course, is generally what I personally believe). Not impossible. Say also, then, that every living thing on this planet evolved from lower lifeforms (also my personal belief). Certainly not impossible, there's good evidence out there for it.

BUT: where did the little ball of energy that created the "big bang" come from? If it simply collected from the outer regions of space, then where did space come from? And if space itself came from a collection of energy within another space, then where did that space come from?

The fundametal problem, at least in my opinion, with all theories of this kind is that science cannot come up with an answer as to where it really, truly _started_, and that is where a "higher power" has its foothold, and why I am neither atheist nor theist.

Show me where the universe of all universes began, and I will have full faith in science