And crystals -- don't forget crystals. But my point is that Darwinism has too many severe holes, and atheists' other ideas aren't much better. Even Mr. Dawkins had to consign to the aliens theory or otherwise say "We just don't know," and I find this very significant. Richard Dawkins is highly influencial in the atheist community, and is referenced more than any other atheist. Yet his ideas are refutable by a sixteen year old (me) -- granted, I've studied and debated these matters for four straight years, which gives me some hold on the subject, but what it boils down to is nonsense, a nonsense anyone can recognize as such.
We try so hard to test things and perform experiments and hypothesize in order to learn how the universe came about -- how
we came about -- yet all of our "theories," when analyzed, prove to have little or no base in reality or logic. Then, perhaps we are looking at it all the wrong way. Why not try reasoning? Why must everything be considered in a controlled experiment? You can't look at Christianity like you do an experiment. It's less of a testable science, and much more a deductive science. I prefer to look at it as one does a crime scene. The Universe itself, as well as my own existence, is/are the aftermath of the "crime," and the only evidence provided is the alleged Son of the "Culprit" (Jesus), whom we missed by 2000 years. This, and a note saying
I did it.
-God
id est, the Bible. The aftermath can also be the evidence.
Personally, I find the note a rather effective piece of evidence, but is isn't necessarily sufficient. Does God even exist? Can God even exist? To understand this completely, you first have to drop all prejudices and stereotypes toward "religion" and Christianity.
The Evidence:
- My own existence. Although most would consider the entire universe evidence, some might say that the universe is only an illusion, but I know for a fact that I, myself, exist (I think, therefore I am.).
The Culprit:
- Whateveritwasthatcreatedme.
The Problem:
- To identify the culprit, id est, learn as much as possible about Him/Her/It.
How do I know I didn't just exist forever?
Clearly, I had a beginning, and clearly, I also have an end. Everything in the universe is temporary, and the universe itself is temporary. We know this through scientific research. Eventually, the universe will tear itself apart. But how do I know this? Simply that time cannot be eternal. In order to be eternal, time must have an infinite past, and to have an infinite past would be to have no present. Allow me to explain: Because there is there is an infinite amount of time before now, there is no way to reach now. You would have to start somewhere, and that somewhere, according to logic, can only be the start -- one can only start at the starting point. But because there is an infinite past, there can be no starting point. (A never ending line that never ends in two directions can never have a starting or ending point.) Because there is no point to start at, one cannot be at any point at all. It's like trying to jump out of a bottomless pit -- you have no point to jump from.
Therefore, time cannot be eternal. If time cannot be eternal, then it is temporary, and therefore must have been created -- something had to start it. It couldn't have just popped into existence. And the creator couldn't exist within time, because time is temporary, and he is not (Like trying to fit an infinitely large amount of peanut butter into a jar -- it can't be done.), which makes the creator of time timeless. If the creator is timeless, and spaceless when the time-space theory is thrown in, (that, and space is also temporary, as shown by the self-obliterating universe) then He has no limits.
What is confusing is that a sequence of events, such as creating or destroying, occurs only within time, as far as our minds can stretch. How does a timeless creator create if there is no time within to create it? But if time was created, would that event exist in time, or outside of it? Is time really an event within itself? This is the mysterious side of God. It doesn't make sense to us, but really, there is no way of knowing how things work outside of time
(How could I possibly know what it feels like to stand on Venus if I have never done it?), or even if they do work, but still we exist, so there must be some explanation -- we just can't grasp it. However, my guess is that the Creator created time within Himself (Let us refer to the creator as "He" for the time being.), like a second line branching off of an endless one, only to return to the original line farther along. And when He acts, He acts within time, so as to allow a sequence of events despite His timeless existence. That doesn't take away from the mystery, though, as there are things still quite incomprehensible about timelessness that cannot be understood by we timedwellers.
Without the limits of time and space, it is safe to assume that He also is unlimited in other areas, such as power, knowledge, and ability.
As far as omniscience goes: Time is like a jar sitting on God's coffee table. He is on the outside, looking in, and He can reach in whenever He wants, and then act as He pleases. Being on the outside like He is, God has the ability to see anything he wants to, from the beginning to the end of time/the bottom to the top of the jar. He can also see all of the jar's contents. Ta da, omniscience!
Another question: Who created God?
Although I've all ready explained this point, there is still the possibility of an infinite line of temporary creators, i.e., more than one "God." We say "the one and only God," because we mean it. There is no other God in existence. How do we know this? Let's just say that something/one created God. Who then, created this creator. Allah. Who created Allah? A giant squirrel. Who created the giant squirrel? Etc. Let's just say that there's an infinite line of temporary creators. This line would be identical to an infinite past, and therefore, it is impossible. But let's say God created Allah who created a giant squirrel who created the Flying Spaghetti Monster who created the Universe. Isn't that all a little redundant? If God wanted to create the Universe, why not do it Himself? Why make a bunch of other creators, the last of which would create the Universe? Clearly, God isn't going to make a Creator equally as powerful who would create something God didn't, Himself, wish to create? If the Flying Spaghetti Monster wanted to create the Universe, logic tells us that God would want to as well, because a limitless someone wouldn't make another limitless someone whom He didn't agree with -- a limitless someone would have more sense than that, being limitless (i.e., in knowledge and logic) and whatnot. Therefore, there is only one God.
Any questions before I continue? RabbitDrive? EvilInclination? Tom? Bueller?
On another note, I don't believe in evolution, but only because of all of the evidence pointing against it. There's no way you can add to DNA and make things better. You can take away from and therefore change a DNA strand, but you can't add more to it. Natural selection
reduces genetic information -- it doesn't add to it. How, then, will a species become more complex? Show me proof of a single cell becoming every species on planet Earth, and I might believe you. I'm not talking about cross breeding a few cows to make a different cow better for meat. I'm talking taking a cow, and turning it into, say, a squirrel. I want a squirrel-cow, and I want it now! ;D