Earl and the whole evolution thing

[LilBuster]

<p>As someone who believes in God and evolution since I was a kid, I can't understand why Earl can't understand the thing. Faith is what it is, the belief in something that isn't sure or proven. It's all just some kind of cosmic roulette and we all want to win.&nbsp; To help Earl out, how did Jesus do a lot of his teachings? Parables. To make it easier, just think of the creation story as a parable. I don't think that it's that big of a stretch to believe that people as a whole are dumb. Even more so thousands of years ago. First off, there were no real scientists that did archeological digs thousands of years ago, no real sharing of scientific information. Someone finds a huge tooth or bone, they have no clue what to think. I remember reading that people believed that an elephant skull was a cyclops because the eye sockets are together, maybe I'm wrong on the animal, but the point is they were clueless. Explaining how a business works to a child would be worthless if you use Microsoft as an example, but if you use a lemonade stand, the point is easier to understand. I think Earl forgets to remember that the books of the Bible were copied many times and certain things were omitted or flat out changed, it's a big game of telephone. Evolution only strengthens my faith in a higher power because it shows that there may just be a plan, or at least that there's a guiding force. If the dinosaurs didn't die, we wouldn't be here. We couldn't have gas or coal to do the dumb shit that makes up our daily lives. If that one fish that wanted out of the water hadn't made it, we wouldn't be here. If some distant relative of us never figured out that opposible thumbs were really usefull or found out that plants can grow from a seed, same outcome.&nbsp; My aim isn't to begin a debate of evolution, I thought that happened in the 30s, it's just to suggest that the belief in God and evolution are not exclusive, and they can co-exist without negating each other. </p>

[Fezticle98]

I made it through exactly one sentence of this post. Guess I will never understand the mystery of creation.

[JustJon]

That was alot of words without paragraph breaks.<br />

[Melrapuo]

<p>Giant wall of text</p><p>But I'm sure it was all typed as she would say it:</p><p><img src="http://garfieldridge.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/big_ugly_god_woman.jpg" border="0" /></p>

[jeffdwright2001]

<strong>JustJon</strong> wrote:<br />That was alot of words without paragraph breaks.<br /><p>he hasn't evolved to the usage of the ENTER key.</p>

[LilBuster]

Guess you couldn't find a picture of Shirley Phelps Roper? How does what I said equate me with the crazy lady from wife swap?

[MadMatt]

<strong>Lil'Buster</strong> wrote:<br />Guess you couldn't find a picture of Shirley Phelps Roper? How does what I said equate me with the crazy lady from wife swap? <p>It doesn't necessarily, but when you see a big block of text in a thread about religion and evolution, an individual might assume the poster is a rambling nutjob.</p><p>I was interested in the subject of the thread, but that massive hunk of text turned me off.&nbsp; I didn't even read it.&nbsp; I only came back because I saw there was some posting action.</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by MadMatt on 8-15-06 @ 11:48 AM</span>

[LilBuster]

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;My bad.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I should remember that people only read pamphlets and other short writings.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I also forgot that spelling and punctuation matter when it comes to a dumb post on a message board.</p>

[JustJon]

<p>&nbsp;</p><strong>Lil'Buster</strong> wrote:<br /><p> My bad.</p><p> I should remember that people only read pamphlets and other short writings.</p><p> I also forgot that spelling and punctuation matter when it comes to a dumb post on a message board.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It allows readability.&nbsp; If it's going to be a pain to read, we're not going to bother, it's that simple.&nbsp;</p>

[Furtherman]

<strong>Lil'Buster</strong> wrote:<br /><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I also forgot that spelling and punctuation matter when it comes to a dumb post on a message board.</p><p>They matter when it comes to ANY writing.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As for Earl, listen to him now.&nbsp; Baby dinosaurs on the Ark.</p><p>Hilarious, but sad there are people who could believe such.</p>

[LilBuster]

Listening to him now, I can grasp the utter confusion with him. It's horrible.

[jeffdwright2001]

<strong>Lil'Buster</strong> wrote:<br /><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;My bad.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I should remember that people only read pamphlets and other short writings.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>I also forgot that spelling and punctuation matter when it comes to a dumb post on a message board.</strong></p><p>Well if you were going to call your own post dumb, I wish you would have done it in the first sentence.&nbsp; It would have saved my eyes from grinding through the rest of the post.</p><p>If your plan was to make a convincing argument and to sway someone's opinion, then the style should reflect the content.</p><p>William Faulkner and e.e. cummings broke the rules intentionally as a way of stylistically making a point.&nbsp; </p><p>As for Genesis being one long parable, I don't think it holds up to the purpose of the parable.&nbsp; You might be better off comparing it to the book of Revelations which is someone's interpretation of a vision given to them.&nbsp; </p><p>If John (the believed author of Revelations) was attempting to describe heavenly things in the vernacular of his fellow man, then wouldn't it also be feasible that the person(s) recounting the &quot;Creation&quot; would be doing so after having seen the vision of the past and working to convey it to other people in a fashion they would understand?</p><p>While I'm sure things can and have been learned from the first book of the Bible, I believe that it was designed first and foremost to be an account of events not a parable comparing one situation to another and resulting in a moral lesson.&nbsp; The parables of the Old Testament were more along the lines of proverbs and prophecies.&nbsp; It's not until you hit the New Testament that you see this particular teaching style recorded in the Bible, even though it was commonly used as part of the oral tradition of instruction.</p>

[LilBuster]

I'm beginning to believe he's beyond help.

[mohawk_mike]

baby dinosaurs on the ark....wow i learn something new from the ron and fez show everyday

[LilBuster]

I was wrong with my parable analogy. You're right, jeff, and my presentation could have been better. It was just my opinion that someone with faith can believe in science as well.

[Furtherman]

<img height="380" src="http://www.goma.demon.co.uk/yah/ark.gif" width="309" border="0" />

[DirtyJersey]

I like Earl as a person, but he has to be one of the dumbest people Ive ever heard. Thank god he doesnt have kids. The fact that there are other people like him teaching their own made up history lessons to children should be&nbsp;a crime.

[MuleBrenner]

<p>Hey Earl,</p><p>Did you ever see a cedar tree?&nbsp; The leaves of the tree grow on the very ends of the branches and look like bristles.&nbsp; Kinda like the bristles of hair on a hippo's tail.&nbsp; Behemoth = Hippo.&nbsp; And the other guy who said the Leviathan was a crocodile was correct too.</p><p>Oh, and Genesis is an allegory, not a parable.</p>

[empulse]

<p>isn't it all just made up anyway.&nbsp; This is another topic that some have come up with to create a further rift/divide in our nation.&nbsp; Whoever brought this up (in the public eye that is) is part of our society that wants you to take your eye off of whats important.&nbsp; Healthcare, deficit, poverty, war in iraniraqistan --whoosh all wisked away.&nbsp; Just hate thy neighbor cuz he thinks different than you.&nbsp; </p><p>Creationists view:</p><p>2+2 = jesus rode a dinosaur</p><p>Evolutionist view (ok maybe just my stupid view):</p><p>God = Fear = Control</p><p>I truly cannot for the life of me figure this one out, why its a debate or a question at all.&nbsp; I have heard the &quot;carbon dating is witchcraft&quot;&nbsp;alot lately too.&nbsp; But sadly my own father who is so heavy scientific and analytical, i never would have imagined for a second he would believe this bullshit.. sent me an email that was supposed to debunk darwin.&nbsp; I wept. Have FACTS/TRUTH just flown out the window?&nbsp; </p>

[FezPaul]

<strong>empulse</strong> wrote:<br /><p>God = Fear = Control</p><p><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">Ron himself said there were scientists who believed in God.</font></strong></p><p><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">The idea of God was illegal in Stalinist Russia, yet fear and control were in abundance. </font></strong></p><p><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">Take your sweeping generalizations and stand in line with the dimwits in the Westboro Baptist Church.</font></strong></p><p><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">You deserve no better.</font></strong></p>

[empulse]

<p>God =Fear = control</p><p>is just my view, or what i have seen of the use of God in our culture.&nbsp; Over 3000 times in the bible it says to &quot;take care of the least among us..&quot;&nbsp; Yet its always how he will smoat any mofo that steps outta line.&nbsp; And what is stepping outta line? anything the church (man, not god) says it is. its used as a weapon.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Im constantly told that there is something wrong with me if i don't fear god, why won't i just get in line?&nbsp; </p><p>Its used to push hate, to ridicule anyone who is different or not in the &quot;mainstream&quot;.&nbsp; </p><p>and i thought this was just a conversation..why make this personal?</p>

[FezPaul]

<strong>empulse</strong> wrote:<br /><p>God =Fear = control</p><p>is just my view, or what i have seen of the use of God in our culture.&nbsp; Over 3000 times in the bible it says to &quot;take care of the least among us..&quot;&nbsp; Yet its always how he will smoat any mofo that steps outta line.&nbsp; And what is stepping outta line? anything the church (man, not god) says it is. its used as a weapon.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Im constantly told that there is something wrong with me if i don't fear god, why won't i just get in line?&nbsp; </p><p>Its used to push hate, to ridicule anyone who is different or not in the &quot;mainstream&quot;.&nbsp; </p><p>and i thought this was just a conversation..<strong>why make this personal?</strong></p><p><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">To illustrate that you, in your own way, are just as prejudicial as the people who disgust you.</font></strong></p><p><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">Every institution can be used to instill fear in, and exercise control over, people who are willing to allow themselves to be dictated to.</font></strong></p><p><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">Whether the cause is put forward in the name of God, science, money, social change, saving the environment,&nbsp;or patriotism, people in power will abuse that power to satisfy their own personal agendas.</font></strong></p><p><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">By the same token, all of these causes can be used to promote positive personal and societal changes.</font></strong></p><p><strong><font face="courier new,courier,monospace" size="2">Saying all religion is bad because some people abuse the power of religion is no more reasonable than saying all science is bad because some people abuse the power of science.</font></strong></p>

[empulse]

<p>Point taken.</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by empulse on 8-15-06 @ 9:29 PM</span>

[ADF]

All religion is bad because it relies on fundamentally unsound &quot;theories.&quot;<br />

[FreshJ]

Why must all discussions on religion be just aobut the western view of religion and the bible.&nbsp; What about Buddist?&nbsp; What about Toaist?&nbsp; What about Hinduism?&nbsp; I mean if they ran the world, I'm sure it would not be a my God is Better then your God.<br />