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[Leafsnail]

There's plenty of reason to "what if". Here and elsewhere. That there are other possibilities is important... if we didn't look for them, we might not find actually existent evidence. One does not need a reason to ask questions and make hypotheses.

If a theory has no testable predictions then it's virtually impossible to have any evidence for or against it.  That's why generally when making hypotheses you think of a way it would affect the world we live in and work out a way we could test it (even if it's not currently technologically possible).

[MrWiggles]

Well, more accurately the questions needs to be falsifiable. Refutation is key.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

on variation and souls:
a simple program like df is capable of generating wildly varied complex outputs using only a meager set of pseudo-random numeric strings. it is no wonder a super complex organic super computer created by randomness itself can define a distinct individual. it is a wonder that they are so consistent even

[MrWiggles]

Evolution is not entirely random. 8/ Majority of the mechanics for Natural Selection aren't random.

[Loud Whispers]

Evolution is not entirely random. 8/ Majority of the mechanics for Natural Selection aren't random.

Such as behavioural changes that bring animals to new environments...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_macaque
To take advantage of new food sources and habitats

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You're not enlightened.

Buddha sad

[Vattic]

Buddha sad

Because of all this talk of souls?

[MagmaMcFry]

Posting to watch.

[Karlito]

Alright, time to drop some cosmology on this thing.

The shape is uneven, from what I think at least. It cannot be a regular shape; that would violate our theory that dark matter fuels expansion.

Dark energy. Dark matter is something different. I'm not really sure what you mean by uneven, but most of our theories assume the universe is basically the same throughout.

In some areas of the universe, space is beginning to collapse and Crunch, because of a lack of dark matter. In other areas it is expanding, due to a higher concentration of dark matter.

The expansion is pretty even throughout the visible universe, actually. We're approaching the Andromeda galaxy rather than expanding away from it because the gravitational attraction between the galaxies overpowers the expansion, but only because of the (relatively) small distance between the galaxies.

The universe in my mind, forms a spherical shape at a macro level, but different areas are in states of wax and wane.

Observations of the microwave background radiation seem to indicate that the universe is actually flat or planar. Uh, the geometry of the space-time is flat, we're obviously not living on a 2D plane. This shape is interesting because it means it's possible for the total energy of the universe to be zero, and really that's the only sensible way it could be for a universe to spontaneously arrive out of nothing.

[DarkWolfXV]

My view:
I am atheist, so i dont believe in god, why? To me, he does not exist, because why all the hate, evil, death, brutal killings, rapes.
It seems that there i actually the most of evil made by those whose "God" would not want them to do any evil. For example, catholics in Poland, you would think their belief is true,(at least most people i met) but they are totally racist, do not respect other religions, ignorant, and sometimes stupid. In my eyes they actually fuck all the rules but "believe" to not be rejected by others.

Im going to quote a philosopher here:
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent
Is he both able, and willing?
Then whence cometh the evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God" - Epicurus

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Also, about the soul, i dont know what to think, but always when i look in space it makes me sad after long time of looking at it.

[MrWiggles]

My overall question to thiest, is that there we've (humans) in general have devised means to extrapolate accurate models on how nature works. This can't really be denied, and it'd be extremely ironic to do on a forum, that you use through a computer to access the internet.

But Theist, either abandon and make up a new religion or splinter. It all seems rather arbitrary. Why havent yall concluded which religion is actually the more accurate one?

[anzki4]

Allow me to tell you the tale of Phineas Gage. Phineas was a railroad foreman, a favored and efficient one. One day, dear Phineas ended up having his skull impaled by a tamping iron, destroying his left frontal lobe.

Despite this, Phineas survived his injury, but there were consequences. He became prone to unjustified anger and impatience, and was no longer efficient at his job or favored by his fellows. Many of them described him as having become a different person.

Why? Because the mind is a projection created by the brain, and if the brain is damaged, the mind is damaged to fit. There's nothing supernatural about any of it.

Just randomly popping here to point out that above isn't proof that soul doesn't exist. (Note: I do not believe in souls.) Brains could be just an organ interpreting the soul and if that organ is damaged it cannot read the soul correctly.

Example: "Soul makes your arm move" vs. "Soul makes your brain send your arm the command to move."

EDIT: Whoops, just realized that this was discussed earlier in the thread already... Carry on.

[cerapa]

The thing about discussion about souls and such, isnt that you dont need to disprove that souls exist. Until they have been proven to exist and their particular features have been identified, doing anything regarding them is pointless, because the effects are unknown. For practical purposes the existance (or lack of) a soul is a wild card that cannot be taken into account. In this case not taking into account is the same course of action as nonexistence would be.

But this just for practical purposes. For philosphical purposes the question of a soul is an interesting one.

As for god, the whole "god is evil" thing is quite moot in my opinion, considering humans have created many, many lesser beings whose existential purpose is simply to die for our amusement. I mean, the AIs of mooks are generally pretty standardized so they dont actually die b....wait, thats a soul isnt it?

[Hanslanda]

*Didn't read the 5 previous pages*

All religious arguments are silly.
I believe in both Religion and Christianity: God created monkeys, and it all went downhill from there.

Some people are here trying to learn, not watch a flame war, thank you very much. This is the kind of thing that starts pig-ignorant fights. I'd ask that no one post like this again. This is a delicate subject, you should read the thread before jumping in to piss everyone off.

[MaximumZero]

I personally, as I've said earlier, I have no reason to believe in the soul because I see no evidence for it. There's no evidence contrary to the idea, thus far, that our "self" is just a brain in a mobile meat jar.

[Yoink]

@Hanslanda: Jeez, sorry.
Sure, I have my own feelings and opinions on theological matters. It's a favoured topic of my inner voices, after all.
I just don't see how any good can come of this thread. It's not that it's in danger of becoming a flame war/argument... I'm just not sure where else a thread on religion can go. *shrug* Shutting up now.