Science and the Bible...

[siegi91]

26 minutes ago, Ezra said:

Not sure why anyone would be "disturbed" about watching gorillas or chimpanzees.  While there are many similarities, the differences are more crucial.  And ultimately we turn to Scripture for the answers.  The uniqueness of man is that men can communicate with God, men can create, and that God became Man for our redemption. That should give you food for thought.  

As to evolution, there is no tangible evidence for evolution whatsoever. It is all conjecture, and even Darwin recognized this.

 

How can it be food for thought if I believe that Scriptures are the product of man and have no divine origin whatsoever?

[Ezra]

44 minutes ago, siegi91 said:

How can it be food for thought if I believe that Scriptures are the product of man and have no divine origin whatsoever?

Well then you simply have to revise your view of Scripture.

[ARGOSY]

15 hours ago, siegi91 said:

Well, every species is unique. A spider is unique when compared with no spiders.

i think that "being unique" does not warrant any conclusion that has theological relevance. 

But my point is: why does my human ego feel slightly disturbed when I watch a movie about gorillas or chimpanzees, but I do not when I watch a movie about insects or arachnids?

Why hasn't God created me so that I do not feel disturbed when I watch a documentary about apes? Why am I so similar to them, and so vastly different from a spider, if I do not share a common ancestor with them? What is so special about great apes to convince God to make the very reason He created the whole Universe for, look so morphologically similar to them?

Don't you think evolution is a more plausible explanation?

 

Its very interesting that your points fall outside the realm of science.  

Yes we all feel empathy for the higher life forms, mammals like us have very few young and a long vulnerable childhood and so a certain love/emotions/empathy (mother/child) has to exist for the species to survive ( I sound like an evolutionist here  hehe). Also due to being warm-blooded our metabolism isn't very efficient and so our intelligence levels have to be higher to cope with gathering enough "fuel".

So we do relate to the more intelligent/emotional  of the mammals (apes/dogs/dolphins) and recognise and relate to their emotional responses.  Maybe for some people our likeness to apes adds to this empathy, I personally prefer dogs and dolphins. Once again your point is very subjective.

Actually I had an incident the other morning, a troop of monkeys arrived to raid the trees (avocado/guava) in my garden. The more I tried to chase them away, the trickier they got. By the end of the morning they had come into the kitchen and raided my bread and potatoes and attacked my refuse bags strewing it all everywhere. They even used distraction techniques to make me chase them around the house while others were raiding the other side of the house. Highly intelligent, but I admit I felt no empathy there 

 

[enoob57]

5 hours ago, ARGOSY said:

Its very interesting that your points fall outside the realm of science.  

Yes we all feel empathy for the higher life forms, mammals like us have very few young and a long vulnerable childhood and so a certain love/emotions/empathy (mother/child) has to exist for the species to survive ( I sound like an evolutionist here  hehe). Also due to being warm-blooded our metabolism isn't very efficient and so our intelligence levels have to be higher to cope with gathering enough "fuel".

So we do relate to the more intelligent/emotional  of the mammals (apes/dogs/dolphins) and recognise and relate to their emotional responses.  Maybe for some people our likeness to apes adds to this empathy, I personally prefer dogs and dolphins. Once again your point is very subjective.

Actually I had an incident the other morning, a troop of monkeys arrived to raid the trees (avocado/guava) in my garden. The more I tried to chase them away, the trickier they got. By the end of the morning they had come into the kitchen and raided my bread and potatoes and attacked my refuse bags strewing it all everywhere. They even used distraction techniques to make me chase them around the house while others were raiding the other side of the house. Highly intelligent, but I admit I felt no empathy there 

 

wow with a morning like this mine just faded into doldrums  

[siegi91]

7 hours ago, ARGOSY said:

Its very interesting that your points fall outside the realm of science.  

Yes we all feel empathy for the higher life forms, mammals like us have very few young and a long vulnerable childhood and so a certain love/emotions/empathy (mother/child) has to exist for the species to survive ( I sound like an evolutionist here  hehe). Also due to being warm-blooded our metabolism isn't very efficient and so our intelligence levels have to be higher to cope with gathering enough "fuel".

So we do relate to the more intelligent/emotional  of the mammals (apes/dogs/dolphins) and recognise and relate to their emotional responses.  Maybe for some people our likeness to apes adds to this empathy, I personally prefer dogs and dolphins. Once again your point is very subjective.

Actually I had an incident the other morning, a troop of monkeys arrived to raid the trees (avocado/guava) in my garden. The more I tried to chase them away, the trickier they got. By the end of the morning they had come into the kitchen and raided my bread and potatoes and attacked my refuse bags strewing it all everywhere. They even used distraction techniques to make me chase them around the house while others were raiding the other side of the house. Highly intelligent, but I admit I felt no empathy there 

 

I am not disturbed because of empathy or things like that. I am disturbed because sometimes they look so human.

it is my irrational human ego that plays here. 

[siegi91]

21 hours ago, Ezra said:

Well then you simply have to revise your view of Scripture.

Is it possible to do that without first believing in God?

[Ezra]

2 minutes ago, siegi91 said:

Is it possible to do that without first believing in God?

Believing in God is no different than believing in air. You breathe it every moment, but you can't see it. Yet you know that if your air supply is cut off, you'll be dead in minutes.

[siegi91]

1 minute ago, Ezra said:

Believing in God is no different than believing in air. You breathe it every moment, but you can't see it. Yet you know that if your air supply is cut off, you'll be dead in minutes.

I cannot see air, but I can measure its pressure. 

But this was not my question. Even if God exists, can I reconsider my views on Scriptures if I do not first believe in Him?

[Ezra]

28 minutes ago, siegi91 said:

I cannot see air, but I can measure its pressure. 

But this was not my question. Even if God exists, can I reconsider my views on Scriptures if I do not first believe in Him?

Since the first verse of the Bible takes the existence of God for granted, you would have to do the same to make sense of Scripture.

[enoob57]

Heb 11:6

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
KJV