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I have never met someone even "moderately" religious who would make the claim that all of the bible is a metaphor.
They believe in a literal heaven, a literal hell, and a literal, living God.
If they don't believe in these things literally, they're atheists.
That's rather what we tend to think, too but it is a suggestion that is strongly resisted. It does indicate that the Bible's god - claims (as side from undisputed history) don't convince a lot of people but, rather than admit they know a lot isn't true they try to tell themselves that it is true is a metaphorical or symbolic way.
I suppose it comes down to how much you can doubt before you really stop believing in the Biblical god at all.
Mom kicked me out of the house at age 16 because I no longer wanted to go to church. I knew there wasn't a god from that point on. He was too unaccepting.
I think the more devout , " non Believers" , come from the Catholic faith experiences, and other religions where the last word is the Church., no exceptions.... I can't tell you how many people I know who went to Catholic school who are now as far away from organized religion as possible
It is for good reason that most western religions are still living in the 16th century ..These days the average well traveled and educated people reject such antiquated practices. Many of us never went as far as to read a Bible, or go to religious Sunday children teachings and indoctrinating.... Such things today sound so silly when you think about it, its called brain washing in its purest form that attracts the less informed and the less knowing. While you are at it , take a look at the average Tea Party person, they fit quite well into this fold., which used to be called the Moral Majority.
Atheists are not "non-believers". We just don't see anything to believe in other than the mountains of scientific evidence that explains perfectly what has occured over the last 4-billion years.
....
Could you please tell us some of this mountainous scientific evidence which explains perfectly how :
Nothing made Something as detailed, as orderly, as incredibly complex, as highly engineered with many absolutely precise established mathematical / physics Laws which have remained the same , with over 150 life enabling Physics Constants so our human anatomy could be perfectly matched to Earths environment , and for our non-material personality traits having ultimately arrived from materials such as (accidental and non-purposed) rocks/gas/and planets ?
Thank you much for sharing your insight and scientific evidence ... minus any personal faith .
Could you please tell us some of this mountainous scientific evidence which explains perfectly how :
Nothing made Something as detailed, as orderly, as incredibly complex, as highly engineered with many absolutely precise established mathematical / physics Laws which have remained the same , with over 150 life enabling Physics Constants so our human anatomy could be perfectly matched to Earths environment , and for our non-material personality traits having ultimately arrived from materials such as (accidental and non-purposed) rocks/gas/and planets ?
Thank you much for sharing your insight and scientific evidence ... minus any personal faith .
Only if you explain how something that could create all those things came from nothing.
Earth is "perfectly" matched with our human anatomy? Okay, go try and stake a claim on a lot in Antarctica then. Or see how long you can tread water on 70% of the Earth's surface.
Life on earth (including us) evolved to be more or less matched with the climates of Earth, not the other way round.
I might also point out that without the large expanse of oceans on the planet, the climates on land would be much more extreme than they are. We might have evolved differently to meet those conditions, but they would be difficult. Also, since abiogenesis occurred in water, perhaps it's a good thing there was so much of it.
Could you please tell us some of this mountainous scientific evidence which explains perfectly how
Science is not about "perfection". That is something you theists are obsessed with, not us. Science is about collating as much data as possible and then coming up with the best explanation for that data without either ignoring any of it, or making up other data you do not have.
Then when one has those explanations one tests them and each test they pass makes the explanation sounder and better.
At all times however should new data come in the scientist remains ready to change their position and reevaluate past conclusions.
Nothing about perfection which you guys are obsessed with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 007.5
Nothing made Something
Hawkings has been writing on this very subject. If you are actually interested in it then simply read what he wrote. Or if reading is not your think then watch this talk by Krauss: outube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo which talks about how we are actually getting something from nothing all the time and how in a lot of ways the universe we have now adds up to nothing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 007.5
our human anatomy could be perfectly matched to Earths environment
We are matched to it because we evolved within in. Much like a puddle is matched to the hole it is in because it grew in that hole.
Science is not about "perfection". That is something you theists are obsessed with, not us. Science is about collating as much data as possible and then coming up with the best explanation for that data without either ignoring any of it, or making up other data you do not have.
Then when one has those explanations one tests them and each test they pass makes the explanation sounder and better.
At all times however should new data come in the scientist remains ready to change their position and reevaluate past conclusions.
Nothing about perfection which you guys are obsessed with.
Hawkings has been writing on this very subject. If you are actually interested in it then simply read what he wrote. Or if reading is not your think then watch this talk by Krauss: outube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo which talks about how we are actually getting something from nothing all the time and how in a lot of ways the universe we have now adds up to nothing.
We are matched to it because we evolved within in. Much like a puddle is matched to the hole it is in because it grew in that hole.
Sure...everything 'just evolved' ...and all without a shred of purpose / totally by accident / and the 150 + scientifically confirmed / collaboratively working Physics Constants (some to the 10^150 critical tolerance leeway otherwise we arent here) which arrived with our universe and continue to sustain it....was just a fluke and 'we wouldnt be asking about them if we werent here' . And atheism is touted as reasonable and rational ??! Its an excuse for those who dont want and cant afford for our personal theistic Creator (including ultimate moral accountability) , to exist. Even Dawkins now admits there is some organizing intelligence for all we have .
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but it is a suggestion that is strongly resisted. It does indicate that the Bible's god - claims (as side from undisputed history) don't convince a lot of people but, rather than admit they know a lot isn't true they try to tell themselves that it is true is a metaphorical or symbolic way. 
