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Ardipithecus ramidus(Ardi) is indicative that the split between humans and chimps was between 6 million to 9 million years ago rather than the older theory that says the split came later. It also shows that hominids became bipedal earlier than Australopithecus afrensus(Lucy). This doesn't cast doubt on evolution though. It more revises the older theory.
I'm really not into "isms" or "ists" or scientific theories, they don't matter that much to me, my testimony and relationship with God does not rest on any of them. I'm only going by a quick blurb on Fox News television today in which the anchor said that discovery would result in a "rethinking" of the theory of evolution. My guess is that it's big enough news that the next few days and weeks will reveal a lot more about its significance to the people that theory really matters to, and that might include some Christians and some atheists.
Here's a link to Science Mag online, it even has a video for those who are interested:
Science is constantly rethinking it's theories....That's how it advances...If you think this discovery will change the thinking on how evolution works or cast doubt on the theory, you are wrong....All it does is give us one more piece of the puzzle about human origins.
Actually, the Bible is so accepted in American courts of law that most if not all witnesses are required to touch it as they swear an oath to tell the truth. The contents of the books of the Bible, as we all know, are debatable.
Untrue.
In no court of law in America is any witness required to touch a bible, and in fact, I've never been in a court that gave a witness that option. A witness must simply raise their right hand and swear an oath or affirmation to tell the truth. There is no magical purpose behind it, except to give the witness notice that they are subject to penalty of perjury if they lie.
I think you may be confusing the traditional method of taking an oath of office with testimony of a witness. (Although it isn't required in that case, either.)
the ever abiding sweet presence of God's Holy Spirit, always there when I look for it, always testifying of God's love for me, and for you.
Without using flowery, ambigious phrases, could you provide some specific detail about this "sweet presence of God's holy spirit".
Is it audible? Is it visual? Does it make you feel warm inside? Without reference to a book you may have read, please specify what the experience is like for you presonally. Is it always there? etc.
Again, I would prefer direct, specific information, rather than poetic generalities. Thanks.
Without using flowery, ambigious phrases, could you provide some specific detail about this "sweet presence of God's holy spirit".
Is it audible? Is it visual? Does it make you feel warm inside? Without reference to a book you may have read, please specify what the experience is like for you presonally. Is it always there? etc. Again, I would prefer direct, specific information, rather than poetic generalities. Thanks.
God communicates with His children on earth in a variety of ways. I have no doubt that the way He most commonly makes Himself known to me is shared by many others. But for me that is something sacred that I do not wish to reveal in a forum such as this where the only purpose for doing so would be to invite disbelief and scoffing, perhaps even mockery, from prideful people who choose to deny or reject even their very soul, let alone their Maker.
God communicates with His children on earth in a variety of ways. I have no doubt that the way He most commonly makes Himself known to me is shared by many others. But for me that is something sacred that I do not wish to reveal in a forum such as this where the only purpose for doing so would be to invite disbelief and scoffing, perhaps even mockery, from prideful people who choose to deny or reject even their very soul, let alone their Maker.
When I was still under the influence of koolaid, I marveled at the similarities of folk's testimonies, obviously that proved that there is a gawd. I even wrote about it that each persons testimony of conversion was unique yet similar.
In hindsight, I now realize that this whole debacle is nothing more than the phenomenon of group think and peer pressure.
You sit in church sunday after sunday, year after year and hear these folk testify. Mix this in with some hellfire and brimstone stand up comedy and eventually when the folk succumb to an alter call - hey guess what, they too have a similar testimony.
An atheist had some videos up on YouTube that he took of a test audience of only atheists and used the power of suggestion to convince them that god exists. He used the exact same techniques pulpit pushers use and even had folk falling over backwards under "the power of gawd" 50% of the audience walked out as they saw it as a scam but those that remained, he managed to "convert" to a belief in gawd. After the exercise, he deconverted again explaining that this was an experiment. He even did the Benny Hinn wave and the standing folk fell backwards into their chairs.
The power of suggestion/mass hypnosis is a powerful tool that the stand up comedians have discovered inadvertently. The whole program of a service with music to set the tone for the pastor's sermon/seed to find fertile ground to the lullaby music played during alter calls is all part and parcel of the mystique used to coerce people into responding. For some reason he pulled the vids.
How many videos have we seen of "magicians" where they perform some trick and a guy in a gorilla suit walks on stage or behind and until it has been pointed out or freeze framed, you do not see it, you are so focused on that which is happening that you miss the wood for the trees.
With 15-20 years indoctrination, a person eventually responds to an alter call and guess what, his testimony is identical except for a few minor details. Amazing huh?
They hear everyone else talking about it, and they want it to be true so badly, that they just pretend to feel the "power of the Lord" - in exactly the same way as everyone else around them does. But it's all make believe. They don't really feel anything.
For example, in a church where people speak in tongues, everyone will swear they are filled with the holy spirit and are speaking in tongues. But right down the block, not one person will speak in tongues. Is God's voice to you audible? Depends on which church you go to, etc.
I only know this because I used to be one of those people that lied to myself and others and pretended to feel a supernatural presence inside me. None of it was true. Mother Theresa had the same issue - she wouldn't admit it publicly, but privately she never felt the "presence of the lord".
It's all a lie they keep telling each other. But don't expect most Christians to admit that. No one wants to admit that they don't see the emperors new cloths.
Random House dictionary definition of "evidence" as it applies to a court of law:
"...data presented to a court or jury in proof of the facts in issue and which may include thetestimony of witnesses, records, documents, or objects."
And of these, eyewitness testimony is well known to be the least reliable.
And all of this is about natural events in the real world. None of this applies to spiritual matters. How many juries are going to believe eyewitness testimony that god struck down a murder victim?
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I understand that it can be very difficult for anyone who rejects their dual nature to accept that when someone has a genuine spiritual experience, TO THEM it is not mere "opinion", it's just as real and just as valid as a genuine physical experience, and in many cases is in fact much more impressive than the mere physical senses can provide.
It's going to "appear" to them to be real and valid, but the limitations of personal experience have been studied and are well known - see the placebo effect, the importance of double blind studies, confirmation bias in observation, and things like ABX tests in audio. Subjective opinions are rejected as evidence based on these kinds of studies which objectively show them to be unreliable.
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But you choose to limit yourself to secular methods and tools and the observations of those who use them to tell you what's true and perhaps even what's not true.
Much like I choose to limit myself to believing that gravity works. It's such a self-defeating choice. If only I believed hard enough, I could fly
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That's perfectly valid for empirical studies. But when it comes to things of the spirit: wrong method, wrong tools...
Nope, it's a perfectly valid tool. You just don't like the results it gives.
See, asserting stuff with no evidence or logic is easy.
Anyway, none of this answered my question "Since the only 'evidence' for spiritual matters is subjective opinion, how can anyone be more skilled than anyone else in the area?"
Thank-you for explaining your position and why you believe as you do.
I'm wondering why you are throwing away personal experiences as a method of discovery. Isn't every discovery known to science a matter of someone having a personal experience of some sort with something?
That's only the start - the personal observations are stated in specific ways, other people verify these observations, and only those which are repeatable and consistent are considered evidence.
Contrast that with your idea of spiritual "evidence" - a person has a feeling, and it's automatically valid and indisputable evidence.
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The existence of God is NOT a matter for science, never was,
Why not? You can keep repeating this over and over, but repetition without any sort of logic behind it isn't going to make it any more true.
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If science had already detected everything there is to know I might agree with you that "it illogical to believe in claims which are undetectable by empirical means." But then there'd be no further need for science or scientists...
Please explain how "there are likely things which we don't know about" leads to "let's just believe in anything that feels good regardless of the evidence".
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In your attempt to validate your godless position, you fail in my opinion to give enough credit to billions of intelligent people over the ages. And don't come back with the numbers card.
We're in good company then, because in your attempt to validate your particular position about god, you fail in my opinion to give enough credit to billions of intelligent people over the ages who believed differently.
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Is history science? Isn't almost everything we learn, especially about science discoveries "based on somebody's say so"?
No, not at all. You've obviously never taken a high-school level or higher science class.
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Science is ever changing, each discovery subject to the next discovery. With a history of centuries of change and I suppose thousands of theories being debunked, I don't think that I could ever bring myself to have enough faith in such a system as to risk my eternal well-being on it, even if I wasn't positive that there is life after death. (Which I am.)
This is intended as irony, right? The modern scientific method has been around longer than your religion.
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But I don't think that Religion has ever thrown away God
Some have. Heck, depending on who you ask, your very religion has by rejecting traditional Christology for a heretical view. The evidence they use - faith via personal experience ... the exact same method you tell us we should be using to find god. It seems that using faith and personal experience leads to all sorts of inconsistent results.
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P.S. I just saw a report on Fox News that a skeleton has been found that is a million years older than "Lucy". Apparently it's going to force a "rethink" of the theory of evolution. It seems that maybe humans and apes may have evolved along different lines... Another theory debunked??
You should really avoid trying to get any information from Faux News. It's just going to make you look foolish to people who have any knowledge on the subject.
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