Thread:TheSquidychicken/@comment-31308946-20170525193032/@comment-26322120-20170607040639

I'm going to let Lys respond to the evolution part of the debate, as that seems to be his specialty.

"I am sorry you have such a closed mind about spiritual things."

I'd like to believe that we don't have "closed minds" about anything. That in itself is much of what science is - listening to and considering what others claim, admitting when we are proven wrong, and adjusting our beliefs. Lys and everyone else here simply stated what they believe and why. If some of us don't accept Christianity, it's not because we have a "closed mind," but because the evidence and logic behind it are simply not enough to convince us. That's the hope anyway.

"I know there is nothing I will say that could convince you,"

If "say" = a claim without evidence, then no, there probably isn't. Is there anything I could simply "say" that would convince you of Hinduism? Surely you must understand our skepticisms.

"Most of the reason I wanted to write this stuff is because it is interesting to get other points of view and because I like to try to explain why what I believe makes sense to me."

Same.

"A purely scientific world is a depressing place, there is no room for morality there and it truly scares me."

There we certainly disagree. In my mind, the universe is that much more beautiful, mysterious and open to interpretation and imagination when we aren't given a strict guideline for belief. On the other hand, if I were in heaven, I think I would go quite insane knowing that below me tens of billions of people suffered the worst imaginable torment for all eternity, billions of whom had never even heard of Christianity. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

As for morals not existing without religion... No, just no... The notion that I can't have morals because I am not Christian is downright absurd, and frankly a little insulting. Many of the kindest, most selfless people I know are atheist. All a person needs for morality is the ability to feel sympathy for others, and that is something that all humans (with the exception of a very special few) are born with.