Do you believe the theory of Evolution to be true?

  • This topic has 1,340 replies, 50 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by Stu.
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  • #61764
    Stu
    Participant

    To demonstrate the power of science and the sheer third-rate nonsense of biblical prophesy, I would like to challenge anyone to provide an example of biblical prophesy that predicts an event with even remotely the same accuracy as this piece of “science prophesy” (from today's Dominion Post): “A lunar eclipse wil occur on August 28. This can occur only when the moon passes through the earth's shadow while the moon, sun and Earth are directly aligned. Auckland's Stardome Observatory spokesman Graham Murray said observers would see the moon turn a red colour, because of the shorter blue wavelengths of sunlight being scattered by Earth's atmosphere. The next lunar eclipse observable in New Zealand will be on December 21.”

    Exact dates, a prediction of the colour of the sky (assuming no clouds) and a testable explanation for the observations. (The article has reported the science incorrectly, as the 21 December lunar eclipse will be in 2010). Would anyone like to bet against this August prophesy being fulfilled?

    Stuart

    #61767
    acertainchap
    Participant

    Evolution is an unfounded, dull explanation. If people study it, they will start to see its shortcomings and realize that the Creation is the only explanation.

    #61773
    Stu
    Participant

    Hi t8

    Re: cosmic cake bakers. There does not have to be a who. There are prefectly satisfactory explanations that are completely consistent with observations that do not require any kind of designer. Web pages are designed. The cosmos isn't. Why does there HAVE to be a designer??

    Re: Newton. Yes, he was devout, and as you probably know in later life he pretty much devoted himself to god. Newton lived at a time when there was no explanation for the observed variety of life that did not depend on some kind of creator. “Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done.” Newton's created universe was to him a perfect thing in which god did not intervene, making him a kind of deist. He had no way of knowing how stars and planets form or how modern chemistry has supplanted his beloved practice of alchemy, or how the variety of life is explained by evolution. What view might he have formed had he known these things?

    Stuart

    #61778
    Stu
    Participant

    Hi acertainchap

    ++”Evolution is an unfounded, dull explanation. If people study it, they will start to see its shortcomings and realize that the Creation is the only explanation.”

    What shortcomings?
    How does creation count as any kind of explanation at all?
    You advocate that people study evolution. I couldn't agree more. Read books by proper biologists though – creationists lie through their teeth and by their own standards should roast eternally for bearing false witness. It's almost a shame there is no hell!
    I disagree with “dull”. It is one of the most interesting and powerful explanations we have.

    Stuart

    #61783
    acertainchap
    Participant

    Psalm 14-1

    1 The fool says in his heart,
    “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
    there is no one who does good.

    Stu. I challenge you to disprove this.

    #61784
    Stu
    Participant

    Hi acertainchap.

    Ps 14:1 is just a gross biblical insult. There is no “disproving” it required. It is playground nya nya nya.

    You are the one proposing a “god”. Give me one piece of evidence that we have that could only be observed if there were such a thing.

    Stuart

    #61785
    acertainchap
    Participant

    I do believe in God.

    #61786
    Stu
    Participant

    I like your answer, acertainchap. However, your belief can be explained without the actual existence of the thing you believe in.

    Stuart

    #61788
    kenrch
    Participant

    Quote (Stu @ July 28 2007,01:10)
    I like your answer, acertainchap.  However, your belief can be explained without the actual existence of the thing you believe in.

    Stuart


    Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

    Wow! This first century man “KNEW” what was going to happen TODAY!  How did this first century man know this?  Maybe He was a scientist!  :laugh:

    But I tell you I won't deny what you say “concerning yourself” you know your family history better than I do.  :laugh:

    #61789
    acertainchap
    Participant

    Not to me. When I say that I believe in God, I mean exactly what I say. Meaning that God is real and my God is not science.

    #61790
    acertainchap
    Participant

    Oh hey Kenrch

    #61791
    Stu
    Participant

    Hi Kenrch

    ++”Wow! This first century “KNEW” what was going to happen TODAY! How did this first century man know this? Maybe He was a scientist!”

    I'm a bit confused. Are you saying a specific prophesy, as good as the lunar eclipse prediction, was made and has come to be fulfilled? Exactly what do you mean?

    Stuart

    #61792
    Stu
    Participant

    OK, acertainchap

    When you say

    ++”Not to me. When I say that I believe in God, I mean exactly what I say. Meaning that God is real and my God is not science. “

    You should then be happy enough for me to say that your god is not real to me because I don't believe in it, and because there is no evidence at all that such a god exists.

    Stuart

    #61793
    acertainchap
    Participant

    *These 10 Bible prophecies were fulfilled in the early 1900s as millions of Jews worldwide returned to their ancient homeland.

    1. The people of Israel again would be a united people
    Bible passage: Ezekiel 37:15-19
    Written: between 593-571 BC
    Fulfilled: since late 1800s
    In Ezekiel 37:15-19, the prophet said that God would make the people of Israel a united people again. During Ezekiel’s time, the people of Israel had already divided themselves into two separate kingdoms. And both kingdoms had been conquered by foreign invasions, which resulted in many people being exiled. The southern kingdom was called Judah and the northern kingdom kept the name of Israel, although it was often referred to as Ephraim. This prophecy began to be fulfilled in an important way during the late 1800s, when leaders of the Zionist Movement began uniting exiled Jews around the world for the common goal of creating a new and independent Israel. This must have been quite a challenge because the Jews had been scattered to countries on six continents, where they spoke different languages and lived in different cultures. The Zionist Movement marked the first time in many centuries that the Jews had been united in such a significant way.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Ezekiel 37:15-19
    The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, `Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.' Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, `Ephraim's stick, belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him.'
    Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand. When your countrymen ask you, `Won't you tell us what you mean by this?' say to them, `This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph–which is in Ephraim's hand–and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah's stick, making them a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.'

    2. Ezekiel said the Jews would return to Israel
    Bible passage: Ezekiel 20:34
    Written: between 593-571 BC
    Fulfilled: late 1800s to today
    In Ezekiel 20:34, the prophet said God would gather the people of Israel from around the world and bring them home to Israel. The people of Israel (today they are often called Jews) were forced out of their homeland in ancient times by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Romans. But, during the late 1800s, Jews returned by the thousands to the Holy Land, which at that time was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. During the early 1900s, Jews returned by the tens of thousands when the land was controlled by the British. And they returned by the hundreds of thousands after Israel had declared statehood in 1948.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Ezekiel 20:34
    I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered–with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.

    3. Jeremiah said the Jews would buy back land
    Bible passage: Jeremiah 32:44
    Written: sometime from 626 to about 586 BC
    Fulfilled: late 1800s, 1900s
    In Jeremiah 32:44, the prophet delivered a promise of restoration, about 2600 years ago. At that time, Jews were being forced out of their homeland by the invading Babylonians. Many were taken as captives to Babylon. But, Jeremiah assured them that they would be able to return in the future and buy land in their homeland. After the collapse of Babylon, many Jews returned to Jerusalem and the surrounding area. They were forced into exile again by the Romans in 135 AD (about 1970 years ago). During the last years of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over the land of Israel four 400 years, ending in 1918, thousands of Jews returned to their ancient homeland and bought parcels of land from absentee landlords who lived in cities such as Beirut and Damascus. The Jews were forced out of their homeland twice, and each time they returned in large numbers in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Jeremiah 32:44
    Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”

    4. The people of Israel would be persecuted in many nations
    Bible passage: Deuteronomy 28:65-67
    Written: perhaps 1400 BC
    Fulfilled: 1940s, 1930s, 135 AD, 721 BC, etc.
    In Deuteronomy 28:65-67, the Bible said that the people of Israel would be scattered among nations and persecuted. They were exiled and scattered from their homeland in ancient times by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Romans. The exiles were intensely persecuted in Europe and Russia during the Crusades and Pogroms.

    During the Holocaust of World War II, the Nazis killed about one-third of the world’s population of Jews. The Nazis called it “The Final Solution” and their goal was to kill all Jews. Winston Churchill, a former prime minister of England, said: “The Final Solution is probably the greatest, most horrible crime ever committed in the whole history of the world.”

    During the mid-1900s, many Jews sought to relocate from Europe to the most distant countries in the hopes of outrunning the expansion of Nazi Germany. This led to new influxes of Jews to North and South America, Australia and even China.

    Many of the exiles chose to return to their ancient homeland to escape persecution. But persecution followed. At that time, the land of Israel was called Palestine. It was controlled by the British and a majority of people living there were Arab, including the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem who urged Hitler to deal with the Palestine's Jews with “the same method that the question is now being settled in the Axis countries. (Genocide)”.

    In 1948, the Jews declared independence for Israel. But the persecutions didn’t cease. Shortly after the re-establishment of sovereignty for Israel, hundreds of thousands of Jews were forced out of the Arab nations in which they had lived in exile for many centuries.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Deuteronomy 28:65-67
    Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”–because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.

    5. Isaiah said God would preserve the Jews
    Bible passage: Isaiah 66:22
    Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
    Fulfilled: 1940s, 1930s, 135 AD, 721 BC, etc.
    In Isaiah 66:22, the prophet said that the people of Israel would endure and survive as a people, despite the persecutions they would face, as foretold by other prophecies. Isaiah delivered this prophecy 2,700 years ago. Since then, the people of Israel, who today are commonly called Jews, have been massacred at various times by the thousands, by the hundreds of thousands, and by the millions. In ancient times, the Assyrians virtually erased from history 10 of 12 tribes of Israel. The Babylonians and Romans exacted heavy damage on what was left of the people of Israel. The Nazis, during World War II, sought to annihilate the entire Jewish race. Even so, the Nazi empire was reduced to ashes shortly before the Jews reclaimed Israel as a sovereign country in 1948. The Jews are still here. And the empires that sought to destroy them are nothing more than pages in history books.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Isaiah 66:22
    “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.

    6. Israel would be rebuilt a
    nd resettled
    Bible passage: Ezekiel 36:33-35
    Written: between 593-571 BC
    Fulfilled: 1900s
    In Ezekiel 36:33-35, the prophet gave another prophecy about the re-population and rebuilding of Israel's ruined cities. American author Mark Twain described the land of Israel as being thoroughly desolate in the late 1800s. Since then, millions of Jews have returned to Israel and have been rebuilding their ancient homeland. Some of the parched desert has been converted into productive farmland. And Israel has undertaken one of the world's largest reforestation programs. Israel's population was 10 times larger in 1998 than it was in 1948.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Ezekiel 36:33-35
    ” 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.”

    7. Isaiah foretold the restoration of Israel
    Bible passage: Isaiah 35:1-2
    Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
    Fulfilled: 1900s
    In Isaiah 35:1-2, the prophet said that although Israel would become a desolate land, its deserts would one day bloom again. This Bible verse foreshadows the restoration of Israel that has been taking place since the early 1900s. Millions of Jews have returned to their ancient homeland and have innovated sophisticated farming techniques and extensive reforestation programs to convert parched desert into productive farmland. More than 200 million trees have been planted in Israel since 1900, according to the Jewish National Fund.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Isaiah 35:1-2
    The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.

    8. Israel's land would again become fruitful
    Bible passage: Zechariah 8:12
    Written: between 520 and 518 BC
    Fulfilled: 1900s
    In Zechariah 8:12, the prophet said that God would allow Israel to become a prosperous land again. Israel had been described as being a wasteland between the time that the Jews had been forced out of their homeland by the Romans (about 1900 years ago) and the time when the Jews began returning to and restoring Israel during the 1900s. Although the restoration continues, Israel is able to export food to many countries.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Zechariah 8:12
    “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.”

    9. The people of Israel would live many days without a king
    Bible passage: Hosea 3:4-5
    Written: about 750 BC
    Fulfilled: Being fulfilled since 70 AD
    Hosea's prophecy, found in Hosea 3:4-5, foretells three important events:

    1. The people of Israel would lose their sovereignty (“live many days without a king or prince”). A Bible scholar, named John Gill, interprets Hosea 3:4 as meaning that the people of Israel would endure a period of time “Without any form of civil government … being subject to the kings and princes of other nations.”

    2. The people of Israel would lose their ability to worship in the manner in which they were accustomed. (example: “without sacrifice … without ephod”).

    3. The people of Israel would return to the land of Israel and seek “David their king.” (The phrase, “David their king,” is often understood to refer the promised Messiah, who the prophets had said would be a descendant of King David).

    Each of these three things has happened twice. The first time was about 2600 years ago when the Babylonians invaded the Holy Land, deposed the king, destroyed the city of Jerusalem, and the holy Temple, which was the center of worship for the people of Israel.

    The Babylonians also forced many Jews into exile. But, after the collapse of the Babylonian empire, many eventually returned to their homeland and rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple. A few centuries later, the second Temple had undergone a massive reconstruction, which was completed at about the time of Jesus, which was about 2000 years ago.

    From a Christian point of view, Jesus, who is described as being a descendant of King David in the New Testament book of Matthew, is the Messiah who was promised when Hosea spoke of “David their king.”

    This prophecy is now going through its second fulfillment. During the Roman Empire era, the people of Israel had lost sovereignty over their homeland for the second time, and they had lost their Temple for the second time, when the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

    Since the Roman era, the majority of Jews have lived in exile, in countries around the world, where they are subject to the kings and governments of other nations. And, because the Temple has not yet been rebuilt, they continue to be unable to perform various sacred practices that are important to Judaism. (Judaism is the Jewish religion).

    But some of this hardship began to change in an important way during the first half of the 1900s, when many Jews from around the world returned to the land of Israel and reclaimed independence over a portion of their ancient homeland. In the year 2004, about one-third of the world's Jewish population lives in Israel, a nation that has been governed by Jews since 1948.

    From a Christian perspective, this too is significant because we Christians believe that Jesus is to return a second time, after a significant number of Jews have returned to Israel, to establish a kingdom of righteousness on earth. From a Christian point of view, this prophecy will be completed – again – during the “last days” when Jesus returns.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Hosea 3:4-5
    For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.

    10. Israel would rise again
    Bible passage: Micah 7:8-11
    Written: sometime between 750-686 BC
    Fulfilled: beginning late 1800s
    In Micah 7:8-11, the prophet said that Israel would one day rise again. During Micah's lifetime about 2700 years ago, the Assyrians were destroying the northern kingdom of Israel. Later, the Babylonians conquered the southern kingdom of Judah. And then, the Romans brought more devastation to Judah. That led to many centuries of exile for the Jews. However, during the past two centuries, many Jews from around the world have returned to their ancient homeland and have reclaimed sovereignty for a portion of the original land of Israel. The declaration of independence in 1948 led to three major wars with the surrounding countries. Each time, tiny Israel prevailed and was able to seize additional land.
    – Copyright 100prophecies.org
    Micah 7:8-11
    Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord's wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. Then my enemy will see it and will be covered with shame, she who said to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets. The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries.

    *I gave you ten. Good enough? :)

    #61794
    acertainchap
    Participant

    Wait, here's another one…

    This is a prophecy concering the last days.

    1. Jerusalem would become an international problem

    Bible passage: Zechariah 12:1-5
    Written: between 520 and 518 BC
    To be fulfilled: End Times

    In Zechariah 12, the prophet said that there would come a time when the surrounding nations would besiege Jerusalem and Judah (the area around Jerusalem), and that all the nations of the world would gather against Jerusalem, but that God ultimately would save the city and its people. This is widely regarded as an End Time prophecy to be fulfilled in the future.

    Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this prophecy is that it is predicated on Jerusalem being a city of critical interest to the rest of the world. And it just so happens that Jerusalem is the only city in the world that is of interest to the rest of the world.

    For Jews, it is their ancient capital, founded by King David about 3000 years ago. Many Arab Moslems, however, believe that the city should be part of an independent state for Palestinian Arabs. The issue of who should control Jerusalem has been a cause of the Arab-Israeli wars during the past century.

    And, the conflict between Arabs and Jews has been a primary reason as to why the international community has taken an interest in Jerusalem. In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly approved a plan to carve up the ancient land of Israel into a state for Jews and another for Arabs. This plan would have established Jerusalem as an international city to be governed by the United Nations.

    This extremely unusual proposal, suggesting that a city be governed by the United Nations, simply shows the unique status that Jerusalem already has in the world: It is the only city in the world that is of interest to the rest of the world.

    Given the history of the city, the volatile conflict between Israel and the surrounding Arab nations, and the unusual interest that the international community has shown in regards to Jerusalem, it seems clear that the groundwork for the future fulfillment of this prophecy is in place.

    Zechariah 12:1-5
    This is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, `The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.'

    #61795
    kenrch
    Participant

    Quote (Stu @ July 28 2007,01:32)
    Hi Kenrch

    ++”Wow! This first century “KNEW” what was going to happen TODAY!  How did this first century man know this?  Maybe He was a scientist!”

    I'm a bit confused.  Are you saying a specific prophesy, as good as the lunar eclipse prediction, was made and has come to be fulfilled?  Exactly what do you mean?

    Stuart


    I mean what scripture says is that they will be those who destroy the earth. How do you explain this first century man knowing this! Is this NOT happening today?

    According to you he must have been a very smart “monkey”.

    It was revealed to him by GOD! If not then how did he know this?

    #61796
    kenrch
    Participant

    Hey Chap :) I really have things I have to do before it rains. So I'll leave Stu to ponder this for awhile. One thing is I admire the faith of evolutionist. They have so much faith that a watch can make itself and keep good time!

    #61797
    acertainchap
    Participant

    Peace out brother! :)

    #61798
    acertainchap
    Participant

    Keep in mind that Israel is surrounded by 22 Arab states.

    #61799
    Stu
    Participant

    Wow acertainchap! Instant prophecy list.

    These are self-fulfilling zionist prophecies: the Zionist movement has worked hard to relocate Jews in the Middle East. There is no evidence that a supernatural being has had anything to do with it. If the return of the diaspora had happened before the discovery of the texts that might have been remarkable. Some aspects of zionism are very strongly focussed on reclaiming Israel for Jews BECAUSE it is “prophecised”.

    These are not much more specific that the horoscope. There are no years, decades or even centuries indicated, and when it comes to “second fulfillment”, say of Hosea, there is no mention that it will happen more than once – this makes the prophecy even vaguer.

    Give me the “god will smite the Sodomites on August 28th” prophecies and I'll be impressed!

    Stuart

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