Take a good long look at it. Stare at the dot for any length of time and then try to convince yourself that God created the whole Universe for one of the 10 million or so species of life that inhabit that speck of dust. Now take it a step further: Imagine that everything was made just for a single shade of that species, or gender, or ethnic or religious subdivision. If this doesn't strike you as unlikely, pick another dot. Imagine it to be inhabited by a different form of intelligent life. They, too, cherish the notion of a God who has created everything for their benefit.
How seriously do you take their claim?

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe:, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

Those afraid of the universe as it really is, those who pretend to nonexistent knowledge and envision a Cosmos centered on human beings will prefer the fleeting comforts of superstition. They avoid rather than confront the world. But those with the courage to explore the weave and structure of the Cosmos, even where it differs profoundly from their wishes and prejudices, will penetrate its deepest mysteries.

I did not write and do not take credit for this, but I could not have said it better myself.

It didn't convince me.

Good point.
It's absurd to believe in something external, when all of the tools at your disposal are within you.

Of course not, Christianity and an open mind do not go hand in hand.

"In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken," and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion."

Carl Sagan loves his perspective.

Go far enough away and nothing else matters.



Lol, this time you didn't credit carl sagan.
GZ

This post was edited by general_patton on Nov 17 2009 10:29am

I've actually re-thought my religion and politics tons of times. But they are so awesome I can't leave them.

What are your religious affiliations?
PM me if you don't care to share to the loser community.

The quotation marks are there, I figure most people in this forum should be familiar with it.

So this isn't much of a debate thread, huh.

Considering he didn't respond to my post, I guess so.