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Falsificationism is another foundation of science. This states that if something CAN be proven false (whether it has or not) that means it can be tested with the scientific method and be confirmed or denied. The presence of God cannot be proven false. If an omnipotent being such as God existed then he is everywhere at all times, thus we cannot exclude God from an experiment. Conversly, if God did not exist then there is no way that we can have Him present for our experimentation. Thus, God cannot be tested with the coveted Scientific Method.
Santa Claus can be proven false. Seeing as how our parents are the ones that put the presents and stockings there.
Also, for God's defense, He DOES interact with human beings and on a regular basis. Such as my example of a miraculous healing. I speak to God every morning and night, He guides my life even when I'm not aware that He is when He's doing it. God has proven to me that He exists.
Yes, according to Christianity people are FREE to choose whatever they want. God gave us free will to deny or accept Him.
Warren, I'm not ignorant nor close-minded. But your responses appear to be shutting tighter and tighter the deeper we get into things. Don't be afraid to actually discuss this. I hope I can do the same on my part.
Another Guest. Your analogy to the boogie man is just... wrong. Yes we are asked to accept God by faith. But because I have accepted God, He has proven Himself to me, He has shown Himself to me to so many ways. God NEVER makes the first step. That's part of YOUR free will.
God showed Abraham the Promised Land and that he would have it one day. He also told Abraham that he'd have as many sons as the sands on the beaches. You know what? He died before he settled in the Promised Land and left only one son, Isaac. God called Abraham and his decentants to believe through faith without giving them proof at first. But He soon made good on His promise. God wants us to take the first step. Not because he's asking us to prove ourselves to Him, but to prove to ourselves that we're ready.
Many times I've taken the first step ... and then quickly lept back two. It's freakin' SCARY!!! But that's how God works.
About dinosaurs and "dismissing" them. Just so you know, dinosaurs ARE mentioned in the Bible, specifically in the Old Testament, the Maserated Text, so this applies for Jews and everyone else that believe in those books.
The word 'dinosaur' is not mentioned in the Bible, so don't worry yourself searching for that. After all, the word was created in 1942 AD (or CE, whichever you call it). But in MANY places it speaks of Leviathons, Gigantic serpents, even firing breathing upright lizards (remarkably similar to what T-Rex looks like). Yes, fire breathing. There are many animals today that can breath fire, a certain kind of beetle springs to mind. It mixes chemicals in a special organ near its mouth and then can expel those chemicals in the form of fire. Very effective defense mechanism. I'm pretty sure we HAVE NOT found the organ remains of a T-Rex, maybe he could breath fire.
But according to the Old Testament, dinosaurs were around (maybe not prevalent, but around) in those days (circa 2,000 BC (BCE)).
I don't find it too difficult to believe that the Earth is only a little under 7 thousand years old because of my studies. I haven't totally commited on it, but I put very little faith in even Divine Evolution, that everything came from one single cell and evolved in so many ways. Early cells could have ONLY reproduced through MITOSIS, which means an identical clone of the cell. Any variation and the cell cannot survive. So how could some cells morph into meisos, requiring DNA from two different cells.
