Back to basics

[mmaranr]

Hi all,

 

I am confused if there is really a Divine Creator called God (I believe He is called Brahma in Hinduism) and have some very fundamental questions. I hope someone can enlighten me and guide me to the truth.

 

1. If Brahma created the universe and all living things, who are Jesus Christ's father and Allah?

2. If He created the earth, when was this event accomplished? Is it 4.6 billion years ago as estimated from radioactive dating?

3. Why did He create primitive life form millions of years ago that are very much different from the life form that exist today? (Why create dinosaurs first before humans and make them extinct?)

4. Why make the earth with fault lines along which earthquakes repeatedly occur and kill thousands of normal, innocent people, including children?

5. Why make the earth with molten rock underneath the crust that oozes out as lava during earthquake?

6. Why create the e-coli bacteria? Or any of the hundreds of viruses that cause death to innocent people, children, animals and plants?

7. Why create 9 planets and make only one possible to sustain life? What is the purpose of the other 8?

8. Why create people of different races, religious beliefs, color etc.?

9. Why create some people with birth defects? If this is to pay for their misdeeds in their previous life, why wait one generation?

10. Why hundreds of innocent people die in stampede, tunnel fires, diseases when seeking Him at temple festivals, rituals, pilgrimages etc.

 

I hope someone can help me.

 

 

[gHari]

Haaraay Krishna,

 

Read the Bhagavad-gita completely. All your answers are there. That is, if you are actually serious about knowing, actually serious about life, you will find how logical the world really is to a man of knowledge. The "Bhagavad-gita As It Is" is available on-line here:

 

<center>http://www.iskcon.org/sastra/f_bg.html

</center>

If you don't read the book after somehow becoming fortunate enough to receive this perfect advice, then you were never really interested in the first place, and it was all just the nonsense attention seeking and whining of a child.

 

------------------

Gary Stevason

Seeking the Kingdom of God<font color="#f7f7f7">

 

[This message has been edited by gHari (edited 04-12-2002).]

[bhaktajoy]

Original unedited Bhagavad Gita at

 

http://www.asitis.com

 

please read articles at

 

http://www.krishna.org

 

If you're sincere then God will help you from within.It won't happen overnight so don't worry and gather knowledge and love...

 

take care.

[shvu]

There are no correct answers to any of your questions. Every religion will claim it has the answers, if you are willing to accept it on it's face value with faith. Otherwise, no.

 

Once you realize these questions can never be answered, you will no longer have these questions.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Rati]

shvu: Why do you think that philosophers and theologians have not grappled with and addressed these questions? Have we not been taught to ask the right questions and the most important ones first?

 

From the Vedanta Sutras:

athato brahma jijnasa

 

"Thus the inquiry into brahman."

 

One finds the dialectic approach in both Western and Eastern philosophy (your basic Q and A), whereby the student through directed inquiry is imparted a measure of the teacher's wisdom. Brahman here refers to what in English is termed 'spirit', rather than Brahma, the creator. The brahmins, who are the prietly caste in India, are supposed to be expert in matters of brahman. Karma is always represented as a wheel that turns. If we view the universe as this big machine, of which we are the cogs experiencing the reactions of our good and bad deeds, then the question of where God is when all of these catastrophies are happening does not arise, because He has merely set the cosmic Wheel in motion, and everything basically runs on autopilot. What all of the major religions have taught is to seek salvation by establishing some kind of relationship with the Deity, as opposed to trying to decipher the bewildering array of causes and effects one sees around her/him.

 

To expect to find circumstances of perfect justice and harmony in the world of cause and effect is where one gets into trouble and begins to question the existence of a Deity. Naturally one wants to know why there is so much suffering. The appropriate question is not why, but how. How does one escape from the cycle of suffering that involves the stages of birth, old age, disease, death and rebirth? This is what Bhagavad Gita addresses via the dialectic of the dialogue between Arjuna and the Deity (Sri Krsna) disguised as his charioteer.

 

I agree that it does boil down to accepting religion on faith, but that really is only at the very beginning. One either progresses from that initial stage to higher and higher realizations (which involve actual knowledge and experience rather than pure belief), or that faith is questioned and in many cases completely abandoned.

 

At any rate, if we are to question the Deity about His creation, best to address Him directly rather than turning to other bewildered souls that are just as clueless as ourselves. Then, He is certainly capable of leading one to the answers to one's questions. Chances are He will lead one to the teacher that can help him to understand and advance on the path of spiritual awakening.

 

The silver lining is that just by posing those types of questions, mmaranr has embarked on the great journey. Reading the Gita is great, and seeking out a teacher is even better. If one can travel to India to find a guru, one is extremely lucky.

 

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by Rati (edited 04-12-2002).]

[bhaktajoy]

mmaranr,

 

also please visit http://www.near-death.com to read profound near death experiences which is not contrary to Vedic knowledge.in simple lay man's term they describe the truth.place together all religions,mystical practises,yoga etc and soon you will get the understanding.Absolute truth is very straight forward...

 

from one of the near death experiences:

 

"All in an instant. As I comprehended one thing, more questions and answers would come to me, all building on each other, and interacting as if all truth were intrinsically connected. The word "omniscient" had never been more meaningful to me. Knowledge permeated me. In a sense it became me, and I was amazed at my ability to comprehend the mysteries of the universe simply by reflecting on them.

 

I wanted to know why there were so many churches in the world. Why didn't God give us only one church, one pure religion? The answer came to me with the purest of understanding. Each of us, I was told, is at a different level of spiritual development and understanding. Each person is therefore prepared for a different level of spiritual knowledge. All religions upon the earth are necessary because there are people who need what they teach. People in one religion may not have a complete understanding of the Lord's gospel and never will have while in that religion. But that religion is used as a stepping stone to further knowledge. Each church fulfills spiritual needs that perhaps others cannot fill. No one church can fulfill everybody's needs at every level. As an individual raises his level of understanding about God and his own eternal progress, he might feel discontented with the teachings of his present church and seek a different philosophy or religion to fill that void. When this occurs he has reached another level of understanding and will long for further truth and knowledge, and for another opportunity to grow. And at every step of the way, these new opportunities to learn will be given.

 

Having received this knowledge, I knew that we have no right to criticize any church or religion in any way. They are all precious in his sight. Very special people with important missions have been placed in all countries, in all religions, in every station of life, that they might touch others. There is a fullness of the Gospel, but most people will not attain it here. In order to grasp this truth, we need to listen to the Spirit and let go of our egos."

 

Love & blessings,Joy

 

 

[bhaktajoy]

 

[This message has been edited by bhaktajoy (edited 04-12-2002).]

[shvu]

 

Why do you think that philosophers and theologians have not grappled with and addressed these questions? Have we not been taught to ask the right questions and the most important ones first?

From the Vedanta Sutras:

athato brahma jijnasa

 

"Thus the inquiry into brahman."

Rati,

 

My point (as I said above), is religion starts from a set of assumtions. All questioning is to be done over and above these premises, but these premises themselves are *never* to be questioned. Why?Because they cannot be resolved in a Q & A fashion. For instance, athAto brahmajij~nAsA is followed by janmAdyasya yataH, shAstrayonittvAt.h, etc. But the existence of Brahman itself is never questioned. It is to be known thru shAstra. How does one know shAstra is unauthored (which is why it is infallible)? We don't know and should simply believe.

 

These are the pre-requisites for embarking on the journey of Indian religion. Similarly all other religions have their own conditions which are not subject to questioning. Once these basic premises are not questioned and accepted, answering other questions based on these assumptions becomes a simple matter. And this is how it is done everywhere.

 

To go to India or anywhere for spiritual answers, one has to be willing to accept some things on faith. Otherwise, it will not work. That is what I said in my earlier post.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Jagat]

janmAdy asya yataH.

 

Surely everyone makes assumptions. For instance, the scientist assumes the world exists, that it is governed by laws and that these laws can be discovered and applied (though not changed!).

 

Some philosophers argue that this is an imposition of the human mind on a chaos, but I find this extreme position a little difficult to swallow.

 

Whether these assumptions can lead us to any further conclusions, i.e., that there is a "prime mover" or "cause of all causes" is the stuff of endless debate that ultimately is resolved a priori in the minds of the faithful and the faithless.

 

I personally find Thomas Aquinas' and even Anselm's arguments persuasive, but many don't. They ask, for example, why can the causal regression not be infinite? Indeed isn't it more logical to assume that it is infinite rather than having a single starting point? Of course, I don't see the conflict, as God can be defined in that very way (as the infinite causal regression).

 

My personal favorite is the teleological argument, though I must admit a fondness for the ontological also. The need for meaning and purpose seems to me to be the driving force behind religion; the great religious symbols express these. God is that in which all things end, the ultimate purpose behind everything.

 

The ontological argument has many forms, but I personally like, "He must be because I can conceive of Him." This sounds like nonsense, because why should I believe in something I can imagine, like a sky-flower or a horned rabbit, but the very obsession of humanity for some kind of absolute certainly seems like a inner program that requires confrontation. Even the existentialist Camus spoke of the "God-shaped hole in his heart," which to me is the ontological argument as expressed by an atheist. Sometimes people have to try to kill God in order to find Him.

 

Religion is a human phenomenon, with all the defects that human creatures are capable of finding. Yet at the same time, it has produced much of what is best in mankind.

 

Stubbornly atheistic people, who despite some obsessively religious people are often as if not more ethical and moral than believers, resent any implication that religion should be classed as a need, because they don't need it, or an instinct, because they don't have it. It is insufficient as an explanation, because they can do without it, inadequate as a motivation, even to goodness, because they don't need it, etc.

 

I am one of those cheaters who sees religion in everything, like Bob Dylan who picked up one of Srila Prabhupada's teachings to write, "You gotta serve somebody." The very subordination of the individual in all respects, "no matter how great he be among men", is to me the ultimate sign of the polarity of finite and infinite that is the beginning of the Upanishadic quest. The dharma of the living being is to serve. That is religion. It finds its perfection in the service of God, at whatever unknown teleological point in the infinite distance.

 

Your servant,

 

Jagat

[suryaz]

Originally posted by mmaranr:

Hi all,

 

I am confused if there is really a Divine Creator called God (I believe He is called Brahma in Hinduism) and have some very fundamental questions. I hope someone can enlighten me and guide me to the truth.

 

1. If Brahma created the universe and all living things, who are Jesus Christ's father and Allah?

2. If He created the earth, when was this event accomplished? Is it 4.6 billion years ago as estimated from radioactive dating?

3. Why did He create primitive life form millions of years ago that are very much different from the life form that exist today? (Why create dinosaurs first before humans and make them extinct?)

4. Why make the earth with fault lines along which earthquakes repeatedly occur and kill thousands of normal, innocent people, including children?

5. Why make the earth with molten rock underneath the crust that oozes out as lava during earthquake?

6. Why create the e-coli bacteria? Or any of the hundreds of viruses that cause death to innocent people, children, animals and plants?

7. Why create 9 planets and make only one possible to sustain life? What is the purpose of the other 8?

8. Why create people of different races, religious beliefs, color etc.?

9. Why create some people with birth defects? If this is to pay for their misdeeds in their previous life, why wait one generation?

10. Why hundreds of innocent people die in stampede, tunnel fires, diseases when seeking Him at temple festivals, rituals, pilgrimages etc.

 

I hope someone can help me.

 

So much gobbledygook on these topics are and/or have been presented as facts. The only things we can be definite about are that we are now becoming and in the future what is of us now, and what was of us in the past, and what will be of us in the future, will continue to become in one way or another.

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by suryaz (edited 04-14-2002).]

[Rati]

Gobbledygook indeed! That is just the nature of fanatacism and the type of propaganda that goes hand in hand with it.

[Avinash]

Dear mmaranr,

Since most of members on this forum are Hindus, you will get the answers based on what is written in the scriptures of Hinduism. It is definitely possible to answer your questions based on the scriptures of this religion, but you should not question the scriptures themselves. I am not trying to say that questioning is bad. It is just that if you question the scriptures, then the discussion will not be conclusive.

[xxvvii]

It is necessary for me to point out that standing at diff. positions, your conclusions would be diff. If you go out of this time-space world, you would see the development of everyth. like a roll of film simultaneously, & noth. could be separated. So you would agree that noth. needs creation & destruction, there is no creation & destruction time of anyth., noth. needs a name for identification with others, & you couldn't find the reason of whether there exists God or not.

 

Don't say "There are no correct answers to any of your questions." You are destined to find all answers on your own & at last return to God.

[abhi_the_great]

Originally posted by mmaranr:

Hi all,

 

I am confused if there is really a Divine Creator called God (I believe He is called Brahma in Hinduism) and have some very fundamental questions. I hope someone can enlighten me and guide me to the truth.

 

I hope someone can help me.

 

mmaranr,

 

Brahma was also confused, when he was born. He was instructed to meditate, and in the end he came out knowledgable.

 

We need to keep faith in one process or other. Apply our mind to it, and see if it helps us answer the various questions. We need to follow a process, then we get the results. Yoga is such a process which allows us connect to the Lord.

 

All questions will be answered. And yes, faith is required.

 

Cheers

Abhilash

[Guest guest]

For the non-believer,Quantum physics has revealed the true nature of matter,and the universe.

The atomic and sub atomic phenomena we call atoms,electrons,neutron,photons,etc.,are called quanta.

These quanta have a peculiar ability, to manifest quality's, that suggest only one possibility.

Einstein protoge David Bohm,has shown what he calls, the sub quantum sea of potential,as being a unified field,all quanta appear to shape shift, from wave to particle,creating mass from non-mass,this appears to be the sub quantum potential manifesting as quanta, either as wave or particle,seemingly at will.

This phenomena has been likened to the computer,the bytes are appearing as pictures,words etc,the quantum bits(photons,etc)appear to be manifestations of information,acting on the instructions inherent in them.

Two books I recommend,Triple Phd. from M.I.T., Gerald Schroeder's "the hidden face of god-how science reveals the absolute truth",and "the holographic universe",by Michael Talbot.

[abhi_the_great]

Shiva Shiva!!

[gHari]

mmaranr ia long gone. He was just yanking our chains; since we're all crazies for believing in a God who allows such unpleasantness. They're always afraid and too embarrassed to find out that there really is a God - and He knows the darkest depths of their hearts.

[Rati]

Also check out "The Physics of Consciousness" by Evan Harris Walker.

[mmaranr]

Dear all,

 

I would like to thank everyone for their replies to my message. I waited for a while to hear from everyone before replying.

 

I trust that almost everyone in this discussion board is a believer and my deepest apologies if my questions have offended anyone, although they are sincere and were asked with the aim of finding out the truth. I, in fact, expected some convincing answers to my questions from the religious viewpoint, although, from scientific viewpoint they can be explained easily. Science has now answered many of the mysteries of life that were once (and may still be) answerable only with reference to a divine creator. This has been possible only over the last two hundred yeas with the discovery of radioactive dating methods and the theory of evolution by natural selection by Charles Darwin.

 

With radioactive dating, scientists are able to tell the ages of the various fossils dug up from the earth. When these are laid out in chronological order, the older fossils point to a more primitive life forms. (The earth itself is estimated to be about 4.6 billions years old although the bible says that the age is 6000 years old). The fossil record shows that life forms became increasing complex over long periods of time. The life form about 500 million years ago consist mainly of reptiles and a diverse array of sea creatures (Atlas of Prehistoric World - Discovery Channel). True humans did not exist about 50 million years ago. The oldest human-like creatures were 4-5 millions years old (http://www.asu.edu/clas/iho/). The slow change undergone by the life form is a result of evolution by non-random natural selection (see The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins). I believe that God did not intentionally create different life froms at different times over the history of the earth. Neither do I believe that God created humans or any of the diverse variety of living creatures. I believe that it is the blind forces of nature that has caused the existence of the present life form. The most basic of these forces is the gravitational force of gravity discovered by Issac Netwon in the 17th century. Before this discovery (and perhaps, even till today) many people may have attributed this force to the divine creator. But, it is the force of gravity that exist throughout the universe. I don't believe that God is behind the forces of nature, or else He will be responsible for many natural disasters that kill thousands of innocent God-loving man, woman and children.

 

I will read through the relevent sections of the religious scripture like Gita to find answers to my questions. But, I have to bear in mind that these scriptures may never have been updated based on latest findings, research and discoveries, unlike the scientific texts.

 

mmaranr

 

[Jagat]

So your argument, if that's what it is, is "How can God exist when there is evil in the world?"

 

You are not the first person to ask this question, and there is not a religious person in the world who hasn't grappled with the question. Heck, it was the basis of a television show I happened to see yesterday (can't remember the name, dammit).

 

If God is good, then how can there be evil has one basic answer:

 

We don't see the big picture, therefore we cannot see the ultimate purpose of things from God's point of view.

 

Jivas are suffering the consequences of their own deeds, often unknown to themselves.

 

We blame God when our plans for material happiness are disrupted, not realizing that such happiness is precarious anyway. Birth, old age, disease and death are hard-wired into creation. Is there any possibility that science will do away with these?

 

As long as you answer in the affirmative, you admit that something is more powerful than man, and that is God. Seek him/her/it out.

 

Science answers many questions, but no ultimate questions. Science cannot give you an answer as to why there is evil in the world, because science does not recognize the existence of evil. A true person of faith does not recognize evil as an ultimate truth, either, because it has a positive function in the life of his or her faith.

 

You did not respond to my previous post, which shows that you have not really studied the question in any depth. Had you, you would understand what philosophers of religion have debated as the arguments for the existence of God. I suggest that you take a course in the philosophy of religion at your local university.

 

Everything you have said comes down to "Science explains certain material phenomena better than the scriptures of ancient man." This has nothing to do with the existence of God. Some believers look foolish by arguing creationism, etc., out of a misguided belief that their scriptures give the only valid explanation of such phenomena. This does not help the debate much, and are simply fodder for persons like yourself who can ask loaded questions and then go laugh about the stupid fundamentalists with your scientific cronies.

 

Religion is a profound response to creation. It will always exist, though its forms change.

[Avinash]

A question can be asked:

God being omnipotent can stop all kinds of evil in this world if He wants. Then why is their evil?

 

Well, if God tries to stop all kinds of evil, then there will not be any free will.

[theist]

mmaranr,

 

The Bible never says the world is six thousand years old.Someone tried to trace back the generations from Christ to Adam estimating the lifespans of each as they went and came up with that silly number, assuming all human history is recorded in that book.

 

The scientists have their version of the same folly.

 

Digging here and there for old bones they formulate various theories on the origin of life.

 

Such wild imaginations.

 

The real question is how could unconscious matter turn into living conscious force.

 

Our position is that life comes from life.

 

What is your position on that?

 

theist

[Guest guest]

Evolutionary theory is based on fantasy,not science.

The Earliest fossils are 3 billion years old,they consist of single cell organisms,and colonies of single cells.This continued for 2.5 billion years,with no change in the fossil record,no new higher developed life.

Then came the "cambrian explosion",some 500 million years ago.

Out of nowhere there appeared a profusion of complete, modern, life forms,with heads,brains,digestive systems,nervous systems,eye's,ears etc

There is no explanation,no gradual evolution from single cell to slightly more evolved,then more,then more,etc.,the cambrian explosion just appeared, with fully formed creatures.

Secondly,which came first,a seed,or the tree?

A tree comes from a seed,a seed comes from a tree,evolution has no logical explanation.

The DNA problem,DNA is the instruction manual the body needs in order to grow and function properly,it gives the orders,blueprints,and orginization for everything from cells,to feet.

DNA is produced by a complete cell,The DNA is needed to create the cell,they are codependent,evolution has no logical explanation for the necessity of DNA,in producing the very first life.

Mutation has never produced a life form with superior powers.No flying cats,no human's with ant like power ratio,no evidence of mutation causing a species to better itself has ever been observed.

Some might argue, that the virus, mutates,and betters itself,this is not true mutation,it is the intrinsic ability of the virus to change,if it couldn't,then that would be a mutation.

All species are perfect and complete in themselves,how can you improve on an elephant,a tiger,a hawk,a dolphin,etc.

Why is there color coordination in nature,A peacock,exotic fish,Birds,Flowers,etc.Without a conscious manipulation,theoretically,there should be no symmetry,beauty,or orderliness inherent in nature,all should be chaotic. According to the second law of thermodynamics,a simple accumulation of energy,comprising a stable unit,will decay,and fall apart,if left to itself.

The very existance of this material world,is based on the ability of the atomic structure,the bonding creating atoms,molecules,etc,is something that should not exist,if there is no force to hold them together in mathematically precise order.Without a force to arrange the molecular arrangements,they shouldn't exist,there should be nothing but an infinite singularity,an undifferentiated field.

Physicists have no explanation for what causes bonding,or what it is.

 

 

[karthik_v]

Dear mmaranr:

 

This has been possible only over the last two hundred yeas with the discovery of radioactive dating methods and the theory of evolution by natural selection by Charles Darwin.

 

You will be very surprised to know that all dating techniques, including radio-carbon [C-12], are highly unreliable. For example, a sample sent to 3 labs will often yield 3 dates seperated by a few million years. Darwin's theory is highly contested and doesn't have one evidence to support the same. On the contrary, there are several evidences that suggest that modern humans lived even during the pre-cambrian era. I suggest a nice reading of Forbidden Archeology by Micheal Cremo and Richard Thompson.

 

The fossil record shows that life forms became increasing complex over long periods of time.

 

Actually, it doesn't. Those who promote evolution, filter out evidences to the contrary. The above book deals with that too.

 

The slow change undergone by the life form is a result of evolution by non-random natural selection (see The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins).

 

This was an old 19th century theory, now being increasingly challenged. There is not one model, even theoretical, that shows what changes in the DNA structures must be effected to bring about such a change. In the absence such a model, this remains just a speculation - no more scientific than creationism.

 

I believe that God did not intentionally create different life froms at different times over the history of the earth. Neither do I believe that God created humans or any of the diverse variety of living creatures. I believe that it is the blind forces of nature that has caused the existence of the present life form.

 

You are entitled to your beliefs. And every belief needn't be based on facts. Nor does it have to be rational. My wife believes that I am handsome!!!

 

But an inquiring mind will not allow such beliefs to become a dogma.

 

The most basic of these forces is the gravitational force of gravity discovered by Issac Netwon in the 17th century. Before this discovery (and perhaps, even till today) many people may have attributed this force to the divine creator. But, it is the force of gravity that exist throughout the universe.

 

Pretty good. All you have managed is to substitute God with gravity. How did gravity come into being to begin with? Anyway, our ancestors did have a nice comprehension of the gravitational force. Please read the works of Richard Thompson, where he shows from Surya Siddhanta that our ancestors computed the perihelion and aphelion orbits close to accuracy. Is it possible to do that without having a clear comprehension of the laws of gravity?

 

 

I don't believe that God is behind the forces of nature, or else He will be responsible for many natural disasters that kill thousands of innocent God-loving man, woman and children.

 

What the larva calls the end of life, the master calls a butterfly - Richard Bach.

 

I will read through the relevent sections of the religious scripture like Gita to find answers to my questions. But, I have to bear in mind that these scriptures may never have been updated based on latest findings, research and discoveries, unlike the scientific texts.

 

If they have to updated, then they cease to be eternal truths. They are just speculations then!!!

[mmaranr]

Dear Jagat

 

>So your argument, if that's what it is, is >"How can God exist when there is evil in >the world?"

>If God is good, then how can there be evil >has one basic answer:

 

>We don't see the big picture, therefore we >cannot see the ultimate purpose of things >from God's point of view.

 

I don't have an argument per se. I feel more satisfied to believe that the existence of everything is due to some mysterious forces of nature. I don't attribute these forces to God. But, these are blind forces of nature that has no purpose, foresight or mercy. Science has enabled many of these forces to be understood by man (one of which is gravitational). Science also readily provides simple explanation of the manifestation of these forces, e.g. earthquakes or hurricanes, without the need to study geology or quantum theory. It is my opinion that religion should be able to provide similar explanations without having to study the philosophy of religion or to understand the 'whole picture'.

 

 

>Birth, old age, disease and death are >hard-wired into creation. Is there any >possibility that science will do away with >these?

 

I find it difficult to understand why diseases have been hard-wired into creation or, for the sake of argument, why hundreds of different type of bacteria and viruses have been created together with humans - bearing in mind that each virus is a living organism complete with the ability to repoduce and multiply. I wished a simple explanation exist without recourse to a study of religion. Anyway, science is trying its best to combat diseases and, thanks to years of research, humans nowdays have longer life span compared to our ancestors.

 

>As long as you answer in the affirmative, >you admit that something is more powerful >than man, and that is God. Seek him/her/it >out.

 

I admit that there obviously is something more powerful than man. I call that the force of nature. The blind, merciless force that does not have a purpose in mind.

 

>Science cannot give you an answer as to why >there is evil in the world, because science >does not recognize the existence of evil.

 

If the evil we refer here is due to natural causes, e.g. floods, earthquakes, famine, outbreak of malaria, plague etc., these can, indeed, be explained by science.

 

>You did not respond to my previous post, >which shows that you have not really studied >the question in any depth. Had you, you >would understand what philosophers of >religion have debated as the arguments for >the existence of God.

 

I apologize for not responding to your previous post as I was away on a job related issue.

 

>I suggest that you take a course in the >philosophy of religion at your local >university.

 

Why just a course on the philosophy of religion? I believe that evey human should try to understand the world as it is and the forces behind it that has resulted in its present form. Therefore, one should also study the history of the world, geology, archeology, palentology, zoology, theory of evolution as well. It is important that every human should seek out the truth on their own unbiased and accept the best explanation that satisfies him or her.

 

>Everything you have said comes down to >"Science explains certain material phenomena >better than the scriptures of ancient man."

 

All I am saying is that science has been subjected to constant scrutiny, arguments, debates, explorations, thinking and years of research that has renewed the old perception of the world and resulted in many new discoveries unknown during ancient times. Science is constantly debated and new findings are put forth all the time. This has, therefore, allowed mankind to progress. Have the ancient scriptures subjected to similar study and argument?