How dare the science deniers, the anti-evolutionists, the benevolent

[WCGreen]

creator believers take pride in the Mars Landing...

To those who want to push back on everything scientific, to condemn those who believe not in providence but in doing know that this was done in spite of your childish fits.

To those who wistfully long for the simple world "god" created I ask just one thing; why did this god of yours condemn those with curiosity and rationality.

For once we have something to be proud of, a throw back to that can do myth of the Americans who dare to dream of tomorrow and not cower because there are people who just want to step forward...

[Cary]

1. So true

I wish I had a better handle on how to deal with them and their cognitive dissonance.

[Volaris]

3. I don't know if you are a person of faith, but if you are...

I have found that the following works wonders on the more "literal" members of our community:

If God is All-Powerful, as you claim, and God wanted the Material-Energetic Universe to function OUTSIDE the bounds of knowable scientific endeavor, the Universe would simply BE that way, would it not? (the usual answer to this question is "yes" BTW)

Therefore, it follows that since the Material-Energetic Universe DOES IN FACT function in a way that science accurately describes, it MUST BE that this is the way that God CHOOSES for it to function. I have found that if God and Science are ever in conflict in my understanding of the Universe, then it is my limited understanding of God that needs EXPANDING, rather than the CONTRACTION of scientific understanding that explains the functioning of the Universe as God intended it to be. My personal belief is that God was EXTREMELY proud of Issac Newton for uncovering as much of the MATH as he did. When Issac got to Heaven, God started walking him over to the table with the Quantum Mechanics Paperwork on it, and said "Have I got something that YOU need to see."

At this point, the REALLY "literal" members of our community will say something along the lines of "Well, how do you know that God isn't just testing your Faith? Hmmmmmm???"

My response is to ask them to define All-Loving. Works every time. Peace be with you.

[longship]

4. ^^ This ^^

OP is good, too.

[WCGreen]

8. You should re write this as not a response to a post...

And then put it up on it's own. It would be a service to a lot of people on how to talk to relatives and friends without ignoring topics.

Please post this for all of us who have literal Christians on our lives.

One thing I always ask is if you believe in eternity, doesn't that mean there is really no beginning...

[Volaris]

11. I will take some time this week and re-write as an essay, as you request. It might not be done until

later, as I am looking for a second job this week, but I will get it done. When I put it up, I will include a link this thread as OP, BTW) I also wanted to comment on your original post...there are those of us who ARE people of Faith who LOVE the idea that if there IS ancient, long-dead microbial life on Mars, then it kind of glorifies God that we know that it is there, and we damn-well were smart enough to find it. =)

It may not matter, but I was always taught that there IS a difference between eternal, and spiritual timelessness. (Eternal being something that HAS BEEN created, and then contunies to exist thereafter, and Spiritual Timelessness, which simply ALWAYS WAS and always will be....not that it matters because it's a matter of semantics in these kid of discussions, usually...)

[LibAsHell]

2. I noticed that many of them do it for only one reason

So they can shout "U-S-A" and take part in a nationalist circle jerk. They're not the least bit concerned about the actual mission or the accomplishment or any of that. They just want to be able to boast that America did it first. That's it.

[Wounded Bear]

5. Or the help/knowledge that we got from foreign scientists...

NASA is not totally a US endeavor any more. There is a lot of international cooperation.

Was talking with my bro and sis the other night, and the Space program came up somehow. The question was, if the Space Shuttle is gone, how do they get to the ISS? Of course the answer is we're renting space from the Russians on the Soyuz.

[Poiuyt]

6. I think God was just teasing us by laying out all this solid evidence proving evolution when it

doesn't really exist. Ah that God! He/She's such a practical joker!

[Archae]

7. If life is ever found on Mars...

The creationists will have a mass suicide.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Well they are looking forwards to the endless supply of marinara sauce

to go with the cheese from the moon, you silly.

[WCGreen]

10. Crack me Up!!!!!