Bible Humper

I can't help but feel sorry for the creationists who have taken upon themselves the unenviable task of trying to rationalise away the mountains of evidence for evolution. I can't help but wonder, though, why they have drawn this particular line in the sand when the "flexibility" they utilize regarding other theological points allows them such easy ways out.

Time and again the "free-will defense" is used to defend against the argument from evil, the question of why the deity hides, etc. You and I might accuse them of simply playing an adult game of make believe when it comes to how an indifferent, emotionless universe is actually the creation of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent deity which is going "according to plan", but hey, c'est la vie.

Since they have already committed themselves to the idea that the deity has gone to these lengths so as not to interfere with our "free-will to believe in him or not" or our "free-will to chose evil", it doesn't make sense not to utilize it for creationism. Since the deity wanted to hide evidence of his existence, it was surely necessary for him to make it easy for people studying his creation to come up with an alternate explanation. Evolution is that explanation!

Why don't the creationists just nod sagely whenever new evidence for evolution is discovered, and tell everyone that the deity put it there so as not to let the cat out of the bag regarding his existence by leaving no other explanation possible?

I've already heard them hypothesize that the deity created the starlight "on it's way here", so they might as well just salvage whatever's left of their credibility and forget about trying to conjure up explanations for the non-functional genes for hen's teeth. <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

Sheep in the big city

That God might have set up the world so that there was zero evidence of him and in fact evidence against him is in fact the only thing that makes me feel a bit agnostic.
It's the only possible way God could exist without contradiction to the reality around us, although it's still stupid.
Of course this would by definition make it completely impossible to tell anything about God and his nature which would make religion as pointless as it is without God. I think that is why christians do not use this particular excuse.

Bible Humper

Hello Sheep,

But they have already been forced into arguing for the necessity of free will in order to slip out of older nooses, such as the problem of evil and <a href="http://iidb.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=50&t=000641" target="_blank">other important challenges to their theology</a>.

It seems hard to believe that the deity hides, thus allowing much evil, but neglected to clear out the evidence that the universe was created by him.

On top of solving that issue, they instantly invalidate all evidence for evolution as evidence against creationism!

Mageth

That God might have set up the world so that there was zero evidence of him and in fact evidence against him is in fact the only thing that makes me feel a bit agnostic.
It's the only possible way God could exist without contradiction to the reality around us, although it's still stupid.

It would also make god a cosmic prankster, or a big liar, whichever way you want to look at it.

Illusion Dweller

Christians tote that God does not show himself because he wants people to choose the /right/ path. Although by their thinking, you can be the /best/ person on earth, but if you don't 'accept Jesus christ into your heart as your one and only savior', you're going straight to hell.

Then most are ignorant enough to believe that people of other religions, who are never really exposed to christianity, e.g. a billion chinese, will also be going to the bad place. They should know better; see Jesus like a rainbow on the horizon, defy their parents & culture, and convert.

The almighty ant-farmer is too selfish to /show/ himself, and also intolerant to other avenues of thinking?

Most will agree that this type of thing, and religion in general is a front for rationalization & creation of /morality/, but it did evolve for a reason.