Noahs Ark Debate

Just so were clear... your argument is God's magic made it possible?My argument is that if you believe that Noah's ark is true, you could reasonably assume that the Bible is true. If the Bible is true like one on my side would logically presuppose, then the Ark story is possible.It was funny thoughI bet it was! I have a pet-theory that Christians sound like lunatics to most people.Gave me some perspective of what they are teaching people these days!This was not an accurate presentation of all that is being taught. As I see it, we are taught one of three mentalities: 1. Cult-likeDo not even try to question anything as to not doubt our faith. The smallest group, they follow the "Don't ask, but we tell" mentality, with mostly Conservatives/Fundamentalist followers. Mormons are often accused of falling here; the Westborro Baptist Church seem to lay here; Fundamental Amish/Mennonites also fall here.2. MainstreamQuestion, but tread lightly.This is the largest group. They ask questions and expect deeper answers in contrast to the more archaic/cult-like mentality of the first category. This spans many denominations and ideologies. They wish to learn about the Bible as opposed to fitting into a model of social acceptance. They are more open to other ideas, and may become atheistic/agnostic, though this change is rare. Most mainstream churches fall here. I fall here.3. LiberalThis group is the second largest, also spanning several ideologies. These people tend to, but not always, believe less in the literal interpretations, having more of a symbolic outlook. Agnostics and deists occasionally fit here, with the ideas expressed in the Bible being more moral-guidelines to them as opposed to actual stories of Gods and demons.I Take it you do not believe in Evolution then! Probably didn't learn it in school eh?Um... dude? They HAVE to teach that as it is the best model we have for explaining our existence. I've learned it since 3rd Grade...My views on evolution is that Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest does exist in one form or another. I believe it IS possible for a human-like Homo-Sapien to evolve from the simple chemicals found on Earth (though implausible to me). I do not believe, though, that enough time passed for these events to occur, and that the odds are too far against that evolution. Many atheist scientist doubt the validity of evolution, however science has yet to/cannot come up with a better/more plausible explanation.I bet you will be learning those subjects!I am considered "excellent", apparently being within the top 2% percent of American children (test score-wise. It is worth noting, though, that the test is from Kentucky, a place notorious for low test scores.) I wonder if they're really just trying to save my self-esteem!I have learned this, like I said, since 3rd Grade, and have already finished high-school health, middle-school science, almost 2 years of math, and in soon will finish high-school biology.We are tied to natural laws and boundaries that limit our will within a set structure.(Including physical and Mental Health/ Environment)!Ah, yes. Philosophy. I love philosophy; I consider myself border-line nihilistic with Christian principles.I know that sounds strange, but let me explain.Life (you, me, humanity, even God) is inherently meaningless unless a higher being (God) made us for some purpose and says so. Here, a conundrum arises: How do we know if a God exists and says otherwise? I could claim that God has said "Humanity mean this", but a Muslim could claim Allah said "Humanity means this", and then it would be their word vs our word, which goes nowhere. It is, in this way, that things are meaningless because we can't find ground for objective meaning. So then it comes to "What principles do I believe in?". The answer: the ones in the Bible. Should others live like me? I think so, but it is their choice and I have no right to infringe on that.Anyways, I believe that humans are characterized by their perceptions and experiences. In this way, environmental factors molds people down to the basic level, but those same people can consciously choose what to do after they're created, and can choose to go beyond their original purpose, which was to survive. Though environment has some effect and most everything we do is a means of survival, we can override this by starving ourselves to death, or to otherwise mold our actions as to provide a result that isn't specifically to survive.I do not believe humans can be altruistic; anything we do for others is motivated by religion, survival, or pursuit of happiness. However, we can perform complex action to help others that both aid our pursuit of happiness and help others. Animals cannot do this; they might starve themselves as a result of their actions, but they can't actively set out to help others at the exclusion of their own survival. I think the mere ability of humans to do thing for theirs and others' happiness, rather than survival, is proof that humans aren't strictly natural but are something higher than an animal, whether they arrived at that stage through evolution or were placed here by some higher being. It is because of these beliefs that I proudly identify myself as a human. When I see a commercial over the starving children in Africa, I say "Too bad", not because I don't care, but because I can't do anything about.I have a better plan to fix the problem than to send $100 overseas as if the money will fix the problem."What's this plan?" you might ask.Simple:My friends, my enemies, my classmates, my schoolmates, my playmates, the antisocial kids down the hall, the extroverts, the introverts, the Christians, the atheists, the Bhuddists, the Hindus, the Muslims, and I will spearhead a new generation of people who will fix the problems money hasn't been able to.Leaders today are selfish, bickering over meaningless things. I sense we are migrating into that "We are one" mentality, and in 400 years, I believe that "3rd world country" will be mentioned in the same light as the phonograph.There won't be foreign nations, but there would be one planet called "Earth", made up of the huge neighboring communities once called "countries". We'll have cultural differences, sure. One place might be socialist, while another is capitalist. One might be 90% Hindu, while another might be 60% Christians. But we would wave and smile at each other, not as strangers, but as a family.Lol. Did you really think I wouldn't understand the coin metaphor?I don't agree with the metaphor, however. I see the world as a set of 7 billion dice (representing people) in a cup (representing Earth) where all the dice are rolled. They often collide with each other, and affect what the outcomes of each other, but they still land on a number. The dice then separate themselves based on whether they're even or odd (good or bad, light or dark, etc.).I foresee a future where every one of the dice see themselves as a collective number (They see themselves as #5 altogether instead of #1,#1,#3 in a cup).Anyways I apologize for the rant..Don't! It was fun to read and to respond to! You weren't (overtly) disrespectful, and your points were worth giving. I thank you from my heart for starting this!Anyways, I hope I understood your ideas, and I hope my points made sense. What do you think? You can respond. This is meaningful.John Lennon's wrote a song called "God", if you haven't heard it, its fantastic. John Lennon was atheist, and that was what he had to say about everything from politics to religion.However, I would change its lyrics a little. It would be:I don't need to believe in Bible,I don't need to believe in God,I don't need to believe in Jesus,I don't need to believe in Science,I don't need to believe in you,I need to believe in me.