See, I'm not sure we have any users here of a faith with whom this can be discussed. From what I've seen, the vast majority of posters are atheist, and the remainder are agnostic, and anybody with a strong belief in a higher order would rather chop off their own feet than partake in a discussion that would likely degrade them and their faith, and so they keep out of these threads.

Well, I'm a Christian and I believe in God pretty strongly, but I realise that a lot of people that means also that you're a creationist or ID theorist, which is nonsense.
However, I've grown up hearing creationist arguments for everything as part of my upbringing, so I'm happy to play the devil's advocate if no one else is prepared to ;)

I disapprove of organized religion, because I think it's socially harmful and it justifies too many atrocities, but I think that faith in general can be a beautiful, creative, and healthy thing, even if it falls into the realm of placebo effects.

Apologes to all for gettin into that stupid evolution debate, I do believe in god, the story of genesis and our creation was a shortened version of a much more lengthy version of the ancient sumeritan text, ancient vedic text and pretty much any ancient culture and all around the world, they are all saying the same thing, we were created by genetic engineering, a cross between hominoids(a form of ape) and what u would call gods, there is even ancient text describing coming into our solar system in space ship and detailed descriptions of all of the planets in detail and what our earth looks like from space, how did they know that more than 5000 years ago, and jesus, and Buddha and others were trying to show the world our true nature and the power we all have within ourselves with the power of our belief, all I'm saying is it is said that Jesus walked on water and modern science has found the quark in atoms and it is not subject to the laws of gravity and we are made up of atoms so I just wish people would search and keep an open mind cause there is more out there than u can even imagine, cause if u all saw the same info I have u would be a little more open minded. Just trying to make people think and find their own truth, cause the sitchen research is the most logical explaination of how we were created and who we really r. There is so much more info that I would have to write a book to get it out, so I just wish everyone would see all sides before making a decision, its not logical to see one side and say u have the truth, cause trust me I used to believe the same thing as tore until I saw it all, and if yall did your brain will not let u believe that worldly knowlegde anymore. So no more out of me about this issue, however on the music note, how about starting a discussion about how gods word is in all music, I can blow all your minds on that subject if yall want to discuss that, peace.

What writings do you speak of, specifically?

Please bear in mind my family is very strictly religious and I've been brought up in a pretty oppressive fashion when it comes to this area. It's really only when I started reading a lot about evolution that I started to disagree with what I'd been taught, because it just didn't make sense when the evidence was examined.
All I would say is that religion is blamed for a lot of the despicable acts committed in the world, but if you look at the messages they preach, all of them encourage peace towards each other, yet in the name of religion a lot of evil has been committed. I would be suspicious of saying that religion is necessarily the direct cause of the evil, though.

I really don't want to get into an argument about this, because I'll be rushed by the weight of numbers of people who disagree, and I won't have any chance of winning anyway.

Seek, I respect your wish to leave the discussion, but I can't help having an opinion when I see claims like this :

Why would quarks not be subject to gravity? I think you're mixing things up a bit. I know you hate Wikipedia, but what you are relying on to back your claim is basically science and the description of quarks on wikipedia is the scientific one, so if you'll bear with me.

Some theoretical problems regarding quarks and gravity are hinted at here, but it doesn't mean quarks are not subject to gravity. That would've been strange indeed. The first part of the text indeed states that quarks are subjected to gravity.

I assume that you've thought that quarks are not subject to gravity and we're made up of quarks and that this can explain how Jesus could walk on water. However, there's nothing people can do in order to prevent gravity from affecting them.

I think what you've brought up is a matter of the human condition, more than just religion.

I see that now. Kill the damned creationist troll.

Denial alert.

True, because it's really just in human nature to use any means possible for our own purposes, and if religion is a good enough excuse to kill someone you don't like, then people will do it.

Whether or not this is true, it ought to be pointed out that it has no effect whatsoever God exists or not, I suppose