Thanks so much for your reply, Doc. I'll just make some small points and leave you to you and yours.

Your scam anecdote is an interesting one, and as a scientist I'm sure you'll understand when I point out that the vast majority of people do not understand or appreciate the value of chance and coincidence in their daily lives. However, the majority of those people don't believe in chance or coincidence either. What happens is a "plan" or simply placed there by something unexplainable.

As fantastic as your prayer and sign may be I'd simply recommend reconsidering that you were going to get that email regardless. A far more obvious sign from god would have been an email whose contents actually contained a message from god, IE: "Doc you asked for for your account to be cancelled if it were wrong and it is, therefore I have had the company in charge of it deactivate it. Signed, The Lord."

I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from here. Another good example is in Bill Maher's movie Religulous when he's talking to "The Ex-Jew for Jesus" and that man said when he held his empty glass outside and prayed for rain for a drink and it rained he considered that a miracle for the existence of Christ. Bill's response was excellent when he pointed out that if he asked for rain and it rained he'd realize that, hey "It sometimes rains!". Now if it rained frogs he and I both would take pause and consider that to be a miracle. (Even though, as a scientist, I'm sure you know of the meterological phenomenom which has caused it to rain small frogs and fish in the just the last century,)

I also do not understand how someone as schooled as yourself can take the Old Testament as "fact". There is still no archeological evidence what-so-ever for Jews being used as slaves in ancient Egypt. And for a civilization that kept such excellent records of everything (I once had a fundie-xtian tell me they wouldn't document a "Jew slave rebellion") they might make a small note that an entire race under their command left them after a series of miracles befell the Kingdom.

And on the idea of Jesus dying for everyone's sins (which I know full well about; I was raised Protestant and, no I don't hate Christians or Christianity, I am concerned for their mental health and well being) I just think that it is a little too presumptuous if you catch my meaning. God creates original sin (which many in the church now say is just symbolism) then sends his only son to die for all of man's sin (including the "symbolical" original sin). No one asked for this, God merely forces it on us. Then attemps to guilt us into being saved by this Christ Figure (who has the exact same story as countless other Christ figures before his time) or else!.

But, hey, as I've pointed out I'm an Agnostic Atheist. The scientist in me sees no evidence for the existence of a god or god, therefore I don't believe. I've read the Bible front to back, as well as the Quran and other "holy" texts. They all read the same (aside from some Hindu scripture). And as an Agnostic I don't know if there is a god or gods because the evidence hasn't presented itself yet. Maybe if a miracle of such unexplainable value descends into my life I'd start believing, but it certainly wouldn't be the Christian god of the Bible. Why you might ask? Because the Bible is rife with contradictions, errors, hypocrisies and historical fallacies. And if "God" wanted that book to be written I'm sorry to say he might be a little bi-polar and attention deficit disorder.

And thanks for the 100 Star congrats!

In reply to this comment by Doc_M:
Hello my furry-hatted friend:
First off, you can read this in brief reply to you comment:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Dawkins-Conversing-Badly-A-Converted-Muslim#comment-625934

I'll now continue in private.

I see that you are (by your profile) rather read in science. Fantastic! Few are these days. I may be a Christian but I'm also a scientist as a profession atm. Many see that as either insane or hypocritical, but I can flatten that argument every time people land it on me in person, mwahaha. As for my life:

I once had a scam going where I could trick multiple "ad-bars" (those advertising bars that would stay on your screen and paid you per active minute) into thinking that I was "active" all freaking day every day even though obviously I was sleeping or in class most of the time. One night I felt convicted and prayed asking "if this is wrong, just cancel my account." I arose that morning and checked my email to find that my account WAS CANCELED DUE TO ABUSE... That very morning. That very day. It could have been that very instant.
I realized my behavior was theft and I stopped it. This has happened once more since! Instantaneous evidence.

In addition, if you look at the evidence for when and who wrote what book in the bible, you'll find that the majority of scholars support the "old testament before new testament" history. That continues to say that the prophecies and foreshadowing of the old testament is a valid justification to say that the new testament is valid as well.

People who hate Christianity are often simply misinformed. Jesus did not die as a sin sacrifice for "good" people or for "christian" people or for "generous" people. He died for ALL people, free of charge, should they only accept it. God is good, but God is just, and for some things death is just, and Jesus spent that punishment for us all. All we need do is believe that the price is paid for us in Jesus. The justice has been dealt to Jesus on our behalf. That is by no means insane. That makes legal sense. It makes human sense. It makes honorable sense. No new dedication is required.

Also, grats on 100 stars.

In reply to this comment by Raigen:
I would be extremely interested to know the evidence you've witnessed that makes you a believer. And why Dawkins is a douchebag. Send me a PM if you like.

>> ^Doc_M:
Well my friend. I've looked at the evidence and I believe. Cook that in your oven. I'm an inch away from Ph.D. and Dawkins is so plainly a D-bag, it almost makes him the definition of such.

Thanks, Lucky, I've been trying to get the Funny Or Die embed to work since this morning, but nothing seems to want to work properly. And, unfortunately, that embed you left on my profile for me to use is also a no-go. It's slightly confusing.

In reply to this comment by lucky760:
Hi Raigen-

Great upload with the Panda vs. Iron Man. Here's a much cleaner embed if you want to use it:



Cheers.

In reply to this comment by jonny:
In reply to this comment by Raigen:
I'd really like to see the rest of this film.

The entire series is here. My post was video #5, the one you linked as a dupe was #1, the introductory piece.


Thanks for the link, Jonny, much appreciated, and also thanks for pointing out my error in reporting teh dupz0rs.