A challenge for atheists

interesting,how long has it been last time you went? I think I wouldn't get far in 1 day on a horse, I might need longer.

It's been probably 40 years since I've been able to spend any quality time with the forest. I've been here and there in other forests, but my real home is the ocean. It all started with the mountains, but it grew to be the ocean, my place of peace. I've been away from it for too long. Kinda hard to just pack yer stuff and move if you're disabled and living on SSI. But I have faith I'll get back. My home is Ventura, California. Best of both world. Right on the ocean and pocketed and surrounded on two sides by beautiful mountains.

Trust me, in a place like Sequoia National Forest, you can get far enough on a horse in one day to be hopelessly lost. I would not want what I say to be responsible for anyone being lost. In Northern California, the forest is more populated and watched. But in many parts of central California, like where I went, above Hot Springs, get off the state fire road and you're smack dab in the middle of a few hundred miles of wilderness, much of which genuinely has never been seen by man. That forest was like a second home to me, but even I didn't dare get too far away from my landmarks. Fortunately, I kept my horse Nosey at the cabin most of the time it wasn't winter, so even if I got lost, he could always find his way home. One of the really excellent things about a good horse. My grampa was a cowboy who raised quarter horses for a living. We kept several horses at the cabin, and it was my job in the summers and such to make sure they were fed and cared for. And I loved riding.

One of the really great things about forest wilderness like that is that when you see the sky, you SEE the sky. Most people haven't seen the sky clearly. The most common comments when they do see it that way is, "It's so big," and "I never knew there were so many stars or that it was so deep black and beautiful." It's pretty hard to grow up under that sky and not know that there's SOMETHING in this universe greater than we can really comprehend. It doesn't lend itself to logic. It can't be explained in words. It has to be felt and experienced. And the forest and sky and ocean are the very best ways I know to feel it. Perhaps because I'm Indian and that's always been our world, but I have to believe that that beauty and awe can touch anyone, no matter how hard their heart or closed their mind.

That seems like a nice time bones

I remember the first time I saw the night sky miles and miles away from civilization. It was the most amazing thing. I still recall it fondly.

Thanx for the post, Bones.

It was a nice time in my life. My grampa was a truly beloved man. Not just by me, by everyone. And I loved riding, and hanging around with him. For various reasons I got to spend more time with my gramma and grampa than most kids probably do. I still miss them all these decades later.

I never been to Sequoia National Park but I know exactly how you feel.  I used to walk In the forest near my house. I would lay in the grass, look up and mediate on the goodness of the Lord.  Only He can create something as beautiful as those pine trees that try to  stretch to reach the sky. The smell of fresh pine. A smell of dampness coming from the grass. The sweet scent of the flowers. Such a combination that contains a mixture of cleaness in the air that no aersol can imitate. A sky that is as big and as wide as any human eye can see or  can even comprehend.   There is nothing like it. 

No. It would not make me feel there is something greater than me cos human brain or mind is the greatest achievement of the evolution. The universe is an empty endless space full of matter. This is a big deal for two reasons. How did matter come to existence in the empty space called the universe,together with the matter in it. How? No one knows but there are speculations that matter did not became. It is. Another speculation that steven hawking made recently is that matter can come out of nothing. Of course when he said nothing he did not mean nothing the way a layman does. Some other nothing. He definitely decided theres no god when a planet hospitable in its features for organic life to develop or have developed on it,was discovered,in another galaxy. This proves the earth is not the god created center on the universe,cos that planet probably has intelligent life on it,depending of its age. The second reason matter in the universe as empty space matters is that it has in it the property of gravity,as well as it,the matter,is just another form of energy,proven by einstein,and it moves from one its form,matter,to the other,energy,to and fro. So the matter in the empty space makes the universe what it is. If the empty space didnt have matter in it,it would be just an empty space,and its quite easy to imagine it endless. But not endless amount of matter. Quite another thing. Unimaginable to be endless,to a human brain.

So,why would i,seeing this universe above me,in the forest,feel there is something greater than me. Matter is not greater than me. I am of matter. I am matter. Creation is impossible. Evolution is fact. This is no problem. The problem is how,if,matter came to existence. The only two possible answers are that it never became but it is,and that it became of nothing. But some something nothing. The nature of matter is the key to the question. But creation certainly is not the answer.

I just took the task to read yr questions and i answered on of them now. This on.

But back to u. I just read in one of yr questions that u are almost bed ridden. This answers my query on why u are the top answerer. Aol is yr world. I hope u have love in yr life too. I am also sick but not bed ridden. Hope u feel better now. I want to befriend u evolution or creation regardless. Lol