由买买提看人间百态

boards

本页内容为未名空间相应帖子的节选和存档,一周内的贴子最多显示50字,超过一周显示500字 访问原贴
TrustInJesus版 - Where I Stand on the Creation Evolution Circus(ZT)
相关主题
I've never seen adults behaving so stupidRichard Dawkins versus Young Earth Creationist Politician
神導進化論(Theistic evolution)Richard Dawkins Interviews Creationist Wendy Wright (Compl
Is There Enough Time For Humans to have Evolved from Apes?Richard Dawkins vs creationist Wendy Wright
A Fundamentalist Christian Answers The Atheist Thirteen神創論辯論
转载:从广告大战谈起Evolution: Not Even a Theory
Head of Human DNA project becomes a ChristianScientist alleges religious discrimination in Ky. (ZT) (转载)
How is BioLogos different from Evolutionism, Intelligent Design, and Creationism?Can Evolution Explain Our Origins?
永生啊,你到底啥态度?Is the Big Bang in the Bible?
相关话题的讨论汇总
话题: evolution话题: god话题: don话题: earth话题: genesis
进入TrustInJesus版参与讨论
1 (共1页)
n********n
发帖数: 8336
1
As most of you know, I am not an naturalist evolutionist. I am not a
Christian evolutionist either. My beliefs concerning the first chapters of
Genesis are pretty traditional. When I teach through Genesis, I don’t have
a Bible in one hand and a science book in the other. Neither do I feel the
need to qualify everything I say with alternative prevailing scientific
opinions. Genesis is a theological history, not a scientific book.
However, when the prevailing view of science seems to conflict with my
interpretation, I take it very seriously, believing my interpretation might
be off. I have a very high view of natural theology and appreciate what God
has and is telling us through creation. But I don’t always have a high view
of the prevailing view of science.
Issues concerning science and the faith are among the most polarizing issues
there are. I would venture to say that today, as of 12:29am CST, Oct 28,
2010, they are the most polarizing. More so than all the Calvinist/Arminian
stuff. More so than the Cessationist/Continuationist divide. Dare I say,
even more so than politics?
Normally, people can be placed into one of five camps:
1. Young Earth Creationist: God directly created man and all that exists in
six literal days no less than 10,000 years ago (give or take a few).
2. Old Earth Creationist: God directly created man sometime in the not too
distant past, but the earth is very old.
3. Intelligent Design: If evolution happened, there are markers which
evidence that God had to have guided the process through direct intervention.
4. Theistic Evolution: God set everything up so that natural selection would
take care of everything without his intervention.
5. Naturalistic Evolution: There is no God. Evolution alone explains the
existence of man.
The problem that I have with this issue is not so much my criticism of
positions that I don’t hold, but the dogmatism that adherents of each
position is characterized by. Rarely do I find a balanced, respectful,
humble adherent in these areas. The closest I find is in the Intelligent
Design and Old Earth Creation proponents. They are much easier to listen to.
Almost always, every other position finds itself in the company of those
who use heavy handed tactics to demean and discredit their “opposition.”
Answers in Genesis position seems pretty clear: If you don’t accept a young
earth, you have compromised the faith and biblical truth.
Biologos’ position (from what I continue to read is getting pretty clear as
well): If you don’t accept evolution, you are no better than flat-earthers
.
Each side illegitimizes the opposition (often due to nothing more than
frustration) by attacking the legitimacy of the position by unfair
associations. At this point, they become radical (almost cult-like) and lose
the audience (who is already skeptical to begin with).
Radical positions don’t start out this way. I think they start with pure
motives and a clear head. However, when strong opposition comes our way, we
can be backed into a corner of self-defense. Eventually we are forced to
defend ourselves. In this defense, we can often give the impression, to
ourselves and to others, that we are more sure of our stance than we
actually are. Often, when we are backed into this corner, the cement settles
and the corner is where we stay. Once that happens, what started out as a
good thing becomes very counter-productive. We cease to be educators and
critical thinkers and begin to teach from a catechism.
All the options save naturalistic evolution claim to be fighting for God’s
truth. All have serious contentions with atheism. The theistic evolutionists
at Biologos give the impression that they are the only valid defenders
against atheism in an age of scientific progress. The creationists at
Answers in Genesis give the impression that they are the only defenders of
the Scripture in an age of compromise. They both end up fighting each other
more than the more evident antagonists to the faith.
I take a position that the earth is young and that evolution did not happen.
I could give you the reasons why, but I don’t really care enough to do so.
Please don’t misunderstand. It is not that I don’t care enough about you,
but that I don’t care enough about the subject. Yes, I am facinated by it.
I find it important and interesting. But in the end, when I say “I take a
postion that the earth is young etc.” don’t think it is black and white in
my mind. I am not sure. If God were to send a prophet and supernatually
inform me during breakfast tomorrow that he did indeed use evolution and
that the earth was six billion years old, I would pause for about two
seconds and then say, “Awesome. Can you pass me the syrup?” I don’t
really have that big of a dog in this hunt. Frankly, I don’t think you
should either.
It is simply not that big a deal.
“But, but, but, we are fighting the New Atheists. Dawkins and Hitchings and
the like are all using evolution to prove that God does not exist. We have
to stand strong against evolution.”
We don’t know as much as we like to think we know about this. The issues
are simply not accessible. The Bible is not that clear on it (only two
chapters devoted to the creation of all things?). Does your faith really
hinge on how one interprets the first chapters of Genesis? Really?
“But, but, but, we are fighting the New Atheists. Dawkins and Hitchings and
the like are all using evolution to prove that God does not exist. We have
to show them that we are as scientifically astute as they are by accepting
evolution and showing how it does not conflict with the Bible.”
While science can tell us a lot, the uniformatarianism that must be assumed
for ancient times causes me to exit off the road at the first sign of
civilization. If you want to continue with the assumptions, I will not stop
you. But don’t expect everyone to follow you. Naturalistic evolutionists
don’t know as much as you think. And don’t demean those who don’t agree
with you, assigning them a place with flat-earthers. Those associations are
paralell in concept only.
In my defense of Christianity, I will just stick to the resurrection of
Christ and the fact that something cannot come from nothing. The fact that
something cannot come from nothing gets me to God. The resurrection of
Christ gets me to the Christian God. A simple two step process that does not
require a PhD to get there.
The evidence for the historicity of the resurrection is accessible and, in
my opinion, impossible to rationally dismiss. I have never met an atheist
who believes in the resurrection of Christ. This is the central issue of
Christianity. Convince them that Christ rose from the grave and their
atheism will necessarily disappear. I promise.
And even if evolution happened, this does not account for the elephant that
has always been in the room: where did it all come from? I have never met a
naturalistic evolutionist who believed in personal transcendent First Cause
for everything. This is the issue of God’s existence, not how he did it.
In short, I am more concerned with the polemics that are escalating then the
“knowledge” that is gained. I get tired of so much dogmatism from all
sides. I get tired of the central issues being put in time out while we work
out these secondary issues. I get tired of people getting pushed into
corners with clinched fists by their own breed while the true antagonist
enjoys the show. I get tired of the heavy handed polemics which assign
anyone who does not agree with them to the realm of dark age buffoons or
anathematized heretics.
Kids, go to your room until you regain focus, tact, and grace. Is there an
app for that?
That is where I stand on this whole creation/evolution circus.
http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2010/10/where-i-stand-on-
1 (共1页)
进入TrustInJesus版参与讨论
相关主题
Is the Big Bang in the Bible?转载:从广告大战谈起
Science, Evolution, and CreationismHead of Human DNA project becomes a Christian
Texas education board sticks to teaching of evolutionHow is BioLogos different from Evolutionism, Intelligent Design, and Creationism?
分享一个讲基因工程的录像,欢迎对进化论有疑惑的基督徒观看永生啊,你到底啥态度?
I've never seen adults behaving so stupidRichard Dawkins versus Young Earth Creationist Politician
神導進化論(Theistic evolution)Richard Dawkins Interviews Creationist Wendy Wright (Compl
Is There Enough Time For Humans to have Evolved from Apes?Richard Dawkins vs creationist Wendy Wright
A Fundamentalist Christian Answers The Atheist Thirteen神創論辯論
相关话题的讨论汇总
话题: evolution话题: god话题: don话题: earth话题: genesis