http://www.christianforums.com The subforum for theistic evolutionist members. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:40:53 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.christianforums.com/style/misc/rss.jpg http://www.christianforums.com http://www.christianforums.com/t7418589/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:15:28 GMT I think that there are two factors in the resurgence of young earth creationism. It is first a reaction to the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution made it seem that we humans were not designed and planned by God, but that in a mere struggle between competing pools of genes which... I think that there are two factors in the resurgence of young earth creationism.

It is first a reaction to the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution made it seem that we humans were not designed and planned by God, but that in a mere struggle between competing pools of genes which differed only through errors of reproduction, we arose by accident. It is especially repulsive to some to think that we are here because we drove our competitors to extinction. Of course, that we succeed by extinguishing other lines is completely consistent with the Christian belief that we have a sin nature, and I dare to think that lucaspa, on this point, would agree with me. It was in the aquisition of the knowledge of good and evil that we became sinners. We cannot survive without struggling in competition with others, but we know that putting ourselves ahead of the one against whom we struggle is unjust. If we struggled without this knowledge, we would be innocent, as the animals are. Since we know we are being unjust in putting ourselves ahead of others, we are no longer innocent. We are sinners, because, of necessity, we do it anyway. So it is not evolution that makes us sinners. It is the knowledge of the injustice of evolution that makes us sinners.

Those who are repelled by the ugliness of the evolutionary struggle are repelled by the unavoidable confrontation with the source and fact of our sin nature. Perhaps, before the theory of evolution, the doctrine of our fall into a sin nature, was for them just a pretty but contentless myth. We should be pleased that the theory of evolution gives this doctrine a meaty unavoidability.

The other part of what repelled Christians from the theory of evolution - that we arose through random errors of reproduction is conceptually, a little more difficult to deal with. I will not try it on this thread, because over on a stalled thread, TheFijian is calling my answer The God of The Gaps. Any more debate on that belongs in that thread, or in its own thread.

The second factor in the modern resurgence of young Earth creationism is, I think, the modern surge (I don't think it is a resurgence) in militant atheism, which began with the early modern era's discovery of scientific principles which made it appear that we live in a deterministic universe. ]]> Theistic Evolution Tom Cohoe http://www.christianforums.com/t7418589/ http://www.christianforums.com/t7415510/ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:21:51 GMT Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham is supporter of Theistic Evolution (http://dawkinswatch.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/tom-wright-supports-evolution/) whih is crazy in my opinion. here is a link to the whole article Tom Wright: Supports Evolution Dawkinswatch... Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham is supporter of Theistic Evolution whih is crazy in my opinion.


here is a link to the whole article Tom Wright: Supports Evolution Dawkinswatch

This guy although he is worshipped in theological circles, is a pretty Apostate Christian, he has already told us he believes in Soul Sleep and is known to question Atonement.

If you do not believe in Genesis three, how can yoou believe in Atonement?. ]]> Theistic Evolution speakout http://www.christianforums.com/t7415510/ http://www.christianforums.com/t7412447/ Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:46:17 GMT No they are not. Not at all! It is quite possible to be a young Earth creationist and fully respect the Theory of Evolution at the same time. You see, the Theory of Evolution is a scientific model (and it is the only one that fits the data and that fits with other branches of science as well),... No they are not. Not at all!

It is quite possible to be a young Earth creationist and fully respect the Theory of Evolution at the same time.

You see, the Theory of Evolution is a scientific model (and it is the only one that fits the data and that fits with other branches of science as well), whereas what the truth is about the Earth and how it was created is something that, logically speaking, does not have to correspond with what science discovers at all.

Science is about what it looks like, about the appearance of things. What reality actually is doesn't have to correspond with what it looks like at all. It is logically possible that God created the Earth 6,000 years ago and that it and the rest of the universe were created to look like it all began with a the Big Bang over thirteen billion years ago, and that the species evolved slowly over hundreds of millions of years.

I can even think of reasons why God might make the appearance different than the reality.

No, it is not stupid to believe that the universe was created in 6 days in 4004 BC, as calculated by James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, around 1650. It is stupid, and it is harmful to the reputation of Christianity, to attack the science that is the theory of evolution.

Remember, science is about what things looks like, not about what the fundamental underlying truth actually is. That is beyond science.

All Young Earth Creationists should come to grips with the simple fact that it really does look like the Earth is billions of years old and that the species have evolved from common ancestors over a period of hundreds of millions of years.

Nor should Young Earth Creationists attempt to force scientists or science teachers to speak of their models in a hypothetical way. Any serious scientist will speak as though the current best model is the truth, but he will also acknowledge that it is a model which, if necessary, will be thrown out to be replaced by another - that it is just a model. It is just the way we use language naturally. At the same time, expecting an evolutionary scientist to acknowledge this to someone who is clearly a Young Earther may be asking a bit much. Evolutionary scientists feel every bit as much under attack from Young Earth Creationists as Young Earth Creationists feel they are under attack from Evolutionary scientists. You might get an acknowledgement, or you might get a scientist with his hackles up.

Do I think the Earth was created in 6 days a few thousand years ago?

Could be. I don't presume to know. It doesn't matter. What matters is that I have faith that Christ is our Saviour. I also understand that the theory of evolution is very good science and that it is very interesting science.

I am all for an end to the war between science and religion. ]]> Theistic Evolution Tom Cohoe http://www.christianforums.com/t7412447/