The Full Spectrum of Christian Belief on Origins - where are you?

Well, we won't know till we get to heaven, will we?

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God is bigger than your theology!
"Some people believe Adam and Eve rode dinosaurs to church."--TL funniest post ever.
"God is not a liar, but he is a poet."--CL--best sig ever

I guess I'd fit either 3, 4, or 5 - probably leaning most towards 3. But I don't really fit the stereotypes of YECs that many non-YECs seem to have of them. I don't insist that everything must be interpretted literally and only literally; and I believe that good science will ultimately lead towards God rather than away - so I think that ultimately good science and the Bible will end up with the same conclusions since God is the author of both the Bible and the universe - unfortunately people tend to make errors in interpretting and understanding both. Evolution just doesn't make sense to me - both from what I've read in the Bible and from what I've learned from science. It's fine with me if people want to disagree with me, as long as they're ok with me disagreeing with them

If I come across something where the Bible and science appear to say something different - obviously human error has been made somewhere, and I'll give the Bible the benefit of the doubt. That said, if I'm working on a scientific paper I'll just report whatever my results say - whether they agree with my hypothesis or not. Of course none of my research really has anything much to do with creation/evolution other than the fact that it involves dirt and plants

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I'm not normalising my own experience. Almost every Christian at my church and Christian Union is certain about Christianity being true. They have seen what I have seen and experienced. If Christianity isnt true then there is another Higher Being out there who lies or if it is our imagination then we ourselves must be God. When someone has been filled with the Holy Spirit I don't know how someone can doubt it. It would be like me doubting that I am white male.

I think there are two types of Christian or at least two stages of faith. It is only when someone has been Baptised by the Holy Spirit when someone is born-again. When I was a child I beleived strongly Christianity was true. I sometimes felt something spiritual and felt God was present. However when I was born-again last year what I felt was more than just spiritual.
I think God works with people in different ways.
I've talked to a lot of people who grew up in Christian families and they say things like I've always beleived, but I got saved or was born-again or accepted Christ when I was 12 etc etc......
Some people arent beleivers at all and are suddenly born-again.
Other times people become born-again much more slowly. They are christians and go to church for years, but when make the commitment to go in deeper with God.

We must remember that Jesus says that you can only enter His Kingdom if you are born-again. You must be born-again. Sadly that phrase 'born-again' christian often gets confused with right wing religious groups. You can be a born-again liberal christian too as long as you are born of God.

The claim that born-again Christians will know it is true is also biblical. In John it says "You will know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free".

I understand sincere people will have doubts. I do have doubts over whether God is good or not. However for me to doubt He exists would be like for you to doubt your wifes existence.

Sorry if it seems arrogant. But I'm into honesty! God does work differently with different people. God Bless!!

You might be right, you might be wrong!

I think it has a lot to do with psychology. You're talking to someone here who sits up at night wondering whether America really exists. I've never seen it.

I was "born again" a very long time ago Bonhoffer. But everything I have experienced, reasoned, thought or felt then and since is always open to alternative possible explanations. Even you have an alternative: "If Christianity isnt true then there is another Higher Being out there who lies or if it is our imagination then we ourselves must be God". You cannot know for certain that this is not so.

You say "When someone has been filled with the Holy Spirit I don't know how someone can doubt it.", to which I say "Easy." I'd go as far as to say that most of the Christians I know are not 100% sure of the truth of it, or even the existence of God. Do you then go on to assume that none of them have received the Holy Spirit?

As you say, God works in different ways with different people. Is it possible that He works in you in a way that gives you certainty, but does not do so with everyone?

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I take a stand on justice, I take a stand on race
Gonna take me a TV evangelist and punch him in the face
I sing about the hope that’s in me and ask why the poor aren’t fed
But if I don’t tow the party line, it’s be better if I were dead

I’m a liberal backslider I’ve been sliding ‘bout ten years
People ask me how I’m doin’ and I confirm all their fears
I’m swearing like a trooper, and I’m drinking like a bum
I'm a liberal backslider, and it sure is a lot of fun

I believe in #3

I think that without doubt, faith would be pretty much useless. I mean, the whole point of having faith is that we somehow continue to believe even in the face of all those niggling doubts we have at three o'clock in the morning.

Oh, and I'm a 6, 7, or 8. Not quite sure. All I know is that I DO believe that God was involved.

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"Incidentally, you have a dime up your nose."
"I wish! It's a nickel."

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

Well I just don't read/see anything at Exodus or prior as being literal or true. Rip the pages right out and guess what, I still got a bible.

I know Paul didn't have the same bible like we do today, so why does ours require a standard?

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Well I don't know everything, but at least I'm the first to admit I know that.

I think the main difference between our Scripture and his is the fact that the New Testament hadn't yet been written down. Paul would have had access to Genesis.

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#4

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(Isa 2:11) The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.