When is it time to abandon a sinking ship? (YEC?)

[keyarch]

I know that some of you here are much better at reasoning than most YECs, but surely you can't deny the huge percentage of new members who come here rattling off PRATTS (specifically those on the AiG list that really are baseless). Could it be that the rejection of education has lead the vast majority of these YEC Christians to be brainwashed by charismatic speakers rather than convinced by logical arguments? If a long list of unsupported or simply false arguments are widely used by these Christians, wouldn't it make sense that anybody who spends a few years learning how to make and logically evaluate claims would reject Christianity BECAUSE of these bogus arguments?

I do think you have some valid points here. However, I think a discerning person that has a skeptical nature can get thru the misinformation on both scriptural interpretation AND "scientific" sides. You cannot totally reject either one because of a few bad ideas. The correct translation/interpretation of scripture and the factual evidence of the world should be cohesive.

 

[Deamiter]

I do think you have some valid points here. However, I think a discerning person that has a skeptical nature can get thru the misinformation on both scriptural interpretation AND "scientific" sides. You cannot totally reject either one because of a few bad ideas. The correct translation/interpretation of scripture and the factual evidence of the world should be cohesive.

But if you're not presented with a coherent reason to accept Christianity, you're probably not going to put in a ton of work into trying to find one.

Honestly, how many Christians put in the hundreds of hours of study toward Islam or Hinduism that would be necessary to forming a fully-informed opinion of the religion? Aren't we much more likely to read a couple books on why the religion doesn't make sense (written of course by a Christian) and consider the matter closed?

If a person's philosophical world-view is working out pretty well, they really have no reason to spend all their free time trying to evaluate other world-views. Even though I'm interested in all areas of science and religion, I just don't have time to study more than physics and my current belief of Christianity.

So while I acknowledge that a truly interested atheist could very well become interested in what scriptures really say and become Christian (and it's certainly happened) they are MUCH more likely to simply take whatever interpretation they're first introduced to. It's not a matter of not being curious, but simply a lack of time that requires that we all need to specialize and precious few non-Christians are going to specialize in Christianity.

It's just like Augustine said so long ago -- if we presume to claim that our interpretation of scriptures is true, and it contradicts things even non-Christians can study and become familiar with, we are not doing God's work!

 

[keyarch]

But if you're not presented with a coherent reason to accept Christianity, you're probably not going to put in a ton of work into trying to find one.

Honestly, how many Christians put in the hundreds of hours of study toward Islam or Hinduism that would be necessary to forming a fully-informed opinion of the religion? Aren't we much more likely to read a couple books on why the religion doesn't make sense (written of course by a Christian) and consider the matter closed?

If a person's philosophical world-view is working out pretty well, they really have no reason to spend all their free time trying to evaluate other world-views. Even though I'm interested in all areas of science and religion, I just don't have time to study more than physics and my current belief of Christianity.

So while I acknowledge that a truly interested atheist could very well become interested in what scriptures really say and become Christian (and it's certainly happened) they are MUCH more likely to simply take whatever interpretation they're first introduced to. It's not a matter of not being curious, but simply a lack of time that requires that we all need to specialize and precious few non-Christians are going to specialize in Christianity.

It's just like Augustine said so long ago -- if we presume to claim that our interpretation of scriptures is true, and it contradicts things even non-Christians can study and become familiar with, we are not doing God's work!

Fair enough. Your argument is logical.

I guess I'm one of the exceptions that you mention. But you're right, it has taken hours and hours of study, and I have a hard time even talking to other Christians about what I've learned because they usually aren't as informed or accept what others or organizations have taught them without critical study on their own and aren't willing to look at things in any other way.

Hence - Christianforums.com.