Which brings more joy to the world?

[AV1611VET]

Of course He did. But unlike us, you think your fallible interpretations of that writing trump physical evidence.

Do your fallible interpretations trump physical evidence?

 

[Cabal]

So you're suggestion is to ignore His Word altogether?

No. Where did I say that?

It is best that people acknowledge, however, that all interpretations of the Bible are subjective, including your own.

And yes, before you ask, I apply this to myself also.

 

[Cabal]

Do your fallible interpretations trump physical evidence?

They incorporate it, rather than set out to trump it at every turn by taking certain verses a priori "literally".

 

[AV1611VET]

They incorporate it...

So all your interpretations are right?

(Or are we going to start with the games now?)

 

[Cabal]

So all your interpretations are right?

(Or are we going to start with the games now?)

Apparently we are, and it's your turn to start.

Did you even read what I posted?

It is best that people acknowledge, however, that all interpretations of the Bible are subjective, including your own.

And yes, before you ask, I apply this to myself also.

If someone were to ask me what I thought of my interpretations of the Bible, I would say "I consider them to be correct, in my opinion." I would not say "They are correct, this is what God thinks", which is how you lot act with every post.

However, I still consider my interpretations to be a better basis than yours, but that has nothing to do with how I interpret the Bible.

 

[hangback]

We should only TAKE from the Bible we should never PUT.

 

[nChrist]

What God told us in Genesis and many other beautiful portions of Scripture is quite simple and not subject to misinterpretation. It's all extremely simple - you either believe what God said or you don't. God gave more than sufficient details to tell us what He did in His Creation. He gave us those details for a reason, and this discussion would serve as a perfect example. One can't explain away or dismiss what God said - you simply believe it or reject it. I give thanks that my extended family all believe it 100%.

Love In Christ

 

[LifeToTheFullest!]

What God told us in Genesis and many other beautiful portions of Scripture is quite simple and not subject to misinterpretation. It's all extremely simple - you either believe what God said or you don't. God gave more than sufficient details to tell us what He did in His Creation. He gave us those details for a reason, and this discussion would serve as a perfect example. One can't explain away or dismiss what God said - you simply believe it or reject it. I give thanks that my extended family all believe it 100%.

Love In Christ

What does Genesis (or any part of the bible for that matter) have to say about ERVs?

 

[Loudmouth]

It's handy to just dismiss Genesis, but you actually have to dismiss much more than just Genesis if you want to believe in the theory of evolution. This would be especially so for a self-proclaimed Christian. Many portions of Scripture throughout the Bible would have to be dismissed to accommodate a theory that is hanging by a thread.

You seem to miss the point that in order to accept creationism you have to ignore the evidence found in the Creation itself. If you require a literal Genesis then you create quite a dilemma. Either God was lying when he wrote Genesis or God was lying when he made the Universe. Take your pick. You can't have light coming from galaxies billions of light years away and also have a 6,000 year old universe. You can't have genetic markers that unmistakably point to common ancestry and have a God who purposefully put those makers in there for no other reason than to fool us.

Darwin's theory has been around for 150 years, and it's still a theory.

Theory is as high as it gets in science. If you knew anything about science you would already know this.

In fact, it's a failing theory hanging by a thread and kept alive only because of the vanity of man.

It's kept alive because it works. Evolution is an applied science.

Phylogenomics: Improving Functional Predictions for Uncharacterized Genes by Evolutionary?Analysis ? Genome Research

God's Word has been around for thousands of years, and it stands.

Why? Because you say so? If so, where are the foundations upon which the Earth rests?

 

[Loudmouth]

As to the question in the OP, I think it comes down to a choice. Some of us have chosen to find joy in discovering how nature works. We call ourselves scientists. Others have found joy in how they want nature to work. They are called creationists (and new agers, etc.). Some of us just can't swallow the idea that reality conforms to our beliefs. Instead, we form our view of the world by how reality actually works.

 

[nChrist]

As to the question in the OP, I think it comes down to a choice. Some of us have chosen to find joy in discovering how nature works. We call ourselves scientists. Others have found joy in how they want nature to work. They are called creationists (and new agers, etc.). Some of us just can't swallow the idea that reality conforms to our beliefs. Instead, we form our view of the world by how reality actually works.

I'll trust the Creator of all, the One who put nature in place. You don't know Him, so you naturally limit Him. I know Him and don't limit Him. He has no limits.

Psalms 19:1-14 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Love In Christ

If you wish to view the portions of Scripture I used in more context or in a different translation, you might try the following if you don't have your own materials:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/​

 

[Split Rock]

What God told us in Genesis and many other beautiful portions of Scripture is quite simple and not subject to misinterpretation. It's all extremely simple - you either believe what God said or you don't. God gave more than sufficient details to tell us what He did in His Creation. He gave us those details for a reason, and this discussion would serve as a perfect example. One can't explain away or dismiss what God said - you simply believe it or reject it. I give thanks that my extended family all believe it 100%.

Love In Christ

The only direct evidence of what God did is in His Creation. God did NOT write The Bible. God did NOTdecide which books should be included and which should not. The Bible is a work of MAN, whether or not it was inspired by God. Its Interpretation moreover, is as flawed as the person doing the Interpretation. And we are all flawed.

 

[Split Rock]

God can't speak for Himself --- in Writing?

Maybe He can... but He has not done so, ever. The Bible is a work of MAN, not GOD. Religion is an enterprise of MAN, in order to understand himself and perhaps, God.

 

[Split Rock]

I'll trust the Creator of all, the One who put nature in place. You don't know Him, so you naturally limit Him. I know Him and don't limit Him. He has no limits.

If He has no limits, then why do you make Him into such a small and petty God? One that creates the Universe and its Laws, but has to continually tinker with it? A Mighty and Wise god could create a Universe that will unfold as He wants it to... without tinkering.

 

[hangback]

I'll trust the Creator of all, the One who put nature in place. You don't know Him, so you naturally limit Him. I know Him and don't limit Him. He has no limits.

Our God is our belief and our belief alone, Christianity is not a universal truth it is a belief held by some people but not all, to us he is everything, to others he is nothing, others have their Gods, our God is our God, to think otherwise is naive at best or destructive at worst.

This might sound like a contradiction to some, I am a Christian but I also try to be a realist.

 

[laconicstudent]

What God told us in Genesis and many other beautiful portions of Scripture is quite simple and not subject to misinterpretation. It's all extremely simple - you either believe what God said or you don't. God gave more than sufficient details to tell us what He did in His Creation. He gave us those details for a reason, and this discussion would serve as a perfect example. One can't explain away or dismiss what God said - you simply believe it or reject it. I give thanks that my extended family all believe it 100%.

Love In Christ

​

The overwhelming majority of Christendom, backed up by the clearly observable facts of God's Universe, contradicts your minority interpretation. Stop using this tired old PRATT

 

[nChrist]

The overwhelming majority of Christendom, backed up by the clearly observable facts of God's Universe, contradicts your minority interpretation. Stop using this tired old PRATT

This sounds good but has no backing, nor does it have a source. On the other side of the coin is the blunt and unmistakable Truth given by God about His Creation. It's too simple to be misinterpreted. It does boil down to believing what God said or rejecting it. Regardless of what some men say, God's Word is the sole authority. It really isn't important what men say, even if 100% reject God's Word. Further, each man and woman will be held accountable to God The Creator.

 

[keith99]

Maybe He can... but He has not done so, ever. The Bible is a work of MAN, not GOD. Religion is an enterprise of MAN, in order to understand himself and perhaps, God.

What about the commandments, usually called the 10 commandments? Isn't it claimed the originals were done by God himself? Of course those were destroyed.

 

[Cabal]

This sounds good but has no backing, nor does it have a source. On the other side of the coin is the blunt and unmistakable Truth given by God about His Creation. It's too simple to be misinterpreted. It does boil down to believing what God said or rejecting it. Regardless of what some men say, God's Word is the sole authority. It really isn't important what men say, even if 100% reject God's Word. Further, each man and woman will be held accountable to God The Creator.

The blinding irony is that this just as much applies to your post here.

Creationists can't agree amongst themselves on how creation is supposed to have happened, just on this forum alone we have embedded age, different state past, etc, not to mention the myriad theories others have put forward elsewhere.

The fact is, every single creationist, just like every single person on the planet, will read the Bible differently. Everyone else has managed to accept this and incorporate the necessary levels of personal pragmatism to deal with this, creationists are just slow to catch up - their views are just as much the words of men as are those of their opponents.

While one can disagree over which interpretations are right or not, insisting that your own interpretations are what God actually said with no room for allowing that you might be incorrect is arrogant, pure and simple - and if you start waving around accusations of not being Christian to people that are then it becomes divisive as well. Neither of these things are desired by God, so why do you desire it so much?

 

[nChrist]

The fact is, every single creationist, just like every single person on the planet, will read the Bible differently. Everyone else has managed to accept this and incorporate the necessary levels of personal pragmatism to deal with this, creationists are just slow to catch up - their views are just as much the words of men as are those of their opponents.

It's men who make things complex - not God. The Word of God on this issue is simple enough for a child to understand. The problem appears when men add to or take away from God's plain and simple account. In other words, the problem is men - not God. I don't have an opponent. I just present God's Word and it speaks for itself.

Genesis 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

There's much, much more - and man can believe it or reject it. There isn't any in-between. In conclusion, I have no need or desire for an opponent. I'm not defending my words or thoughts because they make no difference at all. You are arguing with God's Word - not me. I don't have an argument, nor do I need one.

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.


Love In Christ

If you wish to view the portions of Scripture I used in more context or in a different translation, you might try the following if you don't have your own materials:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/​