Solution to the creation/evolution debate...?

[Yttrium]

soft or hard they have His Word and it testifies of The Who of God... do you think God will be tolerant for those who do not bother to look there?

My impression of the God of the Bible is that yes, He would be quite tolerant. I'm fond of a common Jewish expression that I've heard: everyone goes to Heaven, some just take longer to get there than others. But that's a lengthy discussion that has nothing to do with evolution.

I note that a great many Christians have no real problem with the Theory of Evolution. It all comes down to how literally one takes the scripture. You seem to want to speak for all of Christianity on this matter, and that's just not going to work.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Also it is clear that many lies are spread through the news, media etc. What makes you think that the scientific community is any different?

Personal experience.

 

[enoob57]

My impression of the God of the Bible is that yes, He would be quite tolerant. I'm fond of a common Jewish expression that I've heard: everyone goes to Heaven, some just take longer to get there than others. But that's a lengthy discussion that has nothing to do with evolution.

I note that a great many Christians have no real problem with the Theory of Evolution. It all comes down to how literally one takes the scripture. You seem to want to speak for all of Christianity on this matter, and that's just not going to work.

If they call themselves christian and deny the inspiration of Scripture then their faith is built upon something other than His Word... seeing how faith is generated by His Word their faith is in vain

Romans 10:17 (KJV)

[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

[Yttrium]

If they call themselves christian and deny the inspiration of Scripture then their faith is built upon something other than His Word... seeing how faith is generated by His Word their faith is in vain

You know, it's funny that I've encountered quite a few Christians with inspiration of scripture, and no two of them read it quite the same way. One would think that there would be a general universal inspiration that everybody could agree to.

Personally, I think that if God created everything, then what we see in nature is what God created. Therefore any interpretation should conform to what we see. Trying to make the universe conform to a personal interpretation generally doesn't work too well.

 

[ottawak]

If they call themselves christian and deny the inspiration of Scripture then their faith is built upon something other than His Word... seeing how faith is generated by His Word their faith is in vain

Romans 10:17 (KJV)

[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Shall we unpack all of those gratuitous assumptions? Or maybe just focus on the most egregious: that you don't get to define for the rest of us what is meant by divine inspiration.

 

[TLK Valentine]

If they call themselves christian and deny the inspiration of Scripture then their faith is built upon something other than His Word... seeing how faith is generated by His Word their faith is in vain

Romans 10:17 (KJV)

[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

What does that have to do with literalism?

 

[enoob57]

What does that have to do with literalism?

It is basically a hermeneutic process and yes the Bible is to be taken literally as it is an objective basis to know God's communication to us...

 

[Shemjaza]

It is basically a hermeneutic process and yes the Bible is to be taken literally as it is an objective basis to know God's communication to us...

Even literallists do not have consistent interpretations.

Even leaving aside the variety of traditional denominations of Christianity... Literalist Young Earth Creationists come in Heliocentric, Geocentric and Flat Earth varieties on this forum alone.

 

[enoob57]

Even literallists do not have consistent interpretations.

As there is One God there is also one interpretation... one must work with all their strength, mind and heart in love to God with prayerful pursuit of Him in Scripture knowing the pattern He blesses
Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV)
[13] And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
To know God and be known by God is the highest pursuit more than my necessary food!
Job 23:12 (KJV)
[12] Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

 

[enoob57]

that you don't get to define for the rest of us what is meant by divine inspiration.

No God's Word does!

 

[ottawak]

No God's Word does!

According to your interpretation.

 

[TLK Valentine]

It is basically a hermeneutic process and yes the Bible is to be taken literally as it is an objective basis to know God's communication to us...

Are you suggesting that God is incapable of speaking in figurative language (because even a plain reading of Scripture shows that to be untrue), or that Christians are incapable of understanding and/or recognizing it (which one might conclude after reading John 2-4, but clearly John is making another point which is sailing over too many readers' heads)?

After all, even if the Bible were complete fiction (and even an agnostic such as myself doesn't believe that -- not that you've asked), was it not Emerson who said "Fiction reveals Truth that reality obscures"?

 

[enoob57]

After all, even if the Bible were complete fiction (and even an agnostic such as myself doesn't believe that -- not that you've asked), was it not Emerson who said "Fiction reveals Truth that reality obscures"?

People may believe as they wish... but God, Himself, teaches us what His Word is... it is the only objective communication from Him to us. fiction/lies holds no value whatever... only truth is of the eternal substance that is being kept

John 17:17 (KJV)

[17] Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

 

[ottawak]

People may believe as they wish...

And you may be hostile towards them if you wish, but you cannot expect that your hostility will be well received.

 

[TLK Valentine]

People may believe as they wish... but God, Himself, teaches us what His Word is... it is the only objective communication from Him to us. fiction/lies holds no value whatever... only truth is of the eternal substance that is being kept

John 17:17 (KJV)

[17] Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Did God, Himself, specifically tell you that literally is the only way to read the Bible... or did you come to that conclusion on your own?

 

[TLK Valentine]

And you may be hostile towards them if you wish, but you cannot expect that your hostility will be well received.

...or reflect well on Christianity.

Jesus seems like a cool dude; it's his fan club I can't stand.
Similarly, the Church isn't very welcoming going by the attitude of the gatekeepers.

 

[Shemjaza]

As there is One God there is also one interpretation... one must work with all their strength, mind and heart in love to God with prayerful pursuit of Him in Scripture knowing the pattern He blesses
Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV)
[13] And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
To know God and be known by God is the highest pursuit more than my necessary food!
Job 23:12 (KJV)
[12] Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

So how do you account for the variations in Christians beliefs all claimed to be literal interpretations?

 

[TLK Valentine]

soft or hard they have His Word and it testifies of The Who of God... do you think God will be tolerant for those who do not bother to look there?

More tolerant than He will be towards the ones who push others away... presumably in His name.

 

[Astrid]

As there is One God there is also one interpretation... one must work with all their strength, mind and heart in love to God with prayerful pursuit of Him in Scripture knowing the pattern He blesses
Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV)
[13] And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
To know God and be known by God is the highest pursuit more than my necessary food!
Job 23:12 (KJV)
[12] Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Only one way to interpret? Every single sentence, every word?
Theres 40,000 sects each with different opinions,
I doubt any two posters here agree on that perfect interpretation.

Where do we find the one True reading? How did you find
out about it? How do you know its the right one?

 

[Astrid]

You know, it's funny that I've encountered quite a few Christians with inspiration of scripture, and no two of them read it quite the same way. One would think that there would be a general universal inspiration that everybody could agree to.

Personally, I think that if God created everything, then what we see in nature is what God created. Therefore any interpretation should conform to what we see. Trying to make the universe conform to a personal interpretation generally doesn't work too well.

This forum has some outstanding examples of
truly weird only- true interpretations.