Agreed.
Right, which is why I agree there is at least two different applications of the word 'yom'.
I personally think so, but agree it isn't clearly defined in length as the prior days were.
I believe it was finished, yes. He rested for a period, however long, and then resumed creating. Why do I believe so? Because it's observable in human reproduction - throughout all of human history - correctly referred to as pro-creation.
Consider the arrival of your first child. I remember feeding him in the middle of the night and pondering just who he is. Yes, he's a product of my and his mother's genes - all his physical traits predetermined in the womb.
But this little fella is something more. His inner being is there - and also largely predetermined. His unique personality (strengths and weaknesses), his personal likes and dislikes, his special talents, what subjects he would excel at, all predispositions are all there. And I realized, I myself had absolutely NOTHING to do with creating all of that. This little man's spirit already existed in the mind of God before he was even knit in the womb. I know this not just because of what is obvious to my two eyes in his animated being, but because the Word I stake my life on says so. Yes, the literal, inerrant Word of God.
Due to this, I knew I had an obligation to teach him, as he grew, just who he is - a unique CREATION made in the image of God - with a special purpose. And guide Him to knowing just Who that God is and how to become eternally united to Him.
I knew that soon enough, he would have a godless world competing to convince him that he was nothing more than a glorified amoeba destined to struggle to survive amongst other amoebas - with nothing to look forward to but clinging to a temporal existence for all he was worth, in quiet desperation, distracting himself with entertainment to avoid the meaninglessness of it all, destined for the grave in an eternal state of non-existence - the only reason for having existed at all to perpetuate a species of similarly doomed amoebas. Oh, and to 'protect' the planet along the way.
THAT is the best hope of evolutionary theory... A religion of death. No thanks.
Every person desperately needs to know that there is a reason that they exist, that they have a purpose to fill, and how to find it - that is OUR purpose once we have been taught.
Darwinian theory, as you know, is only one of a myriad of worldly preoccupations designed to thwart our purpose. There is no compromising with our, and His, enemy. Pray for them and love them, yes, yoke with them in delusion, no.
Which takes me back to the OP - 'can we be Christian and believe in evolution?' Again I say, I suppose so. But why? Why partner a religion of life with a religion of death? How can one's gospel message be seriously considered when coupled with godless lies?
As an aside and before you repeat yourself, I also would request the writer of the OP clarify his subject line by clearly defining what he means by 'evolution'. I just hit the ground running assuming he meant 'Darwinian macro survival of the fittest origin of species evolution. Isn't that what 99% of the media, academia, scientific community and online forums are talking about?
While clarifying, I would add the request to define the word 'Christian'. Might clear up other pre-suppositions.
I'm not understanding. Why does the word 'yom' change here? Aren't 12 and 24 interpretations of the same word?
So again, one has to appeal to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For me personally, the question of literal 24 hour days was resolved by the fact that the Spirit gave me peace about it. And I've maintained that peace for 30 years now. He did it the same way He gave me peace about the problem of evil, the reality of an eternal Hell for the unbeliever, whether you can lose your salvation, and a hundred other troublesome doctrines - by teaching me to cling to a simple maxim:
God said it, I believe it, that settles it.
It's the whole reason I can put faith in other more precious Scriptures, like "I will never leave you nor forsake you." My life, here and eternally, is utterly dependent on Him telling the truth in ALL of Scripture.
Yes we do, He spoke it into existence. And we didn't have to be there. We have the Holy Spirit in us Who WAS there.
Pardon my incredulity, but this is not true for all scientists. For the ones disciplined to adhere to the first law of good science - preach only what is observable and repeatable - yes.
Darwinian evolutionists, though, take a dollop of fact and create a pound of fantasy - all decidedly unobservable. And declare it as fact. And when proven wrong, no they don't own up to it, they just pivot to some other tack and carry on with other more bizarre theories.
Example: Remember Piltdown Man? Every evolutionist danced for joy and declared God is dead - until the hoax was revealed. Were there any mea culpas? Hardly. A period of stunned silence and then carrying on without comment. Standard behavior.
Great. Then stop declaring a theory as fact while still studying and learning. And get it the heck out of our schools.
More than the dishonest scientists - absolutely.
But you seem to make some erroneous assumptions about fellow believers - perhaps from your encounters to date. For myself, I certainly don't know every detail of creation. And I am constantly learning from science. I learned from you details about the fruit fly that I didn't know - and appreciated it. I am constantly fascinated by all facets of creation and perpetually curious.
It's just that my conclusions from what I observe and learn - that they are evidence of a brilliant creative Intelligence - is at avowed odds with the one who gazes at the same evidences and credits an unknowing, unknowable inanimate something as its ultimate source. In that regard, heck yes, I defer to Holy Scripture over science.
Yep - for the element from each group who are honest with themselves and others. The remainder need our prayers.
Being salt and light includes telling the truth - not compromising with a fantasy that is actively at enmity with God.
Weighing all evidence and standing on God's Word as the final authority on creation is not ignoring it.
As long as our overarching goal is to lead others to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ - I wholeheartedly agree!