Creationists: What would happen if you de-converted from creationism?

[pitabread]

From both a personal and social perspective, I'm curious what creationists think would happen if they were to give up their creationist beliefs. I'm not talking about Christianity as a whole, although I know for some creationists that may be one-and-the-same.

I'm curious in terms of friends, family, church, work, etc, what the impact would be of changing one's belief system?


edited to add:

The question is strictly hypothetical. I'm not suggesting that one actively de-convert, I'm just curious what might happen to one personally, socially, etc

For the purpose of this thread, I'm using the term "creationist" to mean someone that believes that varying species on Earth were created directly by God, as opposed to life evolving from a single common ancestor 4.5 billion years ago.

 

[GodsGrace101]

From both a personal and social perspective, I'm curious what creationists think would happen if they were to give up their creationist beliefs. I'm not talking about Christianity as a whole mind you although I know for some creationists that may be one-and-the-same.

I'm curious in terms of friends, family, church, work, etc, what the impact would be of changing one's belief system?

Hey PB,,,
You do love this topic!

In my personal case, NOTHING would happen. Most persons I know don't dwell on this. Personally, I don't believe Darwin hit the nail on the head,,,,but most don't spend time on this.

The reason I believe in creationism is because I'm sure that something cannot come from nothing.

Genesis speaks of the Big Bang.
God said "Let there be light" and there was light.

As you must surely know,,,science cannot get further back than this BB.
So what was there just before that?

We'll never know and that some intelligent being created everything just makes more sense to me. Logically.

 

[Lazarus Short]

Not happening.

 

[LiquidCat]

From both a personal and social perspective, I'm curious what creationists think would happen if they were to give up their creationist beliefs. I'm not talking about Christianity as a whole mind you although I know for some creationists that may be one-and-the-same.

I'm curious in terms of friends, family, church, work, etc, what the impact would be of changing one's belief system?

I guess the same as when I wasn't creationist then became one , first laught and denial then try to quickly disprove the nonsense shown evidence then can't disprove such claims and finally accept the evidence and change your view point .

 

[pitabread]

Not happening.

It's a hypothetical. What would happen if you were to de-convert from a personal and social perspective?

 

[Lazarus Short]

It's a hypothetical. What would happen if you were to de-convert from a personal and social perspective?

Very little, I expect.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

From both a personal and social perspective, I'm curious what creationists think would happen if they were to give up their creationist beliefs. I'm not talking about Christianity as a whole, although I know for some creationists that may be one-and-the-same.

I'm curious in terms of friends, family, church, work, etc, what the impact would be of changing one's belief system?

edited to add: This is strictly hypothetical. I'm not suggesting that one actively de-convert, I'm just curious what might happen to one personally, socially, etc.

Not sure, but I think it would be a step backwards. I'm already an Old Earth, Hugh Ross Creationist. I am cool with the fossil record, and the fact that the Earth is ancient. But I would probably loose a lot on the positive side, because there is a lot to suggest that the Creation of the Earth was much more than some completely rare cosmic accident.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Not sure, but I think it would be a step backwards. I'm already an Old Earth, Hugh Ross Creationist. I am cool with the fossil record, and the fact that the Earth is ancient. But I would probably loose a lot on the positive side, because there is a lot to suggest that the Creation of the Earth was much more than some completely rare cosmic accident.

A) We've observed 4000 planets outside our solar system. This suggests that planets are not even close to a "completely rare cosmic accident." A little research shows we have good reason to believe we know the process that forms planets. Nothing mysterious or accidental about it. Surely your god could have ordained that it be so.
B) Theistic evolutionists (you know, Christians/etc who accept evolution as the way their god did things) do NOT believe that life is a cosmic accident. For them, either God designed the universe such that evolution would be a process that happens just by virtue of the nature of reality, OR that evolution might need to be jump-started. I know, I was one. In either case, God designed reality or jump-started evolution with the complete fore-knowledge (implying intention) that humans would be a result AND a significant one at that.
C) No scientist, religious or not, would call evolution accidental.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

From both a personal and social perspective, I'm curious what creationists think would happen if they were to give up their creationist beliefs. I'm not talking about Christianity as a whole, although I know for some creationists that may be one-and-the-same.

I'm curious in terms of friends, family, church, work, etc, what the impact would be of changing one's belief system?

edited to add: This is strictly hypothetical. I'm not suggesting that one actively de-convert, I'm just curious what might happen to one personally, socially, etc.

Conversion through the living waters of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the only thing you can de-convert from. De-conversion is apostasy.
Being a creationist means you believe that God created everything. The alternative would mean you believe God created nothing. So I think that you make someone an Atheist?
Blessings

 

[Tinker Grey]

Being a creationist means you believe that God created everything. The alternative would mean you believe God created nothing.

Completely wrong. A Christian accepting evolution means that they believe that evolution is the means by which God provided for biological diversity.

So I think that you make someone an Atheist?

Wrong, as the many Christians who accept evolution on this board would tell you.

 

[Greengardener]

I can't see myself personally thinking this all started from nothing without an Intelligent Designer. Since we can't prove it either way, it seems good to me to rely on a book that says man was first made in the image of God, on the written story that gives wisdom and hope and that provides a sense of the history of what makes life work. I recommend a deep dive into it so you can see for yourself. If you seek Him wholeheartedly, He'll let you find Him. It's an individual offer. Think you'll take Him up on it?

This Intelligent Designer invites your questions. Take a look at the book of Isaiah where there are some interesting statements purported to have been made by this Intelligent Designer:

45.18 This is what the LORD says, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited; I am the LORD and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place on the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain'; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

55.6 Seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

1.16 Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land...(To put this in context, this was spoken to a long-rebellious people who had gotten so corrupt that they were prostituting their own children and sacrificing their own babies for religious worship. May I suggest that God's patience has not be exhausted on you. Please come and reason with Him!)

Socially most folks are quite willing to think evolution has substance, just as they are also quite willing to allow religion to pacify them away from personal accountability before that Intelligent Designer. Nobody I know, as nice as they all are, would ostracize me for the creation/evolution question regardless of the side I took. Those that are awake would be praying for me if I talked myself into the weird hypotheses of evolution that folks say are science-based but are actually not, but those people wouldn't hate me. The rest are lulled into sleep under the opiate of the masses so to speak.

Come and see for yourself, and don't be lulled by the world or by the religions that would try to pacify you. Come to Him, the only Intelligent Designer, and see for yourself!

 

[pitabread]

Being a creationist means you believe that God created everything.

"Creationist" on these forums means typically means that God created life forms directly as opposed to life arising naturally and then diversifying through evolution.

The alternative would mean you believe God created nothing. So I think that you make someone an Atheist?

Atheism is something else entirely; it refers to a complete lack of theistic belief. One can be a theist, but not be a creationist specifically.

 

[Tone]

From both a personal and social perspective, I'm curious what creationists think would happen if they were to give up their creationist beliefs. I'm not talking about Christianity as a whole, although I know for some creationists that may be one-and-the-same.

I'm curious in terms of friends, family, church, work, etc, what the impact would be of changing one's belief system?

edited to add: This is strictly hypothetical. I'm not suggesting that one actively de-convert, I'm just curious what might happen to one personally, socially, etc.

I've never converted to creationism...sounds like some kind of a cult. To those who have, I would point them to the Savior, Yahshua ha Mashiach Who died on the cross for them...and rose again.

I would imagine that those around any individual who changes their beliefs (about whatever), counter to the status quo, would maybe begin to grow distant towards the individual, at least, as far as that particular subject is concerned. I know that I have different beliefs from my fundamentalist parents, but we are all "christian" (in the wide sense of that word), but we just don't talk theology much.

*I haven't converted to evolutionism either...

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Completely wrong. A Christian accepting evolution means that they believe that evolution is the means by which God provided for biological diversity.Wrong, as the many Christians who accept evolution on this board would tell you.

Evolution is a theory not creation itself. This is what I am referring to. God doing all the Creation from the start. So far no evolutionist knows how it ALL BEGAN.
Maybe taking this subject matter to its logical conclusion is unusual.

Edit: Additionally evolution does not allow for "kind".

 

[Maria Billingsley]

"Creationist" on these forums means typically means that God created life forms directly as opposed to life arising naturally and then diversifying through evolution.



Atheism is something else entirely; it refers to a complete lack of theistic belief. One can be a theist, but not be a creationist specifically.

Yes one requires God and the other does not. If you do not believe God created everything then that in my belief means one does not believe in God The Creator.
Just taking this to its logical conclusion.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

C) No scientist, religious or not, would call evolution accidental.

From the stand point of the origins of life, life is unprobable.

Fine-Tuning For Life On Earth (Updated June 2004)



From the stand point of life evolving from Bacteria to eventually Man, many, many times more so.

16 Steps to Generating Advanced Life​

 

[Aussie Pete]

From both a personal and social perspective, I'm curious what creationists think would happen if they were to give up their creationist beliefs. I'm not talking about Christianity as a whole, although I know for some creationists that may be one-and-the-same.

I'm curious in terms of friends, family, church, work, etc, what the impact would be of changing one's belief system?


edited to add:

The question is strictly hypothetical. I'm not suggesting that one actively de-convert, I'm just curious what might happen to one personally, socially, etc

For the purpose of this thread, I'm using the term "creationist" to mean someone that believes that varying species on Earth were created directly by God, as opposed to life evolving from a single common ancestor 4.5 billion years ago.

Good question. It would require me to re-evaluate much of what I hold to be true. Personally, I am an old earth/young creation believer. I also believe that there was a creation prior to Adam and Eve. To me, the Genesis account was describing the restoration of a destroyed creation that happened after the "beginning", whenever that was. I don't accept 4.5 billion years as possible. There are many reasons why it implausible, including the fact that the moon is drifting away from the earth. The reality is that it's unprovable. If 4.5 billion years is correct, it makes no difference to me.

Life is demonstrably impossible to arise spontaneously. If God does not create life, what it is the alternative?

If God did not directly create man then the Bible is nonsense. If there was no "Adam" created then calling Lord Jesus the "Last Adam" is meaningless. A God who could sow a seed of life and just let it roll is not the God I could relate to.

If God did not create me then my life has no meaning.

 

[Tinker Grey]

From the stand point of the origins of life, life is unprobable.

Fine-Tuning For Life On Earth (Updated June 2004)



From the stand point of life evolving from Bacteria to eventually Man, many, many times more so.

16 Steps to Generating Advanced Life​

For the purposes of this thread, if God ordains that evolution should happen, then the odds of it happening are 100%. Right? If so, what difference, per the OP would this make to your faith/life/etc.?

 

[Pavel Mosko]

I don't think it would make a lot of difference. The only people this thought experiment would affect are people very rigid on their Biblical interpretation where having an old Earth etc. is somehow a Big Deal, Faith wise etc. and well that is not a me. I'm very use to the idea of an old earth.

 

[46AND2]

When I went from YEC to OEC to theistic evolutionist...very little changed for me socially. This was at a time before people were so ridiculously obsessed with it. I hear, though, that several years after I left for the Army, the new youth pastor at my church started bringing in Kent Hovind videos.

As far as my family goes...my mother is still quite convinced that I'm saved...she can't seem to accept my proclamations of disbelief. Brothers have also become atheist (except one, who is a Pascal's Wager believer), and Dad is no longer active in the church; I suspect that he's also lost his faith, but we haven't talked much about it.