how many go to YECist churches

[rmwilliamsll]

over the last day or so someone listed a few crucial doctrines and then said that the creation-evolution-design debate was even more important than these traditional doctrines.

i'm curious about how many TE's here, are like me, and are members of YECists churches or have YECist Pastors.

my denomination subscribes to the Westminster Confession, afaik, the most complex and complete creed used. It is a YECist document except that several denominations* allow OEC's to subscribe to it.

what i'm curious about is if TE's choose a church/pastor/denomination based on their creation-evolution stand or if these other doctrines are really more important.

i for one would never attend an arminian or dispensationalist church and never have. If there wasn't an OPC, EPC, CRC or PCA church available we didn't go to church and never considered anything else. the theology being of primary importance, but i really don't know how anyone else here works out the situation.


notes:
OPC and PCA

it would be most useful if your church or Pastors or denominational views differ that you mark the most restrictive one. for example: if you are in a denomination that doesn't take a position but your Pastor is YEC, mark YEC.
thanks.

 

[Mallon]

Interesting post. Since I've moved to Calgary, I've learned how YEC the congregation here really is. Just this past weekend, I was asked, "A Christian palaeontologist? That's a bit backwards, don't you think?"
This Thursday night, I'm going to a YEC Bible study at church. I'll keep my mouth shut.

 

[Redneck Crow]

I've gone to all sorts of churches with whom I disagree in various areas. I'm an OV Acts 9 dispy who is also TE. That makes me a rara avis all ways around.

If members of the body of Christ can't overlook our differences and worship Him and fellowship while agreeing to disagree on some issues, then we might as all hang it up and stay home. I mean, jeez, what do we go to assembly for anyway? To rub shoulders with those who are in perfect agreement with us on all things? In that case, most of us would be needing a closet, not a chaple, because I haven't found too many Christians who are in perfect agreement with any other Christian on everything.

What I will avoid a church for are the 1 Cor 5 issues that Paul speaks of. Immorality has no place in the body of Christ.

Disagreements such as TE, YEC, OEC, ID, OV, CV, infant baptism, dunking, preterism, dispensationalism, etc, don't constitute immorality. I can overlook the differences that fellow members of the body and I have in our views of what constitutes correct theology--what family agrees on everything?

 

[Ave Maria]

I believe in Theistic Evolution and my denomination does not have an official position on this issue.

 

[Mallon]

Well, I had my YEC Bible study last night. It was essentially 2.5 hours of four other people telling me why I was a misled compromiser, barely worthy of the title "Christian". Of course, they didn't know that I was a theistic evolutionist, and I doubt they would have said half the things they did had they known.
I almost had to keep myself from rolling my eyes at points as they played apologetics, throwing out scientific defence and defence, usually contradicting each other without realizing it, and sometimes even contradicting the Bible. I just want along with them and listened intently. My favourite moment was when I innocently asked whether the "expanse" mentioned in Genesis 1:15 was the same "expanse" mentioned elsewhere in the chapter. The room fell silent for a minute as I watched everyone struggle to try to explain it.

 

[Assyrian]

Bad boy Mallon,
bad, bad boy.

I've got an interesting mix, a lot of the congregation are YEC, at least judging by some of our discussions in housegroup The pastor is pretty much TE and knows about me posting online. However the denomination is getting into ID, does that qualify as OEC? But we moved to that church because of the church it was, not because of its denomination. So without an 'all of the above' or 'other' I'll go with my Pastor is TE.

 

[rmwilliamsll]

Well, I had my YEC Bible study last night. It was essentially 2.5 hours of four other people telling me why I was a misled compromiser, barely worthy of the title "Christian". Of course, they didn't know that I was a theistic evolutionist, and I doubt they would have said half the things they did had they known.
I almost had to keep myself from rolling my eyes at points as they played apologetics, throwing out scientific defence and defence, usually contradicting each other without realizing it, and sometimes even contradicting the Bible. I just want along with them and listened intently. My favourite moment was when I innocently asked whether the "expanse" mentioned in Genesis 1:15 was the same "expanse" mentioned elsewhere in the chapter. The room fell silent for a minute as I watched everyone struggle to try to explain it.

i sure wish i could learn to be silent. it really isn't that big of a deal, or so i keep telling myself.

i remember how a previous church blew up at me over an off handed remark to my young daughter who expressed the desire to have something advertised on TV. "don't be so bourgeois".

as i get older, i am getting more quiet, perhaps there is hope yet. there are only a couple of people that know my position on this debate.

still, the worse will remain the time i told "la migra" that i wasn't carrying any Jews. i really do have to learn the gift of silence. *grin*

 

[Melethiel]

I'm TE. My denomination doesn't have an official stance on the issue. However, when we were discussing this in the campus ministry group, Pastor pretty much advocated TE. The congregation itself is mixed.

Where's the "Other" option?

 

[shernren]

Well, I'm not entirely sure what my denomination (EFC) or pastor's beliefs are. But I'm pretty sure the congregation is mostly YEC, and one of the elders who spoke one Sunday said that when he had examined the biological evidence, he couldn't believe in evolution ... he's a Christian biologist and to be honest I've never got a chance to talk to him about this.

I've also attended a charismatic church near college, I cringed when one of the speakers once said "We are not monkeys who got lucky!" 'Nuff said.

Mallon, I don't get it. What wouldn't they have said if they'd known you were TE? What did they think you were?

 

[shernren]

I'm TE. My denomination doesn't have an official stance on the issue. However, when we were discussing this in the campus ministry group, Pastor pretty much advocated TE. The congregation itself is mixed.

Where's the "Other" option?

If there was an "other" option, everybody would vote it, and it would take a global flood to stop us from discussing the theology of denominations, or pastors, or what relationship our theology is supposed to have to that of our denominations or pastors.

Every once in a while our distinctive TE-ness has to be toned down before we can get any work done.

 

[Melethiel]

But I'm somewhere in between 2 of the options...

 

[DailyBlessings]

I've been a Lutheran since forever, and all the churches have been some kind of mix, some YEC and some TE. Though I've yet to meet a Lutheran pastor (outside of Missouri Synod and the like) who was fully YEC by the time they exited seminary.

 

[Mallon]

Mallon, I don't get it. What wouldn't they have said if they'd known you were TE? What did they think you were?

I'm not sure. Had they all known I was TE, I don't think I would have been called out on calling Jesus a liar (since he referrenced Genesis once or twice).
I kept quiet only because I was there to fellowship with the people in our small group. I acknowledge God as the creator, just as they do, and I wanted to revel in what we share. It's a new church for me, and I'm interested in getting to know everyone better. But given their obvious... resentment for evolutionists, I might just fess up before becoming a member. They may not want an unrepentant evolutionist in their midst.

 

[chaoschristian]

Hello.

My name is chaoschristian, and I am a TE.

And I attend a Souther Baptist Convention church.

Let the good times roll.

Actually, origins has not been an issue for my church community. Then again, my church is now only barely two years old.

My pastor knows that I disagree with him and the SBC on this issue and many other issues. Nevertheless, I love the people who comprise our church and love the love they show to strangers and to our community, and that is why I stick with it.

Yes, lots of times I find myself biting my tongue. But lots of times I find an opportunity to offer a point of view that differs from what most hold to, and I've never been told to shut up and get out.

I don't choose a church strictly based on theology, but on community, because there is no one church with which I am in complete alignment.

What I look for is intelligence and approachibility in the pastor. Our is both, and because of that we can openly discuss our differences without those differences tearing our fellowship apart.

 

[Pats]

I don't think there is a church that I fully agree with on every point.

I have been wanting to look into churches that teach different theologies from some of the ones I have already learned just for the learning experiences.... however, as a single working mom, that just means I've spent a lot less time in church lately. We are still members of a nice loving YEC church, and both of the churches we attend with any regularity are YEC. One of them, like CC's, is So. Bap., and the other is Calvanist.

The Calvary I truly love the most, but it is further away and I have more "church family" at the So. Bap.... I would have picked "other" because I have been looking at other churches.... but rmwilliamsII is a bad TE and didn't put one up,

 

[rmwilliamsll]

The Calvary I truly love the most, but it is further away and I have more "church family" at the So. Bap.... I would have picked "other" because I have been looking at other churches.... but rmwilliamsII is a bad TE and didn't put one up

to justify myself (boy does that ring wrong in reformed ears *grin*). other is a funny category for online polls, everyone picks it but for different reasons!!!

but i do like how the results of the poll are turning out. it really does show that lots of TE's don't think the age of the earth is an essential theological issue

i need to remember that more often, on a bad day i put YECism into the same category as arminian, dispensationalism, congregationalist, you know all those "almost too wrong to get into heaven" group. *grin* it really is a hermeneutical and epistemological problem not an essential salvational issue.

it is not that people are saved despite being YEC as much as misled. but if i spend too much time reading and thinking about the issues here (rather than getting the sunday school class research done) the passions here begin to cloud that realization. it is nice to be reminded now and again.

thanks everyone.

 

[laptoppop]

I would have picked "other" because I have been looking at other churches.... but rmwilliamsII is a bad TE and didn't put one up,

Actually, if he *had* put up other, every TE would have been required to choose it! CC told me I was on my way to being a TE because I chose "other" <grin> Here's to independent thinking!

 

[gluadys]

I believe in Theistic Evolution and my denomination does not have an official position on this issue.

That's me too. Occasionally some have suggested taking a stand on the issue (from both extremes) but most people don't consider that it is an important enough issue to get into debate about. The theologians I know figure they don't know the science well enough to come to a valid conclusion and the scientists don't feel they know the theology well enough to come to a valid conclusion. And no one considers it a question of such theological importance that it requires a consensus.

 

[Pats]

That's me too. Occasionally some have suggested taking a stand on the issue (from both extremes) but most people don't consider that it is an important enough issue to get into debate about. The theologians I know figure they don't know the science well enough to come to a valid conclusion and the scientists don't feel they know the theology well enough to come to a valid conclusion. And no one considers it a question of such theological importance that it requires a consensus.

I find that attitude refreshingly healthy. Too often I tend to hear some YECs taking the position that TEs are lacking in their trust of the validity of the scriptures. I'd rather shrug my shoulder and say, "I'm not sure," than hurl accusations at my brother and sisters.

RM, I was just tryin' to be funny I would love to have a cup of coffee and pick your brains if you ever have reason to venture up north to Phoenix.

 

[jereth]

My denomination (Anglican) doesn't have an official position on the creation-evolution debate, but I would say that a majority of Anglicans in my country are either OEC or TE, and most of the church leadership seem to disapprove of YEC. Hence I voted option 3.