Should a Christian play "Devil's Advocate"?

[Floatingaxe]

I don't point out contradictions in Scripture even though I know where they are. If I non-Christian says to me, "Isn't the Bible full of contradictions?", I won't show him the location of the contradiction. Instead, I'll just ask, "Can you show me one?" Chances are, they can't. If they can, then I'll answer their question, if I am able to, and if not, I'll look it up and get back to them.

There aren't any.

 

[CaDan]

As an analogy:

Should Christians engage in wrestling? It is a violent contest modeled on unarmed fights to the death. In the past, it has been used as a form of worship of false gods.

 

[Floatingaxe]

In the original languages, I hold to inerrancy as well.

Here's a KJV contradiction:

Look at Acts 9:7 and Acts 22:9 and tell me you don't see something funny there.

AJ

No, nothing funny there.

 

[EdieR]

I didn't address this topic because I honestly don't know. Some people who are of a different
faith say our Gifts of the Holy Spirit are of the devil, though we know they are not.
I think it is the intent of the heart that comes into play. I think of it as one playing Defense and one playing the Prosecution?

 

[ajqrszwn]

Well, before you believe that fossils are actually really old, you need to to some real personal research before listening to what the rocket scientists say.

I'll give you a couple of short examples using 250 million years as a measuring stick.

How come there are fossil records that claim to be 250 million years old, and that same fossil is still alive today, with no indication of evolution, such as trees, insects, fish, animals.

Also they found tissue and blood cells on a thigh bone of a dinosaur that was supposedly 250 millions old and how come this tissue hadn't disintergrated in that length of time. They are now trying to extract DNA.

How come a fossilised sea mammal is fossilised in an upright position going through four layers of sediment that were 400, 300, 200 and 100 million years old, strange, it's head was 100 million years old and it's tail was 400 million years old.

How come they found a shoal of whales laid out in the same sediment over a mile area all fossiled pointing in the same direction, supposedly be 250 millions years old and in amongst the fossils is a fossil that is much younger?

And the best one of them all is that Job talks about to such dinosaurs, one called the Bephomet and the other a Leviathan. And even in Gensis it comment about the Giants, it just doesn't mean men, but animals as well.

Mate, I've seen fossils in sediment that couldn't be millions of years old but only a few thousand years old.

In my country they were still alive 200 years ago, and are well recorded in the aboriginal dreamtime stories.

Blessings!

They can't extract complete DNA, but fragments. If it is preserved in fossilized amber, then it is preserved.

As for why fossils from different time periods may be mixed together, maybe the Great Flood had something to do with it.

I can't really debate fossils with you here. I guess I'm pretty closed-minded about this. I think the Earth is about 4 billion years old. But I do respect the well-thought-out opinions of those who hold to Young Earth Creationism. There are intellectuals who hold to that position, or at least can argue it well. I think it isn't as important to me as other issues.

BTW, here are some links you will like.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/ISD/baumgardner.asp

http://www.globalflood.org/papers/geophysicsofgod.html

John Baumgardner is a geophysicist (and I think he was once on the cover of Time Magazine or something like that), who has modeled the physics of the Great Flood. In Time(?) Magazine, I remember reading something like he was the greatest geophysicist on Earth, and all the atheist scientists used his software for their own calculations. They would say of him, I don't know about his beliefs, but his software is the best! He still works at Los Alamos National Laboratory, I believe.

I also seem to remember that he "spoke in tongues" (glossolalia) in a group setting at his home Bible study group. I think that was in Time(?) Magazine as well.

But even though this top-notch scientist can put together an explanation of how the Earth is only a few thousand years old, I still believe it is 4 billion. Call me close-minded. Maybe I am.

I think discussing the fossil record is pretty important.

But here are the two most pressing theological-type questions for me, in reverse order.

2) Why does the Catholic Bible have the deuterocanon? The Protestant Bible does not.

1) There is a church that "fakes" miracles. Is their theology okay?

AJ

 

[max1120]

I do not think this is a serious problem. In law school this is used frequently to teach young law students to make sound legal arguments. Not every case a young lawyer takes on will be one he/she feels deeply moved over. Much of the law is boring (sorry but it is true) zoning laws for example or tax law matters. Not that this stuff is not important but it is boring (at least to me) so being able to use skill in making argumets that do nto really "matter" to you is very important. I fail to see any sinfulness in this process.

Max

 

[Floatingaxe]

I do not think this is a serious problem. In law school this is used frequently to teach young law students to make sound legal arguments. Not every case a young lawyer takes on will be one he/she feels deeply moved over. Much of the law is boring (sorry but it is true) zoning laws for example or tax law matters. Not that this stuff is not important but it is boring (at least to me) so being able to use skill in making argumets that do nto really "matter" to you is very important. I fail to see any sinfulness in this process.

Max

In secular education, it is a bona fide method of learning. I think even in seminaries and Bible colleges also.

However, as stated early in the thread, in a group meeting for discussion of spiritual truth and the Christian life, it has no place.

Weaker believers and seekers will receive conflicting messages, ad oubt will be instilled. Christians who have the truth are responsible to speak it. The truth of the Wor of God is powerful on its own and needs no tactic to enhance its convincing and convicting!

Speaking as a devil's advocate--the untrue message--prevents the Holy Spirit from fully working.

Do we want to hobble Him or give Him free rein?

 

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[JimB]

I think what some people call the Devil’s Advocate is really Truth’s Advocate. In Mark 12.23, when Jesus asked, “In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife,” was He playing Devil’s Advocate or Truth’s Advocate?.

~Jim

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ~C.S. Lewis​

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