Student in youth group doubting creation

[annafullofgrace]

Any advice? There's a boy in our church youth group that is doubting God as the creator and is really into evolution and lately he's been pretty condescending in his questions. Pretty sarcastic....I realize there are many outside influences and what he is taught in school (he's in 8th grade) is evolution is factual.

We've given him materials ( he's really into research) and talked with him about and pointed him to research that supports a young earth, but he wants this 'proof' and nothing he reads is acceptable. He still continues to come to youth group - not church - but at least he is coming, so we don't want to discourage him, but the questions are always the same. His tone has changed so much lately going from curious and seeking to sarcastic and almost like he's trying to trip us up.

He has also asked me recently how to find God. I told him when (personally) when I seek The Lord, I hear him. (He seems to be looking or asking how to literally hear him.) I know that's hard to understand for him, but when I focus on The Lord and not the world, things just seem to make sense. I encouraged him to keep on seeking, with his whole heart. That sometimes on this side of heaven we will not always find the exact answers we are looking for-but to trust that God always has our best interests at heart, even if those answers are not the ones we were hoping for... And yes, he has spoken with our pastor.

Any advice or insight is welcomed.

 

[LilLamb219]

The pastor's advice should have been more of God's Word. Faith comes by hearing

If the boy persists, ask him to pray and then read what the Bible says.

 

[annafullofgrace]

The pastor's advice should have been more of God's Word. Faith comes by hearing

If the boy persists, ask him to pray and then read what the Bible says.

Our pastor has encouraged that-to the boy it's not enough. I have asked him to pray and read the bible. As I said, he's pretty sarcastic and condescending lately. Sigh

 

[LilLamb219]

Teenager?

 

[CaliforniaJosiah]

In my humble, fallible opinion...... some are confusing creationism with a certain interpretation of the accounts in Genesis chapters one and two.

A belief in God as the Creator (affirmed OVER and OVER again in Scripture, as well as in the Creeds and the Confessions) is the affirmation that God is the Creator. He is the proactive CAUSE of all that is...... and such is a result of HIS work. THAT is what is being affirmed.... and that's all. "Maker of heaven and earth."

It does not necessary dogmatically insist whether the world was originally a dessert or an ocean. It does not dogmatically insist when or how humans were created. It doesn't dogmatically insist on a certain process.

While I think a good case can be made that THEOLOGICALLY, some embrace of one of those accounts IS important if not essential, from a theological perspective (in MY view - the "problem" theologically is not with "day" or the order or evolution - it's with ADAM, the issue NOT being in chapters one or two but three!), I would not equate a lack of affirmation of a particular interpretation of Gen. 1 and/or 2 with God as Creator. They are different issues. I would be careful NOT to drive this boy away from Christ by insisting that Christianity depends on one certain scientific "interpretation" of the accounts in chapters one and two. Such is a "fundamentalist" approach, and a confusion of fides quae creditur with fides qua creditur.

In MY opinion (which I realize many don't share - that's fine), scientific theories (such as evolution) are attempting to understand - in a human, limited way - the HOW. Theology addresses the who and why. They need not be at war..... especially since we affirm that God typically works via means. I can look at a newborn and say "Look at the miracle God preformed! GOD personally KNIT this child together in his mother's womb!" I don't have to condemn and ignore biology in the process.... God used a means in which to do His work - as He usually does.


Just MY fallible perspective......


Pax


- Josiah






.

 

[annafullofgrace]

Teenager?

Yes!

 

[annafullofgrace]

In my humble, fallible opinion...... some are confusing creationism with a certain interpretation of the accounts in Genesis chapters one and two.

A belief in God as the Creator (affirmed OVER and OVER again in Scripture, as well as in the Creeds and the Confessions) is the affirmation that God is the Creator. He is the proactive CAUSE of all that is...... and such is a result of HIS work. THAT is what is being affirmed.... and that's all. "Maker of heaven and earth."

It does not necessary dogmatically insist whether the world was originally a dessert or an ocean. It does not dogmatically insist when or how humans were created. It doesn't dogmatically insist on a certain process.

While I think a good case can be made that THEOLOGICALLY, some embrace of one of those accounts IS important if not essential, from a theological perspective (in MY view - the "problem" theologically is not with "day" or the order or evolution - it's with ADAM, the issue NOT being in chapters one or two but three!), I would not equate a lack of affirmation of a particular interpretation of Gen. 1 and/or 2 with God as Creator. They are different issues. I would be careful NOT to drive this boy away from Christ by insisting that Christianity depends on one certain scientific "interpretation" of the accounts in chapters one and two. Such is a "fundamentalist" approach, and a confusion of fides quae creditur with fides qua creditur.

In MY opinion (which I realize many don't share - that's fine), scientific theories (such as evolution) are attempting to understand - in a human, limited way - the HOW. Theology addresses the who and why. They need not be at war..... especially since we affirm that God typically works via means. I can look at a newborn and say "Look at the miracle God preformed! GOD personally KNIT this child together in his mother's womb!" I don't have to condemn and ignore biology in the process.... God used a means in which to do His work - as He usually does.


Just MY fallible perspective......


Pax


- Josiah

We are certainly not driving this boy from Christ - not at all. This is this boy in particular giving the make it or break all or nothing - I must have proof to buy all this God business argument. We will contine to pray that he finds peace.




.

..

 

[cubanito]

More than a year before I came to Christ, while I was an agnostic, I rejected macroevolution because it is scientifically impossible. Because of the condencension I doubt he will be convinced by reason. He is likely using evolution as an excuse to walk away from God. However, if you want reason...

There are some very simple questions for which there is not even a guess of an answer

Gas in a vacuum expands forever. The more it is heated, the faster it expands. If you now add centrifugal force by rotation, the molecules fly apart even faster. So how did the first stars form? There is NO computer model, no even a hint of a guess of an answer to this. PV=nRT is incompatible with the formation of stars from hydrogen in a vacuum.

For animal species to breed fertile offspring, they must not only have similar genes, but those genes must be arranged in the same location and same number of chromosomes. For example, human gametes (sperm, eggs) have 23 chromosomes, the apes have 24. If by some bizarre chance a viable pre-human were to be born with a missing chromosome (or 2 chromosomes fused together) and somehow survive (as all known such occurences are lethal) then where would it find a mate? Since we have NEVER observed a chromosome reduction that is not fatal before birth, an occurrence of one that would result in a living animal must be very very rare. Yet two such extremely rare events must happen in the same location at approximately the same time for a new species to start EVEN IF you do not factor in that the genetic diversity necessary to keep inborn errors from destroying the population must be in the thousands of such individuals. Adam and Eve, with their perfect genetic codes, could have children intermarry without the problems of inbreeding. But even IF the absurdly rare chance of a chromosome number change were to result in a viable individual, for there to be a self-sustaining population one would require thousands of such rare events to happen at the same time and in the same general area. Apologetics Press - Of Apes and Men: Chromosome 2 in Humans and the Chimpanzee

There are many, many, many more such. I doubt he is willing to listen. As per Romans, once someone has determined they wish to worship the creation rather than the Creator, God hands them over to a darkened mind

Pray

JR