Splifford the bat says: Always remember
A mind is a terrible thing to waste; especially on an evolutionist.
Just say no to narcotic drugs, alcohol abuse, and corrupt ideological
doctrines.
Posted on 06/17/2014 6:17:41 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Whenever I engage in conversation with people I meet for the first time I try to avoid being asked the question, “What do you do for a living?” But if I am asked I say, “I am a minister.” Generally, the one who asks then inquires, “What denomination?” or “What kind of church?”
Here is where I always have to clarify, depending on the most recent news headline involving Christian leaders: “I am a Baptist minister, but I am not a science-denying Baptist minister who thinks that dinosaurs lived alongside humans a few thousand years ago.”
What a strange irony that a 30-foot-long fossil of an Allosaurus will be on display at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., where museum founder, Ken Ham, recently debated science educator Bill Nye. Ken Ham and his colleagues think it defends the book of Genesis and supplies evidence of Noah’s flood. Good grief.
Unfortunately, this is real life, not a Charlie Brown cartoon. According to a recent survey by the Associated Press, 77 percent of people who claim to be born again or evangelical say they have little or no confidence that the universe began 13.8 billion years ago with a big bang. And 76 percent of evangelicals doubt that life on Earth, including human beings, evolved through a process of natural selection.
Educated evangelicals know better. According to Newsweek 99 percent of America’s earth and life scientists hold to some form of evolution. Darrel Falk, a biology professor at evangelical Point Loma Nazarene University, told Cathy Grossman of the Religion News Service, that many biblical (evangelical) scholars do not see a conflict between religion and science. He noted: “The story of the cosmos and the Big Bang of creation is not inconsistent with the message of Genesis 1.”
I suspect that many (if not most) educated evangelical biblical scholars who subscribe to some form of biblical inerrancy (and sign faith statements testifying to that fact) believe what professor Falk believes.
They know there are different kinds (genres) of biblical literature which call for different approaches other than a literal interpretation of the text. They know that the creation stories are parabolic in nature and are not chronicles of history or reports conveying scientific data. They know that these stories are spiritual, metaphorical and theological stories and, while not factual, they certainly teach truth about God and God’s relationship to the world.
They know Ken Ham’s claim that “no apparent, perceived, or claimed evidence in any field, including history and chronology, can be valid if it contradicts the Scriptural record” is utter foolishness.
Harvard theologian Harvey Cox tells about the time the student leader of Harvard’s atheist group on campus took one of his theology classes. This otherwise bright student wrote a very weak paper in which he sought to discredit the God of the Christian and Jewish faiths by attacking and dismantling a literal interpretation of the Genesis flood story. He thought that by proving the story could not have happened the way the story says it happened, he would thus disprove the reality of God.
Dr. Cox said to the student, “Don’t you know a story when you read one?”
Educated evangelicals know that the creation stories were never intended to be history lessons or science reports, because the Bible is not a history or science book.
Educated evangelicals also know:
• That evangelical Christians need not fear or deny the enormous amount of scientific data supporting evolution.
• That the story of evolution and the biblical story are not mutually exclusive.
• That a healthy faith welcomes and is informed by science.
So why do so many evangelicals deny evolution and believe in a literal interpretation of the creation stories in Genesis?
Apparently what educated evangelical professors know and believe is not getting down to the people in the pew.
Why aren’t educated evangelical pastors teaching their churches these things? Are they afraid of being shunned or looked down upon by their peers? Are they afraid to rock the evangelical boat? Are they afraid of facing conflict in their churches or losing their jobs? Are the professors actually teaching what they believe and know to their students?
Whatever the reasons, it’s time for evangelicals who know the truth to come out and proclaim the truth. If the truth sets us free, as Jesus said, then many of our evangelical sisters and brothers need to hear a liberating word from their pastors.
OPINION: Views expressed in ABPnews/Herald columns and commentaries are solely those of the authors.
Chuck Queen is pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Frankfort, Ky., and author of Being a Progressive Christian (is not) for Dummies (nor for know-it-alls): An Evolution of Faith.
I have no intent of engaging this argument.
Like Clint Eastwood said, a man has to know his limitations....
Yeah Adam came later ... I count FIVE DAYS LATER ... :-) ...
Splifford the bat says: Always remember
A mind is a terrible thing to waste; especially on an evolutionist.
Just say no to narcotic drugs, alcohol abuse, and corrupt ideological
doctrines.
I grew up in a pretty Bible believing church. I also thought that the Bible and Evolution could coexist. Then I went to study the geosciences at a respected engineering school. There I learned enough of the facts of geology, chemistry, statistics, etc. to realize that “Evolution” (macro-evolution, species-changing stuff) isn’t possible unless God has a hand in it. (Which of course then becomes creation rather than evolution).
I will say that the evidence for a young earth like Ham purports is not there.
What foolishness... I actually saw some of them when they were fresh.
bleeeech.... a non scientist blathering about things he does not understand
Yeah Adam came later ... I count FIVE DAYS LATER ... :-) ...
i don’t know much about “young earth” theory. however, when they falsify darwin’s (historically a charlatan and scientific imposter of the first rank) belief about how novel species are “created,” they are and have been, imho, on solid ground. frankly because it is easy to punch holes in macro evolution.
i will say that there is nothing i’ve seen in popperian science (including paleontology and geology) that contradicts or is incompatible any thing in the Bible (specifically Genesis). the most obvious reason for that is that Biblical creation is by definition Supernatural. the Word of God makes no bones about it. He spoke what he wanted into existence. the supposed incompatibilities stem from assumptions about God or nature that are held by these unbelievers, in short mortal men relying on their own corrupt intellects.
there is no question that an omnipotent being, God, could put together this universe as *apparently* constituted with no contradiction whatsoever to it’s present state, no matter how much earth time has elapsed since that event. God bless you brother or sister.
Splifford the bat says: Always remember
A mind is a terrible thing to waste; especially on an evolutionist.
Just say no to narcotic drugs, alcohol abuse, and corrupt ideological
doctrines.
The sixth day is five days after the first day ... :-) ...
The sixth day is five days after the first day ... :-) ...
As scripture says - “Thinking themselves wise, they became fools”.
Next up in the headlines:
“It’s time for evangelicals to come out for Homosexuality, beastiality, transgenderism and man-child love”.
Then some insipid, insulting know-it-all essay to follow on why those who believe in scripture and God’s laws are morons who think the earth is flat and the moon is made of cheese.
Great post. Would you happen to have any book recommendations on this topic?
Thank you cripplecreek for recognizing evolution as a theory.
Amen post of the day.
The real tragedy here is the fact that a finite universe in light of the laws of physics has to have a super natural creator... Who can operate outside the laws of physics.
There is no conflict between good science and God’s existence.
evolution ping
Several...
Alexander Mebane, ‘Darwin’s Creation Myth’
http://www.mikamar.biz/book-info/e-dcm-a.htm
Donald E. Johnson, ‘Programming of life’
http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Life-Donald-E-Johnson/dp/0982355467
Walter Remine ‘Biotic Message’
http://www.amazon.com/The-Biotic-Message-Evolution-Versus/dp/0963799908
Sir Arthur Keith ‘Evolution and Ethics’
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Ethics-Sir-Arthur-Keith-ebook/dp/B00570ROQG
and possibly this page:
http://www.bearfabrique.org/Evolution08/evolution_main.html
That should do for starters...
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