Our church has been showing and talking of apologetics recently, and we’ve been on a Creation vs. Evolution bit for a while. When we watched the video last night, I really just couldn’t help but notice how we sometimes brand and treat others as ‘the enemy.’
For me, I’m a Creationist, but then I’m not going to take the approach as some are by being upfront and telling you you’re going to Hell. I really just don’t like the stand some Christians have taken by saying evolutionists are so wrong (even though, really it is just a theory not a proven fact… like I said, my blog, my opinion, end of story), stupid, and a bunch of other adjectives. Like I said in another post, aren’t we taught to treat others with respect even if we don’t like them?
Really, this is a touchy subject and unless I get my words correct, I might just sound like a total prejudiced person, but it’s something I think a lot of people need to think about. I’m not trying to attack individuals but to shed light on how we treat those individuals.
A teacher of ours had brought up the point that some Christians believe in a Theistic evolution. He explained that some Christians just believe it because they’ve been taught it since they were ‘knee high to a grass hopper,’ and they really don’t know anything else because their local church hasn’t (yes, I did a double-negative, shoot me. I couldn’t figure out another way to word this) provided a solid foundation. If we, Christians, were really take to the stand of the gung-ho Creationists, we’d be branding them along with every other evolutionist as ‘the enemy’ when in reality they have an innocent ignorance of the whole thing.
I really don’t like the theory of Evolution and how it’s been taught in the public schools and generally accepted by the public, but I’m not going to go Jonathan Edwards on your tail and call you a cotton headed ninny muggins. Really, it’s not the position that a Christian should take part of - despising, calling names, nurturing bitterness and hate - just because someone believes differently. Christ tells us to love and respect others and to show them our light, not shove it down their throat.
The only thing that I can really do is just pray that through my attitude and actions, you can see Christ in me, and you’ll want what I have. You’ll want the relationship and the peace that Christ brings.
Christianity , Church , Devotions , Life , Political , Vent
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Mm. Agreed.
Comment by Lucy , May 15th, 2008,
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Hi. I came across your blog quite by accident. After I read some of your posts, I thought it might be helpful if I pointed you in the right direction regarding evolution. It appears that you’ve bought into the creationist talking point that evolution is ‘just a theory’. This is a common misperception among people who don’t know the definition of a scientific theory. A theory, in science, is a method of gathering facts that support an idea, or hypothesis. Evolution is supported by many facts, including the thousands of transitional fossils in the fossil record, the mapping of the human genome, DNA analysis, endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), redundant pseuduogenes, and much much more. Evolution science has progresses remarkably in the last 150 years and, so far, NOTHING in science has been inconsistent with evolutionary science. In fact, without evolution, biology itself would not make any sense at all.
I encourage you to read up on evolution and truly understand the foundational science behind it. Please take a look at any of the following resources:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/
Do a search on YouTube for ‘Ken Miller’. His video lectures are very well done and easy for a layperson to follow. Doctor Miller is a Roman Catholic who believes in God, but he also is a biologist who understands the biological facts of evolution and explains them very well. In fact, he was a key witness in the Dover trial.
Also, you may be interested in the Clergy Letter Project. So far, over 11,000 clergy have signed this letter; which states that they accept the science behind evolution; they also believe that evolution can co-exist with religion. They also emphasize that scripture was NOT meant to be taken literally.
http://www.butler.edu/clergyproject/religion_science_collaboration.htm
Please understand that I am in no way trying to change your mind about your faith. However, I think it’s only fair that you and other creationists exercise due diligence and do the proper research before you toss evolution to the side of the road simply because you think it’s ‘only a theory’. Thanks.
Comment by JoeyRamone63, May 16th, 2008,
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I completely agree with you! I have never done the im gonna shove my religion down your throat thing. I never have thought it was the Christian thing to do.
Comment by Becca , May 19th, 2008,
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JoeyRamone63: There is actually a lot of evidence supporting creation: http://answersingenesis.org/
Comment by Lucy , May 20th, 2008,
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The Bible explains it as this: one day is like a thousand to God (or something like that. . . somewhere in the Old Testament). This supports the Theistic Creation belief, in my mind. I can’t help but see God in everything around me. Including science!
Comment by Jen , May 27th, 2008,
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Sorry that it’s been so long since I’ve been ’round here (finals ended 2 weeks ago and since I’ve been catching up on everything back at home).
Anyway, I also don’t like this “me vs. them” attitude so many people have about this subject… (and there are a few other subjects I can think of just like it.) For me, it’s almost a matter of opinion that has no bearing outside of yourself. Why should it be such a huge issue that breeds hate and anguish over why we are the way we are? We’re all human, we just think differently, and that’s what’s great about America. Americans are supposed to be able to coexist with their neighbors even if they are radically different from themselves - but it’s too bad some people don’t see it that way.
Nice post, Rachel
Sorry if I rambled on a bit, I’ve been “dry-locking” the floor of our basement pretty much all day, haha
Comment by Heather , May 27th, 2008,
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