*excerpt*
More than 10,000 clergy have signed a statement saying, in part, "We the undersigned, Christian clergy from many different traditions, believe that the timeless truths of the Bible and the discoveries of modern science may comfortably coexist. We believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth, one that has stood up to rigorous scrutiny and upon which much of human knowledge and achievement rests." (Clergy Letter Project 2005)
I can believe in whatever I want to. If I believe something to be the truth, then so be it. Do not say that I am not a Catholic, or follow Satan because of it. Because that is not true.
What certain persons don't understand is what science is. Science takes data and tries to explain it. Those explanations, or theories, may have to be refined from time to time as more data is found.
My question for the strict creationists out there is this - What explanation do you have for the data that evolution supporters point to?
Fact - under drought conditions many species average size shrinks. The large animals die faster leaving the smaller ones to reproduce. see "The Beak of the Finch"
Fact - Fossils have been found that show animals almost identical in environmental niche except for small changes, ie. location of blowhole, length of appendages, etc.
I don't have a problem with people rejecting the whole of the theory of evolution, but if they're going to argue against it, they'd better come up with an explanation for those facts that fit as well as the current theory.
Things I won't accept-
- God put them there as a test for our faith. Not acceptable as God is a god of truth not deceit.
- Satan put them there to decieve us. This explanation would seem to say that Satan had as much to do with the creation as God. simply unacceptable.
For me the answer is obvious. God used natural laws to create and shape life. Do any strict creationists have a better explanation?
Excuse my not responding to your post in a timely manner; something called 'having a life' got in the way; you know, work, family, friends etc.
Let me first start off by saying that you in turn did not answer my question, you just asked me one in return. So please answer my original question.
You asked: "Why don't the evolutionists apply the same rational thought and scientific principles to God's true explanation concerning how we got here that they do to evolution?"
Answer: Because the physical evidence dismisses the notion of Creation. There's proof that the Earth is far older than 6k year, there's proof that dinosaurs and man did not and could not have existed together, there's proof that man evolved and wasn't made as is from a pile of dirt etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. (Templares made a great post for you, though I doubt you read it)
As far as how it all started (the universe), no one knows and we will probably never know, maybe that's where God comes in, but then again, there is no way of absolutely proving or disproving there is a God to begin with. But your mindset of 'I don't know so God must have done it' is not based on facts, it's based on faith and trying to pass your own personal faith as facts is dishonest. Do not ask others to accept your own personal faith in a higher power as fact; that borders on lunacy.
You also come off as knowing personally how God works, so I ask you this (2nd question), why did God create man with nipples?
That's not just a mormon thing (it's really not even official there), I'm pretty sure that other scientifically minded christians also use that as a reconciliation of fact and belief. The official line in mormonism, I think, is that there's a lot that we don't know about the beginning.
As far as the six days thing goes here are 4 possibilities -
1- The world was created in six actual days (most people find this unlikely)
2- God's days had a different frame of reference ie.- not it was not defined by the rising and setting of our sun. The length of a day could be practically anything here, just depends on what the reference for day actually was.
3- Day is a figure of speach. Like how we'd say, "Let's call it a day" at the end of a workday. This would mean that each creative period could actually be a different lenth of time.
4- The "days" were nonsequential. God could have set something up, let the "experiment" run and actually come back and declare it done during one of the mentioned days. In other words the sequence might run something like this - Day 1, few billion years, Day 2, another couple Billion years, Day 3, few million years, Day 4, a few more million years, etc.
I think thats the most logical option. When the bible was written, there was not a real good sense of time...day might have been the best available concept.
Is your faith in Jesus Christ or the Catholic religion? You know you can claim to be a Catholic but still not be saved. Being Catholic does not mean that your sins are washed in the Blood of Jesus. Being Catholic does not mean that you are born again. Being Catholic does not mean that you know Jesus. Neither does claiming that you are a Christian. It is a matter of what you believe about Jesus and what He has done for you that determines whether or not you are on your way to Heaven. I suspect based on your own statements that your faith is in your religion and not in the Savior (Jesus). If you have asked Jesus to save you from your sins (in your own way) then you are saved. But if you are trusting your salvation on your religious/Catholic affiliation then you are not saved. Do you follow what I am saying? I am trying to get you to do some introspection as to where you stand with God. It seems that you are just going through the motions (religiously) but without true assurance of anything.
Gender: Male Location: Southern Oregon,
Looking at you.
^ It sounds to me like you are judging someone you do not know. If you judge wrong, then you will be judged for that. That is how your religion believes.
KMC Community Forums
Aug 25th, 2006 08:00 AM
I can believe in whatever I want to. If I believe something to be the truth, then so be it. Do not say that I am not a Catholic, or follow Satan because of it. Because that is not true.
