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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Ryan Farrington writes:
> Daniel Jassim wrote:
> > The Bible was not written in Jesus' time.
>
> True. It was written over about three thousand years before Him, and during
> the first century after Him. And in those texts written before Him were
> hundreds of prophecies about His life which He fulfilled.
>
> > Actually, it was written several
> > hundred years later, so it should not be taken as an accurate, historical
> > account. We know in our own times that facts are twisted within days and
> > weeks, imagine how much information could be misrepresented after several
> > generations.
>
> Only a few hundred years after Jesus was there heresy taught, and the Word
> of God was twisted to fit men's feelings. Even today there are many true
> Christians who believe in evolution because they want to fit
> (unsuccessfully) scientists ideas/findings/theories with the Bible.
Ryan:
I don't know that I should weigh in on this issue, but here goes: I also am a
Christian. I consider myself orthodox insofar as orthodox is not solely an
institution of past precedent, but an on-going function of the body of believers
to discern God's will. In a nutshell, I am committed to the doctrines of the
faith because I believe that they are indeed true. However, regarding inerrancy
and a literal interpretation of all scripture, some would say that I am quite
liberal.
I do indeed believe in creative evolution. It does not threaten me in the
least, because IMO, it really does not matter how/when God did indeed create the
external universe; if he chose to use means of evolution, what is it to me? We
are still sentient beings, dearly loved by Him, and no historical facts can
change our relationship to Jesus. As Romans chapter 8 says, "Nothing in all
creation can separate us from Christ our Lord..."
Once upon a time I was squarely in the midst of the "fundamentalist camp." I
took a view of absolute Biblical inerrancy, young earth, etc., etc. I realize
now that I took a view which didn't square with my reason...my intellectural
faculties...because I had been taught, whether implicitly or explicitly, that if
I gave surrendered an inch of ground to the secular forces (both honest as well
as those hostile to my faith), then the floodgates would open and my faith would
be irrevocably shaken. Again, I am indeed such a Christian who accepts
evolution, but not because I feel that I need to fit scientific discovery with
scripture in a watertight union of philosophy and theory that encompasses all
and is impervious to critical inquiry; rather, I believe that both scripture and
science (creation - the universe) both speak truly (although by no means
comprehensively) about God. Remember, our Holy scriptures were written long ago
by ancient men, and thus their understanding of events cannot be separated from
an ancient context; this does not mean that said events did not occur, are not
trustworthy, or that one is not within his/her reasonable intellectual rights
for accepting them; rather, it means that we must allow our faith to grow,
mature and interpret these events in light of both our growing understanding of
the nature of creation (i.e., the universe), and the growing awareness of God's
character/truth as discerned by the historic body of piety. Thus, I don't feel
that new scientific studies in any way undermine the integrity of our faith; no,
I don't take a literal view of Adam and Eve, for example; I see it as a metaphor
for our (ancient) human rebellion; but, I am very serious in my acceptance of it
as inspired importance that instructs me in some measure with greater knowledge
of the inherent character of humankind, myself, and God.
Anyway, just some thoughts from one Christian to another.
james
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Alien races
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| (...) True. It was written over about three thousand years before Him, and during the first century after Him. And in those texts written before Him were hundreds of prophecies about His life which He fulfilled. (...) Only a few hundred years after (...) (23 years ago, 2-Apr-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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