Do you feel superior to young-earth creationists?

Rationalist

Rationalist

Hail Voltaire
Although I am a Christian, I also believe in the current scientific explanation for the origin of life and the universe; I reject the notion that the two are incompatible. Over the years, numerous surveys have shown that a majority of scientists - including natural scientists - believe in some form of higher power. Science neither proves nor disproves God.

Many of my family members and friends prefer to remain ignorant, however. Recently, one of my cousins and I engaged in a theological debate (it had nothing to do with the big bang or evolution), but rather than addressing my point directly, he chose to conveniently switch the topic in a futile attempt to discredit my faith. It went something like this:

Cousin: "Well uh remember when you believed evolution and the Bible are both true? That was so ridiculous lol."

Me: "Um, I don't see how that relates to our discussion, but to answer your question, I actually still believe that."

Cousin: "Whaaaat? Uh the Bible says God created the universe in six days. So I guess God's word isn't good enough for you."

Me: "There are multiple ways to interpret the Genesis account of creation. It doesn't make sense to ignore the overwhelming evidence for evolution in order to cling to a narrow interpretation of the text. Personally, I interpret it as a parable concerning the relationship between God and man."

Cousin: "Lol well a few hundred years ago nobody believed that. You're just reinterpreting the Bible to fit with whatever a bunch of atheist scientists say."

Me: "Actually, it was commonly held amongst Jewish scholars hundreds and even thousands of years ago that Genesis 1:1 through the beginning of chapter two is a form of poetry. Why did they believe that? After all, it wouldn't have been a problem 1,500 years ago to believe that God created the entire universe in six literal, 24-hour days; that was well before the development of modern cosmology and biology."

Cousin: "Lol whatever dude, I'm not going to argue with you. I'll just be praying for you."

As a result of conversations such as these, I cannot help but feel vastly superior in every respect to people who chose to believe that the universe is only 6,000 years old. They are proles. One would think that I could emphasize with them, having once held the same belief. The difference is that I changed my mind once presented with the evidence.

Sure, it is possible that God created the universe in six literal days. He could have created the universe in such a way that it appears to be at least 13.7 billion years old. To make it even more convincing, He could have created pulsars, white dwarfs, and black holes - the remnants of dead stars. He could have made light 13.7 billion light-years away appear instantly on the surface of the earth. He could have created a fake fossil record.

I actually have family members and friends who believe that. They prefer to distort and ignore reality rather than face up to it. It is all very convenient. In the process, however, I would argue that they are choosing to follow a god of their own making, which is idolatry. The Bible clearly states that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 6:18). And yet, they claim to believe in a being that demands faith in a very specific explanation of how the universe came to be, while also creating overwhelming evidence to contradict it. That is not a very rational god - certainly not the God I know.
 
Last edited:
General Burnside said:
Although I am a Christian, I also believe in the current scientific explanation for the origin of life and the universe; I reject the notion that the two are incompatible. Over the years, numerous surveys have shown that a majority of scientists - including natural scientists - believe in some form of higher power. Science neither proves nor disproves God.

Many of my family members and friends prefer to remain ignorant, however. Recently, one of my cousins and I engaged in a theological debate (it had nothing to do with the big bang or evolution), but rather than addressing my point directly, he chose to conveniently switch the topic in a futile attempt to discredit my faith. It went something like this:

Cousin: "Well uh remember when you believed evolution and the Bible are both true? That was so ridiculous lol."

Me: "Um, I don't see how that relates to our discussion, but to answer your question, I actually still believe that."

Cousin: "Whaaaat? Uh the Bible says God created the universe in six days. So I guess God's word isn't good enough for you."

Me: "There are multiple ways to interpret the Genesis account of creation. It doesn't make sense to ignore the overwhelming evidence for evolution in order to cling to a narrow interpretation of the text. Personally, I interpret it as a parable concerning the relationship between God and man."

Cousin: "Lol well a few hundred years ago nobody believed that. You're just reinterpreting the Bible to fit with whatever a bunch of atheist scientists say."

Me: "Actually, it was commonly held amongst Jewish scholars hundreds and even thousands of years ago that Genesis 1:1 through the beginning of chapter two is a form of poetry. Obviously, it wasn't a problem 1,500 years ago to believe that God created the entire universe in six literal, 24-hour days; that was well before the development of modern cosmology and biology."

Cousin: "Lol whatever dude, I'm not going to argue with you. I'll just be praying for you."

As a result of conversations such as these, I cannot help but feel vastly superior in every respect to people who chose to believe that the universe is only 6,000 years old. They are proles. One would think that I could emphasize with them, having once held the same belief. The difference is that I changed my mind once presented with the evidence.

Sure, it is possible that God created the universe in six literal days. He could have created the universe in such a way that it appears to be at least 13.7 billion years old. To make it even more convincing, He could have created pulsars, white dwarfs, and black holes - the remnants of dead stars. He could have made light 13.7 billion light-years away appear instantly on the surface of the earth. He could have created a fake fossil record.

I actually have family members and friends who believe that. They prefer to distort and ignore reality rather than face up to it. It is all very convenient. In the process, however, I would argue that they are choosing to follow a god of their own making, which is idolatry. The Bible clearly states that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 6:18). And yet, they claim to believe in a being that demands faith in a very specific explanation of how the universe came to be, while also creating overwhelming evidence to contradict it. That is not a very rational god - certainly not the God I know.
Click to expand...
I don't feel superior to them. Anyone is entitled to believe what ever they want. What they are not entitled to do is to force me to practice, interpret or teach science according to their non-scientific beliefs.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
I don't feel superior to them. Anyone is entitled to believe what ever they want. What they are not entitled to do is to force me to practice, interpret or teach science according to their non-scientific beliefs.
Click to expand...

Nope, sorry. Anyone who thinks God put fossils in the ground to "test our faith" is a prole. It is absurd, and whether you'll admit it or not, you also believe you are superior to them.
 
General Burnside said:
Nope, sorry. Anyone who thinks God put fossils in the ground to "test our faith" is a prole. It is absurd, and whether you'll admit it or not, you also believe you are superior to them.
Click to expand...
I guess that depends on the context in which you mean "superior". Do I think I am superior in my reasoning facultities to people who cling blindly to faith and superstition. I guess I do to be honest with you. Do I believe I am superior to them in worth and dignity as a human being, no I most certainly do not.
 
General Burnside said:
Although I am a Christian, I also believe in the current scientific explanation for the origin of life and the universe; I reject the notion that the two are incompatible. Over the years, numerous surveys have shown that a majority of scientists - including natural scientists - believe in some form of higher power. Science neither proves nor disproves God.

Many of my family members and friends prefer to remain ignorant, however. Recently, one of my cousins and I engaged in a theological debate (it had nothing to do with the big bang or evolution), but rather than addressing my point directly, he chose to conveniently switch the topic in a futile attempt to discredit my faith. It went something like this:

Cousin: "Well uh remember when you believed evolution and the Bible are both true? That was so ridiculous lol."

Me: "Um, I don't see how that relates to our discussion, but to answer your question, I actually still believe that."

Cousin: "Whaaaat? Uh the Bible says God created the universe in six days. So I guess God's word isn't good enough for you."

Me: "There are multiple ways to interpret the Genesis account of creation. It doesn't make sense to ignore the overwhelming evidence for evolution in order to cling to a narrow interpretation of the text. Personally, I interpret it as a parable concerning the relationship between God and man."

Cousin: "Lol well a few hundred years ago nobody believed that. You're just reinterpreting the Bible to fit with whatever a bunch of atheist scientists say."

Me: "Actually, it was commonly held amongst Jewish scholars hundreds and even thousands of years ago that Genesis 1:1 through the beginning of chapter two is a form of poetry. Obviously, it wasn't a problem 1,500 years ago to believe that God created the entire universe in six literal, 24-hour days; that was well before the development of modern cosmology and biology."

Cousin: "Lol whatever dude, I'm not going to argue with you. I'll just be praying for you."

As a result of conversations such as these, I cannot help but feel vastly superior in every respect to people who chose to believe that the universe is only 6,000 years old. They are proles. One would think that I could emphasize with them, having once held the same belief. The difference is that I changed my mind once presented with the evidence.

Sure, it is possible that God created the universe in six literal days. He could have created the universe in such a way that it appears to be at least 13.7 billion years old. To make it even more convincing, He could have created pulsars, white dwarfs, and black holes - the remnants of dead stars. He could have made light 13.7 billion light-years away appear instantly on the surface of the earth. He could have created a fake fossil record.

I actually have family members and friends who believe that. They prefer to distort and ignore reality rather than face up to it. It is all very convenient. In the process, however, I would argue that they are choosing to follow a god of their own making, which is idolatry. The Bible clearly states that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 6:18). And yet, they claim to believe in a being that demands faith in a very specific explanation of how the universe came to be, while also creating overwhelming evidence to contradict it. That is not a very rational god - certainly not the God I know.
Click to expand...

It's all in the interpretation. There are studies pointing to a major catastrophe approximately 10 or 12 thousand years ago. The flood? If almost all of mankind was wiped out then the story may start there even though there were people before that time.

Just saying.
 
apple0154 said:
It's all in the interpretation. There are studies pointing to a major catastrophe approximately 10 or 12 thousand years ago. The flood? If almost all of mankind was wiped out then the story may start there even though there were people before that time.

Just saying.
Click to expand...
No disrespect intended but from a purely scientific view point I fail to see the relevence of your comment.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
I guess that depends on the context in which you mean "superior". Do I think I am superior in my reasoning facultities to people who cling blindly to faith and superstition. I guess I do to be honest with you. Do I believe I am superior to them in worth and dignity as a human being, no I most certainly do not.
Click to expand...

That is precisely what I meant. I still love my family and friends who believe in that BS, and many of them are better people than myself. Nevertheless, I am more intelligent than them. They may have equal abilities, but they choose to be stupid.
 
General Burnside said:
That is precisely what I meant. I still love my family and friends who believe in that BS, and many of them are better people than myself. Nevertheless, I am more intelligent than them. They may have equal abilities, but they choose to be stupid.
Click to expand...
That's life but be fair. There are probably other areas in which we choose to be stupid too. Take women for example. I'm pretty damned stupid when it comes to women, then again, most men are.
 
apple0154 said:
It's all in the interpretation. There are studies pointing to a major catastrophe approximately 10 or 12 thousand years ago. The flood? If almost all of mankind was wiped out then the story may start there even though there were people before that time.

Just saying.
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly, there is evidence that a massive flood occurred in the region of Mesopotamia around that time. I believe that is where the idea of the "global" flood originated, and it is interesting to note that virtually every human culture was their own account of a massive deluge - even isolated cultures such as the Mayans.

Much of the Bible is written from the perspective of men (which is why many passages seem to imply that the world is flat, for example), so when the Bible says that the waters covered the whole world, it is probably referring to the world known to them at the time. Those are my thoughts on the matter, anyway. I'm not by any means an expert on geology but I don't think it is possible that a flood covered the entire earth. Where did the water come from, and where did it go as the waters receded? Biblical literalists have come up with some pretty colorful ideas to support it, such as the vapor canopy, but none of these would work in the real world.
 
General Burnside said:
If only that were true....

http://www.gallup.com/poll/145286/Four-Americans-Believe-Strict-Creationism.aspx
Click to expand...
poll is worthless.....of the three options offered, they ask which is the CLOSEST to what you believe....only one speaks of God creating....even though I don't believe in a young earth the only option I could choose which is the closest to what I believe is number 3.....

the people who wrote the poll and anyone who quotes it are fucking idiots.....(particularly people from this board, because that's been pointed out three or four times already that I can remember).....
 
I find it astounding that they cannot fathom the idea that an Omnipotent God could oh... make billions of years of evolution and geological change happen in "six days" so they argue instead the Satan drops fake "aged" dinosaur bones for us to find...

Guh...

I mean, really?
 
PostmodernProphet said:
I expect they're about as prevalent as atheists and equally mistaken......
Click to expand...
Well that's hard to say. We don't know for a fact that either athiest or those who believe in a diety (God) are either right or wrong. Neither position can be proven. However young earth creationism is demonstrably wrong and they represent around 35 to 45% of the general population in the US.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top