Questions for evolution believers

[Eli1]

22 minutes ago, other one said:

Well, that's what science is all about....   Well  it looks like it happened this way and way too many take it as some kind of a law.   And it sticks until  someone shows it's wrong.

 

 

How about God made this big ball of animals.....    pinch off a piece and change a few thousand genes and you got a horse.   Pinch off another piece and change some  DNA and you have a  cow.    On and ON.    He was kind of in a hurry that day you know.

Yeah, that's what science is all about, and it changes because we are wrong. 

The promise of God and Jesus doesn't change so a lot of people (myself included) take comfort in this promise but how we approach God does in no way mean we don't love God. 

All these so-called differences in denominations and interpretations i see them as all correct because everyone is trying to show their love for God. 

The problem is with a "my way or the highway" mindset. 

God has no limits so if He chose us to create us through evolution, or through a literal 6-day creation this doesn't change the promise of God and my beliefs. 

It's only a question of How. So it's difficult to get How answers from the Bible because it's a spiritual book not a technical book. 

[other one]

2 minutes ago, Eli1 said:

Yeah, that's what science is all about, and it changes because we are wrong. 

The promise of God and Jesus doesn't change so a lot of people (myself included) take comfort in this promise but how we approach God does in no way mean we don't love God. 

All these so-called differences in denominations and interpretations i see them as all correct because everyone is trying to show their love for God. 

The problem is with a "my way or the highway" mindset. 

God has no limits so if He chose us to create us through evolution, or through a literal 6-day creation this doesn't change the promise of God and my beliefs. 

It's only a question of How. So it's difficult to get How answers from the Bible because it's a spiritual book not a technical book. 

I've tried to convince my brother that the Bible  is not a science book for decades.

[FreeGrace]

1 hour ago, Eli1 said:

@FreeGrace i hate repeating things i said to the previous person but in regards to How questions, that's why we ask right? We want to know and understand How God has created us.

But when God hasn't provided the details (answers) why bother asking?  Who has the truth but God alone?

1 hour ago, Eli1 said:

Also, is there a salvation topic here? I'm sure there it, being a Protestant forum and all. Can you recommend me to one?

The specific folder is "soteriology".  There are many threads.  

What do the Orthodox teach about how to be saved and avoid the Lake of Fire?

[Eli1]

2 minutes ago, FreeGrace said:

But when God hasn't provided the details (answers) why bother asking?  Who has the truth but God alone?

The specific folder is "soteriology".  There are many threads.  

What do the Orthodox teach about how to be saved and avoid the Lake of Fire?

Can i invite you to a discussion i'm having with Sparks regarding Salvation?

[FreeGrace]

29 minutes ago, Eli1 said:

Can i invite you to a discussion i'm having with Sparks regarding Salvation?

Certainly.   

[Eli1]

3 minutes ago, FreeGrace said:

Certainly.   

I added you but i also posted here: 

 Maybe we can continue there too so we don't repeat ourselves.

[RV_Wizard]

11 hours ago, Eli1 said:

What an odd question.

A Creator has all the right and means to create us through evolution and judge us.

The limit is only in your mind and worldview.  

Indeed.  Creation would be as great a miracle if He had used evolution.  However, that would mean:

Death and sin did not come into the world through Adam,

The Great Flood never happened, and Jesus, who referenced the flood, was in on a con,

Jesus would have no reason to come to earth, be crucified for our sins or rise again.

Marriage would mean nothing,

There would only be nine commandments, and no particular reason to obey any of them.  God would have no more right to judge us for our actions that to judge a dog for its actions or an ape for its actions.  Each is merely a more evolved version of a daffodil.  None were created in the image of God, none were responsible for the knowledge of good and evil.

Why would He judge us differently than the ape who birthed us?

[Michael37]

11 hours ago, Eli1 said:

You also have free-will to believe that the Bible fell from the sky. 

@Eli1 Enough of this strawman argument. It amounts to an insult, so not in keeping with Worthy Terms of Service.

[Tristen]

16 hours ago, RV_Wizard said:

These questions aren't intended to target non-believers so much as those who are weak in faith because the constant barrage of secularism and naturalism leads them away from God and toward the conformity of a disbelieving world.  The non-believer has no problem with things like evolution or a 13 billion year old earth because it doesn't conflict with non-belief.  They don't question the nature of God because they reject the notion of His existence or His authority.  The non-believers see our disunity as a validation that Christians can't even agree on what their own Bible teaches.  How can it have authority over them?  While we should be ambassadors of our Father, showing them love and inviting them to be saved, they see us disassembling the Bible and undermining the authority of God.

Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism and evolution are all religions.  You accept them by faith.  Our religion is Christianity because we believe in the one true God who sent His son to die for our sins, and who rose again on the third day.  Other religions contradict each other.  Catholicism is a Christian religion, Islam is not.  Christ based religions and Judaism teach the Ten Commandments.  Evolution is incompatible with the fourth commandment, most of Genesis and the very reason Christ was sacrificed on the cross.  Evolution and Christianity are at odds with one another.  Both cannot be true.  One says God is the ultimate authority, the other sees God as a bit player if He does exist, taking credit for a six day creation that took him billions of years.

I think the only way to believe in the Bible and evolution is to have a complete understanding of neither.  So by what standard does one choose to take the authority of evolution over the authority of God's word?  How does one justify both contradictory beliefs?  If the Bible is not true and not God's word, then what good is it?

Having debated many Christians who are long-age advocates, they have found a range of varied and imaginative ways to reconcile long-ages with scripture. The argument in your opening post assumes they have rejected the authority of scripture. Whilst I do not want to presume to speak for them, I think I can say with confidence that they would consider this a misrepresentation of their position.

That means, by implication, that most of your argument does not apply to them.

For example, your first question: "What would give a God who did NOT create us in His image; who just watched us evolve over billions of years, the right to judge us? "

However, the Christian who believes in long-ages would claim that the Bible indeed teaches that we are created in God's "image". Therefore, this "question" does not apply to their position.

 

"After all, if a lion kills a hyena and takes his prey without consequence, what stops me from killing you and taking your stereo?  If we are merely evolved apes, then the predominant law is survival of the fittest."

This is an argument about the existence and origins of morality. But a Bible believer considers morality to be a true, eternal, Bible-based standard. Therefore, this is a misrepresentation (or misunderstanding) of the position of those Christians who subscribe to long-ages.

Nevertheless, the existence and origin of morality is a perfectly valid point to raise with a non-believer. 

The appropriate question for the (long-age believing) Christian would be: "How do you reconcile the plain reading of Genesis with your long-age stance?". The answer to that question will take you down a different path of argument then the one you have presented here. In my experience, the argument will then become about appropriate methods of hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) and their implications for sound doctrine.

I won't go through the rest of your OP, but if you re-read it, the overall argument suggests an inherent disrespect and disregard for scripture - which the long-age believing Christian would contest.

 

 

[Tristen]

4 hours ago, RV_Wizard said:

Death and sin did not come into the world through Adam,

The Great Flood never happened, and Jesus, who referenced the flood, was in on a con,

Jesus would have no reason to come to earth, be crucified for our sins or rise again.

Because ...

4 hours ago, RV_Wizard said:

None were created in the image of God, none were responsible for the knowledge of good and evil.

These are better points to raise with a Christian believer who tries to squeeze Genesis into their long-age belief.