I appreciate the statistics from the CIA world fact book re: the percentage of Christians. However, I don’t agree with you that someone who pays their church tax to a particular denomination are Christians just because of it. I mean, they have to pay it, right? I’d look more at church attendance, or personal profession.
“If you are going to ignore the “details” of Scripture, as you recommend, which ones are you going to ignore?”
-In example statements about time, numbers and stuff like that.
“Your suggest I read the Bible. I suggest you believe it! All of it, that is. Apparently, you at least believe parts.”
-I believe into most parts.
This is where I challenge you. Why do you pick the parts you like and disregard the others? By what standard? Why would God tell the truth about some things and not others? Can God lie?
If He did not make the world in six days, then why did He say that he did?
Again I recommend the bible. Peter said i.e. in his second letter:
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
This was said in another coherence of course, but it shows that God is not restricted to short periods or explanations just that they are understandable for mankind. I am quite sure that all those time codes are just symbolic. The bible is no technical handbook to explain complex events like the evolution. If we check the Genesis on its basic statements we will find out that on one hand most of it correspond with the consolidated findings of modern science*. And I am not speaking about American "creation science" or whatever. On the other hand we are going see that all those things are shortened and not detailed. It is obvious that God does not see it as important to explain to us why he did this or that. It was important to him to give us the lesson with the tree of cognition.
The only standart to disregard some details of the bible and to focus on other things that are important is the wonderful brain that our Lord gave to us. He gifted us with the wonder of intelligence. We simply have to use it.
Therefore this funny show ("creation museum") in your country is a blind alley, since it is a complete contradiction to our assured knowlege.
* i.e. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth And the earth was without form, and void...
However, I don’t agree with you that someone who pays their church tax to a particular denomination are Christians just because of it. I mean, they have to pay it, right? I’d look more at church attendance, or personal profession.
They do not have to pay it if they are leaving the church. This is the reason why the church in Germany was loosing that many members in the recent years (those 28.3% that are unaffiliated or other). The people who are "offical" churchmembers here in Germany spend a average 500 Euros a year for their membership if they are taxpayers. 500 Euros are quite a sum to me for being a member in a club you are not interested in.
P.S. Have a nice pentecost over there. :)