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To: metmom
I'd be more happy to show you proof, but it would probably take an hour to go thur some crevo threads and pinpoint 12 different posts by 12 different freepers attacking me as a non-Christian, and unfortunately I don't have the time right now because this "Darwinist" will be waking up early for church tomorrow.

There are some specific examples I've had with past posters that immediately come to mind.

One came up with a thread saying FR should have a religious code on profiles like the state pages, and list religious affiliation as "Darwinist" for the freepers who believe in evolution. There was a whole vanity thread about that. I actually gave him the belief of the doubt that he MIGHT be motivated to do so because he wanted to label atheists instead of Christian freepers who believe in evolution, but of course refused to answer whether he considered Catholics who believe in evolution to actually be members of the "Darwin" religion and therefore was requested the mods label them as such. I gave up and left that thread.

Another time a freeper "explained" to me that I was "not a Christian", on the following logic: Christians believe in original sin. If one believes in evolution, then one would presume Adam & Eve had ancestors, therefore they couldn't have been the first sinners and original sin couldn't have occurred with them being cast out of Eden. Interesting theory, though I think just a way to justify their bigotry. It would be like me saying Baptists can't be Christian since Jesus explictly says in the bible that the last supper consists of HIS blood (and makes it clear on this point he's not just being "poetic", since the apostles are repulsed by the idea), and yet baptists deny this teaching of Christ and say the wine is "only a symbol".

And yet another freeper simply pointed that all Catholics are not Christians, we're all a "medieval invention" (apparently all the pre-medeval references to the Catholic church in history, dating back to 168 A.D., were forgeries?) and we worship the Pope, not Jesus, and the fact some Catholics believe in "unbiblical evolution" just proves it even more.

That's at least three seperate posters claiming I'm not Christian, compared to the one you cited.

I find it interesting that all the creationist materials I've found seem to convey that everyone who believes in evolution is an atheist. Is that just a coincidence? For example look at the all the creationists here hailing Ben Stein's "Expelled" movie. In the film he interviews all kinds of scientists who are opposed to teaching intelligent design in the classroom -- and -- what an amazing coincidence -- every single one of them is a staunch atheist. Now, there just happen to be hundreds of Christian scientists who believe in evolution and oppose teaching intelligent design in the classroom, but wouldn't know it -- Ben Stein couldn't find even one of them to interview. Watching his documentary, you'd get the impression that anyone who opposes teaching intelligent design in the classroom is a millitant atheist. Hmmm. I wonder what his intent was?

I, of course, oppose teaching "intelligent design" in science classes (though I'd have no problem having it discussed in a philosophy or theology class). But if you wanted to know my personal beliefs about the origins the world, yes I absolutely believe a higher power is responsible for the creation of the universe, and I believe that higher power is God.

1,305 posted on 12/12/2009 10:52:24 PM PST by BillyBoy (Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: BillyBoy

Are you saying that as a Catholic, you don’t believe intelligence and design are behind the origin of life on Earth?

I know many Catholics personally, and not one of them removes God entirely from Creation. This is, in effect, intelligent design, otherwise known as theistic evolution, that I understand your church to accept. So, I don’t see the logic behind the resistance, from a religious standpoint.

I also don’t see the logic behind precluding any recognition, of the possiblity that an outside intelligence played a role in establishing life on Earth, from a scientific point of view.

Ruling out plausible theories, as to the origin of life on Earth, strikes me as not scientific, and indicates a bias borne of a priori assumptions.

You’re certainly free to believe as you choose. So long as you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son Of God, who died for our sins on the cross, and rose on the third day, and you sincerely repent of your sins, then everything else should ultimately fall into place as a result of that faith. So, anyone claiming that you are not Christian, if the above is true of you, is misguided, and is being excessively harsh. Salvation is what matters.

But, faith leads to seeing the world differently. I didn’t question evolutionary theory until after I became serious about my Christianity, having been raised in a home that was not at all opposed to religious belief, but only attended church on special occasions. I now won’t accept a belief that runs counter to the Word. Acceptance on faith leads to that conclusion, for many.

Was this world created 6,000 years ago? I don’t know, and the Bible itself does not make a specific claim, but sincere, fellow Christians of faith and good intent have made an attempt at calculating the age of Creation by counting generations, and that is what they determined, give or take, some saying up to 10,000 years.

On the other hand, is Creation hundreds of millions or even billions of years old? Without making backflips on translation, meaning and debating about whether a given passage is allegorical or literal, that is not supported by scripture, by any stretch. So, I’ll lean heavily toward a more recent Creation than current scientific assumptions indicate.

Does that invite the ridicule of the world, in the here and now? Obviously, it does. We see it frequently even here on Free Republic, but I’m ok with that ... to a point. The approval of the world seems to matter much more to some, than to others.

I’ll never believe that God and the Bible are ultimately in conflict with honest science, though. Even if the Biblical account of Creation is allegorical as some claim, I’m very dubious of the notion of allegory that does not represent truth. Evolutionary theory renders even allegorical interpretations misleading in many instances, That’s not of God, no matter how you interpret it.


1,316 posted on 12/12/2009 11:46:40 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: BillyBoy
 
(and makes it clear on this point he's not just being "poetic", since the apostles are repulsed by the idea)...
 
John 6:47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
John 6:48 I am the bread of life.
John 6:49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
John 6:50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.
John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
John 6:52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
John 6:54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
John 6:56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
John 6:57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
John 6:58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."
John 6:59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
John 6:60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
John 6:61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?
John 6:62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit [fn] and they are life.
John 6:64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
John 6:65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
John 6:66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
John 6:67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
They were 'repulsed' because they still did not understand that JESUS was the Messiah and this yearly reminder meal pointed to Him.
 
Matt 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
Matt 26:27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.
Matt 26:28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Matt 26:29 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
 
 
Then it jumps back from being HIS blood to being WINE really quickly.After all; is He going to drink his OWN blood?
 
 
 
 
Luke 24:13-34
 
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.
They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.
p>As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;
top>but they were kept from recognizing him.
 
He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast.
 
One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
 
"What things?" he asked.
 
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
 
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"
 
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
 
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther.
 
But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
 
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
 
They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

1,424 posted on 12/13/2009 11:06:37 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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