They say that it is good to explore a question as a way to learn. It can be even better, if that posed question is your own question. The discussions in July of 2009 in the College and Career class of First United Methodist Church of Dublin, Ga. began with this idea in mind.
After a day of introductory material, the class was asked to present their own questions. This booklet is an attempt to condense those Q&A pairs into something to keep and as something to pass on to others who might have similar questions.
Below you will find links to each question of the 12Q curriculum, as well as an description of the Intro Day.
#1: Six-Day Theory, Something Prior?
#3: Differences in Genesis 1 and 2?
#5: How should the Bible be interpreted?
#6: What about the Grand Canyon?
#7: What did the flood change?
#8: Does evolution affect faith?
#9: What point in time did incest become wrong?
#11: How does Sunlight hit us this fast?
#12: Is there other life in space?
- The Message of the Intro Day -
The Evolutionary Model depends, in great part, on faith. Similarly, anyone who believes what the Bible has to say, namely that there is a compassionate creator God, must also depend on faith. What is a model?
When we look back, trying to reconstruct what might have happened in the past in a scientific way, there are many components. All of them together can be thought of as a model. Can scientific theories be a part? Yes. Can the proven Laws of Science be part? Yes, they can, also. What must be kept in mind, however, is that models also include wishes, hopes, and dreams. Scientists prefer these deceptive synonyms, however:
Assumptions, presuppositions, hypotheses.
On the other hand, we might as well be honest and call them “beliefs.”
I, as a Christian and a “young-Earth Creationist,” am on equal ground after all. I just honestly use the words “faith” and “belief,” while non-believers hide behind these other words – words which mean the same thing.
- The Point of Intro Day? -
The point for you, as a searching mind, is simple: The debate is not a scientific one. It is a religious issue. Your beliefs are just as legitimate as those of any scientist. The problem is that many a professor or scientist will tell his or her tale as if it is proven science throughout. IT IS NOT! (Also, keep in mind that there are many PhD scientists who believe in the Creator God of the Bible. In fact, there are many who believe in the literal six day creation, in the literal world wide flood of Genesis, and believe that the universe is young.)
Please, don’t expect any dyed-in-the-wool evolutionist to confess that they “believe in evolution” in a religious sense, in spite of the indications that they do, indeed, have a religious sort of faith in it. On the other hand, many Christian scientists do mix evolution with their belief in God – a god who uses evolution as part of his creative process. For the most part, their personal feeling that they need to accept the billions-of-years-time-frame may be the reason. They say, “Most scientists believe” that the universe and the Earth are billions of years old.” Currently, that belief is more often stated this way: “Scientists agree that our universe is that old.” That way it doesn’t sound as much like, uh, faith!
There is a simple key to this tough issue: Did the Mabbul [mah bool] (the Genesis Flood) happen? If it did happen as described in the Bible, it created the Geologic Column, but not in 1.5 billions of years! No, instead, it produced most of the sedimentary layers in about 375 days. All ancient civilizations document this event, too; the Bible is just one of over 200 varied versions.
