While on a date at our local bookshop, my wife and I settled into comfy chairs and did some reading. Always interested in what God is doing in other branches of Christianity, I picked up "Credo for Today ~ What Christians Believe". I am a Christian, so I generally like books which talk about what I and my fellow Christians believe. This book was written by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI of the Roman Catholic Church. It seemed to be an exposition on the Creeds of the Roman Catholic Church.
The first thing I turned to was the index. I skimmed down to something which I would find interesting. I flipped to Chapter 3, which is titled "Creation: Belief in Creation and the Theory of Evolution". I was expecting to discover a contrast made between the belief that Christians hold and the theory of evolution. For those of you familiar with my blog, you'll remember that I hold that God literally created the world and believe in a young earth model. I am a Creationist. I was shocked to discover that Cardinal Ratzinger was not affirming the biblical account of creation, but was seeking to reconcile it with a man-made theory. In the short read I had of the chapter, I learned that he dismissed the importance of how God created the world. His emphasis, instead, was that God created the world. He believed (and asserted that all Christians believed) that it doesn't matter if God created the world in the way He said He did, it only matters that He created it. I think this has a profound significance on one's view of God and how that God reveals Himself. If God reveals Himself in falsehood, is he a good God? So, from the first chapter I read, I disagreed with the pope. This was not looking good.
I read on. I was looking for something with which I could agree. I turned back to the index. I saw that there was a chapter entitled "Jesus: The Only Begotten Son of God". At last! A chapter I thought I could agree with. Five pages devoted to our savior. Then I noticed the next chapter, which is entitled: "Incarnate of the Virgin Mary: 'You Are Full of Grace'". This particular chapter was 19 pages. Five pages for the savior, 19 pages for his mom. I decided to put down this book. I'd need to look somewhere else to find something on the topic of "What Christians Believe".
Showing posts with label L - Creationist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label L - Creationist. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
on the label "Creationist"
The label, "creationist", is usually used to denote opposition to another label, "evolutionist". The first believes that God created the world and sustains it. The latter believes that the world came to exist through millions of years of random chance occurances. There are also numerous hybrid views (i.e. that God started the world millions of years ago and has guided random chance). What I will describe in this post is a very conservative view of a "creationist" (as I happen to be).
The book of Genesis gives the bible's account for how the world came to be in its first few chapters. It says clearly that God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:
1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
If God created it, then the question comes, did it take millions of years? The bible talks about it taking God 6 days to create the world and all that is in it, and that he rested on the 7th.
[G 1:5b]...And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
[G 1:8b]...And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
[G 1:13]And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
[G 1:19]And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
[G 1:23]And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
[G 1:31b]...And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
[G 2:2]And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
Some take these days to be figurative... that they refer to longer periods of time than 1 day (like thousands or millions of years each). They might even cite the bible for this claim, using 2 Peter:
2 Peter 3:
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
My objection to such a claim is a logical argument as follows. I'll demonstrate by having a conversation between a young earth model creationist (YEM, who believes that God created the world about about 6000 years ago) and an old earth model creationist (OEM, who agrees that God created the world, yet believes the world is millions of years old).
YEM: Hey, how's it goin'?
OEM: Great!
YEM: So, what are the wages of sin?
OEM: That's an odd question to jump right into...
YEM: Well, I'm trying to prove a point for a blog post.
OEM: So this is a made up conversation? Why don't you just get to the point?
YEM: OK, answer my question, what are the wages of sin?
OEM: The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord - Romans 6:23.
YEM: So, death is a result of sin, correct?
OEM: Yes. That would make sense with the command of God to Adam in Eden. He commanded Adam to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because "in the day that you [Adam] eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17.
YEM: So, what was the first sin committed?
OEM: The very thing God commanded Adam not to do: he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He disobeyed God.
YEM: So, if the first sin committed was committed by Adam, and death is a result of sin, how could there be millions of years of organisms living, dying, and reproducing, if Adam had not yet sinned?
OEM: hmmm...
My objection to millions of years of evolution (even if guided by God) is that it assumes millions of years of organisms evolving into higher life forms. A basic premise of evolution is survival of the fittest... the weak/old organisms die off. If death was in the world before Adam sinned, then we have to really consider the justice of God. How could he kill millions of organisms if nothing had yet been done wrong in the world? After all, God looked at all that he had created and said that it was very good (Genesis 1:31).
I know that this biblical view of creation doesn't quite fit with all the claims of scientists. They point to the fossil record. I see the fossil record and point to a universal flood in which God saved Noah and his family and 2 of every species which would repopulate the earth. I'd much rather believe what God has written (even if it sounds crazy) than to follow the whim of smart guys in lab coats. In the end, I cling to:
1 Corinthians 1:
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Applying the Label
I am a Creationist. I believe that God created the world as he tells us. I believe that God didn't have to use death to create life.
If I just dogmatically believed this, it would be a dry theology.
It means something because it tells me that God created Earth without death. I can look forward to heaven without death because death is not the natural way of things, it is a consequence of sin. I believe that God has done things the way He says He has done them because it gives me assurance that He will do things which are to come in the way that He tells us.
The book of Genesis gives the bible's account for how the world came to be in its first few chapters. It says clearly that God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:
1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
If God created it, then the question comes, did it take millions of years? The bible talks about it taking God 6 days to create the world and all that is in it, and that he rested on the 7th.
[G 1:5b]...And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
[G 1:8b]...And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
[G 1:13]And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
[G 1:19]And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
[G 1:23]And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
[G 1:31b]...And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
[G 2:2]And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
Some take these days to be figurative... that they refer to longer periods of time than 1 day (like thousands or millions of years each). They might even cite the bible for this claim, using 2 Peter:
2 Peter 3:
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
My objection to such a claim is a logical argument as follows. I'll demonstrate by having a conversation between a young earth model creationist (YEM, who believes that God created the world about about 6000 years ago) and an old earth model creationist (OEM, who agrees that God created the world, yet believes the world is millions of years old).
YEM: Hey, how's it goin'?
OEM: Great!
YEM: So, what are the wages of sin?
OEM: That's an odd question to jump right into...
YEM: Well, I'm trying to prove a point for a blog post.
OEM: So this is a made up conversation? Why don't you just get to the point?
YEM: OK, answer my question, what are the wages of sin?
OEM: The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord - Romans 6:23.
YEM: So, death is a result of sin, correct?
OEM: Yes. That would make sense with the command of God to Adam in Eden. He commanded Adam to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because "in the day that you [Adam] eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17.
YEM: So, what was the first sin committed?
OEM: The very thing God commanded Adam not to do: he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He disobeyed God.
YEM: So, if the first sin committed was committed by Adam, and death is a result of sin, how could there be millions of years of organisms living, dying, and reproducing, if Adam had not yet sinned?
OEM: hmmm...
My objection to millions of years of evolution (even if guided by God) is that it assumes millions of years of organisms evolving into higher life forms. A basic premise of evolution is survival of the fittest... the weak/old organisms die off. If death was in the world before Adam sinned, then we have to really consider the justice of God. How could he kill millions of organisms if nothing had yet been done wrong in the world? After all, God looked at all that he had created and said that it was very good (Genesis 1:31).
I know that this biblical view of creation doesn't quite fit with all the claims of scientists. They point to the fossil record. I see the fossil record and point to a universal flood in which God saved Noah and his family and 2 of every species which would repopulate the earth. I'd much rather believe what God has written (even if it sounds crazy) than to follow the whim of smart guys in lab coats. In the end, I cling to:
1 Corinthians 1:
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Applying the Label
I am a Creationist. I believe that God created the world as he tells us. I believe that God didn't have to use death to create life.
If I just dogmatically believed this, it would be a dry theology.
It means something because it tells me that God created Earth without death. I can look forward to heaven without death because death is not the natural way of things, it is a consequence of sin. I believe that God has done things the way He says He has done them because it gives me assurance that He will do things which are to come in the way that He tells us.
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