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1) Have any of you ever looked into a basic biology book of recent (post 2000 at the least...) vintage and read, with an open mind, the parts about how Evolution and subsequent biological diversity, are now known to work?
2) Have you then compared those ideas with the story provided in the bible, as to the plausibility of both optional stories?
3) Then concluded, even in your own private mind, that the biological means and it's ongoing new supporting evidence, is far more believable than the olden tymes mythical version?
And if so, what did you eventually conclude?
I'm just honestly curious as I wind down my years-long diatribes against the seeming intransigence demo'd so happily here. In other words, is there hope for man's final intellectual salvation.
1) Have any of you ever looked into a basic biology book of recent (post 2000 at the least...) vintage and read, with an open mind, the parts about how Evolution and subsequent biological diversity, are now known to work?
2) Have you then compared those ideas with the story provided in the bible, as to the plausibility of both optional stories?
3) Then concluded, even in your own private mind, that the biological means and it's ongoing new supporting evidence, is far more believable than the olden tymes mythical version?
And if so, what did you eventually conclude?
I'm just honestly curious as I wind down my years-long diatribes against the seeming intransigence demo'd so happily here. In other words, is there hope for man's final intellectual salvation.
Not exactly. When I was a "devout Christian" and took the old testament bible stories literally, I did read a book called, "The Language of God", by Francis Collins, who headed the Human Genome Project and who is also a Christian. I came away from that book open to learning about evolution and began reading online. I did come to the conclusion that evolution was believable, yes.
Another book that was an important read for me was, "Thank God for Evolution", by Michael Dowd, although that was something I read later on, after I'd already left Christianity. But if you're looking for books that speak to Christians about evolution but are NOT intended to deconvert them from Christianity, both of the ones I mentioned are good, in my opinion anyway.
1) Have any of you ever looked into a basic biology book of recent (post 2000 at the least...) vintage and read, with an open mind, the parts about how Evolution and subsequent biological diversity, are now known to work?
2) Have you then compared those ideas with the story provided in the bible, as to the plausibility of both optional stories?
3) Then concluded, even in your own private mind, that the biological means and it's ongoing new supporting evidence, is far more believable than the olden tymes mythical version?
And if so, what did you eventually conclude?
I'm just honestly curious as I wind down my years-long diatribes against the seeming intransigence demo'd so happily here. In other words, is there hope for man's final intellectual salvation.
I am really happy to hear you are "winding down" your "diatribes"
It will be so much better for you to conserve you energy for the more important things in your life right now
I do not believe I fall into the group of Christians you address this and most of your posts to, so my answers will not interest you I'm sure.
But yes, of course, I have read many biology books over the span of my lifetime. And yes, I have read the Bible.
I just personally do not find that one contradicts the other.
There is plenty of room in my mind for belief and faith in God and belief and understanding of science.
I think of you often Rifleman and do hope you are feeling better than expected.
I'm just honestly curious as I wind down my years-long diatribes against the seeming intransigence demo'd so happily here. In other words, is there hope for man's final intellectual salvation.
I think there is hope for humanity's intellectual integrity. It's a long-term hope and I don't expect to see it fulfilled in my lifetime.
I think though that if you look at the totality of the past 1,000 years you can definitely see the handwriting on the wall -- a geometrically expanding tsunami of scientific knowledge and theists pretty much panicking and circling the wagons as their unquestioned hegemony / societal free pass steadily erodes.
I think it'll take another 1,000 years for religion to be thoroughly marginalized and I'm not sure I ever want it to totally go away as we rationalists probably need it in some form to keep us on our toes. Every time religion surges and gains ground, in such a world, it'd ultimately be in reaction to science and technology being applied non-holistically and with unintended consequences and providing religion with the opportunity to offer some bogus alternative.
1) Have any of you ever looked into a basic biology book of recent (post 2000 at the least...) vintage and read, with an open mind, the parts about how Evolution and subsequent biological diversity, are now known to work?
Yes.
Quote:
2) Have you then compared those ideas with the story provided in the bible, as to the plausibility of both optional stories?
Yes.
Quote:
3) Then concluded, even in your own private mind, that the biological means and it's ongoing new supporting evidence, is far more believable than the olden tymes mythical version?
I've compared them, yes...but no, I don't believe that what is termed as "science" today really negates the Biblical Creation account.
Quote:
And if so, what did you eventually conclude?
I'm just honestly curious as I wind down my years-long diatribes against the seeming intransigence demo'd so happily here. In other words, is there hope for man's final intellectual salvation.
In other words, is there hope for man's final intellectual salvation.
There is always hope.
However, one glance at the POC board where intellectuals are treated as some sort of lower life form tells us that knowledge is not valued among a certain type of American. The American far-right Christian conservatives truly will cling to their guns and their religion. They won't seek higher education. Heaven forbid should they read something that interferes with what they've been taught since childhood in Sunday School. They won't even go to a Woody Allen movie for pity's sake. Besides reaching for knowledge is difficult. Learning is hard work. It also makes people question their values and beliefs. Which is, of course, considered a dangerous thing to do if you're sitting in church with a Colt strapped to your leg singing "Shall We Gather At The River?"
Oddly enough, the answer to that question is, "yes". There is much to be discovered in the river. There are things in the river that open the mind and show us who we are and how we are each an integral part of a wonderful thing commonly known as Mother Nature. God might even be lurking there. Among the amoebas and the lichen and the wet and the dark.
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