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So, Neanderthal was created before Adam? I don’t recall them in genesis.
Yup. Adam was not a Neanderthal man nor a Cro-Magnon man. You don't recall them in genesis because Genesis is not a literal account of the creation. If it works for you to believe God literally grabbed a wad of dirt, made a man out of it and then yanked a rib out of that man to make a woman, go for it. I, for one, certainly don't think that belief is going to make God love you any less or keep you from returning to Him someday.
Actually, I guess I'm not entirely speechless, just kind of at a loss as to how to respond. I'll just make a couple of comments. I don't see a "magical element" in my beliefs as much as a recognition that my finite mind cannot possibly grasp how certain things might be possible, even though I have no good explanation for them. I look at my four little pets. None of them are stupid, by any means. Sometimes I think my Mini-Australian Shepherd is catching up to me. But seriously, as a human being, I am so far ahead of my fur-babies in terms of my intelligence and understanding of the universe that it's not even funny. I can't help but believe that my pets' intelligence and knowledge is to my intelligence and knowledge much like my intelligence and knowledge is to God's.
No, I don't believe everything the Bible has to say, and for a long time, I was really conflicted over that. Fortunately, I was raised by parents who taught me that I didn't need to just buy into everything I ever heard taught in a church setting. I was encouraged to question and was never made to be afraid to doubt. I do believe very, very, very strongly in God, and I have come to the conclusion that the things I actually am able to say "I know this is true" about are the things I believe God has "told me" are true. (And no, I really can't explain what I mean by that.) There are a lot of things I simply don't believe and there are even more things that I've just put on the back shelf for the time being, since they really aren't all that important in the end.
But thanks for the warm welcome. I'd have to agree that, for the most part, Team Agnostic is made up of a pretty decent group of people.
My faith was based solely on the Bible being the inerrant word of god. I really can’t understand how anyone can continue having faith otherwise. I understand many people just want to believe for eternal sake, but why hang ones hat on a flawed book about a tyrannical god?
My faith was based solely on the Bible being the inerrant word of god. I really can’t understand how anyone can continue having faith otherwise. I understand many people just want to believe for eternal sake, but why hang ones hat on a flawed book about a tyrannical god?
That's my thought, too. It's almost like keeping Jesus in there somewhere gives security. I call it death insurance. A just-in-case to plea in heaven or something.
I see this a lot. I'm not just pointing out one person. "This, that and that from the Bible are just silly to believe, come on...WHO could even believe THAT...idiots...oh, I'm totally a Christian, though." What?
Why would it be so scary to say: "You know, I believe some of what's in the Bible feels right, the stuff that's in pretty much every religious text from around the world, but I don't really follow one official religion"? I think that's terrifying to a lot of Westerners. Deep, deep down, it's in there...from childhood on we were told we'd go to hell "without Jesus" and subconsciously, that threat remains terrifying. So...he's still stuck in there somewhere...even when people clearly do not believe Bronze Age texts from the Middle East.
Actually, I guess I'm not entirely speechless, just kind of at a loss as to how to respond. I'll just make a couple of comments. I don't see a "magical element" in my beliefs as much as a recognition that my finite mind cannot possibly grasp how certain things might be possible, even though I have no good explanation for them. I look at my four little pets. None of them are stupid, by any means. Sometimes I think my Mini-Australian Shepherd is catching up to me. But seriously, as a human being, I am so far ahead of my fur-babies in terms of my intelligence and understanding of the universe that it's not even funny. I can't help but believe that my pets' intelligence and knowledge is to my intelligence and knowledge much like my intelligence and knowledge is to God's.
No, I don't believe everything the Bible has to say, and for a long time, I was really conflicted over that. Fortunately, I was raised by parents who taught me that I didn't need to just buy into everything I ever heard taught in a church setting. I was encouraged to question and was never made to be afraid to doubt. I do believe very, very, very strongly in God, and I have come to the conclusion that the things I actually am able to say "I know this is true" about are the things I believe God has "told me" are true. (And no, I really can't explain what I mean by that.) There are a lot of things I simply don't believe and there are even more things that I've just put on the back shelf for the time being, since they really aren't all that important in the end.
But thanks for the warm welcome. I'd have to agree that, for the most part, Team Agnostic is made up of a pretty decent group of people.
My faith was based solely on the Bible being the inerrant word of god. I really can’t understand how anyone can continue having faith otherwise. I understand many people just want to believe for eternal sake, but why hang ones hat on a flawed book about a tyrannical god?
That's fine. I don't believe the Bible to be inerrant nor does the Bible even claim to be inerrant. I can assure you, though, that it's very easy for me to have faith, despite recognizing that every time human hands have touched the scripture, whether it be to record, preserve, transcribe, copy or translate it, there is the potential for human error. As a matter of fact, I can't imagine not having faith nor can I even begin to wrap my mind around the possibility that there is no God. I have actually tried to be "open-minded" enough to at least consider it, but it just doesn't work for me.
That's my thought, too. It's almost like keeping Jesus in there somewhere gives security. I call it death insurance. A just-in-case to plea in heaven or something.
I see this a lot. I'm not just pointing out one person. "This, that and that from the Bible are just silly to believe, come on...WHO could even believe THAT...idiots...oh, I'm totally a Christian, though." What?
Why would it be so scary to say: "You know, I believe some of what's in the Bible feels right, the stuff that's in pretty much every religious text from around the world, but I don't really follow one official religion"? I think that's terrifying to a lot of Westerners. Deep, deep down, it's in there...from childhood on we were told we'd go to hell "without Jesus" and subconsciously, that threat remains terrifying. So...he's still stuck in there somewhere...even when people clearly do not believe Bronze Age texts from the Middle East.
Jesus has been fashioned by Christianity, unintentionally I believe, into a weapon of psychological warfare.
Except that if I were in the bar, I'd have to be wearing a disguise!
We could order you a sparkling water?
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I'm speechless. 
But seriously, as a human being, I am so far ahead of my fur-babies in terms of my intelligence and understanding of the universe that it's not even funny. I can't help but believe that my pets' intelligence and knowledge is to my intelligence and knowledge much like my intelligence and knowledge is to God's. 
