In Reply to: Young earthers being an example? posted by Oldtimer on July 19, 2005 at 12:30:13:
Oldtimer.
Well, no. There are two different things there. I don't think somebody who
believes there is an Intelligent Creator is self delusional.
But I do think someone who believes the Earth to be only 5-8 thousands of
years old is. There is just too much evidence pointing towards Billions of
years.
In the same way that I believe the Earth orbits the Sun despite my not
having been into space, I accept the evidence that our beautiful planet,
however it was created, is billions of years old.
What do I believe ? Well I believe that the Earth was created approx 4.57
billion years ago by accretion. Wether or not there is intelligence behind
that event is another matter.
Personally I believe there is a God, and accepting scientific evidence for
me doesn't pose a problem in that belief. Quite the oppersite. Faith and
reason are not a conflict for me. But they seem to be for some
conservatiive Christians who believe the Bible is the literal truth as
dictated by God.
I started reading about evolution about the same time as I started reading
the Bible. On the one hand was detailed research, fossel records, DNA
analysis and a theory accepted by the Scientific community, on the other a
book that described the incestous decendants of Adam and Eve living for
hundeds and hundreds of years, Noah was, what, 500-700 years old when he
built the ark ?
I choose to believe the former, but if somebody chooses to believe the
latter, then fine.
Do I believe in Original Darwinism ? No I think Darwin got alot wrong,
it's accepted in the world of Biology and field of evolution that he did.
However since then much work has been done on evolution. Modern Darwinism
is Darwinism + Weismannism + Fisherism + Hamiltonism, it's not conclusive,
but the evidence convinces me. And again it doesn't disprove the existance
of God for me, though it does contradict the literal Biblical explanation
of creation.