i’m sure they refuse to “rub it in the faces” of their good buddy Atheist Evolutionists.
I am content that they don’t go out of their way to offend the Atheist Evolutionist camp.
I have already produced the chart that shows the overwhelming percentage of scientists
do not see God as participating in the evolutionary process.
So if BioLogos writers don’t want to aggravate the bulk of the scientific community,
I can accept that. I strongly encourage you to be more tolerant of this reality.
But I am not happy when they let Atheists bully Theists around on these boards.
I can understand BioLogos not wanting to aggravate the majority of the scientific community. But I don’t recall anything in Christian doctrine that says the views of a Christian should try not to “step on people’s toes”. In fact Jesus makes it quite clear that you will be HATED for what you profess to believe. Jesus wasn’t trying to win a popularity contest … He was claiming to profess truth. In any case, BioLogos could simple put it in their faith statement: We hold to the Christian doctrine that God is sovereign over all nature. And though certain things, like the weather, evolutionary processes, may seem random from a human perspective it is not random from God’s perspectives." <<< this statement says nothing about science, but boldly professes faith. You can’t make an organization dedicated to the harmonization of Christian Faith and Science without stepping on the toes, on occasion, of both sides.
It is sometimes a balancing act, because Jesus also says, “Be therefore wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.” <<< we have to do our best to not cause unnecessary offense that could become a stumbling block. But we also shouldn’t be afraid to speak the Truth, even if it’s unpopular.
As we have seen with the chart I have posted a few times, the GREAT MAJORITY of Americans already accept some form of evolution.
But a wopping +80% of the Scientific community doesn’t see a role for God at all.
@Eddie , while you are so worried about BioLogos not declaring God enough, the real problem is
with the Young Earther’s who already take an inflexible position.
It has been proven at the base level of reality, the state of a Quantum Mechanical System is UNKNOWABLE until the result is observed. It is fundamentally unknowable what particle is going to decay or change energy levels. There is just a probability with fundamental uncertainty - a wave function limited by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Relationship. This is the way reality works -every particle, every synapse in the brain, every photon in every star. The future is an unknown. The past is unchangeable. Reality only exist at the present moment.
George, you’re gonna have to be more specific here. The term “creationist” is such a confusing term that other things have to be attached to the word for the clarity. To a YEC a creationist means STRICTLY their particular viewpoint and nothing else. To I the people it means the creation of life fully formed (I call that Special Creationist for clarity). The way I use the word is much more broad … To me it simply means a person who believes God created all things, in whichever matter, He chose to do it in.
I ascribe to the latter view, but have to be more specific in saying that I’m NOT a special creationist.
In any case … I’m not sure what your charging me of? How is BioLogos, putting in their Faith Statement (remember it’s not strictly a science organization but a ministry too), “We believe that God is sovereign over all Nature. And though things like evolutionary processes may seem random to humans, they are not random to God.” … I have no idea why this would offend scientists, as it says nothing about science … It’s a statement of faith. The only scientists it would offend are those of the militant atheist variety … I’m not sure what you propose we do. Spray the Christian faith with perfume so it’s “acceptable” to the world at large, and offend the least amount of people as possible? If we are trying not to step on people’s toes then it becomes a much more political battle of political correctness. It’s never-ending, and often carries very little substance.
Does Richard Dawkins apologize for offending millions (if not billions) of people of faith? Why should BioLogos apologize for saying that we believe evolution is ONLY random from our perspective and not GOD’S? It does not offend atheism nor does it even offend science. Why is it so hard to just say what you believe? You don’t have to be antagonistic about the proclamation (that would sting like a snakes venom) … But neither do we need to tiptoe around the issue, implying one thing, yet meaning something else. That’s not being a light to the world … That’s being lukewarm.
Patrick, my point is simply this: putting the words I said as a statement of faith in BioLogos, for “fear of offense” is, to me, silly. It’s not contrary to science, and why should it matter if it offends people that don’t believe in it anyway?
I don’t wear colored T-shirts with a sub-conscience fear of offending people that are colorblind. Nor does one exercise at a gym with a sub-conscience fear of offending people that are overweight and don’t go to the gym.
I’m not sure why proclaiming God’s Sovereignty should be tiptoed around on a Christian site. That’s my only point. You can agree with it or disagree with it … But it seems many are just on the fence with it. Personally, I’m not sure why God’s Sovereignty over Nature is somehow less understandable in an Evolutionary Model versus a Special Creationist Model.
In any case, this is more of an issue with believers.
Tim,
As I have said many times - “Beliefs can be Dangerous” Once a person accepts a supernatural being that must be worshiped and obeyed and once a person accepts an afterlife of either eternal reward or punishment, one’s present life becomes secondary. Only through religion can a human be convinced to commit atrocities in the name of that God. Isn’t the God of Abraham the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
Agree religion and ideology are the only thing I can think of that can convince a young man or woman to strap explosives to their body and walk into a crowd and detonate the bomb.
Proverbs 16:33 says “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.” (KJV, only because that is from my memory. Your welcome to select the English Bible translation of your choice.)
Of course, as a Molinist, I may be more comfortable with the “random chance” concept than some readers on this thread.
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