I’m loving that I found the Biologos community (actually at the recommendation of a friend of mine who is a pastor in another state). But I’ve been struggling to find a church and community that views science and God in a similar understanding. I can go to church and feel more or less like there is a lot of common ground in the God we worship, but inevitably there is a feeling of profoundly differing views on the world when things like COVID, Evolution, Science, and Culture are brought up.
Does anyone else deal with this? How do you cope!?
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Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
2
Good luck (in the strict theological sense of the word ; - ). In other words, if your theology is of a conservative or Reformed sort, you’ll do well if you can find one or two people who share both your theological views and your scientific understanding. At church, I have to tread lightly.
I’m thankful that I can talk openly to two of my bests friends (one is my pastor and the other I’ve known for most of half a century) as well as my wife about both subjects.
Welcome! You fit right in here! Which, by the way is one way I cope, finding that I am not alone in the world, and I can express myself in ways that are pretty much impossible in my church. Which is terribly sad on several levels.
Church has its’ tasks and science is not part of them. Churches should also be places for all type of Christians - unfortunately that is not always true in practice.
For these reasons, no church should favor science or scientific theories in a way that excludes other opinions. Finding Christians thinking in a similar way is a matter of finding individuals among the crowd. In some churches it may be easy, in others anything but easy. The best we can hope is that the members of a church have received balanced teaching that inspires love and tolerance towards those who think in a different way. And that the church has such freedom of opinion that it is possible to explain why your opinions differ from those of someone else, without becoming a pariah.
I at least have my own family. By now I have essentially ended up on “don’t bring up anything I know to be controversial” in my social circles. Unfortunately, that means I can talk about very few of my personal interests in any depth (they tend to be over people’s heads anyway, so maybe it isn’t a great loss). And outside of church, I have very few theological discussions, given that we are members of the PCA, and I know that the local area is “120% Baptist”, to quote our previous pastor.
Somewhat relatedly, I’ve noticed a to-me odd pattern in certain interactions with people:
Someone is talking to me about a subject where we disagree, and they have a strongly held view on the subject, such that arguing about it does not seem worthwhile. I look relatively blankly at them and nod slowly in comprehension. They seem to take it as “This person agrees with me”; what I am actually thinking is “How can I get out of this conversation tactfully” or “Please change the subject”.
That is well said. I guess I’m pretty discouraged because so many churches I’ve found at least in the South East US, are led by people who have very strong opinions on the “fallacy of science”. These are the type of places that breed, in my opinion, fear and misinformation that is very dangerous…and so it’s hard for me to stay in an environment like that and look for individuals who are in a more balanced mindset.
I guess it is what it is, but I do long for that community of worship. It is a very special feeling.
I’ve been in that type of situation and I’m usually more in my head thinking “Wow, I could go into some things” but just sometimes I wonder if it’s worth my time with some people? Or maybe it’s the setting? idk.
But I generally can’t help but make at least some comment challenging very strong opinions like that.
If there are several congregations in the area, it is not a sin to switch to another one. That does not usually remove problems but you might find a place with a more balanced teaching. Or search like-minded friends from the other congregations.
The alternative is to stay and stand as a pillar of truth-seeking faith in the middle of the less balanced teachings. That would be a demanding choice, like being a misunderstood prophet among others.
Luckily, we have a promise that God will give us wisdom if we pray for it.
I struggle with a similar issue. We found a church with an amazing pastor. His sermons are great but due to my own personal beliefs about the Bible its difficult to connect or relate to anyone there. I really just feel that I don’t fit in. It doesn’t seem anyone asks the same sort of questions or has a similar outlook as me on any issues as far as I know. Makes diving “all in” into Church difficult. I know the point of church is to grow closer to God and to help the community (spiritually, physically and mentally), but if I can’t express myself openly or approach belief from a different perspective I suppose I will always feel like an outsider. I love our Monday Bible studies as well but lately I have been feeling the theological gulf a bit more. Feeling very disconnected from the body of Christ at the moment.
Okay, that means you live pretty close to me (between a few minutes and a few hours away, depending on which part of the broader area you live in). We’re (barely) closer to Spartanburg than to downtown Charlotte.
Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
18
None of us can Phil. Not even here in the UK, very broad, via media. I can talk privately with clergy. Even then I’d have to go a long way, and will, to discuss my latest thinking. I wouldn’t dream of making waves. My very liberal theology group are useless! Lovely guys. But couldn’t possibly examine their premisses.
I would avoid the Evangelical churches, and look to the mainline ones. The Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican (Episcopal) Church tend to take science seriously.
See A Catechism of Creation . It’s from an Episcopal perspective, very scholarly, and takes both Christian faith and science seriously.
