Genesis Movie Trailer. An Exciting-Looking Film Forthcoming From Our Friends At AIG!

They claim that it is a valid scientific position. They also claim that scientists are overlooking the evidence for young Earth creationism. Those claims fall flat when even they refuse to do the science that they think should be done.

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That’s not how they see it. The movie “Is Genesis History” released earlier this year was full of young-earth scientists who think of themselves as pursuing these questions.

I think YEC is wrong, but it’s worth representing them correctly.

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@BradKramer
Assuming they aren’t already, what would it look like if they (AIG scientists) were actually pursuing these questions…?

Speaking of, it will be interesting to see what becomes of the rocks recently collected from the Grand Canyon. I wish there were someone with grant money who could collect the same samples and analyze them, or even better if the group would share their samples with mainstream scientists for analysis.

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It’s not so much that they aren’t pursuing scientific questions, but they are doing so with a substantially different “rulebook” than mainstream science. They are completely committed to an interpretation of the Bible that already gives them most of the details of natural history, and they are just trying to find confirmations of what they think they already know. This makes it impossible for them to actually consider evidence that does not match these presuppositions.

Here’s a good example of how problematic this approach can be: Assessing the RATE Project

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14 posts were split to a new topic: Misrepresentation of Grand Canyon rock formations

As a recently prior “YECer” ( on a few accounts) am quite embarrassed to have been associated with them based off of this trailer.

To me it reeks of a liberal “argument” in today’s society that can’t be won. Though facts are used to support, the main argument is moral high ground.

If a conservative thinks universal healthcare is detrimental and unsustainable in the long run, they are met with…Conservatives like to kill babies.

If conservatives think immigration needs to be reformed…conservatives are racist.

If you think the earth could be old and evolution possible…you believe a lie and invalidate the Bible.

What happened to people putting out facts on both sides and debating and or letting each person decide?

I would be interested to watch it to see what evidences they have. I would be much more interested if not for this heavily biased moral high ground claiming trailer.

Not only do they alienate themselves from most atheist, but they also alienate EC and Biologos from atheist as well.

I’m not saying you have to believe YEC or EC and should be persuaded or compromise your beliefs based on atheist or anyone of this world. But claiming to be the only ones with the truth and the only ones that can read and interpret the Bible correctly isn’t very humble.

What research are they doing to pursue these questions?

I haven’t heard of creationists writing grants that contain proposed work in the field of YEC, so I don’t see how they can complain. Creationists want to act like they are Rosa Parks without actually getting on the bus.

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@still_learning Greetings! (I like your username, by the way, and would definitely apply it to myself as well)

Between YEC and EC and (ultimately) Atheistic Evolutionism, only one can be true. So it would be natural for AIG to call their position the truth just as it would be for BioLogos (or Atheist Republic, to take it further) to do the same. The thought that professing to have the truth is prideful (and thus “bad”) turns any debate into a completely different animal…a debate that cannot be won (as, apparently, more than one apparently contradictory thing can be simultaneously true). The humbleness of EC (as expressed by BIoLogos) as opposed to the prideful arrogance of YEC (as expressed by AIG) seems to be a recurring sentiment on this forum. Would @Casper_Hesp, @jpm etc. care to explain this to me…?

(@Still_learning…Please do not interpret me to have a brusque tone, as it is incredibly easy to be interpreted as speaking thus in online forum environments. All on this forum should know by now that I never mean my posts to be mean-spirited.)

Also…If anyone here sees the actual movie, I hope to hear your thoughts on it!

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Well, I’m afraid we are all guilty of arrogance and insensitivity at times, so don’t think we can hand out any prizes. But, I think those of us who are in the Biologos camp tend to be more secure and less threatened by discussion, leading to less defensive posturing.

We as humans tend to internalize our beliefs, and an attack on those beliefs threatens our very identity. We need to be aware and sensitive to our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those who express no belief, as they suffer real pain in the discussion ar times, and many here bear the scars of conflict.

Well, that is sketchy, but a start. What are your thoughts on the subject?

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I think it depends on the audience. If you want to know what I believe, I will tell you the truth as it is to me. But if you believe something different, that would be pretty disrespectful for me to claim you believe in a lie, especially if I am going to then later attempt to convince you of my truth.

The only truth I will claim is the goodness, love, and glory of God. Anything else can be quite subjective and debatable. But even then, I would not attempt to convince someone by first telling them, everything they spent there life learning and living has been a lie.

Paul used the “unknown god” of the Greeks in Acts 17 to relate and share the gospel. He didn’t stand in front of all of them and call them liars or claim their person held in high esteem lied to them.

My guess would be because they are Christians, mature in their faith and person, and though we all enjoy and have a God given passion for the sciences and knowledge, we know that is life is so much more, and there are so much more important things than pridefully displaying our truth. Look at the top of the forum:

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” -Colossians 4:6

Full of grace, and seasoned with salt.

And as @jpm said, more secure and less threatened is a huge reason. If your firm foundation in the truth of God can’t be shaken, there is no grasping for a different foundation clinging to yours as it rocks.

It’s not about how smart we are or how great the knowledge we have is. Some might be blessed with great knowledge and truths from God. But it is more important to shiwnGod’s love and give God the glory, than it is to be correct.

I think AIG means well, but I think they think they need to prove the literal Bible interpretation which will prove God’s existence and convert people. I don’t remember Jesus ever doing this.

@J.E.S No mean-spirit perceived.

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@jpm
That’s the funny thing about pride…The “I am the humblest person in this room” effect ;).

It seems to me that some on this forum have adopted a rather defensive posture, but that may well be (and probably is) “perceived tone” a.k.a “the curse of the online debate forum” again. What leads you to believe that young earth creationists are less secure?

P.S: (This is even sketchier than yours)…Your thoughts?

The rest of the post is probably worthy of a like, but would you mind expounding on this point?

Thank you. Some things bear repeating. :wink:

I think you make a good point about the fact that claiming to know something true is not an inherently prideful position. If it was, what would be the point in seeking truth at all, if finding it is automatically going to make you an arrogant jerk?

I would say the difference between the tone/orientation at AIG and the tone/orientation here (ideally at least :confounded:) is that AIG does not seem to be very concerned about the pursuit of truth as an ongoing journey. They present themselves as the sole possessors of truth, and then they treat that possession as something that must be defended in a very combative way. Go on their website and count how many times they use war or conflict based images or metaphors in their description of their work and mission. It all about defending truth/Scripture/Christianity from attack, truth/Scripture/Christianity being assaulted, equipping people with the proper fortifications, agents of the enemy, drawing battle lines, rescuing people who have been taken captive by lies, etc. “Truth” the way they use the word is something they have already decided they have nailed down and the only way anyone else gets access to any is by buying everything they are selling.

On the other hand, it seems to me that old earth ministries like RTB, and EC sites like this one are more about the search for truth and equipping others on their search for truth. Each group would say it is on the right track and others aren’t and be ready to defend its perspectives, but truth is presented more as a goal on a continuing course than a castle that is already occupied and needs to be defended against evil invaders.

I think it is this exclusive attitude that “we have already arrived at truth and are the sole arbiters and defenders of what counts as truth” that comes across as arrogance, not the fact that they believe what they are promoting is true.

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That’s true. But that’s what AIG does, quite explicitly – I have seen many of their cartoons featuring a “foundation” with the word “Genesis” on it, not Jesus.

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In the AIG castle illustration, at least BioLogos would fit into the Christian castle :wink: (although you probably know where, doubtless being familiar with the illustration). :wink:
@Christy

It appears to me that they hang their beliefs on it, it almost seems like their foundation to me, and if you take away any ones foundation or make it move when it is supposed to be firm in the ground, they panic and get defensive.

Those who believed the earth was flat (due to misinterpretations of the scriptures), when that was proven to not be true, if that being true was your foundation, it’s like attacking their God or reason for belief in their God. They can and did, kill people for that.

The Bible isn’t my foundation, it is a good “sensory” for perceiving and learning about God, but my foundation is in God, who is unshakable and unchangable and is good, just, loving, and worthy of all glory. And what builds on that foundation is that He wanted to know pathetic me, and knows me, and sent His Son to die for me, to be with me again! With that security, I have no need for praises or acceptance of man, I have no need to be most correct, or most knowledgeable. Thanks and glory to God, you will have a difficult time getting me worked up or finding something I am aggressively defensive about. Though I am human and do make errors and mistakes, I try to admit then and not hide further behind pride and dig a deeper whole and get more defensive.

But if someone builds their foundation on a book or words, and those words are scientifically challenged with proof in their faces. You better believe that is like inking you had a granite foundation, and if science is right, your foundation is paper, you better believe you will fearfully defend to get your granite back even if you need to lie to yourself to do it.

And for some it is not foundational or security based directly, but rather just a point of pride, which I guess desiring the approval of others or desiring to look good in front of your peers shows lack or security.

As far as humility, I think it was wise words that said, place yourself at the back most of the table and if you stay there you are rightly humble aware of your place, you stay there. But you might find the audience or host insist you sit closer to the front and then you are humble and exulted. But if you place yourself at the front, and the audience/host calls you out to move back, then you are prideful and humiliated.

That and the only thing we should boast in is God. Even if you are the wisest and most knowledgable ( as Jesus was), everything we have is a blessing of God, and I don’t deserve nor did I earn my current level of intellect or wisdom, I am no better than others.

From a logical standpoint, it is good to be humble, but it was also advised by many verses including Jesus.

I kind of expanded on thise first two above and touched on that third one. Was there a more specific topic requested that I missed?

That, is a cool saying.

And a much better way of explaining how I felt.

That is scary/troublesome to hear that.

It might sound a little silly and borderderline semantics being the trinity is a very difficult thing for us to grasp.

But I would put God on the foundation, not Jesus. Jesus was our perfect example, and His foundation was in God. Of course Jesus is integral to our faith and having access to God, but I personally like to make that distinction.

But personally I build my foundation in on The good, loving, just God. And when I read the Bible, I see this God throughout so many passages. Then I look for what is man, a creation of God. Why? Because God wants to know us. But He can’t, due to sin. I see this loving God in the birth of Jesus, who becomes a bridge back to God through atonement of sin ( if wanted). Now what? The two greatest commandments, to live God and man. That is my Biblical basement. Any other passage is “tested” against that Biblical basement, now I can build a first floor. And a second. And sometimes I get to a 9th floor, and learn some things, an I need to demolish 4 floors and start that 5th floor again. But you can’t shake my foundation, it is freeing.

Be careful on this,lest you be repeating modern myths about what people allegedly did or did not accept over the last couple thousand years. This wikipedia article gives some good scholarly views on it.

I think you would be on sounder footing had you spoken of people’s beliefs over a moving/stationary earth. But even then, nobody that we know of was killed over that issue either. Bruno might be the closest thing to a counter-example, but even that falls apart on actual inspection. Not saying that I couldn’t be forgetting something here, just that I’m interested if you have any references on something to show otherwise. I’m still learning too.

Christopher Columbus is just going to sail off the edge of the world and die anyhow, so why bother killing him? :wink:

But, @still_learning, on a more serious note…How do you know God?