@gbrooks9 I think you have the history wrong here. @deliberateresult as been posting here for a long time. Remember he had a thread with over 1000 posts?
He has clearly laid out several times that he holds to an old earth, and does not in principle have a problem with common descent. He does have a problem with the word “evolution” which he (falsely) thinks means “without God.” This is his position, which puts him in a space between Hugh Ross and Behe/Denton. The exact place he locates himself is not really that important.
He has not argued for a “POOF” mechanism. Rather, he says that somehow God had to have injected information into life by first cause to bring about life. That is the watershed for him, where he stakes his tent. But he appears agnostic as to some of the precise details, in the same way we are agnostic to the exact way God has providential control over evolution.
This has been clear to me for months, because this is what he has written several times. And @deliberateresult , I hope I get most of your position right, feel free to correct me on the details. Though I am sure I have at least 90% of it right.
I think that is his genuine position. I don’t think he is being evasive here at all. Frankly, it is possible he is even okay with a “theistic evolution” position (i.e. Common Descent) if it avoids the word “evolution” and is friendly to ID. Sure, there is some disagreement here, but there is also real common ground. That should be our focus, and after that should be mutual understanding. We need to seek peace in this way.
I want to gently remind everyone here that it is immensely important for us to be extra kind to people that we disagree with on the forums, especially those that reject evolution
First, it represents us well when we do this. Second, it builds trust, and in the context of trust people are most likely to understand us, and maybe even change. Third, respectful interlocutors like @deliberateresult are valuable and deserve our utmost respect. These forums are more valuable and fun when they participate, and the last thing we should do is unkindly drive them away.
In the end, there will always remain disagreements. People will always defer the hardest questions that expose the weaknesses of their positions. Let it go so that we might pursue something greater. Understanding. Seek that above all else. Seek it over winning.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Prov 4:7
As should be obvious, I do not agree with @deliberateresult on everything, but I do find a lot of common ground with him. With some rare exceptions, he has been a very respectful interlocutor. He deserves our respect. Even if he didn’t deserve it, we should still treat him with respect.