I just remembered when Ken Ham was asked something like “Hypothetically, if you found evidence that made you accept evolution, that the universe is older than 10000 years and creation didn’t take place in six literal days, would you continue to believe in God, in the historical Jesus of Nazareth and in Jesus as the Son of God?”
Ham gave a pretty long answer in which he never addressed anything. And I was like: “Sure, I would continue to believe in all of that”.
I remember a comment on a YEC video that said something like “As a Christian myself, I don’t know why so many people feel threatened by evolution. It is not a threat to belief at all.”
Tell me: if evolution was ever a threat to belief, why did Asa Gray accept it back in Darwin’s days? Why do scientists who hold traditional Christian beliefs such as Kenneth Miller accept it?
I want to let you know how much I enjoyed reading your story and appreciate your sharing it with us. This forum hosts wonderful discussions about some complex issues in science, philosophy, biblical interpretation, etc. But many of my favorite things to read here are testimonies such as yours of people’s unexpected paths to discovering God. Your journey (so far!) from atheism, to prodding by Jehovah’s Witnesses, to encountering and challenging YEC ideology, towards a confident and growing faith is inspiring. It is a moving testament to God’s faithfulness to bring you home and into the work for his Kingdom that he has in store for you.
I want to echo what Christy has said here. Are you willing to say where in Belgium you live? I have a friend from my church who grew up in Belgium (somewhere around Brussels), and he might have some ideas of how you can connect with some Christians nearby. There may be others in my church with connections there as well. (My church is called Washington International Church, and it very much lives up to the name.) I’d even be willing to do some research myself; I spend a lot of time researching communities all around the world, so I would actually really enjoy this.
I know that many Christians on this forum will be faithful to encourage you, pray for you, and help you with questions you encounter. But the Christian life is best lived in the company of fellow disciples with whom you can worship, study, pray, share one-another’s joys and burdens, and serve. May God bless you along the way.
The larger problem is that what some people are taught in church does not jive with the facts of the world around us. It’s like teaching people that they have to believe in the Sun moving about the Earth in order to be a Christian.
“If the tenets of young earth creationism were true, basically all of the sciences of geology, cosmology, and biology would utterly collapse. It would be the same as saying 2 plus 2 is actually 5. The tragedy of young-earth creationism is that it takes a relatively recent and extreme view of Genesis, applies to it an unjustified scientific gloss, and then asks sincere and well-meaning seekers to swallow this whole, despite the massive discordance with decades of scientific evidence from multiple disciplines. Is it any wonder that many sadly turn away from faith concluding that they cannot believe in a God who asks for an abandonment of logic and reason?”–Dr. Francis Collins
“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”–Galileo Galilei
Wow! Tielt-Winge. I must admit that is one I had never heard of and had to look up! I’ve only been to Belgium once, when my wife and I spent three weeks in Europe in 2002. We stayed with friends who were living near Mons and did day trips to Brussels and Brugge. We may be moving to Germany this year, and if we do I expect we’ll make a point to see more of your lovely country.
It appears that there are some thriving churches that meet in Leuven, which would not be so far of a trip for you. I believe Leuven also has a major university, right? (I remember this, sadly, because of the German’s burning of the renowned library there in 1914.) So some of the student groups that Christy recommended may have a presence there. You seem quite thoughtful and mature for a fifteen year-old, so perhaps you would fit in well with university students.
Well, I would be happy to pass along information on the churches I discovered in Leuven, but so as not to overstep my bounds, I will wait to see if that is something that interests you. You may also contact me using the private message feature if you prefer.
Hi Totti! Its great that your here. I to at one time thought that YEC was the only option for any serious or ,even, real Christian. Of course once one begins to study you find that that is quite false and wrong as you did. Your English is actually very, very good! I was impressed. For Fifteen I will say that you have already went through a lot of controversy over this topic! And am glad that you found the truth that can set you free. I am Sixteen and can somewhat parallel your experience! Thanks for the post.
Fantastic story! Thank you, Totti, for sharing it. I’m about 15 years older than you, and live in the US, but was about your age when I started exploring Christianity.
(I’ve also found GotQuestions to be a helpful resource, though not regarding science.)
