What deism has done for the world

[*Deidre*]

discipulus, I was once like you. I did believe as you do. Even how you interpret things, and explain, it sounds familiar to how I once was, when it came to 'defending' Christianity. But, perhaps, all along...I was skeptical? I don't know. I grew up in the Christian faith, and spent years praying, reading the Bible, and seeking 'solace' in 'God.' It felt genuine to me at the time. What caused me to ultimately abandon the faith, wasn't anything on an emotional level. Rather, it started to unravel when I realized that Genesis wasn't to be taken literally. Many fundamentalist Christians take it literally, I wasn't a 'fundie.' lol Genesis is not truth, discupulus. It's just not. There has been plentiful evidence to point towards the theory of evolution. Genesis runs counter to that. Even if I view it as a mere moral story, I don't understand why we need such a story. Why do we make up stories about gods that we don't see? Why do we believe stories in a book, that have no basis in reality? Why do we need a Savior? Why would a Deity create a ''fallen'' creation?

And if the writers of the Bible, made up Genesis, what else have they made up? You can't cherry pick your way through the Bible, and still call yourself a Christian. Many do, but that's not being true to the faith. I spent years cherry picking. It is far better to be 100% invested or not. As an Agnostic, I no longer have to cherry pick. I don't believe in Christianity, yet I am open to the idea that a Deity, of some type, may exist. I simply no longer find the need to determine it though, one way or the other.

It's not enough to say ''Well, God's mind is not ours. God's ways are not our ways.'' It's not enough for me to just go along with a story, that seems to run counter to equality for all. I think Jesus may have existed a historical figure of some type (who knows?), but not the way the Bible depicts him.

The Bible has been the cornerstone for so much historical violence. You can say, well...those people (like Constantine, for example) misinterpreted Scripture for his own empire, his own gain. But, a lot of people are misinterpreting the Bible, then and now. It really isn't misinterpreted. Is it? Paul was a sexist. Meanwhile, Jesus spoke more to women than men, about his teachings. Then, Paul comes on the scene, and runs counter to that, implying that women are to basially stay quiet and not be in leadership roles in the church. This very thinking is running many households and churches today, in the name of Christianity. Many Christians talk about the Bible, as 'the greatest love story ever told.' For who?

If I were to remain a Christian still, I'd have to make a lot of excuses for a book I follow. For rules I follow. I'd have to believe that God is this sadist, yet loving Being. The OT was a foreshadowing of the NT. It can't be ignored, just because Jesus came on the scene.

I could go on for a long time too, see?

So, I ask you. And maybe this isn't the thread to ask you, but I want to know...how do you reconcile the Bible with science? With the theory of evolution? With REALITY?

You do seem to love your faith. You do seem, genuine about it. I once was too, and so...I can sense that right away. (as opposed to trolls who come and go here, and really just want to bait atheists/agnostics into discussions that go nowhere)

Excellent Deidre32. I can say with confidence that many feel just as you do even now and have misgivings about the Genesis account and how it correlates with the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Do recent discoveries in science contradict the Genesis account? I am happy to tell you that I do not take the Genesis creation account literally either. In fact, a good many Christian apologists see no insurmountable difficulties in reconciling science and the Genesis creation accounts. I am one of them. In fact, I am open to wherever the evidence leads.

When I say I stand by the Bible 100%, I mean it no doubt. That does not mean that I necessarily have to take everything in the Bible literally! There is a difference which I am sure you are aware. Genesis is perhaps best seen as an example of "antiquarian history", a type of literature telling of the first appearance of humans, the stories of ancestors and heroes, and the origins of culture, cities and so forth. So you see, the Genesis accounts do not need to be viewed as some sort of ancient "science textbook" at all. The purpose of the Genesis creation accounts was to establish certain fundamental truths regarding the origins of things.

The Bible contains an assortment of various types of literary genres. So I think Deidre32, something that might help you in this particular area would be to really study the Genesis account utilizing the Hebrew Text and go from there.

Genesis is geared towards telling us some things that are really already self-evident if you think about it, i.e the universe began to exist at some point in the distant past and this was brought about by an intelligent mind. It goes on to tell us that there is order in the universe and that life on earth is not some random accident but rather, that it is here by the intentional act of a causal agent. We see man created in God's image and that man holds a special place in the order of things and this is due to God's providence.

Within that broad rubric, we have liberty to fill in the blanks with whatever we come to find through scientific investigation.

So trust me, your misgivings do not mean that you have to just throw the bible away!

But man wasn't created as special and unique, if you follow the theory of evolution. The specialness of man is religous-speak only. (just sayin) lol

Okay. So. How do you reconcile accepting Genesis as metaphorical in nature, but not the rest of the Bible? How does one make such a distinction? Eventually, the baby will be thrown out with the bathwater, you will see.