So I grew up christian… But have always adhered to scientific beliefs. I was working with someone and they commented that my dinosaur wallpaper was funny for a lot of reasons. Curious I asked why… She proceeded to tell me that she didn’t believe in dinosaurs. I’ve genuinely never heard this and left the lab without replying. I went home to research and I discovered a lot of people believe that… I was shocked. I mean we have their dookie. I never looked at her the same. Then never really spoke to her when she forgot I was ethnic and mentioned something about ‘the people that aren’t the same tone as us’ (I’m pale… I don’t go out much… I look ambiguously Italian)
That’s wild. Sorry you had to work with her.
I remember being in like 7th grade and going to youth group, and our pastor sat everyone down, and he was like “I’ve done a lot of thought and research, and concluded that evolution isn’t real” and it hadn’t occurred to me there was tension between the bible and science (not because it’s not obvious but it just wasn’t on my radar) but I was a creationist for a while there. Atheist now…
As a still believer… I don’t if I’m the odd balls, but I genuinely don’t see any conflicts. Science is the foundation of my understanding due it’s reproducibility. The Bible in it’s current form has a lot of variables that need to be considered. But I seem to talk to a lot of people not understanding either each other’s views or context. Like I’ve talked to a lot of people and as long as I don’t directly say we’re discussing evolution… They tend to be like ‘yeah that all makes sense.’ Then I’m like ‘that’s evolution.’ lots of blank stare or worse, people saying that my definition isn’t evolution… Like I made it up. 🤷
I ended up a few credit hours away from finishing a bible degree, and in the introductory biblical interpretation class the first thing the professor said was “it doesn’t matter whether genesis is talking about a literal 7 days or a figurative 7 days” the bible is still the inspired word of god. And that “everyone interprets, don’t trust anyone who tells you ‘I’m just reading what’s written’” Which would have been good to hear earlier but still very valuable.
I’d argue that reconciling christian faith with modern science requires an understanding and interpretation of the bible that’s significantly different than a huge percent of christians today would recognize. Still, all the best to you. Being able to believe in an afterlife and a personally involved higher power certainly has its appeal.
ambiguously Italian
HA! I’m mixed white and First Nations Canadian, I also have that look.
I’m Puerto Rican with clear signs of Spaniard lineage.
Yeah, some people just see your skin colour, and don’t really take in anything past that.
Isn’t this basically the plot of young earth Christianity?
no i think that one is “the continents moved during noah’s flood, meaning the earth heated up enough to boil the entire ocean off the earth more than 10 times. how do we still have life? idk”
Ding ding ding
Was curious, original quote:
The finest trick of the devil is to persuade you that he does not exist.
From Le Spleen de Paris (1862), by Charles Baudelaire. In the movie “The Usual Suspects”, this became
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.
greatest trick was creating relegions. Its probably the number one cause of war missery and rape.
edit : i meant to reply to the op.
