Is Theistic Evolutionist An Oxymoron?

It is certainly not as much an oxymoron as the term Literal Biblical Believer.On my journey towards becoming a Theistic Evolutionist there has been a common belief, that GOD is the creator of all that is, seen and unseen, and quite a few hurdles and milestones.The first hurdle and milestone (H&M) was understanding that the creation stories found in Genesis 1 &2 really are simply myths and that they are included in the Bible, not so much as Creation Myths (though Genesis 1 would qualify there) but for other major mythos functions. Genesis 1 helps explain the formation of a week and that one day a week should be taken off to get away from labor. It's probably the first fair labor practices law.The older story in Genesis 2&3 is not included primarily as a direct creation myth but rather as a "Just So story" explaining why women are subject to men, why we fear snakes, why we must work to find food instead of simply gathering (this may also be a somewhat fanciful remembrance of a pre-agrarian period), why childbirth seems more painful for humans, why we fear snakes and why we don't live forever.The next H&M was understanding that there is no single god portrayed in the Bible. What we find are the fanciful creations of different peoples, cultures, knowledge levels, sophistication levels as those attempts to define GOD developed over time. It is a series of snap shot of how people at each period considered the concept of God. None are accurate or complete; all of the different gods found in the bible stories are but caricatures.Then came the personal discoveries and observations, old old hills and rocks, far far away stars and galaxies, fossilized clams and sharks teeth and bones. Each such observation reinforced the understanding that the universe and this earth are old, that they certainly did not originate as described in any of the Biblical myths, and that life had changed greatly over time.By then I was ready to actually begin learning what the Theory of Evolution meant.One of the hardest hurdles to get over was the result of learning the implications of Evolution. The whole concept of Special Creation became irrelevant. Humans were no more special then any other critter and in many ways inferior to most lifeforms. This lead to a newer understanding of "Made in God's image" where Veronica's Veil became life itself."Man" could no longer be seen as a Special Creation; at best we might be a child prodigy but more likely just have too high an opinion of ourselves.BUT...the evidence in support of the fact that Evolution happened and that the Theory of Evolution explains the diversity we see is quite simply, overwhelming. There was no honest way to deny that and there is no other competing model available. Creationism, by any name or form is obviously false unless the God Creator was a fool and incompetent. Intelligent Design was simply too silly to take seriously again, unless the Designer was Inept, Incompetent, Ignorant and Inefficient.The only honest position I could find was as a Theistic Evolutionist.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Once again, what you post is simply not true. I do not deny everything supernatural in the stories that make up the Bible. Lots of the supernatural incidents mentioned in the Bible are things I cannot even have an opinion on, there's not enough information to confirm or deny. Others like the special creation stories in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 or the Biblical Flood or Exodus or Conquest of Canaan as described in Joshuah are patently false; simply myth and folk tales. But even if that happened to be true, it is irrelevant to the topic.Am I a theist? Yes!Do I believe that GOD created all that is, seen and unseen? Yes.Do I understand that the diversity we see around us is the result of the fact of Evolution and that the Theory of Evolution is not just the best explanation for the diversity we see, it is the ONLY model that has been presented? Yes!Don't think for a second that mythology isn't important, it is. In fact mythology can be more influential than factual history.And of course, Jehovah is nothing more than a human creation that resulted from spelling errors. To think otherwise is to blaspheme GOD and the Holy Spirit.Edited by jar, : appalin spallin and worsern gramer

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

If you mean that they deny that the Genesis fables were meant as factual accounts, then certainly. That should be fairly obvious. For example, the god in Genesis 1 is described as something totally different then the god in Genesis 2&3, the order of creation is different, the methods used are different and the stories themselves are factually wrong.Where is the evidence that they are not allegorical and mythological? Maybe you will present an example so that it can be tested? Perhaps this is you opportunity to actually present some evidence instead of simply claiming you have done so? I, as one example, have said that I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Do you know the meaning of "Oxymoron"? Have you ever read Genesis 1 and Genesis 2&3?The God in Genesis 1 is aloof, apart, overarching, creating by a simple act of will. The God in Genesis 2&3 is fumbling, hands on, unsure, sometimes fearful but very human.The stories themselves are also factually wrong. The Earth cannot have been created before the sun. The order that critters are created is factually wrong. So you claim. However talking snakes doesn't ring the fairytale bell? Come on. What am I adding or subtracting? When a story is shown to be factually wrong as the Creation Myths have been shown to be factually wrong, an astute reader will look to see if the stories are instead teaching tools, allegory. Except once again you simply post untrue statements.I do not think you can find a place where I have claimed that I will be saved.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

You may wait awhile since there are not many Biblical prophecies that have been fulfilled and many, many that are failed.But maybe you know of one and can educate us about it. Pick one that you think has been fulfilled and let's discuss it.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Been there Buz, and done that. Every prophecy you have ever brought up has been refuted, every single one IIRC.And the old "go look at all the crap I've posted" gambit is getting old too. We have all heard you use that for years.Now you are the one that introduced the nonsense of Prophecy to this thread. It's time for you to finally step up to the plate and at the very least give us the Chapter and Verse for one fulfilled Biblical Prophecy.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

So as usual, you simply refuse to support your position. They are not here in the discussion and they are not the one making the claim, you are.I would think that if you believe there is a fulfilled Biblical Prophecy it would be a simple matter for you to give us a Chapter and Verse.We can "Let open minded readers decide for themselves" if you are simply once again refusing to support your assertions.Have you ever even read the Bible Buz?

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Well, no Buz, Isaiah 40:22 does not depict a globe. Have you ever actually read the Bible?

quote:

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Isa 40:22 says;

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22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

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It is not depicting anything like a globe or sphere, more like a picnic blanket. Like all of Isaiah 40 it is poetic imagery, not a description of reality.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

I'm sorry Buz but that is simply not true and you have been shown the evidence that refutes it totally. The evidence found with Oetzi totally refutes any pre-flood properties of the atmosphere or the surface of the planet.You have NEVER tried to address the evidence of Oetzi.Then there is also the genetic evidence today that also has been presented to you many, many times.The scientific evidence is overwhelming and conclusive. I'm sorry but that is not even a reasonable statement. Of course we know how to turn water into wine. First grow grapes...LOL

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Not at all. It is looking at the whole passage. If you look at the whole passage what you see is an image of some dude on a throne covered by a canopy looking down at the floor below. Over all the image is three dimensional but the individual objects are two dimensional.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

And so you create God in your image.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

What makes you think GOD lied?Now admittedly, the character god in many of the stories lies, for example the character god in Genesis 2&3 lies when he tells Adam that the day he eats the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge he will die, but that is simply a character is a story. Not true. I believe that reality trumps fiction. I do not see how in any honesty I can deny the record that GOD actually left us, the Universe we live in. Honestly, no one has a clue whether or not they are saved. Genesis 1 is factually incorrect.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!