This is the world of polarized opposites. We humans form camps and take sides in almost all aspects of our lives. Seldom do we agree and when we do there is almost always a reason which, when discovered, finds each camp gaining in a material sense from that agreement. Where we came from, in the house of the Father (the spirit world of heaven), it was not so. The human souls then were as advanced as they could become without experiencing the lower physical existence. This was because they had never been separated from God. The story of the prodigal son refers to this. The next part of their training, spiritual evolution necessitated this divorce and so they were sent here. God had already created the heavens but now for us He made the Earth. the story of Adam and Eve tells that tale of the spiritual life in the "garden". It gives an account of our being cast out to live on the Earth. Why? Easy. But in typical fashon men tell this tale and creates sin at the same time beginning the tradition of guilt and fear. Nothing in God's creation be it spiritual or physical is static. All is in motion, growing, changing, evolving. We are all a part of God. What purpose would there be in creating mere supplicants to glory? What Glory? This proposal would reduce the idea of God to a petty jealous being who desired emptyness only, with no wisdom.
With the application of God's mind upon spiritual substance, energy was "created". With the focus of purpose God's mind slowed energy and, in so doing, "created" matter. What began then continues now and has never been random or chance. It is the Father who made carbon 14 decay at a predictable rate. It was not chance. The greatest mind even known will not build in illogical ways.
The hallmark of the physical world and also of our physical minds and emotions is, as I alluded to before, a world of opposites. Here is where we can experience "free will" because of that fact. Look at any issue in any aspect of our lives and we find warring groups, each with reasoned claims to veracity. Concerning creation vs evolution we find at one end people who claim there is no God and that consciousness itself is the result of chance and at the other end those who claim God made the earth in six days based only upon secondhand information passed orally for thousands of years then, after finally being written in book form, was changed several times. Isn't this silly? The information in the Bible (two part library) comes from God but only through the fallible hand of MAN.
Regarding the evolution of species on Earth. In the beginning were the simplest of forms which changed as time went on. Yes species disappeared but the life behind each of those did not. Those spirit lives remained in new forms which reflected the current state of the Earth to continue their association with the planet in accordance with God's plan. What I'm saying is that The lives in the Earth at the beginning are still here and will remain until the end. They simply occupy new forms consistant with the demands of spiritual growth of the Earth as a whole (God inclusive, not exclusive). The vase number of domestic and higher animals in existence today are the same animal lives which were in archaic animal forms before. Like us, they have evolved. The entire planet lives in accordance with God's design. If I wanted to refer to an ongoing process of evolution which has nothing to do with changes forced upon nature by man I could mention the lowly halibut. Plainly this fish used to swim vertically but is in process of changing to swimming flat on the bottom. Look closely sometime at one and you will witness a snapshot of evolution. But all change has purpose. The motivation behind this particular work in progress is to conform to a better food supply for the fish. This is God's Hand in action, caring for and being actively involved with the Earth. The mechanics of exactly how God manages these earthly lives is a separate story which may be of interest to you.
My position is that no one really is an athesist but that they only say they are probably to be difficult and thus gain attention. On our deathbeds we will all believe. I'm sure we agree on that at least. For now however we struggle onward. Even in our Faith we find faults. The dogmatic approach chides us to believe. OK says the scientist, I do believe but I want to know the details of how. The middle times Roman church imposed it's world views on the people and the dark ages was the result: years of ignorance and fear. No offense but sounds like the Taliban doesn't it? Now in our day the church (an American protestant edition this time) once again tries to establish primacy but this time the human spirit has grown too much to be dragged backwards (not by God but by churchianity). I plainly remember as a boy asking questions which a minister could not answer. I knew then that his knowledge was no greater than mine. That made me free in my association with God.
Forgive me for suggesting that much of the noise making is no more than church people in fear of losing influence over people's minds. After all most of these men and women have heard nothing else their entire lives than the Christian approach to the eternal. How can they be expected to be able to go beyond those limits especially when to do so would mean the rejection of all they hold dear? So is it that they try to hold others to their views. It is always the case that new ideas are reacted to in fear by those who do not think, those who are bound to tradition.
To see the truth we need only to step to the center of the arena of live and look each way for perspective. From either extreme we are blind. Here, in the center, away from claims and emotion, we will find God. I've read your comments regarding chemicals and geology before. None of these hold up to serious study and it has been my experience that those points of view are always espoused by mediocre intellects with minimal training and no disciplined field work to back them. For instance the Grand Canyon is supposed to be the work of the flood but simple coring of surrounding lands reveals that the ground under the canyon has been slowly rising. Very slowly it does so and the river cuts through as it comes up and after a while (hundreds of millions of years) a canyon is formed.
The Christian scientist never follows through on investigations but stops when he finds what supports the Biblical stories. This is not good science. It is not science at all but a perversion of science.
The human being is made in God's image. This statement does not refer to our bodies/emotions but to our spiritual selves, our souls. Those souls are not inside our bodies but are only attached to it. The spiritual human soul does not have emotions as we know them. They are incapable of violence or disagreement. They still reside "in the Father's house" awaiting our destined completion here on Earth. When the Christian speaks of Redemption and Salvation it is unknowingly in reference to our passage back home, in readiness for the future stages in the God/Human story. It is not possible for a soul to be "lost". The soul simply waits patienty for it's physical counterpart to come to completion. When this happenes the soul becomes evevated in it's spiritual position and closer to God.
All world scriptures whether writen or not embody these principles. Christ is a great advanced being. He is one who has completed the human experience on Earth and gained His freedom. But, instead of moving on to new challanges,he agreed to stay with the Earth to help his younger kin. One who is far in advance of us. Jesus, was the Man who brought us His message and who, while in the desert, finally rejected the live of the Earth symbolized by Satan and became the embodiment of Christ on Earth instead. As Jesus became Christ so will each of us. This is Christ's purpose and mission to the Earth (in God's name). This we will all do sooner or later. The disciples had no idea of the vastness of that realm which they brought to us. They were taught the basics, adequate knowledge for us to begin on the path home. And I say "us" because we were all there at that time. Few of us are "new" humans. We are re-born time and time again until we are ready to depart. This is in accordance with scripture in very plain words no matter how much the voices of fear and ignorance have claimed otherwise. I can say this and still believe that "being born again in spirit" can certainly refer to the completion of the process however. How can I do this? Because I know that behind all is fulfillment in the CENTER of opinion. To know God we must move ourselves to the middle of all experience and be unemotional. This is why many "holy men and women" live communal lives away from the noise of society. It doesn't matter in the sligthtest which religion or none at all that we adhere to. Christ is in all and is behind every "prophet who ever appeared on the planet". And Jesus smiles when we begin to finally understand and quit bickering about such shallow things as arguements about the Earth or religion.
The Earth will be gone and we will all still be alive. This is God's promise. There is no eternal damnation. There is only life.
Consciousness pervades all matter because it is the signature of God's body throughout. Free will? Chemicals? Sterile? God is in all. God's life brings the dynamic quality to our planet. The simple forms began the preparation of the planet for man. Yes we all started here on Earth with the creation of the simplest forms of life. The physical form of man took a long time and the hills are filled with the evidence of this fact. When we were ready God caused the human souls to take up residence in these formerly "animal men". This is how it happened! Our souls awaited vehicles with large enough brains etc... Why is that so hard to accept? You see this kind of rational does away with the continual fighting over who's right. But for the same reason man cannot accept it. Man desires conflict. Until he becomes evolved. Then he knows better. I guess that leaves out you and I. Ha Ha
Can a Christian who wants equal time in science bring him/herself to allow that "creationism" is also "just a theory"? Can a Christian argue "creationism" without referencing either God or the Bible? If not then the arguement is only about whether a particular religion is correct. Now, since religions are man made and are based on faith and since science is based upon impartial observations of the world around us it follows that thinking of the world from within a religion produces a worldview with boundaries.
There are many who say that "the practice of religion has always separated people". This is why and how I can accept Christ but not Christianity. Religions are filled with men and women who demand obedience to what they claim to be "truth". I consider the Bible to be man made and fallible.
Einstein said: "I want to know God's thoughts. The rest are details"
Darwin never rejected God, only religion imposing it's view on the world.
One last thing brother. Stay with your beliefs because in them you are content. Believe however that I am content in mine. I accept God. I reject religions.
Thanks Jman
™ Version 4.2