OK, I have to chime in and I'll hit a couple of points. Yes, I had a few moments today and this topic was absolutely begging for a post from me. :thumbsup: So here I am for another brief interlude.
Do I believe in the Bible? Absolutely 100%. Do I believe in evolution? Absolutely 100%.
Here's how I see it and it all keys on a "day" to God. I honestly don't understand how the literalists can tag God with a 24-hour day. Who's to say that a day to God isn't millions of years to us? If you stop trying to fit God into what we mortals can comprehend, then it all fits into place. If a day to God is millions of years to us, then it stands to reason that the evolution of millions of species over millions of years is all part of those seven "days" of creation...well, six when you factor out the Sabbath.
And the proof is there in countless fossil finds and our scientific abilities to now understand their meaning.
However, I draw the line at believing we evolved from chimps and apes. Here's why:
Do I believe Adam and Eve were the first mortal man and woman on earth? Yes I do, some 6,000 to 8,000 years ago, depending on how you view the timelines back then.
Do I believe in neanderthals, cro magnum man, and other "near" humans? Yes, I do, but I do not believe they are any relation to us today or Adam and Eve back then. I simply believe they are the natural evolutionary path of other simian type animals, nothing more. Maybe in another million years, the chimpanzees and apes of today would evolve into similar species.
Is it out of the question for something to evolve and be "close" to human? Hardly. Many animals today possess human traits, either inherent, evolved, or by mimicry. Take dolphins...a species that by all appearances and scientific study, possess a vocabulary and mastery of language that far outclasses our own. Dogs can be taught by humans to both understand us and to follow commands; parrots and other birds mimic and in many instances, understand human speech; chimps possess the ability to use tools, reason out problems, and live in communities. The list is endless. All of these are traits that humans possess, but none of those animals are human. So why is it not any different than with near humans of the past?
The fact is, science has proven that evolution is a part of our world's history. There is simply no refuting it - the evidence is there. Evolution is right. However, by the same token, there is also no evidence to disprove that God is behind all of this. There is no evidence to disprove His hand in all things. So by the very fact of not being able to disprove it, creation is right, too.
So why can't we learn about both in schools?
issedoff: I'll back off that topic immediately and move on to the next.
The Book of Revelations and other end-times prophecy.
I've made it a habit to study this for many, many years. And I'll tell you what I do know - that is that I know very little. I understand a lot of it and where things are going, but I don't "know" what it all means.
I think the Book of Revelations is absolutely the scariest book ever written, at least for a believer. But there's are many scriptures in a variety of different books in the Bible, that speak of the final days and all of them point to the same thing - it's going to be rough sailing for a while.
I personally believe we've been in the final days for a number of years now. I don't believe in the literal 7 years of tribulation, nor do I believe in the fantasy of a "rapture." It's a nice thought, sure, but it's a man-made term for a man-man belief. No, I believe we'll be here and the fact that we are here right now, bears that out.
Look around you. The plagues, the violence of the planet earth, the wars and rumors of wars...they are all here. The United States is in decline; God is being pushed aside for the words of man; the atrocities that man visits upon man get worse every day, everywhere you look, you shake your head in sadness at what you see. The stage is set...
...and the last act is about to begin. We're less than a heartbeat away from someone - be it a terrorist or a rogue nation - detonating a nuke against an enemy. Will that be Al Queda nuking one of our cities? Will it be Iran nuking Israel? Will it be North Korea nuking South Korea or Japan or Hawaii? Whatever the case, it's inevitable and probably no more than a year or two away at the most. And when that happens, the dam will break and then it will be a quick slide to the bottom and the short reign of the antichrist.
It's a tough world we live in. It's tough to be a believer and it's tough to be a non-believer, in my own personal opinion. I hold nothing against those that don't believe in God, though I honestly do sometimes wonder if there is anything to look forward to if you don't believe in God and His plan. Personally, as I watch the rapid deterioration of this world, I find that I take great comfort in knowing that it's all part of His plan and that whatever happens, the outcome is already decided. But others don't believe that and for me, that's OK. We all have our free will to believe what we will and to each his own.
But regardless of what you believe, no one can dispute the fact that we live in perilous and nearly disastrous times.
All the best everybody. Hopefully this gives a few of you something to chew on. And keep the discussion civil. :thumbsup: