Sunday, April 27, 2008

Persuasion

Today in the paper there's an editorial piece by Richard Dawkins, the famous atheist writer and evolutionary biologist, about the "absurdity" of creationism and Intelligent Design. He goes into some complicated logic and all, and of course lost me not far into it, even though I made myself read the whole thing.

My reaction to his brilliant writing was ho-hum, yes, well.

In other words, he didn't change my mind a bit about the existence of God and His role in the beginnings of the universe.

I also realize that I could write to Mr. Dawkins and expound on what I believe, and why, and it wouldn't make the slightest dent in what he believes.

So my theory is that most of us believe what we believe for reasons other than sheer logic and persuasion. Experience, for instance. Those of us who have experienced God laugh at the idea of God not existing. Also, believing in God is one of those paradoxical things where you believe first and then suddenly your eyes are opened to all the evidence, afterwards. So the people who insist on evidence before believing may never believe.

I don't know of very many people who are persuaded by writing alone. One in particular does come to mind, a guy who is embarrassed about his Christian-hick past and is way too impressed with the culture of academia and its smooth self-confidence and patronising attitude.

Nor are we persuaded by the "other side" making our side look silly and stupid. I don't like creationist speakers who use this tactic, because the truth is that Darwinists can just as easily skew the details and make us look stupid.

So if anyone wants to venture an answer, my question is: have you changed your mind in your lifetime about the existence of God and his role in creation? And if so, what made you decide what you did?

Quote of the Day:
"They seem to have sort of an exciting life, even though they're married."
--Emily, about our friends Darren and Jennifer

6 comments:

  1. I can't contribute in that I haven't had my way of thinking changed due to something I had read, regarding evolution.

    What I find interesting however, is the timing of your post. Just Saturday, the Dallas Morning News in their "Religion" section did a book review of Michael Dowd's "Thank God For Evolution".

    I clipped out the article with thoughts to visit the library and see if it was on the shelf. I just came back from skimming around his website.

    http://thankgodforevolution.com/


    I am pretty skeptical at my base on certain things. I have to admit that something wasn't right within my spirit, I felt uneasiness. I couldn't find anything (maybe it was there and I didn't look in the right place) about his beliefs, claiming Jesus as Lord. I did find his testimony elsewhere (another site)

    I looked around a bit more and found this review from WordPress (Link below) and that has an interesting quote from his book sort of New-Age in its thinking.


    http://creationproject.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/thank-god-for-evolution/

    It makes me wonder if we as Christians are trying too hard to be accepted by everyone else. As if we can "convince" the evolutionists out there that we somehow really aren't all that bizarre? I don't know, maybe I'm not giving the guy the right kind of credit or maybe I am spot on in my discernment? I think if I checked his book out from the library I would have to pray that God would speak to me and give me discernment as I read it. Part of me says "Why bother?"

    All of this and I really haven't said anything at all have I?
    Connie

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  2. I grew up Amish but during my teen years I was not Amish. I did not believe in God and went to a church that did not believe in the trinity. I am now 23 and myself cannot believe the transformation God has made in my life. I married a wonderful man who wanted to go to a mennonite church (he grew up mennonite) One thing that really influenced me was my grandmothers death. The days before she died she would say "I see the light, I see the light." She wasn't really here on earth anymore, but yet she hadn't passed on either.
    Also it is amazing what attending a bible believing church can do in helping you grow spiritually. It took at least three years till I no longer battled with myself during a church service. There were many times when a sermon would make me upset or angry because I disagreed. But God is good and with Him all things are possible.
    ~RSM

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  3. Believe it or not missiologists and christian behavioral scientists have created a conversion process scale or decision process scale.

    Follow th link to Engel's model on wikipedia
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engel_Scale
    There is also a link to a graph at Reference 2.

    I mention this only to demonstrate how far it often goes and because I actually happen to be editing someone's dissertation who cited the material. Please note I am getting paid to edit.

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  4. I don't know that my views on creation have changed over the course of my life. But I will say that my views of God's love for me have changed and deepened, especially in the past few years. It is truly staggering, the depth of His love.

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  5. My views haven't changed on Creation versus Evolution. But they have deepened and part of that deepening is credited to listening to and reading Creation Scientist as they show how absurd evolution is. It really does take more faith to believe in evolution based on scientific evidence alone. Actually it takes a sincere desire to not want to believe in a Creator. So probably your right that a persuasive arguement would not change his mind. However, I have heard of many who have changed their minds, so then again...I think depending on your personality some would need to be convinced in there minds before it touches their hearts. But ultimately it is their heart that makes the decision, and the Holy Spirit that prods their hearts. So perhaps we would better spend our time praying for just that to happen, and perhaps praying for the opportunity to share our beliefs in an intelligent matter.
    Sorry this comment is scattered and very long. Basically what I am trying to say is that once again you made me think and I thank you.
    -Donna

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  6. Hmm,
    This has been an important topic for me lately.
    I didn't grow up in a religious household, but was born-again in junior high. I was a serious conservative, young-earther, fundamentalist for years. For me, it was about being convinced, and then finding reasons to stay convinced. Honestly, I no longer believe in the young-earth creationist angle, at all. It's hard, because there's no place for me among the conservative (theologically speaking) Evangelicals anymore.
    Mostly, I only hear about how evolutionists hate God or don't believe in him, etc.
    Well, I'm an evolutionist, and I'm a Christian. (Though I would have said the two were mutually exclusive only a couple of years ago.) But you can be both. It's much harder than being a creationist was, however. Much.

    Amy

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