Birdy said:
As a theistic evolutionist I certainly don't believe we are the product of random chance. Evolutionary theory in science doesn't require a creator however it doesn't wash with me that in this time we could have evolved to where we are now without either a creator guiding the process or planning it all from the beginning, I tend to think a combination of both. What might appear to be random mutations and natural selections to us may not be random to God at all. I basically agree with what you said about Adam and Eve, that the fall of man was about 6000 years ago and spiritual death entered the world.
How can you be a theistic evolutionist? Either you believe that God created the animals and that they breed 'after their own kind' or you don't.
Two tigers were probably on the ark, we now have many 'species' of tiger. Answers In Genesis, a creation-ist website/organisation, make it quite clear that they believe a species can change such as tigers - you've got caspian and indian and sumatran (SP?) tigers, but its possible (apparently) that they could have all come from the one male and one female tiger. Same with sparrows I suppose.
TigerCraig said:
Personally don't believe in "God". Don't understand how anyone can - but I accept that they do (and "because it's in a book" doesn't cut it for me).
The only way I can rationalise the "god" concept with tragedies etc is the Roman/Greek idea of gods with all the faults and virtues of humans - who get their funnies by hurting and upsetting people, or by making their lives happy and fornicating with them in the person of swans or showers of gold.
I can more understand the tsunami being due to Neptune having had a bad day than some almighty "God" who just wants to punish everyone because of some apple muncher.
But above all I can more easily rationalise us all being a feak of nature who will end up as rotted worm food and thats it.
Without ever seeing you I'm sure you look a lot more like a being well-designed and thought-out than just some freak or accident. My 20c though. If my theory (and it was just a top-of-the-head theory) about the effects of the flood possibly causing the things we now call faults in the earth is true, then surely we brought about earthquakes upon ourselves? I don't believe God introduced tragedy into the world but He can use it (and the aftermaths of them) for His glory.
Capitalist said:
I dont think there was an afterlife until the whole apple saga ? arent we just doing this life to get back into eden ?
I suppose you could say if there is no afterlife is there a god ?
I didn't really get the thrust of your thread sorry, but I suppose afterlife is possibly the wrong word and 'eternal life' is closer? Maybe a few bundy's have made me picky. Sorry. The apple saga destroyed man's innocence, introduced sin into the world, and also introduced death. Eternal life was something Adam and Eve must have had, if death only came about as a bi-product of sin. (Genesis 3).
Happy New Years everyone!