Tag: creationism

religion

So, What’s the Deal With Adam and Eve? Part 2

The Creation of Eve 12-13th Century Mosaic Monreale Cathedral, Sicily

So, it’s been light blogging because I’ve been recovering from having my gallbladder removed last weekend.  And percocet makes me mean.  So I’ve been applying the adage my boys have heard 1 times a day since they learned to speak: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”

But I’m off the dope and wanted to get back to our earlier discussion on Adam and Eve.  (To understand this discussion, I suggest reading What’s the Deal With Adam and Eve? Part 1 first.)  When we left off, Adam had determined that there was no gibbon that tickled his fancy and God put him into a deep sleep.  Then God took a rib from Adams side, closed the spot with flesh and fashioned woman. 

A few things here.  The man is put into a deep sleep.  This can certainly mean simply that Adam was unconscious.  Under full anesthesia, if you will.  However, because we are also reading the story as an allegory, it can be informative to go a little deeper.  When we sleep, we are still alive.  We are not aware of what is going on in the physical world, but we dream.  Our brains are busy doing clean-up work that can not be tended to when we’re busy using it while awake.  And often we wake up and remember none of it.  If we do, as often as not, we’re left with an impression which is more emotion than anything and hard to put into words.  Continue reading “So, What’s the Deal With Adam and Eve? Part 2”

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter6 Comments
religion

So, What’s the Deal With Adam and Eve? Part 1

Facepalm. Words. They fail.

I am fascinated with the creation stories.  I have mentioned before that it was the habit of ancient Hebrews to meditate by holding two thoughts which seem opposed together in your head at once.  I may have also mentioned that I have both a very high regard for scripture and I value science as a tool for understanding how God’s other testimony – creation – works.  Which right there creates a conflict which many people think they can make go away by picking the side that makes sense to them and hanging out there.  But I always figured that if God made the world (which I believe he did) and scripture is true (which I believe it is – in all sorts of surprising ways) and science was saying something different, God had an answer.  And not like, “well I only made the earth look billions of years old in order to see if you would trust me enough to think it’s really 6000 years old.”  A real answer.  Two true things cannot contradict one another.  If they are in conflict, it doesn’t mean one is right and the other is wrong.  It means we don’t understand them well enough yet.

So with this as my mindset, I set out holding these two ideas – biblical creation and the evidence of science – in my head at the same time and meditating on them.  Continue reading “So, What’s the Deal With Adam and Eve? Part 1”

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter8 Comments
culture, religion, science

Why Creationism Does Not Honor God

I’m going to start my day by ticking people off! Just let me say at the outset that I am not saying that people who hold a belief in what is called “biblical creationism” do not honor God.  They may or may not.  But the belief system itself does not honor God.  Why?  Because it denies the work of God’s own hands.  The creation is … Continue reading Why Creationism Does Not Honor God

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter42 Comments
culture

“Expelled” Exposed

The National Center for Science Education has put together a website to respond to the new pro-Intelligent Design movie “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed”. It is called Expelled Exposed. I have to say that red flags were raised for me when I heard a podcast about the movie based on this premise:

Have you ever noticed that Christians are fine with having God and science coexist? In fact, Christians see scientific discoveries as strengthening their faith precisely because they reveal the marvel of the world. So why is it that so many scientists seem to hate the idea of God so much?”

Um, yeah. Loonies like Richard Dawkins aside, suffice it to say that this has not been my experience of the “conflict” between Christians and science. I have already made known my stance on creationism and intelligent design.

Part of my problem with creationism and intelligent design has always been the dishonesty used to sustain the argument against evolution. I suppose it isn’t too surprising to see that this dishonesty isn’t limited misrepresenting main stream science and scientists. It turns out that many of the stories used in the movie to demonstrate this supposed intolerance for alternative views are misrepresentations as well.

For example, one scientist featured in the movie, Richard Sterberg, claimed that after using his position as editor of a small scientific journal to publish a pro-intelligent design article, he was fired from his post as editor, forced out of his office at the Smithsonian, and made to turn in his keys which gave him access to the Smithsonian’s specimin collection which he needed in order to do his work. Turns out that he had put in notice 6 months prior at the journal, had to move offices along with everyone else in his work area as part of an office re-arrangement and needed to turn in his keys so he could be issued a key card that would work with the new security system. Continue reading ““Expelled” Exposed”

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter4 Comments
homeschooling, religion, Uncategorized

Teaching Creation Science or ID? A formula for putting your child’s Christian faith at risk.

In my last post I kind of poked at those who use ridiculous notions of socialization to criticize homeschooling. Today, I’m going to sharpen my stick and point it in the direction of some of my fellow homeschoolers. It is my firm belief that an unfortunate number of Christian homeschoolers are putting their child’s future spiritual walk at risk in service to an idea which is not even necessary to the faith. I am talking, of course, about those who are teaching their children a from a creationist, anti-evolutionary POV. (Of course there are parents and churches who are teaching kids who aren’t being homeschooled the same things, but for the purposes of this discussion, I’m going to focus on homeschoolers who are doing this.)

Of course, one of the primary reasons some Christian homeschoolers teach their children that evolution, the big bang and such are wrong, is because they feel an obligation to inculcate a strong faith in their children. However, it is my very strong opinion, backed up by the experiences of many people who have been down this road themselves, that these parents are actually sowing the seeds of the destruction of their children’s faith in the future. Continue reading “Teaching Creation Science or ID? A formula for putting your child’s Christian faith at risk.”

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter55 Comments