Originally posted by: Netopia
The publication is demonstrating a key principle of evolution. Since evolution takes billions of years, it is impossible for scientists to demonstrate a situation that you suggest.
Quite true. So one has to ask one's self... if science demands "proof" and yet there is something that it cannot prove via the scientific method, why does it treat this thing as fact and not as faith in a possible theory? Belief in something unprovable is faith, regardless of whether that thing is material or spiritual.
Example, how is it that a truly loving God would allow "evil" to exist, or His true followers to go through misery and pain.
If evil is the end result of sin, then for God to not allow evil to exist would be akin to asking why when you let go of a ball over a deep hole does God allow it to fall in. It is the nature of things that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If one does something that is in direct oppostion to God (the good) then the result of this action is bad. If God did not allow for this, then He would have made us all robots without the ability to do anything except what He knows is good. A loving God desires loving relationships, not to be the ultimate control freak. He lets us (singularly and corporately) make our own decisions and suffer the consequences for those decisions... both singularly and corporately.
The question that we SHOULD be asking ourselves is VERY close to what you asked... why would a loving God allow any of US who are evil to exist with Him eternally? That is the real question. The true answer to your question is probably that He shouldn't allow evil to exist... he should nuke us all because at one point or another each of us has done something which resulted in evil. But He is a loving parent, giving each of us time to turn away from what we've done and He took the punishment on Himself. Only a truly loving God would be willing to be long suffering and put up with the bad so that in the end some might be saved instead of all being done away with.
As for misery and pain... I make no bones about the fact that these things are incredibly hard to stomach. From a strictly physical level these things seem to be the most evil things that exist. But look at the first century Christians who were being fed to lions... and walked out into the arena singing and praising God. What ODD behaviour! So odd in fact that some Roman soldiers we so taken by it that they themselves wanted to understand the peace these people had and some of them also ended up being saved. Why were these people not cursing God for their situation? Faith.... Look at "Fear Factor".... people are willing to do all sorts of terrifying, discusting, sickening things to gain some money that will soon be gone. What would those people do for 100 Billion dollars? Would the be willing to engage in even more outrageous endevours? Probably. Why? Because the things they are going through are of less value to them than the prize that they hope for... and only ONE of them gets the prize! Consider Christians suffering now but having a faith, a conviction, a knowledge.... that what was currently going on was of FAR less value to them than the prize that they hoped for. What if they knew that showing others their suffering in a gracious and peaceful way might lead others to the grand prize also? In order to understand why He would allow His true followers to suffer, I would suggest reading some of the accounts of those followers. The "Voice of the Martyrs" has a nice book entitled "Jesus Freak" which has the story of dozens who have GLADLY suffered... isn't that weird? GLADLY SUFFERING....
Unlike the Bible, scientific publications are open for public criticism and debate. People have the right and are encouraged to question the validity of scientific research. Therefore, science is the best the way to pursue the truth about life.
People question the Bible and its interpretation all the time. The longer I live the more I understand things and realize that I've understood them less well in the past. The Christian walk is MUCH like that of being a scientist. The Bible even tells us to test what we hear... make sure it fits and is true and not to simply believe because it has been told to us. In fact, it says to do so is "more noble". I sometimes drive even other Christians crazy because I play devil's advocate with the Scriptures, looking for inconsistancies and things that don't fit or why something should be interpreted one way and not another. And from that, my knowledge and understanding grows.... isn't that just what a scientist does?
If you look at science, it has often in the past said that something is so and then later recants because of new knowledge. Science is willing to make absolute statements based on current knowledge only... and then allows itself to be proven wrong. What if instead, science would only say that from what we currently know, we think that maybe this or that are fact... but we'll never really know because there is always new data that may come and change our thinking. If science would take that view... which is a more valid view than constantly changing what "facts" are.... they would be willing to admit that there may be a spirit realm which is currently undetectable and immeasurable. The would take the spirit realm and religion into consideration even though they can neither prove nor measure it. You may say that science cannot do that, but quantum physics says that there may be as many as 10 dimensions (string theory) or even 11 dimension M-Theory... but only THREE can be observed and measured! One has to wonder why it's ok in science to have "faith" in things unproven and to use the immaterial and immeasurable to prove theory... but ONLY if it doesn't include the spiritual.
However, back then, this was the only type of explanation the average person could comprehend, and it "seemed to make sense." Besides, it's much easier to have ideas spoonfed to you by others than to come up with original ideas. Why not. What the heck.
Hmmmm..... sounds like you are describing the use of evolution to describe how life came into being... which evolution doesn't even deal with. It's much easier to say "billions and billions of years and so it all evolved" and expect people to simply believe because the number of years is so large. Time doesn't explain anything.... except to those who are willing to put "faith" in it.
Joe
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