Explaining it.

[WannaLearn]

How do you help explain to someone(that a god does exist) who thinks god doesnt exist but would be nice if he did. She says she sees no evidence for a god, I thought was kind of funny but she does not believe the big bang really happened and is just a theory. Instead she thinks we evolved from evolution and thinks that is a fact because of what are high school biology books preach to us. How would you go about this?

[Danieltwotwenty]

How do you help explain to someone(that a god does exist) who thinks god doesnt exist but would be nice if he did. She says she sees no evidence for a god, I thought was kind of funny but she does not believe the big bang really happened and is just a theory. Instead she thinks we evolved from evolution and thinks that is a fact because of what are high school biology books preach to us. How would you go about this?

First of all I would affirm that yes evolution does not exclude the existence of God and neither does the Bible exclude evolution as the catalyst that God used to bring about creation.

[Byblos]

How do you help explain to someone(that a god does exist) who thinks god doesnt exist but would be nice if he did. She says she sees no evidence for a god, I thought was kind of funny but she does not believe the big bang really happened and is just a theory. Instead she thinks we evolved from evolution and thinks that is a fact because of what are high school biology books preach to us. How would you go about this?

Give her a gift.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

How do you help explain to someone(that a god does exist) who thinks god doesnt exist but would be nice if he did. She says she sees no evidence for a god, I thought was kind of funny but she does not believe the big bang really happened and is just a theory. Instead she thinks we evolved from evolution and thinks that is a fact because of what are high school biology books preach to us. How would you go about this?

You could steer her towards Schroeder's Creation Perspective which wonderfully reconciles the 6 days of Creation with Evolution and Big Bang Theory. Gerald L. Schroeder is an Israeli scientist who earned his Ph.D. from MIT (Mass. Inst. of Technology). Start by googling Dr Gerald R. Scroeder yourself.

Tell your girlfriend that Dr Schroeder is no dummy.

FL

[Philip]

(Daniel) "... and neither does the Bible exclude evolution as the catalyst that God used to bring about creation."

WHATEVER you believe about the Genesis creation sequence portions describing the animal, birds, aquatic creatures - as they relate to evolution, the Bible most clearly states that Adam and Eve were instant, adult creations and they were the first man and woman. If you believe Adam and Eve were actual people and their story and how they were made by God , to be true, PRECISELY AS IT IS WRITTEN, then it does not allow for either of them to be a product of evolutionary processes. If you believe these portions to be mere allegory - well, you can read just about anything into it you so desire - but it doesn't make it true.

[Danieltwotwenty]

(Daniel) "... and neither does the Bible exclude evolution as the catalyst that God used to bring about creation."

WHATEVER you believe about the Genesis creation sequence portions describing the animal, birds, aquatic creatures - as they relate to evolution, the Bible most clearly states that Adam and Eve were instant, adult creations and they were the first man and woman. If you believe Adam and Eve were actual people and their story and how they were made by God , to be true, PRECISELY AS IT IS WRITTEN, then it does not allow for either of them to be a product of evolutionary processes. If you believe these portions to be mere allegory - well, you can read just about anything into it you so desire - but it doesn't make it true.

Sooooooooooooooo what's your point in relation to the OP? What you have written kinda goes without saying.

[SeekingSanctuary]

Can we have some more information on this person? You said she wants to believe in a god, maybe even The God. So, why does she want too?

Also, are her only reasons to be against it based entirely on high school science classes? Or is there more to it?

If its based on science, you could always talk about the fine-tuning of the universe, which there is an article on the main site listing them and explaining the basics of it.

I'm just throwing some random thoughts out there. I'm not exactly the world's best witness.

[WannaLearn]

Can we have some more information on this person? You said she wants to believe in a god, maybe even The God. So, why does she want too?

Also, are her only reasons to be against it based entirely on high school science classes? Or is there more to it?

If its based on science, you could always talk about the fine-tuning of the universe, which there is an article on the main site listing them and explaining the basics of it.

I'm just throwing some random thoughts out there. I'm not exactly the world's best witness.

She thinks it would be nice for there to be something after this life like a god but she says she sees no evidence for him. I brought up a little of the fine tuning argument, then my weirdo art teacher jumps in and says ¨well, everyone has there own beliefs¨, not helping my case . But I tried to bring up a little of the first cause arugument as well where there has to be an uncaused first cause of intelligence and other stuff where I barely new what I was talking about. Plus i havent got to much information from her because when we start talking about transcendence the whole class likes to look at us Oh! and she said why would a god allow disease and death, I tried to explain the adam and eve story but thats kind of where we left off and she was kind of confused. Dont really like discussing this in class mabye i should just get the numb

[Philip]

(Daniel) "... and neither does the Bible exclude evolution as the catalyst that God used to bring about creation."

(Philip) "WHATEVER you believe about the Genesis creation sequence portions describing the animal, birds, aquatic creatures - as they relate to evolution, the Bible most clearly states that Adam and Eve were instant, adult creations and they were the first man and woman. If you believe Adam and Eve were actual people and their story and how they were made by God , to be true, PRECISELY AS IT IS WRITTEN, then it does not allow for either of them to be a product of evolutionary processes. If you believe these portions to be mere allegory - well, you can read just about anything into it you so desire - but it doesn't make it true."

(Daniel) "Sooooooooooooooo what's your point in relation to the OP? What you have written kinda goes without saying."

Daniel, I'm confused at your last response - as in it you appear to be agreeing with my criticism. But previously, you state the Bible doesn't exclude evolution as God's mechanism of Creation. But, if the Genesis accounts are factual and historical, they most certainly DO rule out any possibility that Adam and Eve were the results of evolutionary processes.

[SeekingSanctuary]

Can we have some more information on this person? You said she wants to believe in a god, maybe even The God. So, why does she want too?

Also, are her only reasons to be against it based entirely on high school science classes? Or is there more to it?

If its based on science, you could always talk about the fine-tuning of the universe, which there is an article on the main site listing them and explaining the basics of it.

I'm just throwing some random thoughts out there. I'm not exactly the world's best witness.

She thinks it would be nice for there to be something after this life like a god but she says she sees no evidence for him. I brought up a little of the fine tuning argument, then my weirdo art teacher jumps in and says ¨well, everyone has there own beliefs¨, not helping my case . But I tried to bring up a little of the first cause arugument as well where there has to be an uncaused first cause of intelligence and other stuff where I barely new what I was talking about. Plus i havent got to much information from her because when we start talking about transcendence the whole class likes to look at us Oh! and she said why would a god allow disease and death, I tried to explain the adam and eve story but thats kind of where we left off and she was kind of confused. Dont really like discussing this in class mabye i should just get the numb

Number, email, hang out outside of school if possible... there are some options. I like email since you can send links to sources.

Its rough having to have these conversations in public. Why did your teacher jump into your private conversation anyway? The only time I've done that with my classes is when they were talking about tv shows I watch. Maybe just start with the hard scientific facts behind fine-tuning?

[Danieltwotwenty]

(Daniel) "... and neither does the Bible exclude evolution as the catalyst that God used to bring about creation."

(Philip) "WHATEVER you believe about the Genesis creation sequence portions describing the animal, birds, aquatic creatures - as they relate to evolution, the Bible most clearly states that Adam and Eve were instant, adult creations and they were the first man and woman. If you believe Adam and Eve were actual people and their story and how they were made by God , to be true, PRECISELY AS IT IS WRITTEN, then it does not allow for either of them to be a product of evolutionary processes. If you believe these portions to be mere allegory - well, you can read just about anything into it you so desire - but it doesn't make it true."

(Daniel) "Sooooooooooooooo what's your point in relation to the OP? What you have written kinda goes without saying."

Daniel, I'm confused at your last response - as in it you appear to be agreeing with my criticism. But previously, you state the Bible doesn't exclude evolution as God's mechanism of Creation. But, if the Genesis accounts are factual and historical, they most certainly DO rule out any possibility that Adam and Eve were the results of evolutionary processes.

Exactly, IF they are literal then yes evolution may not be complete fact, but IF it wasn't meant to be read as a science book and more of a story about God's and man's place in creation then yes there is more than enough room for evolution. I still don't see your point in relation to the OP.

[B. W.]

How do you help explain to someone(that a god does exist) who thinks god doesnt exist but would be nice if he did. She says she sees no evidence for a god, I thought was kind of funny but she does not believe the big bang really happened and is just a theory. Instead she thinks we evolved from evolution and thinks that is a fact because of what are high school biology books preach to us. How would you go about this?

Use the reduction argument... reduce the cause of creation to a source and where did the source of creation come come from. Best you can do is to let them think. I just returned from a mission trip so I lost the thread with Kenny in which I responded to him using this approach with simple questions that reduce ones belief in creation down to a single source as I do not see this thread at the top of the list anymore as it is over a week later. Next, you can show how God speaks and that they are not listening ... I call this the gospel approach and can explain it if you like as it involves what Jesus went through and the cross...

Explore what they believe and build from there. Do so with knowledge that most folks are very prideful in a pride-humble sort of way in how they respond such as: I can't believe in a God who let's this that happens, is anti-homosexual, or abandoned me-them-his-her-etc and etc... If one hears God talk, then they are crazy but I wish he would talk to me to prove he exist... If God exist then he should do this or that...

There is a pride in these comments and learn to explore expose these using reduction format such as: God reneges on no gifts or callings - he gave us dominion - he will not recall that gift/calling to us even at his own hurt, therefore it is we who abuse dominion and authority and is God wrong for holding us to account for this abuse and not dancing to our tunes we wish him to dance too? Then respond with a hefty. "How are you doing so now..."

Reduction concerning creation involves these points: How did the earth become and the universe created? Where did the first seed for the first plant on earth come from? etc and etc... Usually the answers come back to 'matter or star stuff' that always existed that randomly met causing some sort of reaction. This leads to this sort of response, "So you believe what you can't see that this star stuff (etc, etc) always just existed then why can't God?"

Lastly, and most importantly pray that the Lord will grant you wisdom, knowledge, insight, faith, and words of understanding to respond to folks like this. In doing so, your own faith will increase to new heights. The point in this is to simply make them think because as it is written in Isaiah 1:18 - God says, "let us reason together." Therefore, let him reason with them and you be merely a vessel for this purpose.
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[WannaLearn]

Ok thanks, this is very helpful.