moda0306 wrote:
Mountaineer,
It is completely relevant what you think if you are aware of opposing or tangential facts to the ones I believe to be true. It's completely relevant if I'm wrong and you're right, and God not only exists for certain, but exists the way you say he does. You are one of few access points I have to the truth, if you are correct, so your interpretation of reality might be the most important one I should be considering.
Another question for you on your Faith.... What came first, your strong belief in Christ as your savior, or your conclusion that there is decent empirical evidence that Christ really rose from his grave.
Also, if you're willing to accept the possibility that God put fossil's here to test our faith, doesn't that kind of throw out anything we could ever believe about God? The Bible? Jesus? Perhaps they're all some sick test that we haven't figured out yet...
moda, I appologize. I did not mean for you to perceive me as blowing you off. I think it is most important to say that Salvation is for those who believe in the promises of God. Said another way, those who believe that Jesus came to earth, lived, died, and rose from the the dead and came to atone for the sins of all from all time will be saved and have eternal life in a perfect body on the new earth. What I believe, however, is not important for you to be saved. But, that said, I'll try to answer your questions honestly, as I think I've been trying to do all along.
I have come to believe and understand that I was given the Holy Spirit in my baptism. It never left me. My recognition, however, of what that meant became increasing clear with time and study of the Word. The more I've studied, the more I became/become convinced that Christ really did rise from the grave. The other explanations (see the Letters I posted in the religion thread) or alternate theories just do not "hold water" like the the Bible accounts do. Is that because of my study or the Holy Spirit guiding me? I honestly do not know in a way to prove it, but I am sure it is the Spirit's work in me somehow. Can you be saved without being baptised? Yes. Can you be baptised and lose your faith? Yes. This is why I harp on "hearing the Word" so much. I am starting to wonder if you would be interested in listening to a series of apologetics discussions (defense of the faith) but I'm hesitant to recommend that unless you are really serious and would really listen to them. But, if you are, just let me know. Those discussions are more solid than anything I can give you on an internet forum but would require an investment of your time.
I don't think that God put fossils here to "test" our faith. I really do not think God would give us some "sick" test; that is inconsistent with God's Word as I understand it. I do think Satan causes us to doubt. Doubt God's Word, doubt that God loves us, doubt that makes us think that God wants us to burn in hell, doubt in God so we desire to put faith in some aspect of the creation instead of the Creator.
... Mountaineer
DNA has its own language (code), and language requires intelligence. There is no known mechanism by which matter can give birth to information, let alone language. It is unreasonable to believe the world could have happened by chance.