Note: This piece was written months ago - but never published until today. It previews a few concepts contained in my Pope Francis post, but I wanted to post it as well.
Storm: You're so sure of your position
But you're just closed-minded
On the surface, the above seems to hit the nail right on the head, right? Just my gut opinion, buuuut....
It's like comparing apples and oranges...science is based on fact that can be proven, although some scientific theories rely on faith, science is tangible. Faith is also based on fact; but easily refuted by those who refuse to see the logic of faith because is cannot be sliced, diced, and mathematically proven, although its logic, if one is really open to how the tenants of faith are arrived at, makes perfect sense.
I can go on and on about the logic of faith, but that would just be a waste of time because those who have it do not need the kind of proof and those who don't have it refuse to accept the logic. So, I will just say that there are many who close their hearts to God because it is inconvenient to embrace him. They hold up the facade of being rightous in the face of "intolerant believers" over the actual true nature of Christians to do their part to save souls.
Now, I'm not saying all Christians are holy...because we are not. As with any other group on the face of this Earth, there are those of us who twist the truth and allow our pride to poison God's message of love, mercy, forgiveness, and sacrifice and His fervent desire for all souls to be saved. And we sin, because we are human and vulnernable to temptation. It takes practice, prayer, will power, and especially the grace of God to develope true peace with our Christian committment.
So, while many say a faith that never wavers is close-minded, it is not exactly a true statement. Faith is a believe in a way of life revealed to us since the beginning of human existance. How can that change??? The plan was revealed in full: beginning, middle and end. The only thing that does change is our understanding of it. But does that mean what was revealed has changed? Nope, not even close.
There is a difference, however, with rules. Just like any organization of people, there are secular rules and those rules can, and do, change...headdress for women, female alter servers, latin mass to the venacular, and even science...the Earth is pretty much now understood not to be the center of the solar system...thanks, Galileo!
Yes, the church evolves and no longer fears scientific fact because we know it will never disprove God. How can it? It is a creation of Him and who would create something that would contradict one's own perfect plan? On the surface, science may seem to contradict...but that's just because we don't have the full picture...there is so much that is scientifically unknown and unproven! And similar to our understanding of our faith, one must be open to our understanding of science. For example, the age of the Earth and evolution prove to be a stumbling block for certain faith communities. This is where a literal interpretation of the Bible can be troublesome. The Bible is not a scientific manual of mankind's history. It contains many books, penned by many different men (under the influence of the Holy Spirit, of course) over the course of hundreds of years. The genre of these books involve different literary styles: stories that convey a truth, historical renditions, poems, etc. The Bible is the TRUTH presented in varying forms to help us understand in a way that will inspire the human soul.
A steadfast unbeliever stuck in his predudice, however open minded he views himself, relies on witty semantics to put down anyone who shares an opposing view rather than engaging in true, respectful dialog and is actually closed to any possibility that they can be biased.
For example, nature testifies to the plan of men and women as couples. This union is the only natural way of procreation...man and woman fit so perfectly together. However, it is pretty much common belief that sexual orientation is something that you are born with...but does the simple fact that you are born attracted to the same sex justify homosexuality's status as equal to heterosexuality? If science, one day, proves that homosexuality results from a genetic mutation and could be classified as a birth defect, would those who rely on science as their "bible" be able to accept this?
Disclaimer: Now don't get me wrong...I'm not homophobic. I don't believe that homosexuals as a group are evil and should be restricted from jobs, cival unions, or spiritual ones if their religious communities embrace the lifestyle. However, I don't want my faith to be dictated to by those who believe differently. I have a right to be respected as I respect those who differ from my viewpoint. People should have a choice to live according to their believes, as long as they are not abusing the weak who cannot defend themselves, everyone ultimately has to answer for themselves and their actions.
But, back to my point, as a Christian, I can embrace human evolution because it is logical to do so...but it's still just a theory. Can the same be said of those who oppose genetic research that may one day lead to a strong theory or proof that homosexuality could be or is the result of a genetic abnormality or defect?
Storm: You're so sure of your position
But you're just closed-minded
I think you'll find
Your faith in science and tests
Is just as blind
As the faith of any fundamentalist.
Tim: Hm that's a good point, let me think for a bit
Oh wait, my mistake, it's absolute bullshit.
Science adjusts it's beliefs based on what's observed
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved."
Tim Minchin, "Storm"
Your faith in science and tests
Is just as blind
As the faith of any fundamentalist.
Tim: Hm that's a good point, let me think for a bit
Oh wait, my mistake, it's absolute bullshit.
Science adjusts it's beliefs based on what's observed
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved."
Tim Minchin, "Storm"
On the surface, the above seems to hit the nail right on the head, right? Just my gut opinion, buuuut....
It's like comparing apples and oranges...science is based on fact that can be proven, although some scientific theories rely on faith, science is tangible. Faith is also based on fact; but easily refuted by those who refuse to see the logic of faith because is cannot be sliced, diced, and mathematically proven, although its logic, if one is really open to how the tenants of faith are arrived at, makes perfect sense.
I can go on and on about the logic of faith, but that would just be a waste of time because those who have it do not need the kind of proof and those who don't have it refuse to accept the logic. So, I will just say that there are many who close their hearts to God because it is inconvenient to embrace him. They hold up the facade of being rightous in the face of "intolerant believers" over the actual true nature of Christians to do their part to save souls.
Now, I'm not saying all Christians are holy...because we are not. As with any other group on the face of this Earth, there are those of us who twist the truth and allow our pride to poison God's message of love, mercy, forgiveness, and sacrifice and His fervent desire for all souls to be saved. And we sin, because we are human and vulnernable to temptation. It takes practice, prayer, will power, and especially the grace of God to develope true peace with our Christian committment.
So, while many say a faith that never wavers is close-minded, it is not exactly a true statement. Faith is a believe in a way of life revealed to us since the beginning of human existance. How can that change??? The plan was revealed in full: beginning, middle and end. The only thing that does change is our understanding of it. But does that mean what was revealed has changed? Nope, not even close.
There is a difference, however, with rules. Just like any organization of people, there are secular rules and those rules can, and do, change...headdress for women, female alter servers, latin mass to the venacular, and even science...the Earth is pretty much now understood not to be the center of the solar system...thanks, Galileo!
Yes, the church evolves and no longer fears scientific fact because we know it will never disprove God. How can it? It is a creation of Him and who would create something that would contradict one's own perfect plan? On the surface, science may seem to contradict...but that's just because we don't have the full picture...there is so much that is scientifically unknown and unproven! And similar to our understanding of our faith, one must be open to our understanding of science. For example, the age of the Earth and evolution prove to be a stumbling block for certain faith communities. This is where a literal interpretation of the Bible can be troublesome. The Bible is not a scientific manual of mankind's history. It contains many books, penned by many different men (under the influence of the Holy Spirit, of course) over the course of hundreds of years. The genre of these books involve different literary styles: stories that convey a truth, historical renditions, poems, etc. The Bible is the TRUTH presented in varying forms to help us understand in a way that will inspire the human soul.
A steadfast unbeliever stuck in his predudice, however open minded he views himself, relies on witty semantics to put down anyone who shares an opposing view rather than engaging in true, respectful dialog and is actually closed to any possibility that they can be biased.
For example, nature testifies to the plan of men and women as couples. This union is the only natural way of procreation...man and woman fit so perfectly together. However, it is pretty much common belief that sexual orientation is something that you are born with...but does the simple fact that you are born attracted to the same sex justify homosexuality's status as equal to heterosexuality? If science, one day, proves that homosexuality results from a genetic mutation and could be classified as a birth defect, would those who rely on science as their "bible" be able to accept this?
Disclaimer: Now don't get me wrong...I'm not homophobic. I don't believe that homosexuals as a group are evil and should be restricted from jobs, cival unions, or spiritual ones if their religious communities embrace the lifestyle. However, I don't want my faith to be dictated to by those who believe differently. I have a right to be respected as I respect those who differ from my viewpoint. People should have a choice to live according to their believes, as long as they are not abusing the weak who cannot defend themselves, everyone ultimately has to answer for themselves and their actions.
But, back to my point, as a Christian, I can embrace human evolution because it is logical to do so...but it's still just a theory. Can the same be said of those who oppose genetic research that may one day lead to a strong theory or proof that homosexuality could be or is the result of a genetic abnormality or defect?
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