Re
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Read this book!
Ian, thanks for the book recommendations.
From a young age I had a fascination with Palaeontology and I have a huge collection of simple through to scientific books on the subject. I had my sights set on being a Paleontologist. I had the IQ and the
smarts but no dedication, so i dropped out of school at year 10, with my dream somewhere floating away.
Then came "Revivalism" and the dictates of "evilution" (spelling error deliberate). After being coerced into the PRC, Creation Science like a lot of things drew me in.
So where did I end up post-Revivalism? Fence sitting.
I have great difficulties with evolution because of the gaps in "missing links" and what I think are impossibilities of evolution like the hummingbird, the woodpecker etc with multi specialised peculiar characteristics, which, without each, the birds would not have been unable to function or survive in their habitat. These are not the only critters for which evolution doesn't seem workable, but they are prime examples.
On the other hand it is difficult to speculate that humans lived along side the Apatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex (Rex because he believed in British Israel? heh heh heh), Rhamphoryncus and other gargantuan beasts. One can "prove" a worldwide flood, but with a great deal of difficulty! Too many gaps in the hypothesis, just like evolution.
Then we get to carbon dating which sort of works until you go back millions of years and a whole lot of speculations by biologists and paleontologists theorising get taken up as facts.
I did not raise my children as either Pentecostals or Christians (these were my Prodigal years). My son went to a Church of England Grammar School which was weak on encouraging or teaching faith and doctrine, so he declared himself sort of agnostic. During his university years we once had a discussion during which he declared that he had just as much trouble believing evolution as any religious belief and we both agreed on the similarities of fanaticism and blind faith in both. I have met many evolutionists, who, with a small "brain cell tweak" would make fervent Pentecostals.
I believe, as I have testified, that God in His grace, was merciful and I stopped "kicking against the pricks". The Holy Spirit has worked a change of mind and heart in me. One day my son asked me why I believed and I quoted, with passion, John 6:67 to 69 and Matthew 16:13 to 17. He went quiet.
Not wanting to get caught up in speculation of the Revivalism kind, things that puzzle me, I pray about and leave in God's hands. A bit like, once bitten, twice shy. Please do not interpret that as a closed mind.
Like the global warming debate, there are a lot of folk adhering to a tenet, without a clue of the detail. Is it because of Revivalism, that while I believe that deforestation, pollution and overfishing etc are ruining the planet, I cautious of rash judgement and poorly-planned decisions from people that I wouldn't send down the street to get me the newspaper?
How did you sort things out after the your numbing Revivalism experience?
John
?
, for the first time in your life (I opine) act like a tortoise and pull your head in. That means cease and desist from your nasty character assassinations and vitriol. Should we ask Wernher von Braun to explain it to you? It shouldn't have to be rocket science!
