Firing Line 1997: a Creationism vs. Evolution Debate « Rationally Thinking Out Loud

 I came across a 4 way debate on Creationism vs Evolution December 19, 1997.

Resolved: Evolution Should Acknowledge Creation
Moderator: Michael Kinsley
The Debaters:

• Pro (creationist):
  
  
  • Mr. William F. Buckley
  • Mr. Philip Johnson (lawyer, author, Darwin On Trial)
  • Dr. Michael Behe (biochemist, author, Darwin’s Black Box)
  • Dr. David Berlinski (mathematician, author, The Deniable Darwin)
  
  
  
• Con (evolutionist):
• Mr. Barry Lynne (Americans for the Separation of Church and State)
• Ms. Eugenie Scott (Exec. Director, National Center for Science Education)
• Dr. Michael Ruse (philosopher)
• Dr. Kenneth Miller (biologist, author, reviewed Darwin’s Black Box)

1-8 Evolution -VS- Creationism

2-8 Evolution -VS- Creationism

3-8 Evolution -VS- Creationism

4-8 Evolution -VS- Creationism

5-8 Evolution -VS- Creationism

6-8 Evolution -VS- Creationism

7-8 Evolution -VS- Creationism

8-8 Evolution -VS- Creationism

Firing Line 1997: a Creationism vs. Evolution Debate « Rationally Thinking Out Loud

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Babylonian Exile

Dr Claude Mariottini is doing a series on the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BC and how it affected Jewish history, life, and culture. It is a great read. I have the link to the first two parts below. The thing that stand out most to me is just like the prophets foretold that after their exile you no longer see idolatry as a problem among orthodox Jews. I mean they learned it so well, they were willing to die generations later when the Greeks tried to force them to worship idols.

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Babylonian Exile

Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Lonely Widow

John MacArthur on the "Lie of Evolution"

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I found  a great article linked below. The author addresses an important question. The discussion is whether or not John MacArthur is being heavy handed in treating evolution as something that Christians should outright deny. I agree with the writer of this post that I don't know how old the earth is. The Bible does not tell us. Geology and Physics seemingly point to about 4.5 billion years. The Bible does not tells us that this is wrong. As someone trained in science and a Christian I must reject macro evolution for two reasons:

1. Scientific
Many scientist don't "drink-the-kool-aid" of  macro evolution. I think the most powerful argument is the fact that evolution cannot adequately explain how human consciousness evolved or how genetic mutations increased the amount of genetic data from one species to the next. 

2. Biblically
The debate over evolution  is not like the debate of geocentricism vs heliocentrisim of Galileo's time. The Church said the earth is center of the universe not the Bible. The Bible gives us plenty of information on God's character and we can talk about would our creator use evolution to create life on earth? I'm not saying that God could not have used evolution only asking does it make sense given what we know about how He has acted throughout time? Macro evolution is contingent on the idea that live evolved through natural selection where the members of the species most healthy - stronger - faster- survive to reproduce passing those traits to new generations. By defintion - God has circumvented this time and time again. Each and everyone of us are here because God actively and purposely changed circumstances. The truth is if God had not picked Abraham and his descendants to be his "special project" there would be no Jews today. We are all God's "special project" - a masterpiece that he has been putting together ever since he spoke and all of reality leaped into existence.

 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'   - Acts 17:24-28

John MacArthur on the “Lie of Evolution”

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Romans 9 from Great Falls Conference

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I am always interested as to how people understand Romans 9. To date i have heard no better exegesis than the Way James White does it. I'd be really interested in hearings an exegesis from an Arminian viewpoint, because when I read Roman 9 I am forced to concur with James White.






Romans 9 from Great Falls Conference