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 I have been invited to lunch by a creationist.
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 12/20/2011 :  05:26:39  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
A friend of mine shared this piece written by one of her fellow church members on her FB page.
Pastor's message today inspired a lot of thought for me in regards to where I have come from in my beliefs to where I have arrived. For anyone who knows me, I love facts, I love statistics, and I love science. Atheists have attacked Christians for a basis on "Faith", yet there are just as many verified facts, and hard evidence to support Christianity. I don't have enough room here to go through the hundreds of points here on FB, I will just encourage you to have faith! ;) But, an interesting point to make is that, all though I love science, it has it's limitations that Atheists and other nay sayers will intentionally avoid. Science is limited by technology and interpretation of man at the time of application. Throughout history there are countless science-facts that have become science-fiction as we have learned more with the growth in our technology and understanding. The Earth was once flat and the center of the Universe.....or the Earth itself was believed to be ever expanding and Einstein theorized that the Universe was static and did not expand. There are countless unanswered questions to date that science and tech cannot explain...like the "missing link" between humans and apes in the "evolutionary chain", that evolutionists are so convinced exists. Man is not all knowing. Even as a collaboration, man cannot answer many many important questions. Therefor, "non-believers" do have one thing in common with believers, and that is our core value in faith. Only God is omniscient. In "Man's World" we will always be limited and required to have faith in something. We were all taught science in school and it is part of many of us in our regular lives. How many atheists do you know who applied actual non-biased science to the bible or even actually read it themselves......as an adult? Most will quote famous verses, but many have never actually gave a true methodical approach to breaking down the facts in the bible because they have "faith" that it is already wrong. That is not real science. If you are like me and you like facts and compelling evidence, I would encourage you to read Lee Strobel's book "Case for Christ". This book is also a great ministry tool for like minded thinkers to get them out of their box and looking through a different glass. I also recommend a good study bible, NIV translation to help a person read through the "dated" language (even though it is timeless :) ). God Bless


I asked her to put me in contact with the author of the piece. She did. I received this message from him.
Eric, I wrote the post on a closed site. However, I would be happy to entertain your thoughts about it and have a great discussion. FB is generally not a great place to hold a good discussion, so I would be happy to meet you for lunch and chat......and I will buy! If I am compelled by your wisdom, I will happily make changes to my post. If meeting with a stranger is odd to you, we can ask an intermediary friend to join us like M. or perhaps J./A. ?
(names edited to protect some of my friends identity)
I replied
I welcome the opportunity and accept your invitation. No need for an intermediary unless one or more of my friends you mentioned would like to join. Agreed that M.'s FB page is not the place to hold a debate. I am sending you a friend request and will be sending you my rebuttal of the piece you wrote within the next day or two. Writing is the most effective way to debate this subject. If there is a way you would like to share the debate with others feel free to set it up. I have no problem with anything that I write being made public.


Come to find out the author knows some very good friends of mine.

This is gonna be fun!

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring

chefcrsh
Skeptic Friend

Hong Kong
380 Posts

Posted - 12/20/2011 :  06:29:24   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send chefcrsh a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I am jealous, and immediately so. This morning just as I had placed my breakfast down on my table the doorbell rang. It was Jehovahs Witnesses, two elderly Chinese ladies. They said they wanted to read the bible with me. As my breakfast was cooling and I was also in a hurry to get to work I said no thanks and closed the door. While trying to deconvert them would have been fun, a person has to have priorities! Only a few minutes later when I had time to relax and digest both my meal and my experience, I felt a pang of regret and wished I had thought to ask if they would be free to talk tomorrow afternoon, when I am off and available.
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Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26022 Posts

Posted - 12/20/2011 :  08:38:05   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally quoted by Ebone4rock

But, an interesting point to make is that, all though I love science, it has it's limitations that Atheists and other nay sayers will intentionally avoid. Science is limited by technology and interpretation of man at the time of application.
Nobody "avoids" this. It's obvious.
Throughout history there are countless science-facts that have become science-fiction as we have learned more with the growth in our technology and understanding.
And that's a problem because...?
The Earth was once flat and the center of the Universe.....or the Earth itself was believed to be ever expanding and Einstein theorized that the Universe was static and did not expand.
Yeah, scientists can be wrong. Nobody says otherwise.
There are countless unanswered questions to date that science and tech cannot explain...like the "missing link" between humans and apes in the "evolutionary chain", that evolutionists are so convinced exists.
The "missing link" is a myth. We've got plenty of transitional fossils showing the evolution of man.
Man is not all knowing.
Nobody claims otherwise.
Even as a collaboration, man cannot answer many many important questions.
Ditto.
Therefor, "non-believers" do have one thing in common with believers, and that is our core value in faith.
Ha! No, saying "we have unanswered questions" is not the same as saying "we have faith."
Only God is omniscient.
God doesn't exist.
In "Man's World" we will always be limited and required to have faith in something.
No, limitations do not require faith. What a tremendous non-sequitor.
We were all taught science in school and it is part of many of us in our regular lives. How many atheists do you know who applied actual non-biased science to the bible or even actually read it themselves......as an adult?
Many.
Most will quote famous verses, but many have never actually gave a true methodical approach to breaking down the facts in the bible because they have "faith" that it is already wrong. That is not real science.
No, it's a strawman.
If you are like me and you like facts and compelling evidence, I would encourage you to read Lee Strobel's book "Case for Christ"...
Old news.

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13477 Posts

Posted - 12/20/2011 :  08:38:13   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I agree that a written debate is best. Fact checking, sourcing and not being talked over with so much BS, (the Gish Gallup) that you can't answer all of the assertions is pretty much what happens in a face to face debate. And then there are those things that you just didn't think of at the time. A written formal debate is even better. You might want to suggest that this site is open to such a debate, with rules that both sides agree to.

What's the facebook page?

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 12/20/2011 :  09:38:12   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Kil

I agree that a written debate is best. Fact checking, sourcing and not being talked over with so much BS, (the Gish Gallup) that you can't answer
all of the assertions is pretty much what happens in a face to face debate. And then there are those things that you just didn't think of at the time. A written formal debate is even better. You might want to suggest that this site is open to such a debate, with rules that both sides agree to.

What's the facebook page?


It was only this morning that I received the offer. I have not heard back from the fellow yet. I am not going to share the people's personal FB pages without permission. (a minimal amount of stalking my FB page should get the answer you seek Kil, depending on how my friend has her privacy settings set) Keep in mind that I do not want to invade anyone's privacy. I only want to debate with the author.

I am willing to meet him face-to-face but I want to have written debate also. I think that once I am in more personal contact with the fellow I will invite him here. I will also offer to carry it on a forum of his choice.

Sound fair?

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring
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Kil
Evil Skeptic

USA
13477 Posts

Posted - 12/20/2011 :  13:54:10   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Kil's Homepage  Send Kil an AOL message  Send Kil a Yahoo! Message Send Kil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Yeah. Which one of my facebook friends are you again? LOL

Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.

Why not question something for a change?

Genetic Literacy Project
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 12/20/2011 :  14:31:35   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Kil

Yeah. Which one of my facebook friends are you again? LOL


Alright Mr Popularity! I'm the one playing the coolest guitar.

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring
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