“Don” wrote:

Well, the topic is “How are we meant to understand Genesis?” I am involved with a Christian ministry called Answers in Genesis; not ‘answers in science’.

A friend’s response:

Answers in Genesis is derived from Creation Science. It is a fundamentalist science apologetic.

Don:

It is not because of lack of knowledge that we can see that there must be a >Creator, but because we do understand. We understand it from the testimony of >God’s Word and study of God’s creation backs this up.

A friend’s response:

There are plenty of Christians who beileve in a Creator and the Big Bang and evolution. One does not have to be a fundamentalist and adhere only to a literal interpretation of Genesis in order to be a Christian.

I again restate the problem as I see it in concise terms.

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1. All truth is God’s truth. Truth outside the bible (eg science) impacts on how the bible is to be understood. All error is not God’s truth … even if it is found in Genesis!

2. The real issue is fundamentalist Christianity vs science by all other people (including other Christians)

2a. Science works for ALL people but creationism only works for fundamentalist Christians. Creationism does not work for an atheist / Moslem / Buddhist / Catholics etc

2b.One does not “do science” by looking up the bible! Creationism is about the defence of a fundamentalist view on the bible more than anything remotely concerned with science. It places the bible above God as the final authority.

3. Science is not theology. Theology is not science. Pseudo-science is not science.

3a. The biggest lie of creationism is that “modern science” has “antitheistic presuppositions”.

3b. Modern science is opposed to pseudo-science.

3c. Fundamentalist creationism as falsely claims to represent ALL Christians. One of the biggest Christian denominations, Catholicism, has no problem with evolution or an old earth. Fundamentalist creationists exclude all Catholics! Fundamentalist creationism is not taught in Catholic Schools.