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Does Young Earth Creationism encourage young people to eventually leave the church & reject the Bible.....?
.....especially when they've been taught "rules" that create a false dichotomy between the Bible and Science?
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OPTIONAL DETAILS:
Examples:
1) "If you refuse to believe that the earth is 6000 years old, you have accepted atheist science and have rejected the clear revealed truths of God himself."
2) "You can't affirm the theory of evolution while claiming to obey the Bible. You can't serve God and the world at the same time. YOU MUST CHOOSE ONE OR THE OTHER."
I hear stories like these from many who grew up in a fundamentalist Christian church but eventually gave up both their church and the Bible, because they decided: "I can't throw my brain away when I go to church."
As one evangelical-turned-atheist described it to me, "From an early age my church told me that I had to believe the equivalent of 2+2=5 OR I couldn't be a Christian. And that was fine until I got old enough to understand that 2+2=4, and because they told me that I must choose only one or the other, I chose to use my brain and left the church."
So, is dogmatic Young Earth Creationism PRODUCING MORE ATHEISTS THAN "EVILUTIONISTS" EVER COULD?
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Thank you for your informative answer. It fascinates me on several levels. I would very much appreciate more details about your ideas. (However, your Y.A. email is disabled so this was my only available venue for expressing my appreciation.)
I bet you are wrong in such an assumption.
What/which assumption are you talking about? I've posted here some questions based on opinions I've collected in informal and anecdotal polling of American evangelicals.
In any case, whatever you think that my personal assumptions might be, what are your reasons for thinking that they are wrong?
But I'm even more fascinated by this part of your answer:
"By clicking on your avatar I have seen that you are in the business of Christian evangelism for profit"
What????? I'm flabbergasted that you drew such a conclusion from my profile. (The profile text was actually written by my Research Assistant, one of my former grad students, but it is certainly accu
accurate and descriptive of my current projects.) I am a retired university professor of religious studies and Biblical languages -- and science professor earlier in my academic career, both in the USA and UK. Now that I'm no longer teaching, I'm focusing on research and various publishing projects. The new website extends my readership outside of academia and provides many of my resources to the general public for free.
So I'm very curious why you say that I am "in the business of Christian evangelism for profit"??? (Do you know something I don't?) I certainly admit to having been paid as a university professor. And, yes, people buy my books, just as with any other professor. However, the website and the email subscription list is a non-profit educational endeavor which brings my less technical writings on Biblical studies, linguistics, Ancient Near Eastern languages and cultures, and a wide range of scientific fields to the general public. SO MY OBVIO
7 Answers
- AraktsuLv 79 years agoFavorite Answer
I bet you are wrong in such an assumption.
By clicking on your avatar I have seen that you are in the business of Christian evangelism for profit and thus my answer is wasted on you. From your profile: "Most of my previous publishing projects have been directed toward Biblical scholars, Bible translators, and serious students of the Bible. So I'm enjoying the very different process & pace of writing for the average, curious Christian."
The dogmatic assertions of creationists are only obviously false to those among us who either have valid information to compare against, or who are so bold as to demand proof before accepting any broad claim about the origin of the earth and life on it.
Where these things do not exist, creationism is alive and well.
Education in science is lacking in fundamentalist religions, not just of the Christian sort.
Critical reasoning and the philosophy of science do not occur naturally in people's minds as a result of growing older. They are acquired culturally, i.e., learned behaviors, typically from books, sometimes from personal instruction. They diverge from religion in that they are allow for error correction, whereas religion allows only for rationalization at best.
Religion relies on people's propensity to conform. Only insofar as someone rejects conformity to some particular sect or group that promotes creationism would the dogma itself become objectionable, and then for the wrong reasons.
Source(s): Reality: http://video.pbs.org/video/1378637899/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Earth http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/origin.html http://dnaftb.org/#molecules http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/e... Creationism or about creationists: http://www.icr.org/ http://www.faithfreedom.org/articles/op-ed/darwin%... http://bharatnirman.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/hindu... - romans 8:1Lv 69 years ago
I can't throw my brain away when I go to church, or when I go to the world. There are extreme teachings on both sides. Sometimes we just don't know what they are. I have learned that Christians may have a lot of non-scriptual and scientific beliefs. This does not mean that a Christian loves the Lord or science any less. The power of manipulation can cause one to be led astray and believe they are "dead" right. I have been manipulated, and I now see it much clearer when it is presented. I don't like being brainwashed. (Did I get off track here?) I don't know if YECs are producing more atheists. But at times I do think they do a poor job in explaining evolution, etc, with threats of "being of Satan". Especially the young Christian, who wants to be a part of Satan? I guess I am just no longer a dogmatic YEC, but still a YEC at heart. I am no longer a dogmatic Christian either except in view of the gospel message, etc. Maybe I have just mellowed out some over the years.
- 9 years ago
There's no need to shout.
Anyone who scrutinises Christianity can quickly see that it's all just smoke and mirrors.
Edit in response to your garrulous message:~
Yes, I rather think that the creationist stance does have an effect on people's beliefs but I in no way think that it "creates" atheists, more that it creates non-religious Christians.
If I were to change your point around slightly, I'd say biologists debating the "creation/ evolution" debate (which isn't a debate at all) only serves to muddy the waters and give credence to a viewpoint that deserves none.
And the double asterisk is fine for emphasis, typing in capitals makes you appear to be ranting.
- Anonymous9 years ago
Idk but to be FRANK, bible chronology DOES give a creation date only 6000 or so years ago. Old earth creationists are deceptively making a story and timeline always taken as literal into a metaphor in order to desperately cling to the bible, despite its false ideas about origins. Young earth creationists simply take the bible for what it says. Old earth creationists are hypocrites.
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- ?Lv 59 years ago
its likely when they make the choice between truth and stubborn ignorance and then proclaim their way is the truth they create a lot of contradictions.
I think you can believe both and in fact many christians do.
- ?Lv 69 years ago
It is certainly making the little one's stumble. Millstone around the neck time...
Source(s): Mat 18:6 But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.
