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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

I Believe and Am Thankful

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  November 20th, 2012 at 11:58 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Marco Rubio is getting beaten up by the press for not decisively and convincingly saying he thinks the world is billions of years old. The press gave Barack Obama a pass for largely the same answer. This issue has become the new litmus test in the media for conservative politicians. Believing what was believed to be literally true for a few thousand years is now nutty. Christian homeschool kids, often taught that the world is not as old as some believe and who routinely kick the rear ends of the ivy prep kids in academics, are considered stupid.

Truth be told, I think the world is billions of years old, but I have no doubt God created it. I believe the same word that many interpret as “days” in Genesis can also honestly be interpreted as “phases,” which I do, i.e. a day at the beginning was not a day as we know it now. But I don’t doubt there were six phases of creation and then a seventh of rest. I certainly don’t have a problem with people who think the world was created in six 24 hour days. For all any of us know, it could have been. God said “Let there be light,” and I think the result was a big bang. I think that God set evolution in motion and over time we have changed and evolved by His own design and plan.

But I’d be foolish to think I actually know it for sure.

Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!”

This is just what I believe and I know for certain I could be wrong. I reject evolution for the sake of evolution and reject that life on this planet, let alone the existence of this universe, is some random act. I reject that we are little better than the animals we evolved from because I reject that we evolved from anything other than God’s own mind. We were created in his image. We did not evolve into it. The only people certain in their belief on this matter are those who accept theory as fact and Truth as mythology.

[Y]ou knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

The difference between the atheist and secular set on the left and even the right is that while they and I can think the Earth is billions of years old and they and I can think there was a big bang starting it all, we really do not know for sure and they absolutely do not know what came before the big bang. But I do.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Faith and science do not have to be mutually incompatible. I am a big believer in both Christ and science. The only people who are pushing to insist that one is incompatible with the other are the secularists who’ve substituted science for God in toto. Some of the great advances of science, however, were made by Christians, including Georges Lemaître, a Catholic priest who came up with the theory of the big bang. His theory was initially rejected by many scientists, including Albert Einstein.

But let’s not stop with creation. Because once every Christian politician in the country has answered that question, the secular set will just move on. Let me move on first.

Yes, I believe there was an Adam and I believe there was an Eve.

Yes, I believe there were two cities named Sodom and Gomorrah and yes I do believe they were destroyed for rampant sin including deviating from God’s intentions sexually.

Yes, I believe there was a man named Noah who spent 100 years building a giant boat and I do believe there was a great flood and the survivors of which were all on that boat.

And yes, I do believe there was a man named Jonah who was swallowed up by a great big fish and survived.

Above all those things, I do believe God came down to Earth in the form of Jesus

who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I absolutely believe it. I absolutely believe if by that time a person has not chosen Christ, he will end up in a very bad place. I believe in Heaven and Hell and the battle that rages between the two on a higher plane than we can often see.

Meanwhile, these secularists and atheists cannot even be honest about when life begins.

✻ ✻ ✻

Many of the things I believe are miracles. Many of the things I believe have come to pass. Christ told us that those who were with him would be opposed by this world. The secularists of this world, I believe, can embrace fully contradictory things like support for gay rights and the advance of Islam into the Western World, because those things come from this world, not from Christ. The left is perfectly capable of contradiction and hypocrisy because they believe in nothing so much as themselves and the things of this world. Therefore, to them, there can be no contradiction and no hypocrisy in their world unless it comes from those who fail to meet the standards set by the faith of so many Christians.

There is no difference between the believer and the atheist “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. It’s just that only the believer is held, in the secular world, to account because only the believer embraces the standards of the faith.

Meanwhile, we believers are just passing through.

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Take the miracle of Jonah. The secularists of this world would have us believe that no man could ever be swallowed by a giant fish and survive. They would be right. That would be precisely the point. No man could and yet it happened. It is one of the many miracles of the Bible.

These very same people who mock and scoff at Christian belief and ridicule our profession of faith will more than likely one day suffer tragedy in their lives. A loved one may fall ill or be dying. They themselves may fall ill or into poverty or on other hard times. They will, at that time, after science has failed them and their self-defined reason has left them, seek out a miracle whether they understand it as such or not.

But up to and even during that time, they will go right on denying the rest of us the right to believe in miracles.

While I think science and reason and religion can most often be reconciled, if you do not believe in the miraculous, you are not a Christian; it is as simple as that.

✻ ✻ ✻

Christians in politics must understand these things.

There was once a time when most everyone in public life professed a faith in the things of the Bible. That time is more and more becoming unacceptable to those who shape the news. These secularists have made a concerted effort to turn the world hostile to that faith and belief and have allied themselves with weak theologians to turn young Christians into more worldly, secularly focused milquetoast weepers worshiping an effeminate Christ who only hugs kids and cries, but does not fight, does not take sides, and is accommodationist to the world and its amorality and increasing immorality because, dude, he hung out with prostitutes and cried about another dude dying. They want to define the Christ they prefer to believe in, rather than believe the Christ that is.

All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Christians must still believe. Christians must still engage the political process. There can be no sitting on the sidelines in the fight between Heaven and Hell and that fight takes place as much in the political arena as it does in the homeless shelter or the pulpit. Even now in the 21st century after the birth of Christ, there is still true Good and there is still true Evil and there is still true Truth.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate.

Christians can eschew partisan sides, but they must not eschew God’s side. They must not eschew Truth. Unfortunately, some within the center-right coalition and the left, as it expands within the Democratic Party, increasingly make that party hostile to matters of faith and Christ and have eagerly embraced a moral relativism that teaches the only real choice is embracing abortion, tolerating the subversion of marriage to a secular culture, and embracing a social gospel that has objectively made more and more dependent on government while relegating the Church and its mission to the margins.

Young Christians who have decided their path is to avoid the political fights that implicate the beliefs of their faith and old Christians who have grown weary of the fight must still fight and must still pick a side whether they think they must or not. The world continues to be at war with Christ and increasingly that fight takes place in the political arena. From Health and Human Services regulations to ridicule of believing politicians to Democratic Convention attendees opposing the inclusion merely of the word “God” in the Democratic Party platform, we are seeing that fight from the higher plane come down to eye level.

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

I am thankful because I believe. I know that my Redeemer lives. I know he provides for me even in hard and dark times. I feel sorry for those who put their faith in this world. It will only ever ultimately let them down as this world only ever ends in death. That’s the reality of life. Even when the left wins in politics — even after 2008 when the left controlled both the White House and Congress — they were angry. They are angry now as are some in the center-right coalition perpetually kindled waiting for a breeze to turn them into an inferno. Too many of them do not possess the peace that transcends all understanding because they do not believe in that which will one day come and are openly hostile to it. They choose to turn political discourse in this country against the one true faith as well they attempt to shame and embarrass Christians for believing in God’s own Word.

My prayer for you this year is that you not be angry. Many of you are because of the outcome of the November election. I encourage you to be happy warriors still. Be joyful and of good cheer because ultimately we who travel together home to eternity may not know when the last day is, but we know that on that last day we win because Christ wins.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For all of that and for all of you who make up the community of RedState, for my family and friends, and for all the front page editors here at RedState I am very thankful this Thanksgiving.

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving Holiday.

✻ ✻ ✻

Watching fun reaction of the secular set roll in to prove my point:

And my personal favorite of the day:

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COMMENTS

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  • swami7774

    This Rubio thing is sickening. It’s nothing but the left wing media’s latest attempt to set a meme that keeps a prominent Republican off balance, a la Stephanopoulus’ out-of-the-blue contraception question fired at Romney last spring. Rubio answered “I don’t know”. What more is he supposed to say? Who really knows how old the earth is? And who gives a damn–other than the conservative-hating MSM?

  • http://www.erickerickson.org Erick Erickson

    I think creation did not happen in 24 hour periods, in particular because we measure a 24 hour period based on the earth’s rotation, which did not happen on day one.

    I think God creating the world was good and sin screwed it up.

  • mong001

    Thanks, Eric, for pointing out the hypocrisy of those who make belief in evolution a cornerstone of “science” but then shrug their shoulders when asked to define when human life begins. For goodness sake, we have detailed knowledge and even pictures of prenatal human development, but these scientists won’t acknowledge the obvious fact that the unique life of each person begins at conception. Yet, we are supposed to believe in global warming based on computer models and evolution on conjecture based on observations of fossils. What happened to performing experiments to arrive at scientific facts? We don’t need to do experiments to see that prenatal infants are no different than us except for their current dependence on their mothers’ wombs.
    Rubio’s answer was definitely better than Obama’s answer that judging when life begins is “above his pay grade.” Rubio’s thoughts on evolution have no practical relevance to his political decisions, while Obama’s opinions on fetal rights have led him to oppose even popular laws like those protecting babies surviving abortion. The best answer to any questions about evolution should be “Who cares?”

  • Cheetah772

    Erick,

    I teach at a small Bible college, I always tell my students that the world views them as fools, but in the beholding eyes of God, they are wise. In fact, this is exactly what the Bible says.

    Do not be troubled, my dear brother in Christ. Politics are of a temporal nature, whereas God and things of spiritual nature are eternal. All human beings, both great and small, born on this world will be held accountable for his or her actions. I am not so troubled by Obama’s re-election victory, for I know not even his silver tongue and shining teeth can save himself from the judgment of God.

    Nevertheless, as Paul wrote to his fellow Christians, he longed to be with Christ but knew it was needful for him to abide in flesh to meet the needs of his fellow laborers in Christ, so it is with you. I am glad that God placed you on this world that we all should continue the good fight for the Lord’s sake. It is obvious that God gave you a talent to be used to glorify God and exhort others to look up not to the US Constitution only, but God as well.

    I thank you for standing up so boldly for Christ by affirming your belief in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is indeed something we all need to hear from time to time, if only to remind ourselves that sometimes the battles are lost, but the war is already won through the blood of Christ that was shed on the Cross for all of our sins.

    God bless you.

  • ceili_dancer

    I’ve always thought that we should fight these questions by going to the absurd. For instance, I would use a South Park answer to the reporter and claim that they have too many otter features to be trusted and inform them that the time child is buried in the snow in the mountains of Colorado. If they want the answer, dig him up.

  • kcdude

    God bless you and your family Erick. I am so thankful that we can know our Redeemer and be sure that He does live. It is a great thing to be loved as we are.

  • tundrawolf

    That which can be proved without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.

  • fightnright

    just to clarify kowalski: I’m not suggesting Republicans pick fights, start presenting as ill-tempered or embittered cranks – that would only be playing into the leftists’ hands and plans. I am saying that, since some response is required, leaders ~must~ learn to rise above opportunistic set-ups with grace, wit and clarity; letting the audience know we are leading an interview back to its purpose – helping inform the electorate regarding conservative solutions to economic and policy issues affecting their lives and the strength of the nation.

  • MoeLane

    It’s… interesting… the way that a certain type of militant secularist simply can’t seem to handle the idea that there are people out there who believe in an activist Deity.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Lady MacBeth, white courtesy phone, Lady MacBeth, you are wanted on the white courtesy phone.

  • AthenaDelphi

    Thanks Erick. I saw that and gave credit. My slight difference was in POV I guess and that’s with non[believers,not with you. There are those non-believers who sit on earth and say 6 days? No way. However, they’re looking from the EARTH towards the Big Bang. My comment was Big Bang looking towards expansion outward – thus time factors do account for a universe that is 13.75 billion years old and an earth that is approx. 6 billion.

    Another way? Its from the Seat of Power that the story is told from (first view account), yet non-believers think its from the planet’s history that the bible is so wrong. Funny…..were they around when the planet was made? No. So they have secondary view.

    Maybe the bible is even more prescient than we thought and is a step ahead of twitter? The writer crammed Adam and Eve into one chapter without a lot of explanation. Reporting from the scene. Same with Noah. Jonah. Christ.

    The writer probably thought we were smart enough to learn from brevity. Instead, the world has gotten more complicated and we think we have to adjust to that complication of relativism as well, needing more information to justify the answer, when it still boils down to – Stop. Go.

    You reminded me of that brevity and everything else is junk.

    Again – Happy Thanksgiving.

  • gerbco

    i agree it shouldn’t matter, and home schooled kids can be brilliant academically. But the reason it matters is because an element of the party wouldn’t vote for him if he said what he thought to be true The focus from the right should be more school choice,teacher accountability, and crippling pensions. Not that the earth is scientifically proven to be billions of years old. It’s not even a debate. Stop pandering

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Scientifically proven?

    Study science, son. You clearly haven’t yet.

  • gerbco

    geology is not a guess. It’s the reason we can find oil in the middle of the ocean. (Potassium half lives for one) I believe in a creator of life but I understand the need for science. Science is just a quantifiable way of observing the world. I respect you have your views.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Nobody cares what you take on faith, kid.

  • Melody Warbington

    A perspective from a young earth believer. Not all scientists believe in old earth, and there’s no reason to pander to a bunch of modern scientists who tend to reject God entirely. There are other good articles on the subject at the site.

    From https://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=4081&topic=327

    “In truth, Crick’s and Mills’ assessment that much of modern atheistic/evolutionary-based “science” is directly opposed to a straightforward reading of the biblical text is correct. That being the case, what would we expect to see if certain scholars wanted to “have it both ways” and appear both religious and scientific? We would expect to see a massive reinterpretation of key aspects of the biblical text,
    especially as it relates to God’s creative activities. In addition, we would not be surprised if multiple ways of cramming billions of years into the text of Genesis were explored by different authors.

    In truth, numerous ways have been invented in an attempt to fit millions of years into the biblical text including the Gap Theory, Progressive Creationism, Modified Progressive Creationism, the Modified Gap Theory, the Non-world view, the Multiple Gap Theory, and the Framework Hypothesis (see Thompson, 2000, pp. 275-306). The fact that multiple ways are attempted to accommodate the billions of years advocated by modern “science” is a tell-tale sign that the deep-time scenario did not derive from the Bible, and is only being forced into the text in an attempt to syncretize the Bible with modern “science.” In order to see this trend of syncretism, consider the writing of David Snoke, an advocate of the Day-Age Theory.”

  • gerbco

    apparently your’s either. good luck to you. I’m out.

  • bgintn

    Erick Sir,
    To be considered
    Did ‘Time’ even exist at the Creation of the Universe?

    The definition of ‘Time’ I like, “Time is a man made concept of measurement so that the pea-brain finite humans can try to understand that which is infinite and eternal.”

    The Big Bang Theory
    Theorists, George Gamov, Ralph Alpher, Robert Herman, 1946

    The universe is a solution to the field equations of General Relativity. It emerged as a rapidly expanding mote of pure energy/space about 13.7 billion years ago.Its frenetic initial growth is known as the inflationary period. This was followed by a slowly accelerating expansion that resulted in a steady decrease in energy density.
    The sequence of events associated with the universe’s adiabatic expansion is,
    1) separation of the four universal forces from a single unifying force,
    2) formation of elementary particles from pure energy,
    3) formation of selected light isotopes, such as helium, and
    4) formation of initial stars/proto galaxies, galaxies, and large structures.
    The continued and accelerating expansion of the universe is powered by cosmic abundance of dark energy.
    Reference: Principle of Physical Cosmology, P.J. Peebles

    BUT, Violations;

    Gravitation and Convervation of Energy , (antigravitational dark energy).

    The reason gravity is listed as a violation is because the anti-gravity required for universal expansion has never been experimentally verified. Energy conservation is listed as a violation because no known interactions create or destroy energy.

    Some claim the Big Bang does not violate consvervation; they maintain that the universe’s total energy is offset by its own negative gravitational potential.

    The creation of even the smallest amount of energy, along with a comparable amount of negative gravitational potential, has never been observed.

    The orgin of the elements is a problem, as it is difficult to envision why only a few light elements were created in the beginning.

    Current stellar models require heavy elements to initiate fusion, so one wonders how the first stars were able to ignite in their absence.

    All the billions of galaxies and their billions of stars, all burning hydrogen into helium, the ratio of primoral helium to recently minted helium is another complication

    The Big Bang is an ad hoc, retrospective theory. In the final analysis it does not even address causation, so it does not explain why the universe exists.

    1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

    This pea-brain human is looking through a glass, darkly.

  • http://twostepstotheright.blogspot.com/ D.T. Dickinson

    Thanks for your post, Erick. I believe much the same as you do. More to this effect, I believe the Bible was not intended to be a scientific explanation of what occurred, but a prosaic account of why things were set into motion, and I think the style as it was written supports this. Does it mean a literal day? I don’t know, but it could just as easily have been used to describe the process in which things happened in a way mankind could understand and verbally pass down through generations.

    When I tell my children how my father came from Alabama to California as a young kid, I don’t account the speeds at which he was driven, how much gas was used, the direct routes taken, at what points he stopped, the food that was eaten during the trip, his each and every thought as each moment of the trip, and so forth–those things don’t take away or lend anything to the fact that he came to California from Alabama as a young kid. And I certainly don’t expect my children or future grandchildren to disbelieve me because I did not relay those things.

  • lucky364

    “May your soul rejoice in God’s mercy,
    And may you never be ashamed to praise him.
    Do your work in good time,
    And in His own time
    God will give you His reward.”
    Sirach 51 29,30

  • fightnright

    I’m one of (what seems to be) many RedStaters who do not draw lines between their religious beliefs, science, and political philosophy, seeing my earthly life and my spiritual life as two aspects of one God-given/God-created reality ruled by His one set of Laws.

    I thank you and all of the RS contributors this holiday for the hard work that every day goes into the gift of RedState. At the end of any day, through celebration and challenge, it’s like a home here for the heart and the soul with others who share their beliefs, their wisdom and their knowledge; these three – yet all three, also different aspects of the One,and His One, Eternal reality.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  • sharkey

    Quote: “I think that God set evolution in motion and over time we have changed and evolved by His own design and plan.”

    That goes contrary to God’s creation of man and woman in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. Humans didn’t evolve from monkeys (which God also created) just as monkeys aren’t evolving into humans today. When God created man (human beings) and every other living thing, it was the same basic structure of life we see today in the 21st Century. In other words, Adam and Eve’s physical bodies were identical to what we see walking around today in the 21st Century. Humans didn’t evolve from ape like creatures bent over like you see in National Geographic magazines. God created man as man and monkeys as monkeys and elephants as elephants and eagles as eagles, etc., etc., etc. In other words, what you see is what you get, then and now.

    Evolution is an unsupported ‘theory’ that lacks common sense. The universe came into being by the Word of God (through Jesus Christ) and it is in fact Jesus Christ who upholds “everything” by the Word of his power.

    Evolutionists ‘believe’ something (including life) came out of nothing, which in itself is both illogical and doesn’t adhere to the principles of science. The only way for the universe and life itself to come into being was by a creative act of an eternal being which the Holy Bible reveals to be Almighty God. God ‘spoke’ the universe into existence and it is through “faith” that we accept God’s account of creation as fact.

    Whether God spoke creation into existence in six 24 hour days or over billions of years, is up for debate. I tend to believe it was six 24 hour days, since God’s power is ultimately unlimited and it would be just as easy for Him to create the universe in six days as it would for Him to drag it out for millions or even billions of years; and then to create “life” (every living thing) at the end of that timeline; which has only been around a few thousand years (that is, life) if the chronology of the biblical account of creation is correct. Which I believe it is.

    Life didn’t begin in some pond scum from ‘nothing’ that evolved into a single cell blob that eventually wiggled onto land and grew legs and eventually ended up looking like a cross between an ape and a chimpanzee and then morphed into someone looking like Mitt Romney. That I do know.

    Evolutionists are basically atheists who use bogus claims that don’t adhere to logic or science. They have also recently declared war on Christianity… not Islam, not Buddhism, not Hare Krishna, not Hinduism, not Taoism, not Sikhism, etc…. only Christianity. Why? Because Christianity bears witness to the “truth” and atheists (evolutionists) CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH! When it is ultimately the Truth that sets people free and can also save a person’s soul.

    Jesus Christ said: “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6 [NASB]

    Atheists don’t believe in God or the Bible and their lives consist of trying to convince themselves and others that everything that now exists came into being from nothing. Which, quite frankly, is impossible. And the atheists know it. Yet their “pride” overrules their reasoning and making themselves out to be wise they have instead become fools. And did I mention they hate Christians?

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    My what?

  • libertybelle61

    Great post!

  • kipling

    Bring on the secularists. It is about time we carried the fight to them. I am a Christian and I believe in the Bible. I believe in a literal 6 day creation and I do not believe humans are a product of evolution. Humans were created by God in the image of God as a direct creation apart from nature (and animals). If you believe in Darwin then let us talk about Darwin’s racial theories contained in The Descent of Man. He based those racial and sexist theories on the observations he made in The Origin of Species. If you believe in philosophy and reason then let us talk of Nietzsche and nihilism. If you believe their is no God then let us talk about the billions killed by atheism. Darwin and the rejection of God led to the bloodbath of the 20th century. Let us talk about that. I am eager to begin the discussion. I will stack the Jehovah and the Bible up against anything the leftists have to offer. “Thinking themselves wise, they became fools….”

  • http://www.richardnorman.com richardnorman

    Erick:

    An excellent post. Maybe my favorite RedState post of all time. I wish I could have though of this myself. The imbeciles who mock you have no life therefore they make fun of people who do. The joy of the Lord is yours and mine. Let them live their miserable lives and experience their even more miserable Eternity. You have done your part as a Christ-follower to share Christ with them. Those who are too foolish to acknowledge Him have made their decision and cast their lot.

    Blessings to you and yours at this time of Thanksgiving. Despite the election results we have much to be thankful for. We are not defined by the passing political whimsy of the American voters. We are defined by the one who died that we might have life.

  • rbdwiggins

    God didn’t check out. Too many of the American people deferred judgment to an activist Court, and let stand the false premise that God has no place in the public discourse. With our nation’s moral authority lost, Freedom’s beacon of light has been dimmed, and the switch that will restore the light and enable us to see Him clearly appears to be just out of reach.

  • http://proofofright.wordpress.com/ jstjoan

    You are missing Erick’s point.Forget about seeking answers to your wildly intellectual, scientifically-based arguments and accept that some of us believe in the miraculous Word of Christ. For all of your scientific mumbo-jumbo, would you or would you not, if faced with a personal tragedy of life-changing proportion, even just for a moment, wish for intervention from a Higher Power? That’s part of the the point of Erick’s message.

  • Mr. Sandman

    Great post, Erick. I found the twitter reactions to be quite hilarious…many modern day atheists espouse the virtues of science as being the be-all end-all, the only form of rational thought. What they fail to understand is that the establishment scientific community has an historical track record of persecution as rich and tyrannical as what they attribute to religion. When FATHER George LeMaitre put forth what would become known as the “Big Bang” theory, many scientists dismissed it out of hand because it smacked of creationism, most atheists have no idea that it was first introduced by a Catholic Priest (and would likely go apoplectic at the mere mention of this fact), let alone the derision heaped upon the theory by the scientific community. It took decades for the theory to take hold and be accepted, but accepted it was thanks to true scientists who were willing to explore the possibility that there was a model other that the “Steady State” theory. That was a time when science was truly practiced and honest scientists truly questioned everything, even the sacred cows of their own profession. Today, that is not the case…scientists are in pursuit of being the next Einstein or Hawking, not truth. This has led many of them to be closed minded to anything that may tarnish their life’s work and legacy, not to mention anything that may cause them to question their entire belief system. Most of the atheists of today know nothing of science, they don’t understand the method or the tenets, rather they simply espouse it to establish their “superiority” to those of us who believe in God. It’s driven more by hate and bigotry more than anything else, simply read the comments as evidence of this. Disagreement is disagreement, but, character assassination is something else entirely and reveals the true motives of the soul. Note how many of today’s atheists espouse “reason” as opposed to faith only to become completely unreasonable and spiteful when interfacing with someone who tries to reason with them about their faith. God bless you, Erick, for a wonderful post and a little bit of sanity in this time when many in the Republican party are trying to use this unfortunate turn of fate that was the 2012 election as an excuse to jettison those of us who refuse to abandon our faith and our values.

  • westcoastpatriette

    God graces his people in different degrees and in different ways so that they fit in perfectly wherever he places them and/or needs their light to shine. And he chose you for the political realm in the U.S. at the present time, Erick. You seem to flow so easily in the discourse without allowing all of the darkness to embitter and discourage you. And that is a blessing for all of the Christians who stay in the battle — even as we watch America get darker and darker and the hate toward us increasing every day.

    I disagree with your view on creation but that will not matter one whit in eternity — nor does it change the fact that we are brothers and sisters in the Lord. I’ve always believed that one of the things we will do in heaven is study the scriptures and it will be so exciting to sit in class and have the Lord himself tell us how he created the world and everything in it.

    Thanks for writing this and may you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving, too.

  • rbdwiggins

    I understand your zeal, but that was a bit too much. 2 Chronicles Chapter 7:14 would have been enough in this forum.

  • RedRedhead

    An omnipotent God could have created the universe in any amount of time that he would have wanted. He could have made it instantaneously, or over a long period of time. God could have made an earth that in a sense already has a history to go with it. I don’t have any problem with the scientific measurements that claim
    that the Earth is billions of years old, it does not conflict with my religious
    beliefs that Adam and Eve existed and were the first of mankind on Earth.

  • craiginiowa

    Read the book Creation and Change by Douglas Kelly. It’s a brilliant examination of the first fiew chapters in Genesis. It might change your mind about the meaning of the word Day in the creation story.

  • paladin1

    Mr. Erickson, thank you for this wonderful reminder of God’s marvelous wisdom. I have needed this reminder as my attitude has been dangerously hard since the election. At this Thanksgiving time and everyday, I wish God’s blessings on you and on this great nation. On to 2014!

  • californiasquish

    I’m an Atheist. I’m a fiscal conservative. And This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for Erick, and articles like this one. Well written, sir.

  • Mr. Sandman

    Great to see such a post, squish. Rest assured, my post about so many of today’s atheists does not apply to you. I am a firm believer in Christ and the salvation He offers, nevertheless, I can wholeheartedly respect your choice not to believe. I weep inside at the choice, but, respect it nonetheless.

  • rcatheart

    My favorite part of this is the way it brings out the tolerance and nonjudgmentalism of the Left. Oh, wait…

  • http://www4.webng.com/rickbull/lostlucky/ rickbull

    The correct answer for Rubio to give when asked the age of the Earth is to ask back, “Which answer is going to help the 8+% of Americans who are looking for a job find one? Can we stick to the problems at hand and put away the gotcha questions for Mr. Wizard at a later date?”

  • loupgarou1317

    thank you for saying that, i lean more shamanistic, but agree with your saying on respecting all views….again thank you Mr, Sandman

  • Ketih W

    You mean radiometric dating proves ‘billions of years’? Well you may want to look here http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/does-c14-disprove-the-bible

  • Mr. Sandman

    Just to throw this out there, if you read the account of Joshua 10:13 when the “sun stood still and the moon stopped”, it could dispel the thought of a trickster God. What if God performed this miracle by slowing the speed of light? It would certainly explain the observed phenomenon from the first person perspective of Joshua. I’ve never worked the math, but, if this was a universal event, what effect would that have with our current observations of the universe? Remember, the speed of light is constant in all frames of reference, but, it has been proven that it moves at a slow speed through certain mediums, such as water. Evolution is an extrapolation of Natural Selection; it is a model which cannot be tested and is, therefore, nothing more than a hypothesis. Not trying to fly in your face or anything, just throwing it out there. I just couldn’t resist, because these statements you made remind me of the time when I posited to a friend that the laws of physics were an extension of God’s will much the same way that the cruise control button on your car is an extension of your will…God would not lie to us in any way, shape or form, but we frequently misinterpret the evidence and assume that what we see is reality. Peace.

  • Jim_Riggs

    You remind me of my brother Freddy. :)

  • Mr. Sandman

    You’re welcome. My belief has always been that God gives us what we call “free will” to choose belief or non-belief in His word. Who am I to take away what God has given you? I would rather make one question what my faith is all about by my example than to have one dismiss for the same reason.

  • http://www4.webng.com/rickbull/lostlucky/ rickbull

    As usual, Erick, you give us a blessing and a few turn it into a curse–but you definitely got the theological debate started here.

    God Bless you and your family, and here’s hoping you have the best Thanksgiving ever!

    Amen.

  • ardendulou

    I love this and this hits close to home with many things I have been feeling. Safe to say this has been shared and emailed everywhere I can.

  • Duke

    I can’t agree with you, Erick, not because I disagree with you, but rather because I don’t know any better. I know, as you do, that God created the earth and everything in it. Exactly how He did it doesn’t much matter to me. I just know he did, because the Holy Spirit moves me to believe such.
    The biggest problem, as I see it, that we have with God’s creation is that we are constrained by time. God is timeless. How can we tiny little ants stand up on our hind legs and pretend we know how God bridged this gap. Before we know it the clock runs out and…, well then we’ll know.
    Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for all the cogent thought and thoughtful conversation. God WILL bless you.

  • shooter242

    I’m sorry but I can’t divine the difference between that declaration of faith, and that of an average Taliban. Both are expressions of faith, and that’s good. The problem comes when that faith is transformed into law. I don’t want to live under Sharia, so I can understand people that don’t want to live under the rule of bible.

  • Duke

    “..without belly buttons.” If you don’t mind, I’ll steal that from you. My pastor just says they were never babies, i.e., created as adults.

  • runner12

    First of all, great diary EE. Secondly, that question put to Rubio has to be one of the most absurd questions ever asked a politician. Quite frankly, I think he answered it quite well. I certainly have no certain idea how old the Earth is, because it is not my area of science. I believe God created the Earth, but since He is God, He could have used many means by which to do it. I certainly have no bone to pick with either strict Creationists or theistic evolutionists.

    What I lament is how science has become so dogmatic. Whatever happenede to theories, curiosity, or invention? Now if one side disagress with the other, they are branded as kooks and crazies. Science is all about intellectual curiosity and exploring the unkown, not arriving at a certain set of data points and ending all conversation there. Of course, maybe I am just speakiing of medical science and how it should be. Perhaps other branches of science are perfectly happy giving up curiousity for dogmatism.

  • Mr. Sandman

    That’s the point I was making. If you look at the universe against the backdrop of His word, you’ll see that you and I do not disagree. My response was to RedRedhead’s notion of a trickster God, my take is to look at the whole in the context of His word.

  • GremlinJones

    This makes no sense to me. Can you explain?

  • kipling

    Sorry, Mr. Sandman, I was not disagreeing with you but simply concurring.

  • http://erickbrockway.wordpress.com/ Erick Brockway

    Given science generally accepts the universe is 13.75 billion years old, and the Earth 4.54 billion years old, I wonder – how long IS a day to a being who predates time?

    6 days + one rest day = 13.75 billion years?

    Could be. A drop in the bucket when compared with the ageless.

  • runner12

    Kowalski: I honestly cannot believe this is getting this much attention on sites like Hot Air, etc. This is so stupid. Please explain to me how Rubio not naming the current theory of how old the earth is ( after all, if he named an opposing theory, then said opposite party would be wailing and gnashing their teeth) is relevant to being the leader of the free world.

    Hint: It isn’t. And to those idiots on our side who are critiquing him. Stop. Now. He actually followed Breitbart’s rule of never pretend to know more than you know. There is no way he could have been prepped for such an absurd question and he answered it in the vein it deserved. Please recall that part of the reason Akin pulled an Akin was his egotistical attitude that caused him to make an ignorant statement. Rubio said nothing stupid, nothing inaccurate. He just deflected the question. Smart move on his part.

  • JX12

    God invented science – half lives notwithstanding. If He can create a full grown man, He can create a full grown rock.

    The secularists will, however, exchange the truth of God for a lie, and worship the creature rather than the Creator. Science has become their god.

  • Melody Warbington

    Total lack of reading comprehension, jstjoan. First of all, the site I linked to is an apologetics site for Christianity, and the articles are all written by Christians with varying backgrounds, including ministers, scientists and even former atheists. Second, my point is that, as a Christian, I find no need to pigeon-hole God’s abilities to fit within the realm of science. That is, to try to fit creation into the belief held by scientists that the earth is old. My omnipote

  • kipling

    God did not go anywhere. I still speak to Him every day and He speaks to me.

  • lokidoki

    With results like the kind this god has gotten – pain, suffering, death, and destruction – his resume sucks as a supreme being. I like to think that god just doesn’t give a f**k. And yes, it is a man because a woman would never f**k things up this badly.

    Let me refer you to the genius behind this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o

  • ihateliberals

    There is Our Time and God’s time and they are not the same thing nor do we live in God’s time. Arguing over dinosaurs and the age of teh Earth is just stupid. It has nothing to do with the Gospel it is merely a distaaction that evil likes to use against us. I believe in God and nohtng that man can come up with will cahnge my mind. That’s all that matters. If i am right about God ohters will have to explain to him why they were so against him. If i am wrong then who cares? I will have lived a more compassionate life for it.

  • ihateliberals

    God hasn’t “Checked Out”! man has forgotten how to listen. It is man tha ths stepped away form God not God from man.

  • chumchingee

    I believe in the Bible. It is a remarkable document telling many tales and it is historical. I believe in Jesus Christ and what he taught. I also believe that it is remarkable in that it has been translated many times into a lot of languages.
    “Day” can be translated as era. Just as an example.

    The six “days” can be a description of Terra-forming a planet. Since the document is very old and has been translated many times, it is remarkable that something that modern in concept is described.
    Every ape on the planet has 48 chromosomes. The fly in the ointment here is that man doesn’t. We have 46 chromosomes. Two chromosomes show very good evidence of being altered. They are twice the size of the other chromosomes. That is exactly how someone would go about altering the make up of an animal. So Adam and Eve could possibly be a “creation” and evolved at the same time. So both sides have a partial truth. The Bible seems to be more accurate.

    Last I heard from the “scientific community” they are dead silent on this issue as it does not seem to fit their neat little world. For instance, when did it occur? Near as we can figure it occurred about 200,000 years ago. But no one knows for sure. It is enough that it is described in Genesis. It completely throws off the cause of Evolution as a valid theory of our origin.
    Last I heard, the universe is enormous. Assuming that we know which we don’t, the universe has a staggering amount of stars in it. The Milky Way has at least a billion stars in it. There are galaxies all over the place that are equal to or bigger than the Milky Way Galaxy. No one has come up with an age for this Universe. It could be as little as 13.5 billion years old. Or it could be much older. We are like a grain of sand in the Sahara desert. That is the relationship of us to the Universe.

    In the Bible, it states that our God is the beginning of all things and the end of all things. It states also that God is not human. It describes God as an infinite being and capable of being at all times and all places at once. That is incredible. What is more incredible is the relationship of God to us. Considering how big things really are. That the Holy Ghost and Jesus are a part of this is very important to us all.
    The only thing constant about science is change. What we know now is going to change as scientists figure out more about how things actually work. The Bible does not change that much. We have human beings involved and where humans are involved we have the vision of how things work by humans. God is eternal. And with the exception of translation errors, the Bible seems to show a very correct view of the Universe. Science views things different every day as new discoveries are made.

    I would place my faith in Jesus. Not science. But I would also recognize that we are all human and fallible. The most important fact is we take things on faith. We do not actually know how things work just that they do. The only problem I see here is when we are not honest about it. Keep to the basics. Speculation is where we go wrong.

    Miracles happen every day. Ask any doctor who deals with life and death every day. The honest ones keep an open mind. The honest ones know that we only know a little bit. The honest ones have seen the miracles of God in their every day practice of medicine.
    Jesus Christ laid down principles for living. Following those principles will lead to a very happy and fruitful life. Disobeying those principles leads to loosing your life and will to live.
    The one thing I have seen amongst those that do not believe is they all have a good reason why not believing works for them. Such as doing wrong big time. The nice thing about Christianity is that you can be saved even if you have done wrong.

  • amdgwalking

    This is why I joined the site. Everyday confirms. God bless you for saying this, thanks and praise to God. Peace that passes understanding.

  • shooter242

    I’m new here, so I’m not familiar with natural law. So apparently I don’t know how Christians understand law.

  • shooter242

    Evolution is not the same question as the causation of the universe. It seems to me that one can be perfectly happy attributing the “big bang” to God and and that He chose evolution as the mechanism to bring humans to fruition.
    Trying to ignore carbon dating, geology, and fossils, is literally not rational.

  • Jack_Savage

    The concept of Natural Law is central to the foundation of our country. I would advise some reading on the subject.