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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Evolutionary Christianity
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IconiumBound
Shipmate
# 754
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Posted
I just came across this website and would like to know if any shipmates are aware of it and have an opinion?
It's founder is Michael Dowd. He is exploring the possible convergence of evolutionary theory and religious faith. Author of several books listed on the site.
Presently he is engaged in presenting about 30 people who are exploring this field in one hour taped interviews; Robert Rohr, John Spong among others. These are also listed on the site. The series began on Dec. 4th and will run until Jan 6th.
Posts: 1200 | From: Philadelphia, PA, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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Bullfrog.
Prophetic Amphibian
# 11014
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Posted
What does he think of Christ? A concern (caricatured for simplicity's sake) is that he's going to make God out to be whatever the latest scientific fad it. Whatever science says is "real" becomes gospel because the scientific method is the ultimate arbiter of what is godly. Sounds very Spong-like.
In a similar vein, I wonder how he understands the Bible.
Good stuff, though. He's definitely trying to fill a void in popular theology.
[ 20. December 2010, 21:38: Message edited by: Bullfrog. ]
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lazy man come to the table/make some food for those who ain't able
pretty winner swallow your pride/drink the ugly loser who for all died
make sure everyone gets some/then we'll see the kingdom...
--psalters Dumpster Divers
Posts: 7291 | From: Chicago | Registered: Feb 2006
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Barnabas62
Shipmate
# 9110
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Posted
This has to be a Dead Horse. Since there is only the OP at this stage, I'd be grateful if you'd suspend posting to this thread while I have chat with the Dead Horse Hosts about the options.
1. Move this thread directly to Dead Horses.
2. Incorporate this post into an existing thread.
Barnabas62
Purgatory Host
(Argghh -cross post! -suspend still applies)
[ 20. December 2010, 21:41: Message edited by: Barnabas62 ]
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Who is it that you seek? How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?
Posts: 14578 | From: Norfolk UK | Registered: Feb 2005
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Barnabas62
Shipmate
# 9110
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Posted
OK, away you go to Dead Horses as a separate topic.
Barnabas62
Purgatory Host
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Who is it that you seek? How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?
Posts: 14578 | From: Norfolk UK | Registered: Feb 2005
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ken
Ship's Roundhead
# 2460
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Posted
What a tedious fucking website. A few pages of almost contentless drivel followed by hundreds of back-slapping egoboo comments where vacuous people tell each other how wonderful they are. I'm afraid my threshold of boredom is too low to process this stuff.
The wevbsite is supposed to be about Christianity and science? But there is very little abut Christianity on it at all. And as far as I could see nothign about science, evolution or any other sort. Other than that its "awesome"
And the language! Why do people like that have to start off with the ritual slaughter of the English language on the high altar of emasculated managementdroidspeak?
I mean, seriously:
quote:
The fact that such a stunning diversity of Christian evolutionaries hold important values and perspectives in common, such as "deep-time eyes”, "a global heart”, and "realistic hope”
sounds like it was written by a committee of bored second-rate 1970s greetings-card copywriters. Would I buy a used car from that man? I wouldn't buy an unopened carton of cheap washing powder!
![[Projectile]](graemlins/puke2.gif)
Look, I'm glad that he's getting over the lies they told him when he was a kid, and I'm angry that some people still tell those lies to children, but this wishy-washy outdated nwe-age mystical pap is not the answer. You don't have to water down or de- Christinity to somehow make it compatible with science. And you don't have to add a lot of handwaving pseudo- sentimentality to science to make it compatible with Christianity.
And I'm afraid that things like this:
quote:
the main program I’m now delivering in all religious and non-religious settings: "Evolutionize Your Life: Heaven Is Coming Home to Reality". That’s where I deal with evolutionary brain science, evolutionary psychology, testosterone, addictions, and the like...
turn on my built-in snake-oil detectors. He may not be some money-grabbing pseudoscientific cultist but he sure talks like one.
Sorry, but this looks like utter crap to me.
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Ken
L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.
Posts: 38272 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002
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M.
Ship's Spare Part
# 3291
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Posted
Ken, don't hold back, say what you really mean.
M.
Posts: 1569 | From: Lurking in Surrey | Registered: Sep 2002
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passer
Indigo
# 13329
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Posted
M. - get out of my head and stop stealing my thoughts! I had that typed word-for-word, but checked before posting! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Ken - thanks for the heads-up - well put. I went to the site and cringed at the opening paragraph, and particularly the smiling Mr Dowd; you saved me reading on.
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Posts: 962 | From: Sheffield | Registered: Jan 2008
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Alan Cresswell
Mad Scientist
# 31
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Posted
Like ken, I found the first page of the site somewhat tedious and not particularly original. I suppose it may be something that would be of greater benefit to someone who has been raised with the "evolution is a lie" line and is starting to realise that the truth is more complex and interesting. He presents the idea that science and Christian belief are not only not in conflict but complementary as a novelty, which is probably a novel idea for some people. The novelty, of course, is the idea that they are in conflict. After all, 100 years ago a group of leading evangelical scholars and pastors wrote a series of books presenting the fundamentals of Evangelical Christian faith - and each and everyone of those leading Evangelicals accepted the scientific evidence of an ancient earth and the evolution of species (OK, there were some of those early Fundamentalists who weren't too sure whether human beings were the product of evolution or special creation).
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I'm not mad. Just slightly annoyed.
Posts: 23856 | From: East Kilbride, Scotland | Registered: May 2001
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Barnabas62
Shipmate
# 9110
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Posted
I was disappointed with the website. I enjoyed ken's post! And Alan scored a goal ot two as well.
Picking up something from the Styx re "entrenched positions", it might be worth saying something about SoF online discussions re evolution and various creationist positions.
I think we are a bit of a self-selecting environment for discussing evolution here in that the great majority of Shipmates either have few if any problems embracing faith and evolutionary findings - or don't have faith. But there are a minority of others prepared to test their understanding here. That has produced some very interesting discussions in Dead Horses. The long running Death of Darwinism thread has some really good stuff re Intelligent Design as a result of debates there.
Things may change, but at present the website looks a bit too self-congratulatory and seems to be attracting an audience of the convinced. Perhaps it needs a few Faithful Sheepdogs or ByHisBloods to join the community? Else the website may become no more than a preach to the converted. People in entrenched positions need something a lot more vigorous and rigorous than what is there presently to get them to the point of saying "well I haven't changed my mind but I can see you have a point" That's the nature of entrenched positions. Digging out requires just as much effort as digging in. Its helped by providing scope for divergent voices.
I wish the site well, but I don't think it is off to a very good start.
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Who is it that you seek? How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?
Posts: 14578 | From: Norfolk UK | Registered: Feb 2005
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