What's the point?

liah

Mate of mine brought this up over msn so I'm posting it on his behalf. Edited just to take the msn formatting and names out.

Christianity banks on the belief that we are made in God's image, that we were put here. Modern Christians generally believe in evolution, for the most part, so we'll focus on them. Well, here's the thing. If you simultaneously believe that God created man in his image as the bible dictates as well as the process of evolution leading us to where we are now, what would be the point in delaying the arrival of man for millions of years? Why would God bother with evolution at all? Why bother with dinosaurs, ice ages, evolving from apes, etc? Also, what would be the point in all the irrelevant crap floating around like other planets, meteorites, stars? The point of black holes and galaxies?

Simplistic, blunt argument but I'm curious as to the answers, so long as they're not "god works in mysterious ways" cop outs.

BrianCalgary

Ahh, a fellow canuck.

I don't buy into evolution for one, so therefore man is created in God's image and got it right the first time, man just messed it up by not sticking to God's game plan.

The position that your friend has put forth is one of the theological arguments that I would use against evolution happening with God's finger in it. I'm not going to live or die on this issue.

My friend and I have an agreement, first one to Heaven asks God this question and he has to either bow to or raspberry the next one of us that arrives, then we go for a drink and celebrate.

Seoid

The question assumes that humanity is the point of everything and God only created the world in order to put people in it...

Intelligent design is not creationism or creationist 'science'. It is a philosophy (not a scientific idea) that holds that God used evolution as a mechanism to create the world

Also, God's time is not the same as our time - if 1000 years is the same as a day then from God's perspective ( and he is the one who made it all) then why not take so much time for the world to spew up humans? Perhaps God knew what sh*theads most of us would turn out to be and wanted to delay the inevitable as long as possible

Húrin

In the book of Job, God reveals that all the creatures he made matter to him. They have intrinsic worth quite apart from humans.

An eternal being does not experience the passage of time. It may look odd to you that he didn't "hurry up about it" but to him, four billion years is not a long time, or a short time.

stevejazzx

BrianCalgary wrote: »

I don't buy into evolution for one, so therefore man is created in God's image and got it right the first time, man just messed it up by not sticking to God's game plan.

What gameplan was that?

BrianCalgary

stevejazzx wrote: »

What gameplan was that?

That we would have eternal relationship with God. It is now offered through Christ.

jaffa20

Húrin wrote: »

In the book of Job, God reveals that all the creatures he made matter to him. They have intrinsic worth quite apart from humans.

An eternal being does not experience the passage of time. It may look odd to you that he didn't "hurry up about it" but to him, four billion years is not a long time, or a short time.

Even snakes...

The symbol of evil in Christianity.

Why create evil...

The Mad Hatter

stevejazzx wrote: »

What gameplan was that?

"Fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave."

Oh, wait, that was David Bowie in Labyrinth...

MrPudding

BrianCalgary wrote: »

Ahh, a fellow canuck.

I don't buy into evolution for one, so therefore man is created in God's image and got it right the first time, man just messed it up by not sticking to God's game plan.

How could a puny human upset god's gameplan? If he had a gameplan and it got messed up then that implies that he is not perfect.

BrianCalgary wrote: »

My friend and I have an agreement, first one to Heaven asks God this question and he has to either bow to or raspberry the next one of us that arrives, then we go for a drink and celebrate.

Nice. It must be quite comforting for you and your friend to know that you are both going to heaven.

MrP

BrianCalgary

MrPudding wrote: »

How could a puny human upset god's gameplan? If he had a gameplan and it got messed up then that implies that he is not perfect.

I suggest you read Job to get a clearer picture of God's take on this.
Have you not been on here long enough to understand that God gave us free-will?
Have you not been on here long enough to know that God desires us to love Him unconditionally as He loves us?
Have you not been on here long enough to know that we are not so puny as to garner God's attention and that He loves us so much to desire to give of that love?

MrPudding wrote: »

Nice. It must be quite comforting for you and your friend to know that you are both going to heaven.
MrP

Yep it is.