I have given my response some thought before rendering it, since it clearly needs to be thoughtfully conveyed. I am not trying to offend you or put you down. It is not personal and I think you would be a fine person to know in reality given what I have seen in here and our differences aside. However, in the case where someone is placing ideology and doctrine ahead of logic, reason and evidence, they are taking an anti-intellectual position. It is not simply a dispute over common descent that I base this on. Your particular church and many churches and religions have a history of closing the door on anything that challenges the prescribed view of the world that is founded on a dogma of believed conditions and not on observed conditions. Certainly, I do not see you as a worst case. Someone like
@dad is a good example of that. He just makes up fantasy interpretations of the world, religion and science, declares them universal truths and then spends his entire presence here continually repeating that nonsense. You are here and willing to discuss, so that is a positive.
Do you really think a global flood is supported by the evidence you have presented in light of all the evidence that demonstrates there was no flood? Is a Chinese character really that compelling as evidence for a global flood? Or is it the line that your church holds and since you are a good member, you hold it too? That would be an anti-intellectual position as distasteful as that may be to you.
You are equating the reliance on dogma in religion for drawing conclusions as being on a par with intellectual challenges over explanations within science. That is a false comparison. The two are not even close, let alone equal. The sheer number, sources and diversity of ideological claims shatters that comparison without any need for continuing examples.
Much is made by creationists --way too much--of the controversies in science, and scientists, admittedly at times, can be dogmatic. As much as I may wish we all met the ideal of objectivity more closely. At least science promotes and strives for objectivity and questioning. But these controversies are based on evidence, weighing that evidence for reason, and an underlying logic. Not on some dogmatic doctrine. Scientists do not propose changes caprisciously for no good reason or based on the doctrine of some group the belong to.
Scientists constantly challenge the conclusions of science. That is practically the job description. Science is forced by its own structure and ethics to deal with even the most bizarre and poorly founded claims. Just the existence of alternative claims is not evidence of a weakness in established claims or that there is a controversy or where one does exist it is to the extent of significance that detractors hope for. But even in dealing with radical or weak claims, knowledge can be discovered. Often, it is in division that science is moved forward.
Even though a position placing religious dogma over true learning is truly an anti-intellectual position, I do not wish to imply that I think that is all that you, personally, are about. I find that you are an interesting and engaging presence here and much of what you have posted has pressed me to look deeper and understand better. Even material and positions I disagree with. I hope that this post reflects the thought I put into it in recognition of that and does not inspire you to close a door. I truly believe that you can accept science and maintain your belief in God without the human imposed restrictions. Personally, I don't see that you can't be a good Jehovah's Witness even if you were to accept the theory of common descent. It is not as if any Christian truly understands God enough to make declarations about Him.
I've been thinking about this post for a while, now....I've accomplished much of what I needed to get done.
There's a lot here to reply to; I appreciate your thoughtful points.
You know, however, that I presented more Flood evidence, than just a Chinese character. Much more....
If archaeologists recently unearthed an ancient document that spoke of a man, who survived a cataclysmic flood by building a boat that was basically a huge box.... '120 cubits by 120 cubits square, 90 cubits high,' as described in the Gilgamesh myth... there'd be no doubt that it was a fable.
But, if they found the story described a boat with modern ratios, they would think the story was fact.
Now, you and I and everyone else knows the story has a supernatural quality to it, events that reveal Divine intervention, in many aspects.
Let's consider one: the reason behind Jehovah God bringing it on. Genesis 6:1-4 gives a few details...sons of God taking women, "all whom they chose". (And the
common thread between the ancient Greek, Roman, Norse, Hindu, etc., myths actually highlight it. Common threads in stories, is where truth is found.)
If you will please bear with me, I'm going to go off-topic twice, somewhat...
but it's all related....
Is there evidence for the supernatural? Talk to the numerous posters on here (RF), like the Ragin Pagan, or others, who regularly converse with their spirit guides or gods, whatever they call them. I've spoken with Jose Fly, It Aint Necessarily So, & a few others....they stop short of calling these ones, 'delusional'.
Have you ever read the link I've posted before, on
Lincoln's ghost - Wikipedia ...
Here's an excerpt:
"Perhaps the most famous incident was in 1942 when Queen
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands allegedly heard footsteps outside her White House bedroom and answered a knock on the door, only to see Lincoln in frock coat and top hat standing in front of her (she promptly fainted).
[13]
British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill loved to retire late, take a long, hot bath while drinking a Scotch, and smoke a cigar and relax. There is an account that on this occasion, he climbed out of the bath and naked, but for his cigar, walked into the adjoining bedroom. He was startled to see Lincoln standing by the fireplace in the room, leaning on the mantle. Churchill, always quick on the uptake, simply took his cigar out of his mouth, tapped the ash off the end of his cigar and said "Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage." Lincoln smiled softly, as if laughing and disappeared. Churchill smiled in embarrassment.
[14]
President
Lyndon Johnson supposedly encountered Lincoln's apparition, during a moment of great distress. President Johnson reportedly spoke to Lincoln, asking him how he handled an unpopular war (Lincoln was President during the
American Civil War, which was extremely unpopular and Johnson was dealing with massive backlash over the
Vietnam War). Lincoln reportedly replied "don't go to the theater."
Lincoln's ghost was reportedly seen outside of the White House as well. In
Loudonville, New York, Lincoln's ghost was said to haunt a house that was owned by a woman who was present at
Ford's Theatre when Lincoln was shot by
John Wilkes Booth. Other Lincoln hauntings included his grave in
Springfield, Illinois, a portrait of
Mary Todd Lincoln and a phantom train on nights in April along the same path his funeral train followed from Washington, D.C. to Springfield.
[15]
The last sighting of Lincoln's ghost was in the early 1980s, when Tony Savoy, White House operations foreman, came into the White House and saw Lincoln sitting in a chair at the top of some stairs.
[13]"
Were these people, "delusional"?
Now Earthwide, multiply these experiences, by a million!
Yes, granted, many (most, even) are faked. But
all? No way.
Why do incidents like this happen? I've heard the explanation, "people
want to believe their dead loved ones are living (in another realm) ." Was Abraham Lincoln, a "loved one" of Queen Wilhelmina? Or Winston Churchill?
And if these dead loved ones are genuine, and it's what people "
want to believe"... why is there so much
fear involved in cultures that promote ancestor worship? (It touches so many cultures, in some way or another!) I mean, wouldn't your dead G-parents, if they were really living, still
love you? Why be afraid of them?
Because
here's the kicker: the dead are dead, they "know nothing", according to the Bible. Ecclesiastes 9:5; Psalms 146:3-4
The Resurrection is the future hope for the dead,
nothing else.
Saying "the dead don't
really die; they go to live somewhere else," is simply reinforcing the first lie, when the serpent told Eve, "You positively will not die"! And this idea is seen worldwide, promoted by almost every religion!
Aided by these "Ghost" stories.
But these ghosts can't really be our dead loved ones, because they "know nothing"; they're dead!
Who are these imposters, trying to mislead everyone?
They are "the angels that sinned" (2 Peter 2:4), who "did not stay in their own domain, but abandoned their proper dwelling place" (Jude 1:6)....those "sons of God" of Genesis 6.
More on this later, I've got to go.
I hope you're willing to reason on this. It explains why God had to destroy the animals, too. (Please read Matthew 8:28-34.)
I read the Scriptures about these things, and I see the hurting and confusion that people are experiencing worldwide...I understand who is behind all this mess! (Just a little while longer.)
The Bible explains a lot, if people would be open minded & try to understand it.