He actually said that I think too much... He said that we are not supposed to ask silly question about the bible like this one and to just accept it for what it is.
Heckler, if you read my post, you know where I stand. You can tell your Baptist workmate that this is a terrible answer. Tell him it's this kind of reply that drove Charles Darwin out of the church. Curious, inquiring minds need answers, and if the church stifles their questions, they will search elsewhere.
This is the danger of just blindly accepting something without understanding why. Contrary to the opinion of many, the Bible's teachings are not indefensible. Sure, Bible advocates don't have all the answers, but neither do the detractors--nobody does--but the issues can be intelligently discussed and evaluated. Frankly, I find it insulting when somebody says that you have to shut down your brain to accept what's in the Bible.
Everyone, regardless of their position on this subject, should be willing to examine what they believe and always be open to revising it. Never stop learning and questioning. That's how I live, and that's what I advocate for everybody, even those whose beliefs I agree with. When you get to the point that you say, "OK, now I understand it all completely. I have arrived," that's when you're really in error.
The problem we have is that the information--the evidence--is incomplete, so any conclusion drawn is an act of faith--whether you're for the Bible as reliable or not. You can speak in terms of probabilities, not certainties. The positions we take on this issue are based on what we use to fill in the gaps. Like in the original Jurassic Park movie, where they used frog DNA to fill in the gaps in dinosaur DNA, we fill in those gaps. Sometimes it's based on personal experiences--treatment by those we see as representatives of God. Or maybe God did or didn't do something in our lives that we hoped for or expected (which depends on our understanding of who God is and how God does things, an understanding which may or may not be justified).
Believe me, I'm just as troubled by Christians who act like there are no objections worth acknowledging as I am with skeptics who act like it's a done deal in their favor.
Heckler, remind your co-worker that 1st Peter 3:15 says to "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear..." Well, saying "Just believe" is not an answer. How can we just say "Just accept it because it's God's word" without laying any kind of groundwork? Suggest to your co-worker to find the answer Peter mentioned, then get back with you to discuss this again. Any person in that position who really cares about him/herself and about others will make the effort.
Heckler, you like to challenge beliefs; you like to kick sacred cows?--Good, so do I. They ALL need a kick.
