Re: Conflicts and confrontation

Merv-

Hey, you've taken a step in the right direction, though. I've found in my
life that if I'm wrestling with something or just feeling unfaithful, if I
can talk about it with someone or a few people, whatever it is suddenly
begins to shrink in size. Talking about a problem with someone is a real
release on the mind...and if you can tell God about it, do that, also. I've
been really pissed at God before, and He knows it...and yet He's still big
enough to hear about it and walk me through it. Having someone in the real
world to talk with about these things is the best case scenario. I have
absolutely wept in front of one girlfriend before because of something I was
struggling with...but oh my gosh, did it feel as if a weight were lifted.
And once it was out there, it wasn't nearly as huge, and people and God were
a hell of a lot bigger. :) Also, find someone who likes to talk about
Christ, who can share something about what God has done in their life...or
find someone who hasn't heard about what God has done in your life, and
share that. :) And if you don't really have anyone like that to talk to,
leave it with one of the guys here. Or leave it with one of the guys anyway.
It's alright to be afraid, to be confused, to feel hurt...but let it out of
your mind. Write it down. Talk about it. I don't know you, but I'll listen
if you want.

Travis

>From: mrb22667@kansas.net
>To: asa@calvin.edu
>Subject: Re: Conflicts and confrontation
>Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 14:06:54 -0500
>
>I too fear that my faith / faith-walk is less than it should be in recent
>years,
> but I don't hold evolutionary science up as the culprit. Truth will be
>what it
>will be, and to paraphase both you and Martin Luther, here we stand -- how
>could
>we do otherwise?
>
>But I'm more suspicious of a kind of "evolutionary philosophy" which seems
>to
>mystify others on this list, but has loomed so large in my mind that my
>thought
>processes are virtually taken over by it. Others may wonder what it is,
>but for
>me it is the proverbial elephant in my apartment. It may be unfair (or
>even the
>YEC camp's fault) that my first thought is to associate this mindset with
>evolutionary science. But meanwhile, I hope others can see my dilemma that
>I am
>feeling like less than a bastion of faith which will do nothing for my YEC
>friends but confirm their suspicions about the evils of liberal
>thought/evolution/... My only reason for not breaking camp and joining
>the
>conservatives is that my perspective of the religious right is/would be
>even
>more dissillusioning for my faith than where I am now. But such dwelling
>on
>negatives makes me long for the positive stand. I want to be certain of
>things
>too, but instead I'm repeating all the "right" theological answers (and
>believe
>me, I'm well versed in all of them) as much as a reassurance to myself as
>to any
>around me. May the Lord be merciful.
>
>--merv
>
>
>Quoting Carol or John Burgeson <burgytwo@juno.com>:
>
> > Merv, you write:
> >
> > >But have any of you, because of your
> > > evolutionary beliefs, found your faith enhanced -- built up?
> >
> > You hit a hot button with that question. I just read Bob Schneider's
>post
> > in reply. This is one of those rare times where I have to part company
> > with Bob.
> >
> > In my heart of hearts, I know that my faith today is less firm than when
> > I did not know so much. The story of evolution (not the young earth)
>has,
> > in some measure, contributed to this. At times I really envy my ICR
> > friends in their certainty.
> >
> > Yet -- I am committed to following the truth (and living by it) -- and I
> > can do no more.
> >
> > In this respect, I admire Glenn for so often posing the hard questions
>on
> > this list.
> >
> > Bob commented: "...every person I know
> > involved in the science/religion dialogue, or who is a Christian in
> > science,
> > who accepts evolution, whether they call themselves a TE or not, does
>not
> >
> > merely "tolerate" or "accomodate" evolution--I mean the science, of
> > course,
> > not the philosophy (people too often confuse the two and YECs and most
> > IDers
> > refuse to make any distinction)--but rather "integrate" it into their
> > religious world view. I confess that my range of contacts is limited,
>but
> > I
> > know of no TE whose faith has been "weakened" or "destroyed."
> >
> > You know one now, Bob.
> >
> > Burgy
> >
>
>
Received on Mon Jun 5 19:57:42 2006