RE: [asa] Question for all the theistic evolutionists

As many others have answered on these questions, I don't have (or seek out)
much opportunity to debate anyone online, including atheists, and I don't
know how successful it would be in the absence of personal interaction. I
don't think I'm a TE, but am willing to accept the evidence for an old earth
and universe, and increasingly have to confront the evidence for the
continuity of life.

I will share one recent experience relative to the question. A co-worker is
a confirmed agnostic, and used to consider himself a confirmed atheist. He
was quite surprised and has positively responded to our discussions of
creation, when he learned that I didn't take a non-scientific young-earth
creationist point of view. Even more influential is the fact that I, as a
lay minister, didn't condemn him for holding non-Christian views, but am
willing to engage him in rational, respectful discussion on those subjects.
Until we talked, he wasn't aware that Christians could be either rational,
respectful, or hold a responsible view of scientific evidence. His
experiences with neighbors who condemned him to hell for mowing his lawn on
Sunday, or expressed non-sensical views of creationism, turned him off to
all of Christianity. Now he has come to understand that it isn't
necessarily God that he doesn't like, but religion. I'm not convinced that
online debate will have much effect with atheists, except those who are
already in the process of converting themselves. Personal, rational, and
respectful discussion will have a better chance of influence. And even
then, the mystery of personal conversion will never come about except
through the influence of the Spirit of God in their lives.

Sincerely,

Jon Tandy

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Received on Mon Feb 26 08:34:58 2007