Board index ‹ Creation and Evolution

[No Sports]

I recently had a conversation with a young earth creationist who asked questions about the Big Bang and evolution. No matter how much evidence I gave him or what lectures, statements, or scientists I referred him too, he just told me that it's embarrassing to believe in that. He never even tried to look at what I showed him. I wasn't asking him to change his religion or to be an atheist or anything. I just thought he wanted an open minded conversation.

I understand that not every Christian is a young earth believer. I guess what I'm asking is, is it hard to be open minded about things that may challenge your beliefs? Do you think your beliefs could ever change? And, when/if your beliefs are challenged do you look at all the facts and determine an answer?

I'm not trying to be rude or anything. I'm just baffled by how stubborn some people can be.

[jimwalton]

Stubbornness is a human trait, not a Christian one. I've read many tales of scientists rejecting new evidence (Ignatz Semmelweis), historians, educators, and businessmen. The telephone, cars, talking movies—the list is quite extensive. I think we all work hard to make sense of the world in a truthful way. When someone challenges not only our postulates but also our conclusions, it can be disequilibrating and difficult to swallow. A YEC falsely thinks his whole faith will fall if he yields on that point, so it's hard for him to look at the evidence objectively. But I don't think it's any different for atheists. The evidence for theism is far stronger than the evidence for atheism, even considering scientific matters. And yet atheists often refuse to consider the evidence and stubbornly hold to their mantra, "You can't prove God by science." I also, just so you know, am not trying to be rude. I just see such resistance to change in every position. We become convinced of the truth and we hold to it against the onslaught of refutations.