Joel Hunter: Pastors Leading on Controversy

[LetReasonPrevail1]

This fellow seems like a really nice chap

That said, I think he unwittingly exposes the fact that pastors are not in the business of speaking about the truth, challenging existing understandings, or expanding mankind's collective knowledge of our world

What they are about is not rocking the boat, reinforcing the same beliefs no matter what new info is made available, and above all they are about keeping their jobs

This is why I don't expect to gain any real knowledge when I go to church

[Coveredingrace777]

@LetReasonPrevail1

Actually it would be better said. That SOME pastors are like this. So not every church will be like that.

[LetReasonPrevail1]

@Coveredingrace777 Thanks for the response, but I respectfully disagree.

Pastors are keepers of the faith, so by definition they are keepers of an unchanging belief system.

For anyone who can acknowledge reality, they will accept that our understanding of the world is not unchanging but quite the opposite.

These two situations are completely opposing, thus the former will not be able to provide the latter (namely, new & better understandings).

It's just the way it is.

[LetReasonPrevail1]

That's why you see pastors consistently railing AGAINST new info & understandings of the world

The pastor at my very own church is an obviously intelligent man who is quite worldly & steeped in both biblical & seculary history

Yet, with all his intellect & acquired-knowledge, he actually gets up in front of the congregation & says evolutionary theory & modern geology are lies & that we should believe the earth is 6 to 10,000 years old

It boogles my mind when I hear him say these things.

[dragondoubt]

@LetReasonPrevail1 It might be easier for you to accept the pastors point of view if you understood how they read the bible and derive their understanding of God and what He has done. I am a Christian, but I believe the science of evolution is a better exegesis of the Genesis account than a literal reading of the book. That being said I do try to be as literal with the Bible as it permits. Jesus said rip out your eye if it makes you sin. I don't take that literally.