Free will and God's will

[Bullypulpit]

why does christianity still claim that the earliest writting on earth are in the bible therefore the earth can date back only 6,000 years? Why is this a claim when the majority of the early Christian Church Fathers including Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen, Augustine, Eusebius, and Basil did not believe the Genesis account depicted ordinary solar days and read creation history as an allegory as well as being theologically true.

The fathers of christianity did not even believe the genesis account was true. As well as 68 national and international science academies making it clear that the Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old, that life appeared on Earth approximately 3.5 billion years ago, and that scientific and carbon dating evidence has never contradicted this. Why are there so many idiots in the world who still believe in creation?

Another question along these lines is the failure of many, especially in the evangelical movement, to critically examine the Bible and its books within the context in which they were written. This is especially true of the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...written at a time when Israel and the Jews were being ground under the iron shod heel of Rome. And if you go back to the Old Testament, you find whole sections lifted virtually word for word from other religious traditions of that time.

But more importantly is the failure to understand the Bible for the allegory it is rather than the absolute and literal truth, which it is not.

 

[manu1959]

portions of the bible are factual....portions are alagorical....plenty of people understand that

gods will and free will are not mutually exclusive ....no more than dad's will and his child's will

 

[mattskramer]

portions of the bible are factual....portions are alagorical....plenty of people understand that

gods will and free will are not mutually exclusive ....no more than dad's will and his child's will

The Bible is not for nitpickers and literalists. There are a great many absurdities and inconsistencies in the Bible. Check out http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/