Comments on: Pastor Tim Harlow and Hemant Mehta in Friendly Dialog http://doableevangelism.com/2006/06/13/pastor-tim-harlow-and-hemant-mehta-in-friendly-dialog/ What if evangelism meant just being yourself? Tue, 15 May 2012 01:13:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Helen M. http://doableevangelism.com/2006/06/13/pastor-tim-harlow-and-hemant-mehta-in-friendly-dialog/comment-page-1/#comment-54 Helen M. Wed, 14 Jun 2006 12:09:28 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/06/13/pastor-tim-harlow-and-hemant-mehta-in-friendly-dialog/#comment-54 I reposted Peter Walker's excellent questions in a <a href="http://doableevangelism.com/2006/06/14/evangelism-through-teaching-our-ideologies-in-public-schools/" rel="nofollow">new blog entry</a>. Please continue the discussion of them there - thanks! I reposted Peter Walker’s excellent questions in a new blog entry. Please continue the discussion of them there – thanks!

]]> By: Pam Hogeweide http://doableevangelism.com/2006/06/13/pastor-tim-harlow-and-hemant-mehta-in-friendly-dialog/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Pam Hogeweide Wed, 14 Jun 2006 07:41:07 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/06/13/pastor-tim-harlow-and-hemant-mehta-in-friendly-dialog/#comment-52 I'm a parent of two school aged kids. I've talked with my son and daughter about the theory of evolution and the faith based belief of creation. I've also indicated to them that it's good to learn about all kinds of things and that nobody really knows 100 percent for sure how life first began on planet earth, or for that matter, the universe. For me, as a Christ follower and as a mom, I want to help my kids develop critical thinking skills and learn to assess information for themselves and figure it out. I cannot, in good conscience, just tell them evolution is wrong or, conversely, that creation in a literal six days is the answer to the question of the origin of life. As for intelligent design, should it be taught in school? My preference would be that all the prevailing theories and thoughts about origin of life would be taught in such a way so as to give students the capacity to think about it and determine what perspective warrants more investigation. I suppose until the end of time we will have differing opinions about this Big Question. I’m a parent of two school aged kids. I’ve talked with my son and daughter about the theory of evolution and the faith based belief of creation. I’ve also indicated to them that it’s good to learn about all kinds of things and that nobody really knows 100 percent for sure how life first began on planet earth, or for that matter, the universe.

For me, as a Christ follower and as a mom, I want to help my kids develop critical thinking skills and learn to assess information for themselves and figure it out. I cannot, in good conscience, just tell them evolution is wrong or, conversely, that creation in a literal six days is the answer to the question of the origin of life.

As for intelligent design, should it be taught in school? My preference would be that all the prevailing theories and thoughts about origin of life would be taught in such a way so as to give students the capacity to think about it and determine what perspective warrants more investigation. I suppose until the end of time we will have differing opinions about this Big Question.

]]> By: Peter Walker http://doableevangelism.com/2006/06/13/pastor-tim-harlow-and-hemant-mehta-in-friendly-dialog/comment-page-1/#comment-51 Peter Walker Wed, 14 Jun 2006 05:37:00 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/06/13/pastor-tim-harlow-and-hemant-mehta-in-friendly-dialog/#comment-51 I'm curious about other Christians thoughts on the subject of Intelligent Design in schools: Should it be taught alongside evolution? Is it <strong><em>really</em></strong> in Christianity's best interests to have its ideologies taught through government-funded educational programs? That question even presupposes that Intelligent Design is (or should be) one of the Church's overarching teachings. I don't really care too much HOW God created the heavens and the earth, but I have a hunch he's big enough to create an evolutionary structure if he wanted to... in fact, God might even be big enough to make a really big bang... but that's beside the point. My point is (and maybe I'm MISSING the point of this article, which is about respectful dialogue between pastor and atheist, which is awesome!) do we Christians need to be so intensely concerned about what the public school system is teaching? Just thinking out loud... :) I’m curious about other Christians thoughts on the subject of Intelligent Design in schools: Should it be taught alongside evolution? Is it really in Christianity’s best interests to have its ideologies taught through government-funded educational programs?

That question even presupposes that Intelligent Design is (or should be) one of the Church’s overarching teachings. I don’t really care too much HOW God created the heavens and the earth, but I have a hunch he’s big enough to create an evolutionary structure if he wanted to… in fact, God might even be big enough to make a really big bang… but that’s beside the point.

My point is (and maybe I’m MISSING the point of this article, which is about respectful dialogue between pastor and atheist, which is awesome!) do we Christians need to be so intensely concerned about what the public school system is teaching?

Just thinking out loud…
:)

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