A Different Humble Sort of Peace

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

An interesting exchange about the meaning of Peace arose…

@PDPrice

@T_aquaticus

think it is worth remembering that there are many in the church who accept evolution.

Certainly there are, and that’s an unfortunate thing. It’s a sad witness to the rest of the world that we in the church have become divided on this issue. I would like to see us all come together in rejecting this unbiblical idea.

So @PDPrice wants to end division by having us all together reject evolution.

@PDPrice

@T_aquaticus

And if other Christians who accept evolution feel they have submitted to God’s clear revelation, then what?

I don’t know what more there is to say here. I believe it’s very clear they are wrong. If they continue to refuse to see this, then there will continue to be division in the church forever, until the Lord comes.

Basically, if we don’t come around to agree with his interpretation of Scripture, we are going to be divided. So long as we disagree with YEC, conflict is ahead.

@PDPrice

@T_aquaticus

I think this is where Todd Wood’s call for understanding and building bridges would come in handy.

In my experience, those who talk about “building bridges” (including some here at PS) are really talking about a Hegelian synthesis. I’m not interested in going down that road.

And this brings me to a key point. Peaceful Science is different. We are looking to build bridges fully aware that in the end we will still disagree.

Our value of “humility” is stated in a particular way. We have the humility to know that, even if we are right, we cannot convince everyone to agree with us. So when we look to build bridges, to seek a better way, it isn’t by winning everyone over to our point of view.

If that was the case, we would have kicked @PDPrice and others like him off the forum a long time ago.

Instead, we know our disagreements will persist, and we hope to understand one another across our disagreements. We will likely still disagree, but the divisions might fade. That’s a different sort of peace than that which @PDPrice offers, and it both requires more of us and is more achievable all the same.

[Dan_Eastwood]

Even argument teaches people to communicate, eventually…

[thoughtful (Valerie (non-scientist))]

@swamidass

Instead, we know our disagreements will persist, and we hope to understand one another across our disagreements. We will likely still disagree, but the divisions might fade. That’s a different sort of peace than that which @PDPrice offers, and it both requires more of us and is more achievable all the same.

There’s a paradox with the peace of Christ: He did not come to bring it (yet), but we make it, and He guides us in it.

If someone is poor in spirit and persecuted for righteousness’ sake, they are making peace. Not sure what I’m saying exactly, other than I do a bad job of it.

Matthew 5

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Some of my favorite verses:
Luke 1

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the [j]Dayspring from on high [k]has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

@thoughtful

There’s a paradox with the peace of Christ: He did not come to bring it (yet), but we make it, and He guides us in it.

If someone is poor in spirit and persecuted for righteousness’ sake, they are making peace. Not sure what I’m saying exactly, other than I do a bad job of it.

Well, to your credit @thoughtful, it often seems like we’ve found peace together even across our disagreements, even though you are YEC and I affirm evolution.