I am Alexander Young, and I am the author of this blog. I want to make it clear to those reading this blog what my religious/scientific beliefs are so there will be no misconceptions or misunderstandings.
1. Do you believe the bible is inerrant?
Yes! I believe every word of the bible is inerrant and the divinely inspired word of God! However, I do think it is possible to interpret it wrongly. This isn't just about literal vs. allegorical. I generally find most of the bible is literal, except for certain obvious parables (like when Jesus says "I am a door"). It is possible for there to be multiple literal interpretations of a single phrase. You must use context (both historical and textual) and logic to define what is the correct reading.
It is also possible for there to be translation issues in our english version of the bible. I would not say it is valid to claim that God divinely inspired our translation of the bible to be perfectly accurate as he did the original. This is easily provable simply by looking at the many english translations we have today. Though they are all very similar, certain passages actually mean different things in different translations. And I have seen no logical arguments for believing one particular translation is the most accurate (like the ESV or King James versions),
2. Do you believe all humans are sinners and guilty before God, requiring salvation by faith rather than works?
Yes! No amount of good deeds will save you. The only way to salvation is to repent of your sins and put your faith (not blind faith, trust based on sound evidence) in Jesus. Who died for our sins so that we may be seen with his perfect life. Without accepting this offer, there is no salvation. Those who fail to accept this offer are condemned to eternal separation from God.
3. Do you believe in the Trinity?
Yes. I do not adhere to the heretical versions of the Christian doctrine of the trinity such as modalism. I fully accept that God is three persons with one essence. Sharing a single "core", with omnipotence, omniscience, perfect will, etc. but having three distinct consciousnesses with three distinct personalities.
4. Do you believe the Earth is 6000 years old?
No. The group of christians who hold that the earth is just 6000-10,000 years old are generally referred to as "young-earth creationists". I would more fall into the category of an "old-earth creationism".
Young-earth creationism is based off three main points:
1. The seven days of genesis or the "creation week" represent normal 24-hour days from the perspective of the earth. I find there are good theological and scientific reasons to reject this doctrine. The first humans (Adam and Eve) were created at the end of "Day" 6. If the days are long epochs of time, this is consistent with the scientific consensus that the earth and universe were around for billions of years prior to the first humans.
2. That the genealogies listed in Genesis are complete with little or no gaps (missing names between the names listed). They do not understand how one could believe there are gaps in the genealogies. This is because they do not understand the ways the ancients looked at genealogies. They were not concerned with creating genealogies for time-keeping purposes or listing every single generation between two individuals.
Rather, they were interested in showing a line of descent leading from one person to another and conveying key points about certain intermediate individuals. In the case of the Genesis genealogies, they were conveying that there was an unbroken familial line leading from Adam to Noah, and then Noah to Abraham. The "ages" listed in the genealogies are likely there to demonstrate that people's lifespans were once longer and then became shorter because of human sin. The genealogies are theological constructs, not time-keeping devices.
3. That "day" one in Genesis 1 begins at the beggining of time/verse 1. But every other "day" begins with "and God said..." which does not first occur until verse 3. Meaning it is entirely within reason that an indefinite (seconds, billions of years, or even septillions of billions of years) amount of time passed between the beggining and the start of day 1.
Thus, I reject young-earth creationism and all three of it's prime assumptions.
5. Do you believe the bible contains accurate science?
Yes! Though unfortunately many biblical scholars today prefer to limit inerrancy to theological matters. Saying things equivalent to "The bible isn't a science textbook, it's okay for it to be wrong on scientific matters, just not on theological matters". They will often bring up how the bible was written by ancients who didn't know of our modern science. I think this is underestimating God's Holy Spirit.
Surely, the God of the bible can easily ensure that any statements about the natural world in the bible are correct. It is true that the bible isn't a science textbook, so we shouldn't be looking for quantum physics or the specifics of plate tectonics in the bible. The bible is meant to speak to all generations, not just ours. But bear in mind, it's also not meant to speak to just earlier generations either. I'm sure God is perfectly capable of ensuring that any fallacious cosmologies or biases of the authors of the bible do not seep into the text and corrupt its inerrancy.
I will also note that "science", "history", "theology", and "morality" are man-made categories. So to limit God's divine inspiration of the bible to just one of these categories is arbitrary and pointless. I realize the argument of "the bible isn't a science textbook" is a tempting carrot to take for those constantly faced with scientific criticisms of the bible from atheists, but it is the easy way out, and is not the road I believe one should take. I find if you critically examine the claims of atheists, you will find that the claims are based off misunderstandings of either the text or the science, or sometimes both!
6. What is your biblical prophecy view?
I am definitely Premillennial. Though biblical prophecy *does* use symbolism and metaphor, I think Amillennialists and Postmillennialists take it way too far, they stretch it to the point where the text could mean almost anything. As for which sub-sect of Premillennialism I hold to, I prefer not to bind myself to a particular system. But as is my view is a mix of Pre-wrath and Post-trib. Specifically:
- I do believe in an "Antichrist" figure, a man who acts as Satan's earthly representative in the end times.
-Although I do believe there will be a "gathering" of believers to meet Christ in the air at his second coming, I do not believe it is a separate "invisible" second coming prior to a physical second coming (third coming?) 7 years later. There is just one second coming.
- I do not believe the "gathering" (or "rapture" if you like) occurs prior to any prophetic events occurring (pretribulationism). Although Jesus does state (famously) that nobody knows the day or the hour, he also immediately prior to that gave a list of signs that will precede his second coming (none of which have occurred as of Jan. 2017).
- My reading puts the gathering and second coming after the sixth seal but prior to the trumpets and bowls in Revelation
- I do believe that there is a future 7-year period, the last of the prophet Daniel's 70 weeks, at the end of which Christ will return
- I disagree with the common view that the seals, trumpets, and bowls all take place within the 7-year period (70th week of Daniel)
- I believe the second coming occurs at the end of the 7-year period and the trumpets and bowls come afterwards
- I believe it is clear from the text that the "Great Tribulation" is a 3.5 year period (most likely the latter half of Daniel's 70th week) in which *Christians* are persecuted greatly. Not jews, and not "new" Christians saved after the rapture. There will be a great persecution of Christians *before* the return of Christ, this is clear to me.
- I believe that after the Battle of Armageddon, all the trumpets and bowls, believers will be resurrected and a 1000-year earthly reign of Christ will begin.
- I do not believe that the earthly reign is eternal, I believe it will end when Satan is let out (after being imprisoned at the second coming), followed by the destruction of the rebellion against God and the creation of the new heaven and earth.
- I do not believe *any* of the seals, trumpets, or bowls have been fulfilled in the past or in modern times. They are *all* still future, as well as the 7-year period
- I believe there are still conditions that need to be fulfilled before the prophetic events can be "kicked off" (like the building of the third temple in Israel)
-I believe the vast majority of bible prophecy (95+% of Revelation) is unfulfilled as of this writing.
1. Do you believe the bible is inerrant?
Yes! I believe every word of the bible is inerrant and the divinely inspired word of God! However, I do think it is possible to interpret it wrongly. This isn't just about literal vs. allegorical. I generally find most of the bible is literal, except for certain obvious parables (like when Jesus says "I am a door"). It is possible for there to be multiple literal interpretations of a single phrase. You must use context (both historical and textual) and logic to define what is the correct reading.
It is also possible for there to be translation issues in our english version of the bible. I would not say it is valid to claim that God divinely inspired our translation of the bible to be perfectly accurate as he did the original. This is easily provable simply by looking at the many english translations we have today. Though they are all very similar, certain passages actually mean different things in different translations. And I have seen no logical arguments for believing one particular translation is the most accurate (like the ESV or King James versions),
2. Do you believe all humans are sinners and guilty before God, requiring salvation by faith rather than works?
Yes! No amount of good deeds will save you. The only way to salvation is to repent of your sins and put your faith (not blind faith, trust based on sound evidence) in Jesus. Who died for our sins so that we may be seen with his perfect life. Without accepting this offer, there is no salvation. Those who fail to accept this offer are condemned to eternal separation from God.
3. Do you believe in the Trinity?
Yes. I do not adhere to the heretical versions of the Christian doctrine of the trinity such as modalism. I fully accept that God is three persons with one essence. Sharing a single "core", with omnipotence, omniscience, perfect will, etc. but having three distinct consciousnesses with three distinct personalities.
4. Do you believe the Earth is 6000 years old?
No. The group of christians who hold that the earth is just 6000-10,000 years old are generally referred to as "young-earth creationists". I would more fall into the category of an "old-earth creationism".
Young-earth creationism is based off three main points:
1. The seven days of genesis or the "creation week" represent normal 24-hour days from the perspective of the earth. I find there are good theological and scientific reasons to reject this doctrine. The first humans (Adam and Eve) were created at the end of "Day" 6. If the days are long epochs of time, this is consistent with the scientific consensus that the earth and universe were around for billions of years prior to the first humans.
2. That the genealogies listed in Genesis are complete with little or no gaps (missing names between the names listed). They do not understand how one could believe there are gaps in the genealogies. This is because they do not understand the ways the ancients looked at genealogies. They were not concerned with creating genealogies for time-keeping purposes or listing every single generation between two individuals.
Rather, they were interested in showing a line of descent leading from one person to another and conveying key points about certain intermediate individuals. In the case of the Genesis genealogies, they were conveying that there was an unbroken familial line leading from Adam to Noah, and then Noah to Abraham. The "ages" listed in the genealogies are likely there to demonstrate that people's lifespans were once longer and then became shorter because of human sin. The genealogies are theological constructs, not time-keeping devices.
3. That "day" one in Genesis 1 begins at the beggining of time/verse 1. But every other "day" begins with "and God said..." which does not first occur until verse 3. Meaning it is entirely within reason that an indefinite (seconds, billions of years, or even septillions of billions of years) amount of time passed between the beggining and the start of day 1.
Thus, I reject young-earth creationism and all three of it's prime assumptions.
5. Do you believe the bible contains accurate science?
Yes! Though unfortunately many biblical scholars today prefer to limit inerrancy to theological matters. Saying things equivalent to "The bible isn't a science textbook, it's okay for it to be wrong on scientific matters, just not on theological matters". They will often bring up how the bible was written by ancients who didn't know of our modern science. I think this is underestimating God's Holy Spirit.
Surely, the God of the bible can easily ensure that any statements about the natural world in the bible are correct. It is true that the bible isn't a science textbook, so we shouldn't be looking for quantum physics or the specifics of plate tectonics in the bible. The bible is meant to speak to all generations, not just ours. But bear in mind, it's also not meant to speak to just earlier generations either. I'm sure God is perfectly capable of ensuring that any fallacious cosmologies or biases of the authors of the bible do not seep into the text and corrupt its inerrancy.
I will also note that "science", "history", "theology", and "morality" are man-made categories. So to limit God's divine inspiration of the bible to just one of these categories is arbitrary and pointless. I realize the argument of "the bible isn't a science textbook" is a tempting carrot to take for those constantly faced with scientific criticisms of the bible from atheists, but it is the easy way out, and is not the road I believe one should take. I find if you critically examine the claims of atheists, you will find that the claims are based off misunderstandings of either the text or the science, or sometimes both!
6. What is your biblical prophecy view?
I am definitely Premillennial. Though biblical prophecy *does* use symbolism and metaphor, I think Amillennialists and Postmillennialists take it way too far, they stretch it to the point where the text could mean almost anything. As for which sub-sect of Premillennialism I hold to, I prefer not to bind myself to a particular system. But as is my view is a mix of Pre-wrath and Post-trib. Specifically:
- I do believe in an "Antichrist" figure, a man who acts as Satan's earthly representative in the end times.
-Although I do believe there will be a "gathering" of believers to meet Christ in the air at his second coming, I do not believe it is a separate "invisible" second coming prior to a physical second coming (third coming?) 7 years later. There is just one second coming.
- I do not believe the "gathering" (or "rapture" if you like) occurs prior to any prophetic events occurring (pretribulationism). Although Jesus does state (famously) that nobody knows the day or the hour, he also immediately prior to that gave a list of signs that will precede his second coming (none of which have occurred as of Jan. 2017).
- My reading puts the gathering and second coming after the sixth seal but prior to the trumpets and bowls in Revelation
- I do believe that there is a future 7-year period, the last of the prophet Daniel's 70 weeks, at the end of which Christ will return
- I disagree with the common view that the seals, trumpets, and bowls all take place within the 7-year period (70th week of Daniel)
- I believe the second coming occurs at the end of the 7-year period and the trumpets and bowls come afterwards
- I believe it is clear from the text that the "Great Tribulation" is a 3.5 year period (most likely the latter half of Daniel's 70th week) in which *Christians* are persecuted greatly. Not jews, and not "new" Christians saved after the rapture. There will be a great persecution of Christians *before* the return of Christ, this is clear to me.
- I believe that after the Battle of Armageddon, all the trumpets and bowls, believers will be resurrected and a 1000-year earthly reign of Christ will begin.
- I do not believe that the earthly reign is eternal, I believe it will end when Satan is let out (after being imprisoned at the second coming), followed by the destruction of the rebellion against God and the creation of the new heaven and earth.
- I do not believe *any* of the seals, trumpets, or bowls have been fulfilled in the past or in modern times. They are *all* still future, as well as the 7-year period
- I believe there are still conditions that need to be fulfilled before the prophetic events can be "kicked off" (like the building of the third temple in Israel)
-I believe the vast majority of bible prophecy (95+% of Revelation) is unfulfilled as of this writing.