Not in the sense that I've been going around telling lies or anything like that – I'm talking about being really honest with people. Not telling them things they want to hear, not beating around the bush when something needs to be said, not using euphemisms and double-talk to avoid difficult subjects. Just straight up honest.
Some people call this kind of honesty 'brutal honesty'. Maybe it is. But I've come to the conclusion that I'm not respecting people enough when I won't just tell it like it is.
That includes you, dear reader.
So, heart in my throat, palms sweaty, tummy a little sick, I've decided to stop beating around the bush and just say what needs to be said – from a hardcore, dyed-in-the-wool, theologically aware Christian to any other Christian out there who's looking for answers.
Evolution.
It's a thing.
Not a debate.
I once heard a Christian geneticist say this: "As far as I can tell, there are two types of people in the world. Those who are blown away by the power, the beauty, the simplicity of Evolution as God created it; and those who don't yet understand it."
Now, I'm not sure I'd go that far, but dude's got a point. It's time to get real.
Over the next four articles, I'm gonna be going in to this. I'm gonna explain it. Delve in to it. Marvel at how God has made it work. And here I know that most of the articles on this page are intrinsically theological, and it might be easy to think a science lesson is not, but make no mistake: this is an issue that the Church needs to be better informed about.
So if you're a Christian person with whom the concept of 10,000 year creationism just never quite sat right, you're in the right place. I'm the same. I used to argue that it was the only plausible answer because I was afraid that if I backed down from that position I would be somehow betraying my faith. I realise now that this is nonsense: I believe God wants me (and you) to understand how His universe works and to be blown away by the systems he's invented. That includes the system he came up with to propagate the Earth with life – a system that is still working, still moving, still covering the Earth with new life every day. This isn't something to be scared of – it doesn't take God out of the picture. In fact when you begin to understand what Evolution is (and what it isn't) you can find yourself marvelling at just how incredible a designer God really is!
I'm one of those Christians. Young Earth Creationism never seemed to fit for me. It didn't fit with the natural processes that we can observe all around us, and it didn't fit with scripture – at least not scripture taken in context.
There's a reason it didn't fit, guys and gals. It's because it didn't happen.
Now, I know as a columnist I'm supposed to preface statements like that with "in my humble opinion", but I'm not going to. If you're still with me, if you haven't yet clicked away in disgust or chucked your monitor across the room in anger, I invite you to come with me over the next four months and discover exactly why this isn't an opinion, it's fact.
I guarantee that if you do, you'll discover more about the INCREDIBLE nature of God's creation than you ever thought possible.
(PSI editor – as Daniel has stated, his subject is contentious. We offer the reader a presentation on the options as to the "Days" of Genesis 1 - by David Pawson. www.youtube.com )
Daniel Buckingham is a second-year Cadet at The Salvation Army's Booth College of Mission in New Zealand. Eventually they'll make him an Officer (minister). He's terrible at meeting deadlines. He's not very tall, but he can cook a fierce jumbalaya.
Daniel Buckingham's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/daniel-buckingham.html