I believe but IDK
We proclaim the mystery of faith
Christ has died
Christ is risen
Christ will come again.
In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken," and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996)
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
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Where did I read it, maybe in The New Yorker, a woman's life story about growing up in a religious sect that taught, among other things, that members would in due course be moving to the planet Venus to live.
Children had to have at least one parent in the sect. However, they did not live with a parent, but were raised together in a group home where they enjoyed being part of a large family of children, as brothers and sisters. Their parent or parents might live in a different commune of the sect in another state or across the country.
At some point the girl was required to leave because her mother left, or maybe died, I don't remember, and, again, no child was allowed in the sect unless one or both parents were. She could have returned as an adult if she wished, but years later she tried that and found that it no longer fit.
One thing that struck me about her story was when she found out that Venus is too hot for human habitation, and asked her mother or someone else why the sect taught something so impossible. She was told that it was no more ridiculous than the Christian belief in dying and going to heaven with fruit trees and streets of gold. Apparently, the idea of going to Venus gave them a goal to hope for, a faith holding. Which comes down to what Hebrews 11:1 says about Faith, that faith is what we cannot see but confidently hope for.
For faith to be at least somewhat tenable, the object of faith might conceivably be demonstrable, provable; but it certainly could not be disprovable and still tenable for a person with any sense at all. Modern science makes the sect's belief that they're going to live on Venus an absurdity, a tenet for fools only.
It doesn't keep me awake nights, but as a one Time sometime amateur astronomer, I have my own struggle with Paul's hope about the End of Days. It's okay to believe something that cannot be proven; but it's not okay for a rational being to cling to something that can be scientifically disproven. IDK.
Sometimes I'm sorry I don't still lead an adult Sunday school class where I could bring up things like this for discussion, nomesane? IDK.
RSF&PTL
T88&c