Monday, May 29, 2006

Fundamental Beliefs And Church Mission...

It is the belief of this church that all life is sacred, having been created by God. No life can exist without the divine spark of the creator being a part of it.

Having said that, the Church does not take a position in the battle between those who believe in creationism, and those who believe in the path of evolution. The Bible states clearly that time as experienced by God is not the same as time experienced by mankind. Even were evolution to be true, it would simply be the method God chose to employ in His creation. Therefore the church sees such struggle as pointless, a waste of time, energy, effort, resources, and relationional conditions between human beings.

In the Bible, book of Genesis 1:1-26, God clearly laid down the duty of mankind. It is our sacred duty to care for the Earth. THE MOST SACRED GIFT OF THE CREATOR IS THE EARTH'S ABILITY TO SUPPORT LIFE. It is the first duty of mankind to cherish and support the Earth's ability to harbor life, which is derived directly from God's word. This was spoken in the Bible before the imperative to worship and have faith in God. That does NOT mean that our first duty supplants those directives from the Divine, far from it. It is incumbent upon mankind to perform these duties in the light cast by these directives.

It is important when reading the Bible to read several translations, at least five and preferrably seven, to get an understanding of how its translation to the English language has affected the meaning conveyed. This is particularly true of these passages. The words used in original Hebrew had two meanings. One translation implies that mankind should rule over the Earth and her creatures. Another translation implies mankind should care for the Earth and her creatures. This is because the original Hebrew word implied both concepts at the same time - that rulership should be synonomous with stewardship.

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