When a reasonable human being encounters a phrase like “I want to believe X,” he won’t assume that the person making the statement holds position X. He will think that this person “wants to believe X,” but for whatever reasons does not. I am on record as saying that I want to believe in Young Earth Creationism. In fact, first I state emphatically that I do believe in YEC, but then I begin to notice that the reasons for which I reject the Christ-myth are present to a much greater degree in YEC. In fact, one Christian site lists YEC as a cult with dangerous and destructive beliefs.

Here are my exact words regarding this issue:

We all know that I’m a Young Earth Creationist, that I don’t believe in evolution, and that I work at Burger King. So what? I’m still looking at this argument with the eyes of a person who could be dead wrong, since more scientific evidence supports an Old Earth and universe. I want to believe in a Young Earth since that fits more closely to what the Bible says, . . . Maybe, instead of my previous post on changing over to Young Earth creationist, I should have stated that I want to believe it, but the jury is still out. (quoted by DA, emphasis mine)

I admit that I’m a YEC, but then I go on to say that I want to be a YEC because it fits more closely to the Bible. Then I change my opinion wholesale by the end of the paragraph: “I should have stated that I want to believe it, but the jury is still out.” I’m not a convinced YEC anymore, thank you Mike the Geocreationist.

The original title of the post that DA is quoting is “A Few Unfocused Thoughts.” Maybe next time, DA will grab some of my more “focused” thoughts when he wants to explain my position.

Alas, even when he grabs my focused thoughts, he still (as Severus Snape in The Prisoner of Azkaban) put his keen and penetrating mind to the task, but came (as usual) to the wrong conclusion. Dave quotes a bunch of sound bytes from my various writings in an attempt to prove that I’m anti-Catholic. Again, I’m not anti-Catholic in the sense that I despise or somehow denigrate fine Catholic brothers and sisters who serve Christ as faithfully (or hopefully more faithfully) than I do. The sound bytes serve to highlight exactly the point I have made time and again: I’m against the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

The fact that DA fails to see the distinction between a Catholic person and Catholic doctrine is exactly why TurretinFan put the debate on hold. DA cannot talk about the differences between faiths without doctrine coming up, yet he seems to want to do this.

The central issue is, and always has been, the gospel.

But I think that DA’s final quote from me sums up my no answer the best.

[W]ith a daughter due in two months, a full-time job, a blogging ministry, and three different forums I try to frequent, I know well the constrains [sic] of time. I have responded to you [Steve Ray], I have responded to Jimmy Akin, I have responded to J.P. Holding. . . . at least one of you “famous” apologists have taken the time to read my little old blog, and did leave a comment. And that guy, a nemesis of yours to be sure, has just as little time on his hands as you do! The point is that if it is important to you, you will make the time. . . . If you make a claim, you should expect to be called to back it up at some point. . . . if you are unwilling to listen to what an honest person is trying to say to you, wouldn’t that make you the troll? [quoted by DA, emphasis mine]

I do follow this advice.  I do make time for what is really important to me!