The only person that says matter evolves into life is you and your creationist buddies.
No. Atheists believe matter evolves into life. This is abiogenesis.
A Young Earth Creationist believes life was miraculously formed in a short period.
An ID proponent is a person who believes the fossil record and in an old earth. They also believe there is insufficient evidence to believe natural selection could have produced what we see. They also believe design can be detected in life. (This is where I stand)
A theistic evolutionist is a theist who believes in a completely materialistic process for the formation of life, but believes in God's existence.
So where's that leave a Deist especially a Pagan Deist?
I believe science when science says the earth is old.
I believe in a intelligent life force, you know may the Force be with you. I believe this intelligent life force created/designed the ingredients/laws necessary for the universe to come into existence as well as life.
Once you believe in an intelligent creator you have to ask yourself what is the evidence for the character and personality of that intelligence. I believe the best evidence for His true character is found in the Bible of Christianity. The special revelation of Christ being central to the revelation of His character.
If you truly, truly believe in a supernatural world (I do). Then getting the answers right is of eternal importance. You have to look at all the evidences.
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I believe in evolution, natural selection.
From a scientific standpoint this sounds like a theistic evolutionist position.
No offense intended but I'm a Deist. The Bible is a great book of mythology and nothing more. The revealed word of God, so to speak to a Deist, is in nature and science.
I'll concede an emotional Pagan bent to my Deism much the same way that many Deists concede a Christian bent.
I would probably call it a deistic evolutionist position but whatever.
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