First, Darwin was a naturalist, not a scientist. His theories are based on things he *observed,* not taking genetics or selective breeding into account. The gene pool is wide and varied, with only a handful coming together to make you who you are. That doesn't make the other genes not exist. Dark haired/dark eyed man with dark haired/eyed parents and grandparents marries a dark haired/dark eyed woman with dark haired/dark eyed parents and grandparents pop out a kid with red hair and blue eyes. Was she cheating? Or did great-grandma Tilly have red hair and blue eyes? Picture and DNA test prove that it's great-grandma Tilly's genes coming forward. Not evolution.
The AKC recognizes about 190 breeds of dogs, while the French equivalent recognizes about 340. The Doberman Pincer is a breed that was created by man through selective breeding, men taking the traits of well-known dogs and breeding them until they got what they wanted. Take a look at a picture of the skull of the English Bulldog from 1889 and then again from 1939, and what you will see is that the skull has dramatically changed, in 50 years going from a dog that could function to a dog that could hardly breathe and has to be misted in 80-degree weather or he'll keel over and die. Evolution? Or inbreeding?
Your teacher is just wrong on the Bible. What, does she believe that ancient Israel somehow had a handle on food-borne illnesses, understood about germs and food prep and bathing? Or could it be that the God of Israel knew and just told us all how to avoid it? Had a guy say to me once, Why didn't God just tell people to boil water before drinking it so people didn't get sick and die from dirty water? He did. It's called the Kashrut laws. Anyone who followed those rules and regs did not suffer from food-borne pathogens.
And how about the Hittites? Archeologists, scoffing at such a civilization and the fake stories in the Bible decided to put it to the test, said, If there was such a civilization, there would be evidence of it RIGHT HERE, and began to dig, and lo and behold, there they are.
We now have archeological evidece of King David, King Josiah, the prophet Daniel, and a whole host of others who are only written about in the Bible, and not just found in Israel. Last I heard, *they* found Joseph's signet ring in Egypt. And there are stylises in Greece that depict the flight from Egypt, the Pharoah chasing them down, and the parting of the Red Sea. Fake? Maybe. But archeologists don't call it fake. They call it the Reed Sea, not a parting of the Red Sea, some question in Hebrew about the word Suf. Regardless, it is confirmation, say the archeologists, of an Exodus.
The DNA of humans being similar to that of apes is no big deal. Your DNA is 80% similar to that of a mouse as well. Mice also have eyes, ears, a nose, lungs, intestines, heart, etc. Mice also care for their young. So do lions, and cheetahs, and bears, and dolphins. I had a dog years ago who, never having been pregnant, began producing milk within four hours of finding a day-old kitten. We've all seen things like this. It's not that big a deal in the scheme of things. It is hardly unique to apes and humans.
Your DNA is 99.9% identical to that of every other human on the planet. 99.9% identical. It's the point 1 percent that makes you unique. Forget fingerprints. Your shoe can be matched to your foot to the exclusion of every other foot on the planet.
Interesting thing: In Hebrew, "God" is spelled Alef-Lamed. Both of those letters have a meaning: Alef means "One, Unique, God." You are created in God's image. You are unique.
Lamed is the heart, the center of the alephbet. It is shaped like a shepherd's staff, which signifies authority. It means to goad or bring along. It rules like a scepter over all the other letters, and signifies Ha'Melech Ha'melechim, the King of Kings. Some would say "coincidence." Others would say, Too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence.
This biz about women not being able to teach comes from a singular verse in the Bible that addresses a very specific problem with a very specific set of people. It was only regarding a certain group of women, and they were hardly the only ones who were called out for their deeds.
Paul was in Ephesus writing a letter to the people in Corinth. Ephesus is in modern day Turkey, and Corinth is in Greece. There's a sea between them. Paul had been receiving complaints about the sin issues in this church and addressed them all, including that the ladies of the church were teaching falsehoods, hooping and hollering and making fools of themselves and leading people astray. It was to these specific women he told to sit down and shut up, and rightly so. Today we call them drama queens. They gave away their credibility with foolishness, and we pay them no mind.
You quote that about women not teaching as if you don't know that Paul gave leadership of the church to Priscilla, NOT Priscilla's husband. Paul saw that Priscilla was far more capable than her man to carry out what needed to be done. You have to take things in context.
Whoever told you you were going to hell for your piercings is an idiot. She probably had very strict parents who taught her that tattoes will also send you to hell. No. The Bible says not to mark your body -- FOR THE DEAD. Not because an RIP and tat of your best friend is evil, but because at that time it was a practice of idol worshippers.
Same with shaving one's head. It's not because the act of shaving in and of itself was a sin. It was that God had separated for Himself a people to be different than those who worshipped false gods.
You have to give people room to be who they are. Everyone has a different upbringing, and everyone evaluates and judges things against their own personal experiences. Her comment reflects very strict, legalistic parents, not understanding grace, mercy, forgiveness, or freedom in Christ.
You say you don't want anyone to tell you you're going to hell, blah -- something I personally would NEVER do -- nor should anyone else. But you yourself are very quick to condemn her for her beliefs that you disagree with. Hardly seems fair.
Your teacher who said the Bible has never proved anything is either very unlearned or very lying about her Christianity. (Assuming that she is one of the "almost all" of your teachers.)
Jaclyn, thou has been a rather pleasant diversion this morning. But now I have to go to work, mores the pity that they don't just pay me for being witty.