Re: Questions from a Lurker

Glenn Morton (GRMorton@gnn.com)
Mon, 08 Apr 1996 04:11:26

>Date: Mon, 8 Apr 1996 19:26:10 +-1200
>From: David and Glennis Cashmore
<cashmore@actrix.gen.nz>
>Sender: owner-asa@udomo.calvin.edu
>To: "'ASA List'" <asa@calvin.edu>
>Subject: Questions from a Lurker
>
>Dear All,
>As someone who has lurked on the list for a while I
> would like to make some observations and ask some
> questions. I grew up in a pagan background and came to
> Christ believing that you did not need to hold a
> historical view of the beginning of Genesis. Over the
> years I came to a "working YEC" view but was always
> uncomfortable with the position. I am an electrical
> engineer by trade and so had physics background, but no
> geology or biology, but I have always thought that
> their science was somehow superficial. I am now driftin
>g into an "Old Earth" view but have some questions.
>
>1. Is the YEC science really that bad?
>I have heard some rather sweeping statements made about
> ICR. Are they really that careless with the facts?
> Our church is almost totally YEC and every year at
> least has one or two lectures from local YEC "experts".
>
I used to hire a lot of geophysicists. I hired several
from the ICR Christian HEritage. About a year ago I called
all those guys and asked if they could name one single fact
which differed from standard geology which ICR had taught
them and which they still believed after 15 years in the
oil business. They could not name a single fact. One guy
got real silent for a minute, sighed and said "No" Another
guy said "wait a minute, there has to be one" But he
couldn't think of one.

>2. What do you "Old Earthers" teach your children as to
> the meaning of Genesis?
>I am concerned that the creation story does not become
> like the tooth fairy or Santa Claus - when the kids are
> no longer able to believe the lie, we tell them the
> truth!
>
I fully agree!
>3. What is Christian Evolution?

>I have read that various Christians think that the bible
> allows for evolution. My simplistic understanding of
> evolution is that natural mutations combined with
> natural selection lead to new species better adapted to
> their environment emerging from old species. A friend
> of mine has a first class honours degree in zoology and
> was fond of making the statement that evolution cannot
> be science because it is not observable and not
> reproducible (he answered this in a final year exam and
> they still gave him a first class honours degree at a
> secular university). Do Christian evolutionists accept
> both the mechanism and the new creation of species, or
> just the creation of new species from old species "by
> the hand of God"? I would be interested to hear
> positions on this.
>
>4. What books should I read?
>I see Glenn Morton passively advertising his book on his
> signature (and have looked at your home page, Glenn).
> What else is worth reading from a biblical, old earth
> view?

Davis Young's Christianity and the Age of the Earth, Hugh
Ross's stuff Finger Print of God (as long as it is limited
to his astronomy and not his anthropology.), Creation and
Time, there is another one I haven't read.

But no one tackles the flood in a coherent way except me.
And most people don't like my view.

glenn
Foundation,Fall and Flood
http://members.gnn.com/GRMorton/dmd.htm