Re: PJ

Jan de Koning (dekoning@idirect.com)
Mon, 31 Mar 1997 12:12:11 -0500

Bill Frix appears to have misunderstood my posting. I said more than that
PJ being a lawyer is colouring my views. As I understand biologists and
geologists, there are gaps in their explaining historical sequences. A
lawyer will notice that. Geologists and biologists acknowledge that
without accepting a six day creation a few thousand years ago. I am not a
specialist in biology, or geology. I have friends who are, but I do not
accept their arguments just like that either. The physical and chemical
arguments for an old earth I find convincing, though I do not find
arguments convincing, which try to press the old age history into Genesis
1. Still, I believe that God created, even when He used evolution. I
strongly believe, that nothing happens outside the will of God. Even "bad"
things are controlled by God, as Old Testament stories regularly tell.

That leaves me with the difficulty to place myself into a category. I
find indeed "literalist" than "creationist" a better description for those
who want to read Gen.1 litterally. But they are generally incorrectly just
called creationists. As a matter of fact, the only objection I have
against many so-called creationists is the way they use the bible. I have
posted about that before without getting replies. Using the bible as a
scientific textbook is misusing the bible. The bible is written in another
culture, using another language, and now read in a largely unchristian
culture. Many Christians do not bother trying to find the background of
our culture and the thought patterns enforced by studying at secular
universities.

Genesis 1 is written in a culture much influenced by the surrounding
peoples. In Egypt and Babylonia the Sun, Moon and Stars were gods. Cows
were gods etc. The Lord made clear in a beautiful way, that that is not
true, but that everything around us is created by Him. Even now, now man
and Satan try to destroy much, God is still in charge. Nothing happens
outside His will.

Jan de Koning
Willowdale, Ont.