Re: Comment to Don

Murphy (gmurphy@imperium.net)
Tue, 03 Jun 1997 08:39:01 -0400

John W. Burgeson wrote:
>
> George commented, in part: "1 possible reason: They often teach their
> children, their
> students, &/or their parishoners that they have to choose between
> "evolution or creation" - & some of their children &c, finding that
> science supports evolution & not YEC, take them at their word and stop
> believing in creation, & also in God. "
>
> As I said before, thinking that ev and God are mutually exclusive is hardly
> a serious error, UNLESS the person holding it decides to go "into science."
> In which instance, I hold that most rational persons, who must have a
> reasonably high intelligence level to even consider going into science in
> the first place, will figure things out in time.
>
> I hold, also, that the # of persons actually rejecting "the faith" over
> this issue is very small. And the "faith" they reject may well be a false
> one anyway, a sort of "believe in Jesus cause he's magic."
>
> Note that I am NOT holding that we all ought to forget about all this stuff
> and quit opposing the philosophical naturalists in our society. But the
> evidence that they have any serious effect is pretty sparse.

I think this minimizes the real problem.
1. From my observations both as a college teacher & parish
pastor, there are young people who don't "go into science" but who are
"scandalized" by evolution or cosmology in HS or college. Not all lose
their faith, but some do.
2. Sure, a person with really mature Xn faith should be able to
grow in understanding & not stop trusting in Christ because of learning
the real age of the earth. But we're talking about young people whose
faith is immature, who haven't been taught that Xn faith can be
compatible with different theologies (i.e., different ways of
understanding faith), & thus may be fairly vulnerable in this area. &
some, going off to college, may be leaving home for the first time &
subconsciously looking for an excuse to leave the church. They may find
other excuses anyway, but why help them? (& help, moreover, with an
excuse which, in its superficially intellectual character, may last them
through life!)
3. This is not the most important problem the church has to
confront, but it needs to be addressed. All I ask here is that the
church teach the doctrine of creation - which is important -
intelligently.

George L. Murphy
gmurphy@imperium.net
http://www.imperium.net/~gmurphy