A breakthrough in ICR/YEC relationships?

John W. Burgeson (johnburgeson@juno.com)
Mon, 3 Nov 1997 09:36:22 -0700

I've been in mail and face-to-face discussions with my friends at ICR for
over 20 years now -- and I do count some of them, particularly Dr. Gish,
as "friend." On the last occasion when Morris, Ham, Gish and I lunched
together (on my tab) back in 1988, the discussion turned to whether (or
not) people who did not hold to the YEC position were, properly,
"Christians." In many of the ICR writings over the years, this issue
seemed to have come down as -- such people "might" be Christians, but
probably were not Christians if they were trained in the sciences AND in
the scriptures -- is such cases they were, at best, apostate; at worst,
rank unbelievers with a Christian mask.

At the luncheon meeting I was pleased to find out that, in private
conversation, Henry Morris, who took the lead in this discussion, did not
take such an unyielding position. Yet, in the years since, I've seen very
little evidence of a change as far as the ICR publications are concerned.

This may be change\ing. In the November 1997 ACTS AND FACTS, the new ICR
head, John D. Morris, writes these words:

"I call on my Christian "semi-creationism" brothers, those who hold to
the Big Bang, or the Old Earth or theistic evolution, to join the ranks
of those who are trying to solve the remaining conflicts from a
God-honoring, Bible-upholding perspective. For in the end, Scripture will
stand. Rightly observed and interpreted there can be no conflict between
science and Scripture."

I am very pleased with these words, and I will be writing John Morris to
that effect. From the perspective of most of us on this LISTSERV, we
have been in those "ranks" for many years! Our differences are in
scriptural and scientific data interpretations, of course, but I think we
all will hold to the goal of trying to "solve the remaining conflicts
from a God-honoring, Bible-upholding perspective." Will we ever
completely solve them? I think not; the game in in the pursuit.

Burgy@Compuserve.com