(Fwd) Re: Science and the new Presbyterian Catechism

Lawrence Johnston (johnston@uidaho.edu)
Thu, 14 Jan 1999 06:23:47 -0800

Ron you wrote:
>The following is today's section of the new catechism for the
>Presbyterian Church (USA): Is it naive?
>
>The Study Catechism
>
>Tuesday, 12 January 1999
>
>
>Question 27. Does your confession of God as Creator contradict the
>findings of modern science?
>
>No. My confession of God as Creator answers three questions: Who?,
>How? and Why? It affirms that (a) the triune God, who is
>self-sufficient, (b) called the world into being out of nothing by the
>creative power of God's Word (c) for the sake of sharing love and
>freedom. Natural science has much to teach us about the particular
>mechanisms and processes of nature, but it is not in a position to answer
>these questions about ultimate reality, which point to mysteries that
>science as such is not equipped to explore. Nothing basic to the
>Christian faith contradicts the findings of modern science, nor does
>anything essential to modern science contradict the Christian faith.
>
[snip]

To me the virginal conception of Jesus may be explainable by
modern
biology but Christ's and Lazarus' resurrections and many of Christ's
other
miracles might stretch the "Nothing basic to the Christian faith
contradicts the findings of modern science, nor does anything
essential to modern science contradict the Christian faith" past
what I could agree with. I think one would have to play games with
either the basics of Christianity or science (or both).

John (McKiness)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear john and other ASA'ers:
Following up John's thread here, it
seems to me that item #27 quoted above could only be sustained if
you adopted the philosophy/theology that Science and Christianity
are two non-interacting majesteria, Science having authority in
matters of the real physical/biological world of empirical facts, and
Christianity dealing with matters of the Spirit, and Soul.
The Bible seems to imply that God allows Himself to show
people His power, as John McKiness says, in both arenas by
miracles (contrary to physical laws). Jesus said it in a nutshell in
Mark 2:9 - "Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are
forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? ( N I V )
Yes, Ron I think it is either naive or carefully crafted so as
not to give offence to us hard-headed Sciency types.
With warmest regards,
Larry
=============================================
Lawrence H. Johnston 917 E. 8th st.
professor of physics, emeritus Moscow, Id 83843
University of Idaho (208) 882-2765
http://www.uidaho.edu/~johnston/ ==================