Re: A Christian's Responsibility (was: Miller's Request for N&V

Moorad Alexanian (alexanian@uncwil.edu)
Wed, 22 Sep 1999 10:46:29 -0400

I have not kept up too much with this discussion. But I have this comment. I
have physics books that have many more pages and words than the Bible. I
think the Bible contains a lot of info in such a fashion that as we learn
more, we realize that what we find was already there.

Moorad

-----Original Message-----
From: John_R_Zimmer@rush.edu <John_R_Zimmer@rush.edu>
To: asa@calvin.edu <asa@calvin.edu>
Date: Wednesday, September 22, 1999 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: A Christian's Responsibility (was: Miller's Request for N&V
Articles)

>Paul S. wrote
>
>>When also God has appointed man to "subdue the earth" it a frustration of
the
>>divine intention to refuse to use our knowledge and capabilities of
>>investigation. Further, we are called to accept by faith that which has
been
>>>divinely revealed, not the historical or scientific information as such,
>>which in Scripture is always represented as contingent upon human sources.
>>It is some form of extra-biblical philosophical idealism which has led
>>Christians to expect Scripture to be an inerrant guide to science and
>>history. The Bible makes no such claim.
>
>I believe you are correct.
>
>My problem with this analysis is that it does not include the reader.
>If the Biblical authors relied on the natural knowledge of the day to
convey
>immutable truths, then is the reader to interpret those truths in
>light of the natural knowledge of their day or of our day? If it is their
>day, then we attenuate our interpretation of the text so as to ignore
>our current experience of nature (which I believe has differentiated into
>science and common sense). If it is our day, then we have the extra
>biblical philosophical idealism problem.
>
>I think that any solution of the [ancient presenter: modern reader]
>dilemma will be difficult to articulate in light of the immutable truth
>that the contemplation of nature can lead us to God.
>
>We cannot expect the Bible to be a guide to science and history. However,
>we should expect it to be a guide to our appreciation of science
>and history. Furthermore, that appreciation should bring us farther
>than any other approach, just like Aquinas brought Aristotle's ideas
>farther than any other approach or like Michaelangelo brought Greek
>ideas of beauty farther than anyone else.
>
>My sense is that the Bible is a portal to the space where we can find
>God through the contemplation of nature. But how do you get through
>the door?
>
>Ray
>
>