On Wed, 7 Mar 2001, Allen Roy wrote:
> Evolutionary logic:
> (1) Presume that matter, energy, the world and universe exist eternally, (based on the philosophy of naturalism/materialism).
> (2) Presume the universe and earth are very old, (based on vast distances in the universe, radiometric dating and a corollary to Naturalism/materialism -- Actualism [i.e. Non-uniform Uniformitarianism]).
If assumptions (1) and (2) were essential to deducing evolution, it would
not be necessary to look elsewhere to refute it. Having a universe that is
merely very old denies that it is eternal.
> YEC logic:
> (1) Presume that God Created the world and universe, (based on the Bible).
> (2) Presume the universe and earth are very young, (based on the Bible).
> (3) Presume that God originated life on earth, (based on the Bible: Creation Week).
> (4) Presume that the Biosphere on earth is "young", (based on 3).
> (5) Presume that the fall of man precipitated the beginning of death among mankind and the animal world [possibly excluding insects], excluding plants, (based on the Bible)
> (6) Presume that the geologic record displays (for the most part) the catastrophic event called Noah's Flood, (based on the Bible and scientific observation).
> (7) Presume that the life forms existing on earth prior to the Flood are recorded in the geologic record, (based on 6 and scientific observation).
> (8) Conclude that genetic variation within created kinds is responsible for all life forms evident in the geologic record and living today, (based on 3, 6 and scientific observation)
>
> Allen Roy
> Member MENSA
Setting aside the points on which YEC's, PC's, and TE's agree, you should
have said `based on their interpretation of the Bible' rather than `based
on the Bible'. Many people don't believe that the Bible says these things
and that, in fact, it can be used to disprove many of them. Modern day
flood geology has a lineage going back to the writings of Ellen White, not
the Bible. Some of the YEC claims are an apologetic to back up other
claims rather than really being derived from the Bible. Your mentioning
insects and plants as exceptions to the no-death-before-the-Fall theory is
evidence that its Biblical support must not be very obvious.
Gordon Brown
Department of Mathematics
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0395
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