>From: Moorad Alexanian <alexanian@uncwil.edu>
> I have a simple question regarding your last paragraph:
>
>>My hypothesis is that the creaturely system to which God has given being
>> (which includes atoms, molecules, cells, organisms and every physical,
>> chemical and biological thing they are capable of doing) has the
>> capabilities to actualize -- without divine intervention -- every type of
>> life form that has ever appeared on the face of the earth. Of course,
> atoms,
>> molecules and cells are themselves systems actualized from even simpler
>> components.
>
> Is the creation apart from God in the sense that if God ceased to be, then
> the creation would still go on as you suppose?
No, I have never suggested such a thin
> If not, isn't that divine intervention?
No, that divine action has long been referred to as God's action of
"sustaining" the Creation in being. By "divine intervention" I have
consistently meant a supernatural divine act that irruptively breaks the
continuity of creaturely cause/effect relationships and coerces creatures
(any member of the Creation, animate or inanimate) to do something beyond or
contrary to their God-given capabilities.
As the terms are ordinarily used in theological discourse, "intervention"
and "sustaining" are very different types of divine action.
Howard Van Till
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