Dear George,
Perhaps I read more into the poem that is warranted. But the real question is
what is the minimum you need to know to determine the whole of the physical
world. To say it differently, if a theory of everything (TEO) explains the
flower, can we work backward from the flower and determine the TEO. Regarding
what God is, I believe that the existence of nature already tells man that
there is a Creator and that that Creator is indeed God. Now there is a
conscious being who is observing the flower and I believe that conscious being
can know its sin nature and thus may understand Christ very readily. Of
course, the latter, you are right, is a historical event or else revealed
truth.
Take care,
Moorad
>===== Original Message From george murphy <gmurphy@raex.com> =====
> To say that we could know "what God is" if we knew the flower in the
>crannied wall thoroughly enough is the worst type of natural theology. It is
an
>assertion that a natural knowledge of God can take the place of revelation.
The
>flower - or anything else in creation - can tell us something about the true
God
>only if it is viewed in the light of the cross and resurrection of Christ.
>
>
>Theologia naturalis delenda est!
>
>George
>
>George L. Murphy
>http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
>"The Science-Theology Interface"
>
>"Moorad Alexanian" wrote:
>
>> What is the minimum you have to know to concluded that God is? It is clear
>> that as a human being one already knows who man is and through that may
know
>> who Christ is? Physicists would say that a theory of everything would
explain
>> the whole of the physical world. Wouldn't that imply than knowing part of
the
>> physical world would imply knowledge of the whole? Moorad
>>
>> >===== Original Message From Michael Roberts
<topper@robertschirk.u-net.com>
>> =====
>> >Yes and Tennyson would have used this to reject an orthodox Christian view
.
>> >
>> >Sorry to disappoint you
>> >
>> >Michael
>> >----- Original Message -----
>> >From: <alexanian@uncwil.edu>
>> >To: "asa" <asa@calvin.edu>
>> >Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 5:46 PM
>> >Subject: "Flower in the Crannied Wall"
>> >
>> >
>> >> My wife has a USA post office poster with a quote from the poem
"Crannied
>> >> Wall" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. This poem summarizes how I believe the
>> >whole
>> >> of reality hangs together. Moorad
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> "Flower in the Crannied Wall"
>> >>
>> >> Flower in the crannied wall,
>> >> I pluck you out of the crannies,
>> >> I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
>> >> Little flower -- but if I could understand
>> >> What you are, root and all, and all in all,
>> >> I should know what God and man is.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Jan 02 2002 - 12:54:53 EST