Hello David,
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bivalve [mailto:bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com]
> Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 2:41 PM
> To: asa@calvin.edu
> Subject: RE: Human origins and doctrine (was Definition of "Species")
> >
> I think two separate questions are involved that need
> separated. On the one hand, there is the question of
> whether creation of our physical bodies using only the
> ordinary means of evolutionary processes poses any
> problem for our understanding of Adam, original sin, etc. I
> would affirm that the answer to this is no. I see no reason
> why whether God took a body made via the process of
> evolution or a body made directly from dirt or one made by
> reassembling dry bones would make any difference in His
> ability to give it a soul and tell it to mind the garden. This is
> perhaps not a "purely evolutionary framework", but
> biologically (not sociologically) it is probably
> indistinguishable. Likewise, the integral relationship
> between body and spirit would have to be created at some
> point, whatever the means of creating the body.
Thank you for framing the issue so clearly. I would agree that the processes
you described are probably scientifically indistinguishable, which BTW,
seems to support my contention that OEC is a viable alternative for
Christians who do not reject science.
> A separate question is whether purely physical processes
> can account for spirituality. As spirituality is not physical,
> the answer seems to be no. However, this does not rule
> out some sort of spiritual evolution according to
> metaphysical laws, in parallel with physical evolution, nor
> the possibility that a certain level of physical development
> automatically entails spirituality according to some
> metaphysical law. Neither of these have greater appeal for
> me than the idea that God simply endowed spiritual
> natures without the means of metaphysical law, but I do not
> know of data that would test between these options.
Again, I fully agree with you on the relative (lack of) appeal of such
speculations.
Blessings,
Adrian.
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