Let me do my honest best, Jan
Jan de Koning wrote:
>
> At 05:53 PM 11/03/02 -0500, Walter Hicks wrote:
SNIP
> >I would have to say that over 90% of the Christians I know fall into one
> >of these two categories.
>
> This is a statement for which no proof is given.
How can I give you a "proof" when I talk of people that I know. Shall I
send you airline fare so that you can talk to them yourself? Or are you
saying that you think that I am a liar when I speak of the congregation
which I attend and the scientists with whom I interact?
I think it depends much
> on where you grew up, where you went to school etc. Even when I say that
> God revealed Genesis 1 (and there is much more than just Gen.1
> involved, Make it for the time being Gen.1-11. Where do you get the idea
> that it is the norm?
I can only say that it is the norm for the local area in which I live
now insofar as science is concerned. Insofar as "theology' is concerned,
it is typical of my present church and also of when we lived in El paso
texas.
Perhaps the problem is one where we all live and the limited database we
all have.
> I believe that all of Genesis is inspired by God, but I do believe as well,
> that it was first written for a people who did not know science. I do
> think that it is more a poetry like description of God's great works. But
> here again, I have to say, that talking about this requires a deep study,
> and not just some remarks. I was a member of the committee that studied
> these questions for the Christian Reformed Church about 14 years ago. It
> took us three years.
> Remarks like you make: "Many say ..." don't get us anywhere. The same with
> "there are those....".
> I am opposing what is said by you, but cannot be specific, when you are
> just talking in generalities. In general I can say you are wrong with your
> statements, but that does not help you or me. That is why I have given up
> more than once on this forum to talk about these things.
>
> >2.) I believe that those who wrote Genesis firmly believed that they
> >were writing history as it really happened. They may have been wrong,
> >but I see no indication that they took it as anything other than
> >history. The people who write to the contrary are indeed engaged in
> >theology. The original texts are not theology -- the writings about them
> >are.
>
> I don't think that the writer who wrote down Genesis in the first place was
> thinking about "history" as modern N.Americans do. Firstly, because they
> did nor write history, but wanted to glorify God for His works. Secondly,
> in the same way as many "glorifying" psalms, poems, books, etc. are
> written: the writer wanted to point out God's greatness. He did not adhere
> to any N.American theory of "truth", but knew that he had to glorify
> God. That means, that when we exegete God's Word of Truth, we have to
> realize, that the world is created by God, and that we have to glorify Him,
> even when man, Adam, became self-centred, even when man, Cain, became a
> murderer. When sin takes over God will destroy, the flood. Not taking
> care of creation properly causes the age of men to go drastically
> down. And now I tried to say in a few lines what we studied for years, and
> reported in many, many pages.
>
> However, generally speaking your, nor mine, general statements do not get
> us anywhere, since we have to say much, much more. As long as you speak in
> generalities, I can't even answer.
Jan, to me YOUR statements are the generalities and I think that I have
been as specific as I know how to be. Are you asking me to quote a
theologian or author? If so, I cannot comply. I can only say what I have
experienced, what people I know say to me, what I think science relates
to our experience, what I think is logical and how I sense that others
feel about our dialogs on this list serve. What more do you request?
Walt
>
> Jan de K.
-- =================================== Walt Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com> In any consistent theory, there must exist true but not provable statements. (Godel's Theorem)You can only find the truth with logic If you have already found the truth without it. (G.K. Chesterton) ===================================
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