John,
You wrote (10 Mar): "As you know, we have a couple (of) YECs who lurk here
and sometimes post. They have a rough time of it because so many of us are
quick to jump on their arguments. When you get six rebuttals to a single
post, it does not take too long to determine that answering them is not a
good use of time."
It is possible that I am one of those you had in mind. However, the point I
wish to make at this time has wider implications than the mere defence of
YEC.
Christians on the ASA list will know that the Scriptures paint a sorry
picture of post-Edenic man: he is portrayed as an enemy of God and of His
Christ (eg Ps.2); a creature of evil imagination from his youth (Gn.8:21);
and deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jer.17:9). A
devastating indictment indeed! - and one that goes a long way toward
explaining many of the world's ills, and the progressive undermining of God's
Word by generations of higher critics and a largely unbelieving and powerful
intellectual establishment.
Clearly, if the biblical strictures are to be believed (and why not? - since
they provide the raison d'etre for Incarnation, Cross and Resurrection!) then
they represent a fundamental barrier to our understanding of the Creator and
a proper assessment of His work in creation.
Those on this list who question the sanity of the YEC position should let us
know where they stand in respect of this foundational matter. Do they accept
God's assessment of man's essential nature, or not? If not, then why not?
And, if so, do they therefore proceed to accept that views so confidently
expressed, and conclusions so stridently declared, in respect of earth and
life history may be merely the fruits of potentially-flawed cognitive
processes? - perhaps living examples of the 'evil imaginations' we read about
in Gen.8:21!
I suggest it behooves us all to accept gracefully, and with humility, that we
can be hopelessly wrong in our understanding of what is, and what is not
true. That is why God has deemed it necessary to provide us with a body of
'revealed truth' . If we are wise, we will grasp this as does a drowning man
the lifebelt thrown him!
Sincerely, and with regards,
Vernon
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Mar 12 2002 - 18:13:40 EST