From: Glenn Morton (glenn.morton@btinternet.com)
Date: Thu Jan 30 2003 - 14:19:24 EST
Jon wrote:
>One biography of Miller I read said that an autospy showed that he suffered
from brain lesions the result of tertiary syphylis or a tumour. It was this
that
>almost certainly led to his depression, nightmares and sucide. There is
no evidence what so ever that his work on the science faith intrerface led
to his sucide.
One thing I do really well is stir historians up. :-)
I am aware that the doctors said he was suffering a tumor. This is a
disease, sadly, that I am somewhat personally familiar with. My brother died
of it and a friend died of it. The thing that makes me feel that that
probably isn't the case in Miller's situation is this experienc. There are
no reports of bizarre behavior (until the suicide), no epilepsy (my
brother's first sympton), no reports of fugue (my friends first sympton) and
no reports of severe headaches or infirmities over the months preceding
Miller's death. To me, that is odd if he had a tumor. Can it happen that
way, yes, but it is rare. Now, you have a guy who is highly looked up to by
his entire country who inexplicably blew his brains out. It is not at all
beyond experience to have doctors give grieving widows ideas that comfort
them. Why would a strong Christian suddenly do this? Tumor? yes,
depression? yes, and I would say finding himself in a fix about which, he
could tell no one without thereby choosing the course of action, which was
what the turmoil was about in the first place.
The reason at least, I think that what I say is a possiblity is because of
statements I have heard Gish make privately, and my own personal travels in
this apologetical realm. I have heard several 2nd and 3rd hand accounts of
Gish telling friends that he wished he had taken another path other than YEC
because now so many people depend upon him that if he gave it up, it would
disappoint many. I too have felt that tug Gish reportedly speaks of when I
have struggled with my changing views. Some, like me, decide to disapppoint
those people. I remember during one crisis as I was leaving YEC, that I
really didn't want to have to go tell my wife that I wasn't going to go to
church anymore! I didn't want to have to tell her that I didn't believe it
anymore. For a period of weeks I was in that situation. I was really
depressed, and I didn't tell a soul. If I had been Miller in those similar
circumstances in the middle of the dark season, I might have done something
rash. Remember, that Miller was looked to as a stalwart of the faith. Who
was he going to tell that he was having doubts (if he did have them).? If
he told people that he had any doubts, then he had automatically chosen the
path forward. Withholding them was the only way to preserve options. I
have been there and know this dilemma.
Admittedly I can't prove my point, which is why I said it is my view. It is
my view colored by my path through life. I know what it is like to have to
change views publically expressed, and it isn't easy and it is a dangerous
time. One loaths to tell others such things. One doesn't even want your
loved ones to know much less a bunch of historians 200 years later.
One other morbid item I have learned here is Europe is that the farther
north you go, the higher the male suicide rate, except for Scotland. They
don't let us have guns here. But when they did, I am told that the suicide
rate here was equivalent to those of similar latitudes. The dark takes its
toll. I would prefer this explanation to the tumor one.
I know what the standard view is of Miller's death, but I know that there
are no reports of symptoms consistent with tumors of the brain with Miller
and I know from reading what he said about his own theory that he was
gingerly acknowleging that he hadn't solved the problem of the flood which
many who read him believed.
Historians hack away. I will sit back and enjoy.
glenn
see http://www.glenn.morton.btinternet.co.uk/dmd.htm
for lots of creation/evolution information
anthropology/geology/paleontology/theology\
personal stories of struggle
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