On Mon, 02 Oct 1995 19:40:31 -0500 (EST) you wrote:
>ABSTRACT: Both PC and TE allow for God's guidance of evolution in ways
>which are subtle not "absolutely deterministic." I respond to Stephen's
>arguments that the probabilities and coincidences in biological history
>favor PC over TE. Brief return to "creation is completed" discussion.
[continued]
>LH>Comment 3: Stephen, please correct me if I am wrong, but it is my
>impression that one of the major (theological) reasons for your choosing
>PC over TE is that you see a strong dichotomy between "natural" events and
>"divinely intervened" events. (I also suspect you share this view with
>other noteable PC's like Phillip Johnson.)
SJ>The real reason is that the Bible reveals the Lord as a God who
>intervenes in history and changes it, according to His eternal
>purpose.
BH>Agreed. The Bible also reveals the Lord as a God who clothes the
>grass of the fields and feeds the birds of the air.
Agreed. But if you indeed are "Agreed" that "the Bible reveals the
Lord as
a God who intervenes in history and changes it, according to His
eternal
purpose", then why do you in practice rule out a "God who
intervenes in" *biological* "history and changes it, according to His
eternal purpose"? If you claim you don't, then our discussion on this
topic is at an end, because we are agreed on all essential points.
Your
position is indistinguishable from PC and the only difference between
us
is one of relative emphasis.
>SJ> I do make a distinction between creation and providence, based on
>Gn 2:1-3 where creation is said to have been "completed" (Gn 2:1)
>and "finished" (Gn 2:2).
LH>Your argument seems to go like this: (1) Creation is "completed."
(2)
>Natural evolutionary mechanisms (mutation, natural selection, etc.) are
>still on-going. (3) If natural mechanisms were responsible for the
>formative history of the biological world, creation could not be
>considered "finished."
No. I do agree that "Natural" *macro-* "evolutionary mechanisms...are
still on-going." In fact, it has not even been shown that they have
ever
existed! I have no problem with "Natural" micro- "evolutionary
mechanisms (mutation, natural selection, etc.)" being "still
on-going."
LH>But note: The natural mechanisms believed to be responsible for
the
>formation of the earth's atmosphere and ocean (release of trapped gasses
>via heating due to meteor bombardment and geothermal activity) are still
>happening today, too!
No doubt there are some processes that are common to Creation and
Providence. Birds flew on the fifth day (Gn 1:20) and they are
still flying today! But birds are not being created today.
LH>That is why I have argued that "completed" probably refers to the
>conception/planning phase and the acquisition-of-materials phase of
>creation than to the mechanisms-used-in-formation phase.
That does not do justice to Genesis 1, which is all about the original
*creation* of all things. IMHO you are imposing your evolutionary
philosophy on the Bible.
LH>Thanks for the ongoing discussion,
Thank you, but I think we are in danger of boring everyone else
to tears! Perhaps we had better wrap this thread up? :-)
God bless.
Stephen
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