Re: Creation Ex Nihilo

From: Vernon Jenkins (vernon.jenkins@virgin.net)
Date: Sun Jan 14 2001 - 19:26:15 EST

  • Next message: Vernon Jenkins: "Re: Interesting Numbers"

    Hi Christopher,

    Thanks for writing. In response to my
     
    > > The Bible's last Book begins "This is a Revelation from Jesus Christ
    > > ...". Its contents, therefore, need to be taken very seriously by
    > > all who take to themselves the title 'Christian'. Let us observe a
    > > number of interesting things about this Book which make it rather
    > > special: ...

    you said

    > What on earth has all this to do with SN 1987A, or anything else like
    > that?

    Let me first say, you have given us little idea where you stand in
    respect of religious affiliation. I think it would help if you were to
    declare this. Now, regarding your question, I suggest that it is
    reasonable for all who earnestly pursue truth to critically examine data
    across the widest possible spectrum. As far as I am concerned, this
    includes biblical data which, I believe, has been placed at our disposal
    by the Creator himself. Since the deductions based upon the SN1987A
    observations have implications which are destructive to a high view of
    God's Word, I believe I was completely justified in writing as I did.
        
    Further, in response to my
     
    > > anyone, having read the narrative of Gen.6-8 and our Lord's
    > > corroboration of the matter (Mt.24:36-39), can reasonably conclude -
    > > and attempt to convince others - that this was a purely 'local'
    > > matter - selectively destroying some men and some species of animals
    > > - is surely breathtakingly arrogant.

    you write
     
    > Well in fact the Bible doesn't say the flood was global, it says it
    > was worldwide, which meant at best the KNOWN world to the author(s) or
    > the people Genesis was originally written for.

    I don't know the translation from which you draw this conclusion. The AV
    (Gen.6:7) reads "And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have
    created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping
    thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made
    them." I understand this to be a fair rendering of the Hebrew. As far as
    I am concerned, therefore, when God himself says "...from the face of
    the earth ..." - all men, apart from Noah and his family, having been
    deemed "corrupt", and worthy of death - that must mean, and require, a
    global flood.

    You conclude with the words

    > All YECs I've argued with on the light of SN 1987A, and other distant
    > objects, have so far proposed no alternative explanations as to how
    > you can see such objects in a 6000 year old "biblical" universe, other
    > than waving their arms in the air and invoking changes in the speed of
    > light, the appearance of age and other similar arguments for which no
    > shred of evidence is provided.

    You appear to have missed the points I was making - which, admittedly,
    would only be likely to carry weight with a Christian believer. In a
    nutshell, what I said was: those who are of the opinion that scientific
    observation is necessarily immune to supernatural influence are living
    in a world of make-believe. This claim I backed up with hard evidence
    drawn from the Scriptures.

    I am wondering why you remain silent re my numerical observations.

    Sincerely,

    Vernon

    Vernon Jenkins MSc
    [musician, mining engineer, and formerly Senior Lecturer in Maths and
    Computing, the Polytechnic of Wales (now the University of Glamorgan)]

    http://homepage.virgin.net/vernon.jenkins/index.htm
    http://www.compulink.co.uk/~indexer/miracla1.htm



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