Interesting thoughts. I have tended to see the process of discovery,
exploration, and learning as being the outworking of God's commands to
humanity in the beginning:
To fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28)
To exercise "dominion" (Psalm 8:6)
To "keep" the Garden (Genesis 2:15)
To name the animals (Genesis 2:19-20)
While all of these activities are tainted by sinfulness, like sexuality they
are intristically good and among of God's gift to humanity. They should be
exercised with joy and responsibility.
Respectfully
Jon
Gordon Simons wrote:
> Hi Loren,
>
> You commented:
>
> > I've always been taught that we would disobey God if we _failed_ to
> > investigate His amazing creation scientifically.
> >
> > Numerous Christian theologians, philosophers, and educators have
> > written at length about this idea. In the interest of time and
> > brevity, I'll just mention some Bible texts to consider.
> >
> > Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and
> > increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of
> > the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that
> > moves on the ground."
> >
> > Proverbs 19:2 It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be
> > hasty and miss the way.
> >
> > Matthew 25:14-30 (The parable of the talents).
>
> Without disputing your point, I do get the impression, upon reading
> Genesis 3, that something fundamentally important occurred at the time of
> the Fall, apart from the advent of sin, with the "opening of eyes" --
> that, apparently, would not have occurred without the disobedience.
>
> Where does this lead us? It suggests to me that the validity of your
> point might be restricted to the context we find ourselves in *on this
> side of the Fall*. Would scientific investigation have been feasible
> before the Fall? Or necessary? Or desirable? Or, in line with your
> point, would it have beee an act of obedience? Maybe I am reading too much
> into all of this, but it seems to me that the peculiar details of Genesis
> 3 provide us with reasons to wonder about all of these points.
>
> Gordie
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