Re: Why?/Re: Answersingenesis

From: Graham Richard Pointer (grp1@st-andrews.ac.uk)
Date: Mon Apr 02 2001 - 08:52:21 EDT

  • Next message: Mccarrick Alan D CRPH: "(no subject)"

    On Mon, 2 Apr 2001, Jonathan Clarke wrote:

    >
    >
    > I think the role of SS material, together with Bible story books, etc., in
    > formulating attitudes of Christians to a number of issues is under estimated.
    > This is especially the case that such material is often visual. How many
    > pictures of the garden of Eden for example, have lions lying with the lamb, or
    > even dinosaurs in the background with a pale skinned blond or brown haired Adam
    > and Eve (Adam clean shaven of course) with strageically placed greenery in the
    > foreground? Or with the flood account, how many have animals from the Americas
    > east Asia, or Australia boarding the ark? the power of such images in colouring
    > the perceptions of people, especailly those who might think no further about
    > them, may be very great.
    >
    > Jon
    >
    >

    I had an illustrated children's Bible when I was young. I haven't looked
    at it since I became a Christian (well, it has been stashed away in a box
    in my parents' garage- so I don't think I picked up any theology from its
    pictures). I wonder whether this is part of the reason for the second
    commandment- that we could learn our theology from pictures.

    There has been much in the British media about a new BBC series "Son of
    God" and its reconstruction of what Jesus could have looked like (not a
    white man with long flowing blond hair).

    It is so easy to pick up one's theology from other sources. How many times
    have you heard someone refer to a hymn/praise song to back up a piece of
    doctrine? I try not to just have a good sing-song but think about what I'm
    singing- there will be times when I will just stand there, silent, with
    arms folded during a hymn or song. I refuse to sing the second verse of
    "Jesus, we celebrate Your victory". And when newer songs talk about God
    healing us, I have to ask what exactly they mean- there is new theology
    which sees all illness as coming from simply a lack of faith.

    Graham
    --------------------------------------------------------

    Graham Richard Pointer
    Dept of Physics and Astronomy
    North Haugh
    St Andrews
    Fife
    KY16 9SS
    Scotland

    http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~grp1



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