Re: Why?/Re: Answersingenesis

From: Todd S. Greene (tgreene@presortservices.com)
Date: Tue Apr 03 2001 - 11:10:45 EDT

  • Next message: Gregory P. Kerr: "FW: Why?/Re: Answersingenesis"

    Hi, Greg.

    I am frequently accused of a "lack of awareness." Yet almost always I
    unequivocally demonstrate that my expressed perception is "right on."
    (Not too long ago, someone stated that I was making "wild statements"
    about young earth creationists. Of course, I turned right around and
    quoted young earth creationists Henry Morris and Tom Willis making
    precisely the statements I had claimed that YECs make.) I'm certainly
    fallible. But typically I find that I'm less fallible than many YEC
    critics. ;-)

    Please cite at least one single statement where a non-YEC writer has
    claimed that a Christian's salvation is in peril - or even that he is
    condemned by the Word of God - based on the single fact of his
    believing the young earth creationism doctrine. I wager that you will
    not find one. On the other hand, I can cite several statements like
    this made by young earth creationists against Christians who disagree
    with the doctrine young earth creationism, based on the sole reason
    of their having rejected the doctrine.

    Young earth creationists (very many, while I will acknowledge that it
    is not all of them) have clearly made this an issue which divides the
    good Christians from the bad Christians. Since this is the true
    situation, there is something clearly wrong with turning around and
    saying, as you are apparently doing, that people should not express
    criticism of this "exclusivist" (divisive) approach that so many YECs
    have taken. Let's be forthrightly honest about the situation.
    Remember, that some of Jesus' harshest words were against the
    Pharisees who used their rules by which to divide the good Jews from
    the bad Jews.

    It is clear that non-YECs are critical (as they should be) of both
    young earth creationism and of the exclusivist attitudes which so
    many YECs have wrapped YEC up in. But non-YECs have not and do not
    claim that a person's belief in young earth creationism puts their
    salvation in danger, or makes their faith "suspect" or
    "compromising." Of course, if you think my assessment is incorrect,
    please show me the discussion I haven't been following which shows
    otherwise.

    Sincerely, and regards,
    Todd S. Greene
    http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/7755/

    ###### Gregory P. Kerr, 4/3/01 10:15 AM ######
    As a relatively new addition to this list, I have been amazed at the
    type of criticisms leveled against those that do not hold to evolution
    and to those that hold to YEC. The venom, not science, that has been
    expressed is quite telling. I've collected some of these and assembled
    them here with my assessment of the trait attributed to
    anti-evolutionists and YEC's by this list. (The first, however, is
    perhaps the most telling as it displays the lack of awareness of the
    comments being made on this list.)

    Judgmental:
    "I have *never* - encountered one single non-YEC Christian who has ever
    considered this matter to be a salvation issue, or who has considered
    that a Christian's perspective *on this particular matter* to, in
    itself, has any bearing on a Christian's standing with God. We must be
    honest and clear about who it is who typically uses these particular
    issues by which to judge the faith of other Christians."

    I guess the author has not been following the discussion lately.

    [snip]



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Apr 03 2001 - 11:01:59 EDT