Terry:
A discussion on natural theology would be just wonderful. I have
struggled with my viewpoint on this issue for years - primarily because
I find so few people who share my ideas. That's always **not fun** -
much nicer if everyone agrees with you - ha!
Anyway, I have been so interested in the topic that I have spent a
couple of summers up at Princeton Theological Seminary taking classes
and trying to "sort it out." Very tough topic. And my viewpoint?
Well, it just seems logical to me that if one accepts God as the creator
of all things, then one can accept natural processes (gravity,
evolution, starvation, birth, death, and so on) as having God's "seal of
approval." I suppose this is why I have no problem with concepts of
evolution. I just figure that must be the way God wants things done.
After all, he created this planet and everything on it - including all
natural systems.
When I used to teach science to youngsters, they would say, "But Ms.
Masters, death is bad! God didn't create any bad things!" I see this
same kind of thinking in Behe and Johnson and Dempski - the idea that
what we humans deem to be "good" or "bad" must also be the same
determination God would reach. And death is certainly not a "bad" thing
in terms of the overall balance in nature, nor is death a "bad" thing
for my husband's patients who have suffered for years with indescribable
pain, nor is death a "bad" thing for those who believe in an afterlife.
When we think about our Christian response to starvation in third world
countries (food programs, etc.), and the manner in which we have
overridden nature (read "God's systems") - we can come up with
incredible points of discussion. Some might say our food programs have
INCREASED starvation and have created a great monster.
We could go in lots of directions with this thread - all of which impact
our daily lives and our political decisions. I'd love some responses.
Lucy
attached mail follows:
I'm curious why Hammond gets blasted for not being uniquely "Christian" but
the ID folks (with their unidentified designer and their "big tent" of
supporters) or the YEC folks (whose entire story can be readily transported
into Islamic fundamentalism) don't.
I realized that some have previously pointed out some of the weakness wrt ID.
How about if we turn this discussion toward the more apologetic and
theological bent (where perhaps more people can participate intelligently)
and ask whether a natuiral theology is Biblical and what role natural
theology should play in our apologetics.
TG
_________________
Terry M. Gray, Ph.D., Computer Support Scientist
Chemistry Department, Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
grayt@lamar.colostate.edu http://www.chm.colostate.edu/~grayt/
phone: 970-491-7003 fax: 970-491-1801
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