From: Debbie Mann (deborahjmann@insightbb.com)
Date: Mon May 26 2003 - 12:48:10 EDT
Moderation in all things. That is one of the most difficult requirements. So
many of us are all or nothing. And there are areas where committment is
required. But where our daily lives are concerned, moderation rules. Not too
much food, or too little. Not too much sleep, or too little. Commit to your
profession, but not to the point that it overruns the rest of life. Tough
medicine.
-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu]On
Behalf Of Dick Fischer
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2003 9:34 AM
To: asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Faith and Reason
Rich Fausette wrote:
In a message dated 5/23/03 11:23:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
dickfischer@earthlink.net writes:
The first phrase is 180 degrees out. Reason is the antithesis of
faith. Why quote any further?
I disagree completely that reason is the antithesis of faith.
Completely? Let me give an example. I asked my high-school age daughter
why I had not seen her interim grade report. She replied that it hadn't
come out yet. Now let's see ... There are only three more weeks of school
before she gets her final report card.
Do I take it on faith that she is telling me the truth? (She has been
known to fabricate on occasion.) Or do I submit to reason and assume she
did fabricate because interim grade reports should have come out long ago?
Neither. I call the school and find out. That's the point.
Reason is unreliable. Drive down the highway and concentrate on quantum
theory where 99.99% of the road is nothing at all. Give you confidence in
the next turn?
Faith can be misplaced. YECs have faith in a failed apologetic. Yet they
persist, oblivious to reason.
Balancing out faith and reason is a high wire act. You can't fully trust
in your ability to reason, and you can't take the word of others without
checking it out.
Where do we turn?
We turn to data and evidence. The stuff of science! This is the American
Scientific Affiliation, is it not?
We place our faith in the things we can substantiate with corroborating
data and evidence.
That's it!
Simple.
Dick Fischer - Genesis Proclaimed Association
Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History
www.genesisproclaimed.org
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