RE: have we forgotten who the enemy is?

> > I am not sure why the discussion on this list is always so negative against
> > both ID and YEC. IMO in the big picture, this battle is a minor one. The
> > most important belief that we all have, and share with our creationist
> > brothers, is the Gospel. Most evangelical Christians dont really care that
> > much about the creation/evolution issue, knowing Christ is much more
> > important.
> >
> > It seems to me that we are losing sight of the real enemy, which is
> > philosophical materialism, atheistic naturalism. We should be reaching out
> > to scientist non believers, and showing them that the Bible, and science are
> > compatible. This issue is more about apologetics than polemics.

The enemies are the world, the flesh, and the devil. Atheistic naturalism is only an enemy. Misidentifying it as _the_ enemy (emphasis added) readily leads into the Machiavelian trap of accepting anything that seems to oppose it, regardless of whether it is legitimate, just as antievolutionism accepts unethical tactics, false claims, bad arguments, etc. as long as they attack _the_ enemy, evolution.

Legalistic YEC or ID that asserts that the creation/evolution issue is essential if not more important than Christ is another enemy. Other religions are also enemies. Spiritual indifference and hedonism are enemies.

(The -isms are enemies; the followers are victims who may be saved)

    Dr. David Campbell
    Old Seashells
    University of Alabama
    Biodiversity & Systematics
    Dept. Biological Sciences
    Box 870345
    Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0345 USA
    bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com

That is Uncle Joe, taken in the masonic regalia of a Grand Exalted Periwinkle of the Mystic Order of Whelks-P.G. Wodehouse, Romance at Droitgate Spa
Received on Fri Feb 18 14:21:51 2005