Re: ASA positions on science/faith issues

Wow! I really like it! I don't know if it's appropriate as a statement for ASA to endorse, but
somebody ought to!

I especially like the distinction between the scientific theory and the nauralistic philosophy.

Woud "reject" be better than "repudiate" in the last paragraph? or perhaps "cannot
endorse"?

I also like the fact that nothing in the last paragraph is inconsistent with Intelligent Design,
if ID is truly, as its proponents say, a scientific theory rather than a religious worldview. I
see no good reason any Christian who holds that view could not endorse the final
paragraph. But such an endorsement would certainly take the wind out of the sails of those
trying to remove evolution from science books, museums, and IMAX films.
__
Louise M. Freeman, PhD
Psychology Dept
Mary Baldwin College
Staunton, VA 24401
540-887-7326
FAX 540-887-7121

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> [Introductory paragraph affirming our Christian commitment and our
> commitment to all of God's truth, both in Scripture and in his
> creation. And maybe saying that we regret the way science and faith
> are often portrayed (both inside and outside the church) as "at war"]
>
> We affirm that Scripture (particularly the early chapters of Genesis)
> teaches that God is the "maker of heaven and earth," the creator of all
> that exists. This foundational truth is independent of the manner and
> timing of God's creative work. We also recognize that faithful
> Christians have read the early chapters of Genesis in many different
> ways over the years, and that a good case can be made that these
> passages were not intended to be read as a scientific account.
>
> We therefore repudiate any view that claims a recent creation in six
> 24-hour days is *essential* to the truth of Christianity or to the
> integrity of the Bible. More generally, we believe it is unwise to
> consider any specific scientific claims based on the interpretation of
> Genesis as foundational to the faith.
>
> We affirm that God is sovereign over nature, and that therefore God
> is present in physical processes even if science can explain them
> "naturally." While the ASA takes no official position on the truth of
> the theory of evolution, we affirm that the scientific theory (when
> stripped of the naturalistic philosophy sometimes attached to it) is
> not inconsistent with the Christian faith. God is capable of using
> natural processes to do his creating, and the evidence suggests he has
> done so in many areas.
>
> We therefore repudiate any view that claims the scientific theory of
> evolution must be false in order for Christianity to be true, and more
> generally any view that suggests it is necessary to find inexplicable
> "gaps" in natural history in order to keep Christianity from being
> falsified.
> --------------------------
Received on Thu Mar 31 08:04:26 2005