Re: Romans 1:20

George (or indeed anyone else!)

Is it true that Luther was condemned by the Council of Trent for saying
there is no proof of God's
existence?

Is his position on this documented?

Thanks,

Steve
http://stevebishop.blogspot.com

>From: "George Murphy" <gmurphy@raex.com>
>To: <wgreen@god4science.com>, <asa@calvin.edu>
>Subject: Re: Romans 1:20
>Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 07:23:41 -0400
>
<snip>

>19. That person does not deserve to be called a theologian who looks upon
>the invisible things of God as though they were clearly perceptible in
>those things which have actually happened. [Rom.1:20]
>
> 20. He deserves to be called a theologian, however, who
>comprehends the visible and manifest things of God seen through suffering
>and the cross.
>
>
> (Luther)
>
>
>
>Paul's point is not that people actually do know God from their experience
>of the world but that there is sufficient evidence for God to be known in
>that way. But in fact people distort that evidence and produce idols, as
>he goes on to say in the following verses. Our tendency to "believe in a
>God or gods" is what Calvin meant when he said that the human mind is "a
>factory of idols." Thus in the real condition of humanity in the world God
>must first be known in Christ (as Paul finally says in 3:21 ff after
>dealing with the universal problem of sin) before our experience of the
>world & reason can tell us anything about God. That is why Luther says
>that anyone who tries to understand God by starting with "those things
>which have actually happened" (or "the things that have been made"),
>echoing Rom.1:20, "does not deserve to be called a theologian."
>
>
>
>Shalom
>George
>http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
>
>
Received on Mon Jul 18 14:11:32 2005