Re: ANE cosmology; was : A profound disturbance found in Yak butter.

Glenn wrote,
<<Where does it say that God will only prevaricate about science but not prevaricate about theology?>>

The question is good, but you have distorted the issue by using the word prevaricate. Like many evangelical Christians you have put God in a box and given him just three possible ways of speaking about matters: He can make a mistake (whoops), or he can lie, or he can tell the truth. Apparently, you have decided, I think rightly, that biblical statements accommodated to the science or cultural beliefs of the times are not due to God’s ignorance or failure of memory, so in the box you have made for God, there is nothing left but to label them as lies (prevaricate).

So, I ask, Where does it say that God only has these three options?

A few years ago I heard of a missionary who went to central Africa to preach, but he knew very little of the native language, so when he preached he used an interpreter. In the midst of a sermon, he quoted James 3:4 “Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.” But, the interpreter’s message at this point did not sound right to the missionary, so he stopped preaching and asked the interpreter, “What did you just tell them?” The interpreter said, These people have never seen a ship and do not know what one is, so I told them that even though trucks are large, they are directed by a little steering wheel.”

The interpreter was telling the people that the missionary and the Bible spoke of a truck and a steering wheel, which is NOT TRUE. It is not what they said. Now my question to you is this: Did the interpreter accidentally get the translation wrong, or did he lie? Or is it just possible that there is another perfectly ethical and even rational alternative?

Paul

 
Received on Sat Jun 3 14:44:47 2006