Re: [asa] Reply to Glenn

----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol or John Burgeson" <burgytwo@juno.com>
To: <gmurphy@raex.com>
Cc: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2006 1:10 PM
Subject: Re: [asa] Reply to Glenn

>I had posted: I quote Nat Hawthorne: "So long as an
>> unlettered soul can attain to saving grace, there would seem to be no
>> deadly error in holding theological libraries to be accumulations of,
> for
>> the most part, stupendous impertinence."
> ..............................
> George responded:
>
> "Hawthorne's statement is a vast oversimplification to the point of
> simply
> being false."
>
> I think you missed the qualifications, George. "seem to be no deadly
> error" is one; "for the most part" is another. I think Nat's statement is
> right on, myself.
>
> George: "There would be some truth if it were amended to "So long as an
> unlettered soul can attain to saving grace _and there is noinfluences in
> the
> world tending to mislead such souls_ ..."
>
> I don't see this qualification as adding anything. What is the value of a
> vast library, for example, of sermons justifying slavery? Or arguing
> interminably about the validity of the YEC view.
>
> George again: "Secondly, this claim assumes that there is no value at all
> in understanding what we believe beyond what an "unlettered soul" is
> capable of. I.e., as
> far as religion is concerned we ought to blow our brains out. There is
> no
> warrant at all for this in scripture. We are to love God with all our
> heart, soul, MIND & strength. A childlike faith need not be a childish
> faith."
>
> I don't see the statement saying that at all. Or even assuming it.
>
> But we can agree to disagree on this; it is hardly a primary issue.

I think (a) the qualifications you note are minor & (b) that the statement
says just what I said it does. At the very least it shows a disdain for
theology that has the same effect - though coming from different motives -
as Glenn's low view of theological work. & this is disastrous for, among
other things, a positive & intelligent view of the relationships between
Christianity and science. If serious theology is ignored then there is no
way of budging YECs from there own naive theology. Maybe the reason you
keep saying that the YECs have already won is that you attribute little
significance to the only thing that can keep them from winning.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

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Received on Sat Jun 17 13:59:59 2006