Re: [asa] Wells and traditional Christianity

I have been off the ASA list for several weeks, since before the annual
meeting. I intended to come back this week, and got moving on it when I
received a copy of Janice's post, concerning Jack Haught, Ken Miller, and
evolution/theism.

I haven't been part of this thread, but having inferred a few things from
what Janice sent I will add my two cents now.

First, if Wells presents himself as a defender of traditional Christianity,
that would be news. Anyone familiar with the facts knows that he is not a
Christian, and that he joined the anti-evolution movement b/c of his
particular religious commitment.

Funny that Wells, like some other non-Christians (Dawkins would be another
person in this category, though obviously for very different reasons than
those that pertain to Wells), would be able to comment (apparently) on what
a traditional Christian should/can believe, relative to evolution. I
imagine he's had some help from his Christian friends in ID on this point.

Many IDs just flat do not believe that traditional Christianity can be
matched with evolution--esp with Darwinian evolution. Many evangelical
theologians and many, perhaps most, ordinary evangelical Christians agree
with that view.

The important question here is, why? That is, specifically why do they see
evolution and traditional Christian belief as incompatible? The answers, in
my experience, are numerous and varied. I haven't time here to type them
all in adequately and fairly--that is, giving readers an adequate
understanding of the reasons without unfairly trivilizing or misrepresenting
them.

One almost invisible factor, however, is lack of discernment and historical
knowledge. This particular factor is enhanced by many advocates of ID, who
either do not understand the very important theological differences
between/among various TEs, or else do not see them as the very important
facts that they are. The IDs I speak of here are not the only people out
there who lack this understanding/discernment and/or the will to communicate
more accurately with their audiences; the same can be said of many others in
other camps. But the IDs are so important here b/c of their following among
evangelicals. Haught and Ken Miller are in quite different camps, as far I
can tell. Haught and Collins are absolutely in quite different camps. If
anyone lumps them together, then they do not have enough knowledge to
comment on this issue helpfully.

There is *tremendous* confusion about theology and science in our culture,
and most of the conversation about ID, from either side, is not helping
ordinary Christians sort this out.

Ted

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Received on Mon Aug 28 13:13:43 2006