Re: [asa] JDEP

Or JEDP - pardon my dyslexia!

---- David Opderbeck <dopderbeck@gmail.com> wrote:

=============
snip
Query for the anti-ID folks here (honest query, not "fighting
words"): should scripture be approached with the presumption that its
apparently supernatural aspects have "natural" or "human" explanations? If
not, why should we presume differently concerning "general" revelation?
>

That's a great question. And I was thinking just that as I was reading this book. I'm bothered by the consistant reasoning in Friedman's book that whenever the text mentions an event the text must post-date the event. Sure the text is consistant with that, but it's also consistant with the claim of devine inspiration, which is made by many. So it's a valid question whether a textural reference is explained by divine inspiration or by prior knowledge of the author. Likewise in general revelation, it's a valid question whether the diversity of life is explained by intelligent design or by natural means. But as with science, I don't think higher critisism is able to address the question of divine inspiration, just as science can't address the question of divine intervention. To Friedman's credit, he acknowledges this in his book. In a section where he is discussing the seige of Jerusalem by Sennacherib he was comparing the Biblical account with the Assyrian account. There are s!
 imilarities and differences but notably, in the Biblical account, Jerusalem was saved when God sent an angel amongst the Assyrians and killed hundreds of thousands. When evaluating the two accounts Friedman admitted that we can't even address the issue of an angel's involvment. But, as with individual scientists who overstep the bounds of science, there are those who overstep the bounds of higher critisism. I don't think it's justified to conclude that whenever the text mentions an event the text must post-date the event. To raise it as a possibilty is justified, but to conclude it with certainty is to dismiss the possibility of supernatural enlightenment of the author. However, the claims of natural science, such as evolution, common decent etc. do not dismiss the possibility of supernatural activity, they merely ignore it as a possibillity.

Brent

To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
Received on Thu Aug 31 18:10:20 2006