Re: [asa] Dinosaurs and God

> > It is generally agreed that a meteorite (sometimes denied and replace
> > by climatic change due to several factors) have caused the extinction
> > of the dinosaurs. We can say that the dinosaur have disappear due to
> > natural phenomena and not directly by the mechanism of evolution. We
> > know too that the extinction of the dinosaurs have let the place for
> > hominid to evolve and let the human race arise. How to reconcile these
> > facts with the belief in God? Was this great extinction intended by
> > God directly or was it just a random natural phenomena? Was this
> > extinction predicted by God in His Omniscience when He chose mechanism
> > of evolution? I have got many questions on this subject...

Responses to this will generally correlate with one's position on such
issues as free will, predestination, etc. If you are comfortable with
asserting God's sovereignty through human history, then sovereignty in
earth history shouldn't be a problem.

We have very little information about what God's purposes are for
non-humans. Humans have a unique spiritual nature among known
organisms, yet other organisms have value in God's sight.

Overall, the observed pattern of organisms suggests that diversity and
variety are a greater priority than stability. The extinction of the
dinosaurs (not to mention many other organisms) was just one of many
major extinctions, and smaller extinctions occur all the time.

Another difficulty is that we don't have the knowledge to tell whether
any "what if" scenario is realistic. Perhaps the dinosaurs served a
vital role in affecting what types of plants and animals would be
around when the bolide hit, but were then in the way of further plans.
 Such possibilities are compatible with both a predeterministic view
and a broad plan plus interventions as needed view.

-- 
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"
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