Re: [asa] Question for all the theistic evolutionists

There are pastors who are known (perhaps not so much for their
convictions toward TE -- but for their strong inclinations against YEC
style hermeneutics) especially in urbanized settings near
universities. So a kind of unity already sorts itself out. YEC
thinkers may drop in to worship occasionally long enough to discover
that these aren't birds of their feather, so they move on. And some
TEs, if it is important enough to them, may briefly associate with YEC
style congregations, but then don't hang around. And both sides are
likely to deny that it is the origins issue alone that puts them off.
They will instead say that this is an indicator of a deeper problem
(e.g. the YEC will note that the church obviously is not a "biblical"
church since it doesn't take God's Word at face value, but takes its
cues from modern sensibilities instead -- like science.) So in the
end there may actually be a greater sense of unity within a single
congregation because of this self-sorting tendency. But when these
folks all interact with each other in the community and in the local
public school system, then the disunity comes out. But even here, there
are those congregations who, like you said, avoid the issue for better
or worse.

--merv

Brent Foster wrote:
> I think that fear of criticism or negative reaction is no more prominent among TE scientists than it is among Christians in general, from their professional and social peers.
>
> But one thing I fear is way too prominent is TE pastors who swallow their TE convictions for fear of negative reaction from their congregation. And this is a very legitimate fear; it would be carreer suicide for some TE pastors to publicly support evolution, and I don't envy their position. But I also think that pastors have a *far* greater influence on the opinions of their congregation than any number of scientific professionals, within or outside the church. We can preach TE till we're blue in the face but if a trusted pastor says not to buy it, they won't. If all TE pastors went public with their convictions there would be a lot of pastors out of work, but there would also be some congregations with their eyes opened. It may be that some pastors avoid the subject for the sake of Pauline unity. But I don't think Paul was one to tolerate bad teaching for the sake of unity.
>
> Brent
>

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Received on Mon Mar 12 21:05:41 2007