RE: [asa] E.O. Wilson "Baptist No More"

One cannot say that the Bible does not bring up the notion of an
evolving universe. Surely, there is a beginning in Genesis and a clear
end in the Book of Revelation. Thus, I do not know what Wilson means by
"But most of all, Baptist theology made no provision for evolution. The
biblical authors had missed the most important revelation of all!"
Perhaps Scripture skipped over details but certainly, there is
"evolution."

Moorad

________________________________

From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of John Walley
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 11:01 PM
To: '_American Sci Affil'
Subject: [asa] E.O. Wilson "Baptist No More"

Here is a relevant and chilling quote from E.O. Wilson from
"Consilience".

http://www.cnn.com/books/beginnings/9805/consilience/index.html

On a far more modest scale, I found it a wonderful feeling not just to
taste the unification metaphysics but also to be released from the
confinement of fundamentalist religion. I had been raised a Southern
Baptist, laid backward under the water on the sturdy arm of a pastor,
been born again. I knew the healing power of redemption. Faith, hope,
and charity were in my bones, and with millions of others I knew that my
savior Jesus Christ would grant me eternal life. More pious than the
average teenager, I read the Bible cover to cover, twice. But now at
college, steroid-driven into moods of adolescent rebellion, I chose to
doubt. I found it hard to accept that our deepest beliefs were set in
stone by agricultural societies of the eastern Mediterranean more than
two thousand years ago. I suffered cognitive dissonance between the
cheerfully reported genocidal wars of these people and Christian
civilization in 1940s Alabama. It seemed to me that the Book of
Revelation might be black magic hallucinated by an ancient primitive.
And I thought, surely a loving personal God, if He is paying attention,
will not abandon those who reject the literal interpretation of the
biblical cosmology. It is only fair to award points for intellectual
courage. Better damned with Plato and Bacon, Shelley said, than go to
heaven with Paley and Malthus. But most of all, Baptist theology made no
provision for evolution. The biblical authors had missed the most
important revelation of all! Could it be that they were not really privy
to the thoughts of God? Might the pastors of my childhood, good and
loving men though they were, be mistaken? It was all too much, and
freedom was ever so sweet. I drifted away from the church, not
definitively agnostic or atheistic, just Baptist no more.

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Received on Tue Nov 27 11:42:56 2007