On 11/29/07, David Opderbeck <dopderbeck@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Steve said: *And even if Natural selection *may* have *some* explanatory
> power for levels above biology, I don't think that necessarily means we are
> being reductionist.
> *
> Yes, I agree, and I'm ok with that notion. But what I wonder is whether
> this is *really* being consistent in how TE's, at least evangelical TE's,
> approach the science. Isn't the truly consistent view to swallow the whole
> package? Maybe another way to put it is, why posit a "gap" in evolution at
> the level of the human mind / soul? Isn't that imposing an a priori
> theological view, drawn from special revelation, onto the science?
>
>
>
I don't think it is necessary to swallow the whole package. If you compare
and constrast the TE's gap with ID's gap the one thing that sticks out is
the TE's gap is immaterial and thus beyond the explanatory capabilities of
science. It is possible to get reductionistic here like Descartes did who
said the place where the soul and body merge is the Pineal Gland (because it
formed a point and thus appealed to Descartes' reductionism.) But, I don't
believe reductionism is necessary and given the anthropology found in
Scripture if you find that you are being reductionistic that should be a
warning sign that your variety of TE may be on the wrong track. To do so is
to as the saying goes is a foolish consistency and is thus the hobgoblin of
little minds.
One other thing that differentiates the two gaps is one is an argument from
silence while the other one is based on a positive statement of Scripture.
Gaps are not per se the problem with ID but rather the argument from
silence. We should oppose something merely because there are "gaps" -- and I
am afraid Collins does this while not seeing his own "gaps". If you believe
in First Causes like evangelicals do, then there will be gaps. But, because
there are also Second Causes some apparent gaps are not really so. If
Scripture posits supernatural causation for something -- like it does for
the creation of the human soul -- then you are more likely to be correct
about your gap then if it does not.
Rich Blinne (member ASA)
To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
Received on Fri Nov 30 14:32:39 2007
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Fri Nov 30 2007 - 14:32:39 EST