RE: [asa] Question on inerrancy

Hi George:
 
If there were some egregious errors in Genesis 1 then I think we could
say that it might have been simple human error in a human account. That
it does correlate with what we can confirm elsewhere persuades me that
the writer had divine assistance. He had no means to test it or
authenticate it through any exterior means. So I believe Genesis 1 to
be inspired but I must admit I'm walking by sight here and not by faith.
Starting with Genesis 2 the writer (likely a different writer) had oral
tradition from actual descendants to draw on. Inspired, I believe, but
verifiable in addition.
 
Dick Fischer, author, lecturer
Historical Genesis from Adam to Abraham
 <http://www.historicalgenesis.com> www.historicalgenesis.com
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of George Murphy
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 6:41 AM
To: Dick Fischer; ASA
Subject: Re: [asa] Question on inerrancy
 
Whether or not Genesis 1 is "not a bad fit all things considered" to BB
cosmology is debatable but let that pass for now. I want to point out
here that if what Genesis gives us is "what the writer thought God did"
then the question has to be asked, in what sense was the account
inspired by God? If it isn't simply one more human document from the
ancient near east, on the same level as enuma elish or Gilgamesh, (which
I'm quite sure isn't what Dick means) then to say that it's "what the
writer thought" and in some sense the word of God gets close to what I &
others have argued, that God "accomodated" to the human condition in
inspiring the text.
 
I would, though, not ascribe everything in Gen.1 (or other biblical
texts) to simply the common views of the writers or their cultures.
That's the case with the physical picture presented in the text (dome of
the sky &c) but not necessarily with the view that's presented of God's
relationship with the world. I.e., there is accomodation to human ideas
about the natural & social sciences but not (as least not completely)
theology.
 
Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
----- Original Message -----
From: Dick Fischer <mailto:dickfischer@verizon.net>
To: ASA <mailto:asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 10:20 PM
Subject: RE: [asa] Question on inerrancy
 
Hi Don:
 
What God actually did is better described by Big Bang cosmology. What
the writer thought God did is described in Genesis and it is not a bad
fit all things considered.

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Received on Fri May 16 13:35:15 2008