RE: [asa] Two questions... (was: Yes -- the YECs are still winning)

I said:
"I started looking into the origin's issues in depth about 1 to 2 years ago. At first I was mostly YEC, then mostly OEC, then almost left the faith before coming to evolutionary creationism."

This lead me to two questions.

1. What do you call it when you save someone from leaving the faith? For example, we call it 'evangelism' when getting people to accept the faith. If a child receives the gospel, then decides to leave it in college, but someone is able to rescue them (before they leave) and bring them back, what is that called? Without the rescue, they would have again become lost. It is sort of like apologetics, but apologetics is explaining the faith, not saving those about to leave. Whatever it is called, Randy Isaac (and others in the ASA) was that for me. He put me in direct contact with prominent people (evangelicals even) who were able to keep me, by giving me a perspective not seen in the general evangelical community.

2. What ministry is there by evolutionary creationists or theistic evolutionists? YEC's have "Answers in Genesis" and ICR. etc., and OEC's have "Reasons to Believe" (Hugh Ross). I don't mean books and authors- but ministries- 501c3- for the very purpose of explaining/defending an evolutionary Christian viewpoint? There's a niche for every meme. Maybe the reason why YEC and OEC is so prominent is because of the lack of a "natural" predator in that arena (the predator is the evolutionary creationist (EC) view). Because the EC position isn't as black/white, it is more complex, so it takes more time to manifest, I suppose. (And yes, I think memes can be God-guided through revelation.)

...Bernie
________________________________
From: Dehler, Bernie
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 1:35 PM
To: asa@calvin.edu
Subject: RE: [asa] Yes -- the YECs are still winning

I can leave it off, because it clearly stated the ASA has no position on YEC in general.

A question: Why not have a position against YEC since this is a group of scientists who reject a young earth because it goes against science? Their name alone disqualifies them in science- "young earth" (unlike 'old earth' or titles with 'evolutionist' in it).

Yes- it will create controversy, but that's what standing for the truth does.

It is like racism. At one time, it was allowed in society. I heard that Billy Graham was one person on the front (in one instance anyway), refusing to abide by a church's rule of having blacks segregated at a rally. This caused problems in the church at the time. Looking back, it was obvious the right thing to do, and we can now say it was good. But at the time, people in the church denounced him. Those on the front have to take a stand.

If evangelical Christianity in the USA gets over YEC in the next 20 years, they will look back and wonder who was in the front pushing for the righteous charge? Were was the ASA?

I started looking into the origin's issues in depth about 1 to 2 years ago. At first I was mostly YEC, then mostly OEC, then almost left the faith before coming to evolutionary creationism. IF ASA was anti-YEC, it would have been a cold slap in the face, but one that would have made me think. It is like a male being slapped in the face by a woman for an inappropriate move (not that it has happened to me ;-). You don't like it, but it makes you think.

So if a young earth certainly can't be held on scientific grounds, and this is a group of scientific Christians, why is it being tolerated? Simply for the sake of peace and trying to avoid a controversy?

Again- this reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

By Dr. A. C. Dixon, who was pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, and later of Spurgeon's Tabernacle in London:
"Every preacher ought to be primarily a prophet of God who preaches as God bids him, without regard to results. When he becomes conscious of the fact that he is a leader in his own church or denomination, he has reached a crisis in his ministry. He must now choose one of two courses, that of prophet of God or a leader of men. If he seeks to be a prophet and a leader, he is apt to make a failure of both. If he decides to be a prophet only insofar as he can do so without losing his leadership, he becomes a diplomat and ceases to be a prophet at all. If he decides to maintain leadership at all costs, he may easily fall to the level of a politician who pulls the wires in order to gain or hold a position."

I think it is applicable at the organization level as well.

This email is probably an irritant because I'm only been in the ASA for a little over a year and it has likely already been discussed ad-nauseam. I am aware of the history of ASA and YEC's; read about it in multiple places. Maybe it is time to debate it once again since we have the new DNA evidence from the human genome (previous arguments were about rocks and fossils and how to interpret their data).

...Bernie

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Received on Fri Feb 6 15:38:20 2009