> Acme Academy believes that the existence of the Creation
> cannot be explained apart from the work of a personal God who
> created and now sustains the natural realm. Any hypothesis or
> theory that denies the necessity of God or speculates the
> "spontaneous" origin of matter or man is rejected as contrary to the
> Bible, the revealed Word of God.
A scientific hypothesis as such does not include reference to God.
Strictly interpreted, this statement would exclude all scientific
hypotheses. Rather, what you wish to reject is the unwarranted
extrapolation of science to exclude God and his creative and sustaining
role in the physical universe. How about something like, "Acme Academy
firmly rejects any arguement that science provides evidence against God's
creative and sustaining action in the world."
> The great majority of those who call themselves evolutionists
> seek to explain origins apart from a personal, superintending God,
> and many of their conjectures about origins are based on faith in
> their philosophic presuppositions; they are not based on the
> scientific method.
Again this statement is not really correct and serves to perpetuate a
conflict mode of thinking between science and Christian faith. Again, how
about- "Some scientists and science popularizers seek to use science to
legitamize their own atheistic worldviews. We deny that evidence from
nature could ever be in conflict with the existance of a personal,
superintending, creator God."
> survive longer. This is sometimes called "micro-evolution."
> However, to extrapolate from these small changes the whole
> framework of natural selection as conjectured by Darwinism is not a
> careful scientific judgment; it is a philosophic leap of faith.
Macroevolutionary theory _has_ resulted from "careful scientific
judgement." You should avoid disparaging the scientific commmunity
(remember that evolutionary scientists include many committed Christians).
What needs to be addressed is the fears that cause people to see
macroevolution as a threat to Christian faith. Once that is accomplished
(a huge task), then scientific theories can rise and fall on there own
merits. Why not stess that evolutionary theory and philosophical/religious
ideas are often confused in popular discussions of the issues, and that
Acme Academy will strive to clearly distinguish them and reject
non-Christian philosophical assumptions.
> future). For example, speculations about the origin and demise of
> dinosaurs will remain speculations when discussed and considered
> in the classroom.
What speculations? Delete this.
> While Acme Academy will not shy away from the continuing
> debate on origins, it will always hold that all things have their
> ultimate origin in a personal, loving Creator who, in the form of the
> Son, created the earth in the past, sustains it in the present, and will
> restore it in the future.
>
> We also recognize that the origins debate has resulted in great
> conflict within the church and that it has kept many of us from
> recognizing the more important biblical fact that we are to be
> stewards of the creation gift that has been given to us by God.
> Therefore, on the Acme Academy campus far more attention will be
> given to creation stewardship than to the origins debate. We are
> convinced that at the Judgment God is not going to expect us to
> explain how He brought the earth into existence. It is likely,
> however, that He will expect us to give an accounting of how we
> developed the potentialities of the Creation for His glory.
This is a much more productive approach I believe. I agree wholehartedly
with Murphy's statement below.
> My overall sense is that the statement's tone is far too negative
>and defensive. Why not start with a positive statement about creation
>and providence? E.g., "God the Holy Trinity is the creator of all
>things, and preserves, works through, and governs all creatures." Then
>go on to say that biological evolution is a scientific theory about the
>development of life and that some (I would say many) Christians believe
>it to describe the ways in which God has worked in the world to bring
>living things about. Some warning about unchecked theological or
>philosophical extrapolation of evolutionary theory might then be
>appropriate.
In Christ:
Keith
Keith B. Miller
Department of Geology
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
kbmill@ksu.ksu.edu
http://www.ksu.edu/~kbmill/