Re: Evolution and Christianity

RJD (Virkotto@intrnet.net)
Fri, 24 Oct 1997 14:14:49 -0500 (CDT)

Gordon Brown responding to Arthur Chadwick:
>Arthur,
>
>I do not believe that the ark was a symbolic gesture. I don't know what I
>said that gave that impression.
>
>If 'erets is interpreted as a very large land area, then it would seem
>reasonable to save representatives of the various animals in that area.
>
>Genesis indicates that all the high mountains (or hills) under all the
>heavens were covered. This same phrase `under all the heavens' occurs in
>Deuteronomy 2:25, where it doesn't seem to indicate the whole earth unless
>we think that the Indians in South America had heard of the Israelites and
>were living in great fear of them. Perhaps all we should conclude is that
>all land features which would have been visible from the ark had been
>covered.

I am struck by the variation of themes we have seen with respect to the
interpretation of "under all the heavens" and "the whole earth." I am
reminded of Allen Roy's imaginative response to Glenn some weeks ago (and
I am going from memory since I have since dumped a massive number of
messages) in which he attempted to show how he interpreted this phase yet
still held to a global flood rather than local. He seemed to suggest
(correct me if my memory is deceiving me, Allen) that the highest mountains
were covered from the perspective of those in the ark as far as they could
see but that this DIDN'T mean that all the mountains were covered at the
very same moment during the flood. This allows for his 1000s of Tsunamis
model for depostition etc.. That seemed a real strreeetttch for me but it
also demonstrates that global/local/no-flood advocates all seem to resort
to what they feel is naturally plausible as as part of their
interpretation, no matter how much they might claim they acquire the
meaning of the words soley by interpreting the Bible with the Bible.

FWIW*

Joel Duff,
Postdoc, Dpt. Plant Biology
Southern Illinois University

*for what it's worth

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