Burgy wrote,
<< PHSEELY wrote, in part: "Although I do not believe YEC's have any
consciousness of lying, because YECism is false, it functions as a lie
and inevitably demands more lies to keep the first lie intact. This
commitment to darkness invites demonic reinforcement."
I am uncomfortable with the words "lying" and "lie" in the above. Being
mistaken about something, and insisting on the truth of something false
as a result, is just being mistaken, not lying. At least in my thinking.
As such, I don't realy see any "committment to darkness" involved, and
certainly no "demons."
Partly I say this because I know Dr. Gish fairly well, have broken bread
with him and Henry Morris, etc. I regard them both as decent, honorable,
moral persons who happen to be wrong on something. By the way, Gish once
said just about the same thing to me in an email a few years ago.
I know you said "functions as a lie," but I really think there is a
difference here.>>
You raise a good question. I recognize a spectrum of YEC's beginning with
those so thoroughly ignorant of science and the Bible that they are almost
incapable of being challenged by factual data that would refute their
position. At the other end are people with enough background that they really
ought to know better. Presumably God winks at the first group. I'm not so
sure about the second, especially the leaders.
Certainly a lot of data contrary to YECism has been set forth by capable
geologists, astronomers, etc. Can a capable person seeing this light suppress
it without incurring moral guilt? And can a person who repeatedly suppresses
light avoid becoming enmeshed in a deception which becomes nearly impossible
to escape? I think that as they continue to suppress light, they reach a
point where they can no longer tell the difference between light and
darkness. As I understand demonic forces it is repeated acts like these which
invite demonic powers to reinforce the darkness; but, I am open on that
question.
I get some of my thinking from the experience of Micaiah with the false
prophet Zedekiah. Zedekiah was absolutely sure that what he was saying was of
God. He had no consciousness of lying (2Chron 18:23). But, Scripture
indicates that what he was saying were lies (2Chron 18:21, 22). Similarly,
Jer 14:14. However, maybe a person in our time believing the earth is only
10,000 years old and that there was a global flood c. 3000 BC is not
significant enough to be credited with being a lie in that sense, albeit I
think it must partake in part. Perhaps, the real evil, the real lie (and I
think 2Chron 18 and Jer 14 support me in calling this doctrine a lie) is the
exaltation of the Bible to scientific inerrancy. This is the underlying lie
upon which creation science is built. And this lie is an idol: This is made
clear by the fact that those who have this commitment even make Scripture bow
down to it. I cannot help but see some demonic force involved in this
deception and idolatry.
Although we cannot judge individuals, can we not say that even the most
sincere, well-meaning and in some instances at least even genuine Christians
who pray fervently to the Virgin Mary are involved in a lie and an idolatry?
And would we not suppose that demons enforce that darkness? If so, why
should evangelical deception and idolatry be any different?
Paul
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