Scott Tucker wrote:
> on 8/28/01 4:28 PM, george murphy wrote:
>
>
> I would like to challenge folks to give some hard
> consideration to the question, "Why are so many Christians
> apparently prepared to fight and die for a natural knowledge
> of God which is independent of God's revelation in Christ?
> ...[snip]...
>
>
> Okay, I'll take a guess - perhaps from the perspective of one
> representing the unwashed masses:
>
> Natural theology seems to form an island of common ground between the
> average Christian and the unbeliever who is completely unfamiliar with
> theology and philosophy; both having a somewhat equivalent level of
> basic education in the sciences, yet neither having enough insight to
> recognize the weaknesses of either natural theology or scientific
> naturalism.
>
> It looks like a good place to start when speaking to an unbeliever
> about Christ, with the hope that such a discussion will open a window
> wide enough for a second look at scripture, where Christ's personal
> revelation of the Father lives large.
>
> I admit this naivete. I still admire the design argument (I am an
> architect, so perhaps a little predisposed to see God as a
> "designer"). I am currently enjoying Dembski's book (ID) and
> particularly this discussion.
Scott -
Thanks for your thoughts on this. I would agree that this
approach can be a way of opening conversation with non-Christians.
Whether or not it will be effective in any given situation needs to be
considered.
But what my question was getting at was something deeper. There
seems to be a strong feeling that some kind of natural theology must be
true. It is more than just a matter of apologetic method, but almost an
element of personal faith commitment. Is this because people were
themselves brought to faith in this way and so feel instrinctively that
such ideas are essential to Christian faith? Or are there other
reasons? I could make various guesses but it would be more profitable
to hear the views of others.
Shalom,
George
George L. Murphy
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
"The Science-Theology Interface"
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