George wrote:
One reason many Christians feel that relationship with Neanderthals
is a
problem is the idea that God really only cares about human beings. This
goes
deeper than specific questions about how to interpret Genesis &c. If only
human
beings were created with some goal beyiond the merely biological, & only
humans
are to be saved by Christ, then it's necessary to draw the line between
humans &
all other organisms very sharply. We're in, they're out.
But in fact the biblical picture of God's intention for creation is
much
broader than that. If we understand that God's care is for every living
thing,
& that the purpose of the work of Christ is the salvation of "the creation",
"all things" &c, then it's not necessary to draw that line so sharply. That
doesn't mean that _Homo sap_ is on the same level as every other species,
but
it's not the only one God cares about. God will save Neanderthals in a way
appropriate to "Neanderthalnis", chimps in a way appropriate to chimpness,
&c,
just as the result of God's salvific action for humans is that we will be
ultimately what God intends humans to be. & then we can let anthropology &
related sciences try to determine what the biological relationships between
_Homo sapiens_ & other species has been without theological constraints.
_____________________________
I had asked about the origin of this idea that "the purpose of the work of
Christ is the salvation of 'the creation',
'all things' &c," before, during our discussion about ET's, but without
response. Since it is now claimed that it is part of the "biblical
picture," I would like someone to cite a passage or two to back up that
concept.
As I had mentioned before, while we are assured that God's loving-kindness
extends to all living things on earth (and, perhaps, elsewhere), we are also
informed, in Hebrews, that even angels will not be eternally saved by "the
work of Christ."
Norm Woodward
Warner Robins Georgia
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