JW Burgeson wrote:
>
> Wally: "Then why did the writers have this long list of "begats" and why did
> Luke cite them and why did Paul look upon Adam as a real person? "
>
> >From my POV, the long list of begats was simply part of the folk story.
> Meaningful to the ancient Hebrews to see from whence they came. Lke cited
> them either (1) for the same reason or (2) because he saw them as history.
> Paul (1) did not necessarily look on Adam as a real single person or (2) did
> so because that was the accepted history at the time.
Check on that last point. It is only factors _external_ to the Bible
that changed that and only in very recent times.
>
> "We do agree that Genesis has a great message to tell. We just see a
> different message."
>
> You seem to see the message of Gen 1-11 as being a lesson in history. I see
> it as a statement that (1) there is one God, (2) That God is Who created
> everything,(3) human beings are flawed -- fatally flawed. And there are
> other messages, but those three seem (to me) to be primary. And even if Gen
> 1-11 were historically and scientifically accutate, those messages appear to
> be of substantially more importance than any apparent historical or
> scientific information.
I agree with that (just for microsecond). However, if it isn't real
history, then the message has a questionable foundation.
>
> As I understand my ICR friend Duane Gish, and I've discussed this with him
> in face to face (friendly) meetings, he sees a literal Gen 1-11 as a belief
> foundational to Xtianity. Take that from him, and his relationship with God
> suffers -- perhaps even collapses. But, I argued with him, and now do with
> you, Xtianity is not a propositional (believe this or be dammed) religion
> but a confessional one. We are called (Acts 1) to be a witness, not a
> lawyer, much less a prosecutor.
Hey! I don't consider any of this discussion to be fundamental to
Christianity. They are just subjects of interest to both science and to
Christianity. But evangecals tend to be somehwat judgemental (IMO).
I thnk that it would be better for Gish to loose his faith than to have
it rest on that sort of thing. Perhaps then he could get into what the
relationship with God is all about.
I once knew a person who said that, if they create life in a test tube,
then he would no longer believe on God. I think that those sort belief
systems are really sad. Really really sad!
Walt
-- =================================== Walt Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>In any consistent theory, there must exist true but not provable statements. (Godel's Theorem)
You can only find the truth with logic If you have already found the truth without it. (G.K. Chesterton) ===================================
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