From: bivalve (bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com)
Date: Tue Jan 28 2003 - 15:09:50 EST
>I understand. I see your position to be one of special pleading of course. I have no problems with assuming that Jesus held the common knowledge of his times. But some folks do have a problem with that.<
I think it would be special pleading to invoke figurative language for every apparent difficulty (wiping out enemies, historical details, etc.). However, I see the expectation of strict scientific or social fact in the details of parables as unreasonable. Surely you do not accuse people today of geocentrism simply because they mention a sunrise.
Likewise, I do not think that the parable of the mustard seed tells us anything about whether Jesus held the common knowledge of His time on the subject of seeds. In fact, as far as scientific issues go, I suspect that He did not think about such things and thus cannot be said to accept nor reject common views on things like seed size, the age and shape of the earth, etc. At any rate, we are not told about His thoughts on such irrelevant topics.
Dr. David Campbell
Old Seashells
University of Alabama
Biodiversity & Systematics
Dept. Biological Sciences
Box 870345
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0345 USA
bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com
That is Uncle Joe, taken in the masonic regalia of a Grand Exalted Periwinkle of the Mystic Order of Whelks-P.G. Wodehouse, Romance at Droitgate Spa
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