Re: Benjamin Wiker on ID

From: George Murphy (gmurphy@raex.com)
Date: Wed Apr 09 2003 - 11:04:05 EDT

  • Next message: Josh Bembenek: "Re: Benjamin Wiker on ID"

    Josh Bembenek wrote:
    >
    > George-
    >
    > "God's presence & activity in nature is to be perceived by viewing
    > scientific discoveries in the light of revelation, not by trying to deduce
    > it them from scientific data independently of revelation."
    >
    > The subject of Romans 1:18-20 is NOT a believer detecting God through nature
    > IN LIGHT of REVELATION. God is revealed "against all the Godlessness and
    > wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness." These surely
    > are not believers deepening their walk with Christ by interpreting the
    > nature of creation through revelation.
    >
    > The question remains, what aspects of nature do you believe Romans refers to
    > as a directive toward God's invisible qualities -his eternal power and
    > divine nature for all men?

            Paul is NOT arguing here for natural theology. He says that people should be
    able to know God in creation but that they distort this knowledge and worship idols.
    This is the beginning of 2 chapters in which he sets out the universal problem of sin.
    & when he's finished making that case at 3:20 he doesn't say, "OK, now let's go back and
    do natural theology correctly." Instead he immediately turns to what God has done in
    Christ.
            The attempt to know God from nature, independently of revelation, usually
    results in the construction of idols - of which the Intelligent Designer or the God who
    "left his fingerprints all over the evidence" may be examples.

                                                    Theologia naturalis delenda est!
                                                    George

    George L. Murphy
    gmurphy@raex.com
    http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

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