Re: RFEP and the Heartl of Christianity

From: Dick Fischer (dickfischer@earthlink.net)
Date: Thu Sep 18 2003 - 12:05:30 EDT

  • Next message: Howard J. Van Till: "Re: RFEP and the Heart of Christianity"

    Richard wrote:

    >Questions for Howard and the supporters of RFEP:
    >
    >I am still hoping for an explanation of how we are to understand basic
    >Christian doctrines in light of the RFEP. It seems to eviscerate all the
    >fundamental doctrines like Election, Virgin Birth, Prophecy, the
    >Incarnation, Miracles of Christ and the Resurrection.
    >
    >1) How did Mary get pregnant "by the Holy Ghost" if God doesn't "confer form?"
    >
    >2) How was Christ resurrected "by the glory of the Father" (Rom 6.4) if
    >God doesn't go about "coercing" dead matter?
    >
    >3) What does "the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" (Acts
    >2.23) mean under RFEP?
    >
    >4) What is the meaning of the Incarnation if God never directly
    >manipulates matter?
    >
    >5) Is Scripture simply wrong when it asserts Christ healed the blind man
    >(John 9). This seems to be the necessary conclusion of RFEP because that
    >event clearly involved coercion of matter by God incarnate.
    >
    >These are exceedingly important questions. I look forward to the answers
    >(which presumably have already been worked out, given that Howard has been
    >interacting with Christians on this list for some years now.)

    Here, of course, is the rub. If even biblically-documented miracles are
    eliminated due to how we do our science, are we not denigrating the sacred
    text which is foundational to our Christian faith?

    Can there be some middle-ground position that fully respects God's acts in
    the Bible as being outside the bounds of natural laws, especially the
    resurrection, while leaving natural life processes to the impersonal acts
    of nature?

    Christ's acts of healing were to prove His authenticity. He was empowered
    to act on the behalf of God to show He had the authority. If we reduced
    His acts to those of a mere magician, then who was He really?

    RFEP may look good on paper to a scientist, but it stretches the fabric of
    our Christian faith, in my humble estimation.

    Dick Fischer - Genesis Proclaimed Association
    Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History
    www.genesisproclaimed.org

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