Fw: Who's Burden of Proof?

(Was off list by mistake)

Dave wrote:
>Oops! This assumes that God cannot know or cannot control the outcome of
>what we see as natural selection. I contend that this requires making a
>god (not God) in our image. If done deliberately, it's idolatry.

 This brings up my earlier point about a kenotic designer. I'd appreciate
 some comments from the theologians in the group. One of the consistent
 themes of incarnation schemes is the idea of kenosis. In incarnations God
 accepts, in some fashion, the limitations of mundane reality. Now I
realize
 that typically kenosis refers the self emptying of the second person of the
 trinity in the incarnation. However, there are examples of non-Christian
 theologies that also posit the self-limitation of the Creator. The most
 current example of this is process theology. Now I think there a major
 problems with the process picture of God, but the view that the Creator is,
 in some sense, self limiting in this reality does have merits in the S/R
 dialog.

 My question for Christian theology is whether this idea that God's ongoing
creative activity could also be considered kenotic as well. This would mean
that in some respect the results of design changes might not be totally
known to God at least in some aspect. This would also fit well with a God
who creates within natural mutation and selection.

 Steve Petermann
Received on Sat Nov 29 18:35:48 2003