Re: I wasn't "discounting" Glenn's story or his questions

At 05:40 PM 24/10/2004 -0700, Bill Yates wrote:
>Roger--
>
>"Drivel" is pretty strong. Moorad did not say that we will know all about
>nature in this lifetime, or ever here on Earth. One day we believers will
>be in Heaven. There are going to be a lot of bruised foreheads as we hit
>our hands to our heads as we say, "Oh! So that's how you did it, God!"
>
>Blessings,
>
>--Bill Yates

Ever since we have this opportunity we have from time to time these
discussions. I do believe that all, or at least most of us are Bible
believing Christians, so when I write things with which several of you do
not agree, do not immediately conclude that I don't read the Bible
properly. In 1988 the Christian Reformed Church appointed a committee to
study the Creation-Evolution controversy. The report we wrote may be found
in the Acts of Synod of the Christian Reformed Church 1991. It is a long
report: pp.367 - 413. (One of the members added another 20 pages, which
the rest of us did not sign, mostly, I think, because signing that would
add many more pages to the report, and not all of us could sign everything
he said.) I tell this to assure all of you that this is not the first time
that I thought about these matters.

The discussions which have been going on for several weeks again, and will
than return next year, and than again the year after. However, some of the
arguments of other years have not been mentioned again yet, So, I will do
so now:

1. The Bible is originally written in Hebrew and Greek. Translators do
their utmost to translate properly, but all have a certain philosophical
background, which influences their translation, mostly
unknowingly. Consequently words are not always translated the same
way. An example from early Genesis: the word ("nephesh") translated in
Gen. 1: 20 by "living being" is translated in Gen.2:7 by "living
soul". More examples may be found. Translating is very much influenced by
the time we live in, and than assuming certain things about a time we know
nothing about.
2. We will indeed know more on the new earth, but we do not go to
heaven. According to ! Thess.4:17 the dead will rise first, after that "we
who are still alive" will meet the Lord in the air" and then we will always
be with Him. It does not say that the dead come with the Lord from heaven.
3. The Lord spoke in a language the people at that time could understand in
their situation. That means they did not have any universities, nor any
geographical understanding. To assume that the Lord would talk to them in
our language is not only unrealistic, it cannot be true either. So talking
about thousands or millions of years to people who cannot read or write
does not make sense.
4. Also, to talk about a "globe" on which we live, when people see only
flat country ahead of them in the time that nobody ever tried to show the
world is round by going west all the time, and then coming home from the
other side, is trying to read our lives into circumstances of 6000 or more
years ago. It cannot be done.
5. Then, thinking that the numbers mentioned in the Bible mean the same
thing as we do, is unrealistic, and cannot be true. The size of Jericho
was so small that accepting that the numbers in the early books of the
Bible mean the same thing as we think when we use these numbers is unrealistic.
6. Basing one's conclusions on translations is always dangerous. More so,
when the circumstances of the places and times are unknown to us.
7. In connection with some points mentioned above: we do not know what
"time" is as a fourth dimension, even when we use it as a "fourth dimension."
8. Just in case anyone doubts: Jesus died for the sins of all those who
accept Him as their Saviour, mine as well.

More could , and should probably, be said. These things should be studied,
but basically; study first some Christian philosophy; or, get rid of your
modern philosophies which are crowding other thinking out. A necessity of
good Christian education is studying a Christian philosophy. That is why I
am in favour of a Christian education from Kindergarten to University.

Jan de Koning
Received on Mon Oct 25 13:57:20 2004