RE: RTB vs Dick Fischer

Hi George, you wrote:
 
>>I think you're omitting a critical point. Correct me if I'm wrong but
you started with the assumption that early Genesis had to be historical
narrative in more or less precise fashion & won't consider altering that
theological presupposition. Whether or not that assumption is correct
isn't the point now, but it does seem to be for you (& others) a
theological a priori.<<
 
Actually, no. I can't speak for others but I began by seeing elements
of the Neolithic Period in the Genesis narrative between Adam and the
flood. That led me to conclude that Adam entered the human race
downstream rather than at the beginning. That was the crux of my
apologetic device and that hasn't changed in twenty years. I also made
a mistake at the beginning which was in the 1986 Washington Post
article.
 
I thought the flood although local could have been early enough that all
the pre-Adamites perished in it, and that Noah taking his wife from the
indigenous population restarted humanity and thereby preserved the
antiquity of the human race through her bloodline.
 
I was well into writing the book when I discovered that the flood too
comes late, and most of the world's human population living at that time
was untouched by the flood. That stalled me out for about a year and a
half until a friend of mine pointed to an encyclopedia that showed a
parallel between Southern Mesopotamian culture and the Genesis
narrative. That started a quest for further information along the lines
of a possible connection.
 
What I came up with, much of which I have put on this forum over the
years, is a good case for the historical basis of early Genesis. So the
truth is I didn't have a preconception that Genesis had a historical
basis at the beginning. But by now I have amassed a wealth of data and
evidence in support of that. So you could say that I was guided by the
evidence.
 
Although, giving up my earlier "solution" was traumatic. I dropped out
of Seminary and nearly prayed a prayer of unsalvation asking Christ to
"get off my back." Stressful to say the least. But a new solution
emerged over time that was less eloquent perhaps, but entirely within
the bounds of what could be substantiated while taking a high view of
Scripture. It was a bumpy path, but in essence, I stayed on a learning
curve.
 
Quite frankly, this is what irritates me about Ross whom I contacted at
the very beginning. We exchanged phone conversations. He confided in
me that he spent three days with ICR to convince them of the age of the
earth. We know where that went. So I made him the same offer. I would
go to California and spend three days with him. Zilch. Now he's gotten
himself into a hole and won't stop digging.
 
It's very hard to deal with people whose attitude is: "Don't bother me
with facts, I got the truth."
 
Dick Fischer
Dick Fischer, Genesis Proclaimed Association
Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History
 <http://www.genesisproclaimed.org> www.genesisproclaimed.org
 
-----Original Message-----
From: George Murphy [mailto:gmurphy@raex.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 15, 2006 10:20 PM
To: Dick Fischer; ASA
Subject: Re: RTB vs Dick Fischer
 
Dick -
 
I think you're omitting a critical point. Correct me if I'm wrong but
you started with the assumption that early Genesis had to be historical
narrative in more or less precise fashion & won't consider altering that
theological presupposition. Whether or not that assumption is correct
isn't the point now, but it does seem to be for you (& others) a
theological a priori.
 
Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
----- Original Message -----
From: Dick <mailto:dickfischer@verizon.net> Fischer
To: ASA <mailto:asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Saturday, April 15, 2006 10:33 AM
Subject: RE: RTB vs Dick Fischer
 
................
When reality contradicts theology, theology must conform to reality. It
won't work the other way around. Had they known enough about
anthropology they might have reached a different conclusion. That was
my starting point. I studied anthropology and paleo-anthropology first,
and only then did I even read Genesis. Done in that order everything
fell into place. Admittedly, few people would do it that way.
 
Dick Fischer
Dick Fischer, Genesis Proclaimed Association
Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History
 <http://www.genesisproclaimed.org> www.genesisproclaimed.org
 
 
Received on Sun Apr 16 12:14:58 2006