Re: [asa] YEC social dynamics

I will now update this. Following the action of its Australian
counterpart, the AiG in NZ is now Creation Ministries International.
Last year they split from AiG-USA. This year CMI sponsored a visit to
Australia and New Zealand by Don De Young (see another thread). I should
probably not have lumped the Brethren with the other denominations I named.
Don

gordon brown wrote:

>On Tue, 5 Sep 2006, Gregory Arago wrote:
>
>
>
>>In attempt to open up the question of 'what does it take?' perhaps it would help to try internationalizing the discussion and this could shed light on what is particular about the phenomenon of YEC belief in the United States. There are people from other countries who visit this list, and surely many of those who dialogue here have colleagues in other countries. Why not ask them, especially scientifically minded or scholarly Christians, how YEC beliefs differ in their respective countries, where traditions of science and religion discourse are uniquely non-American.
>>
>>
>>
>
>I had communication last year with Don Nield concerning this question as
>it relates to New Zealand. See the attached message.
>
>Gordon Brown
>Department of Mathematics
>University of Colorado
>Boulder, CO 80309-0395
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>From d.nield@auckland.ac.nz Tue Sep 5 11:55:29 2006
>Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 14:13:25 +1200
>From: Don Nield <d.nield@auckland.ac.nz>
>To: gordon brown <gbrown@euclid.Colorado.EDU>
>Subject: YEC in NZ
>
>Gordon:
>Nice to hear from you!. I hope that you enjoyed your trip to NZ!
>
> Until a decade ago YEC was not strong in NZ, in my experience. There
>was one Kiwi who was then active in evangelism. His name is Lewis
>Meyer. He has a BSc in biochemistry, and his wife has an MSc. He now
>works full time as an evangelist. He published his own booklet and for
>some years he has distributed this to secondary school students
>(outside school hours). We have had regular visits from an Australian
>geologist named John McKay. There have been a few other other
>individuals involved -- one of whom is responsible for the creation
>museum that has only recently come to my knowledge. We had our share of
>visits by Gish.
>
>However, in recent years Answers in Genesis has made major inroads.
>Their magazine has been widely distributed in NZ. They run a bookshop
>in Auckland. They have an organiser, Adrian Bates who I believe is
>employed full time by AiG. He speaks at meetings up and down the
>country, supported by visiting Australians (one of whom, Sarfati, gained
>his degrees at a NZ university (Victoria University of Wellington) and
>the occasional US or German (I have Gitt in mind) visitor.
>
>In my own denomination (Presbyterian) there are only a few congregations
>who invite YEC speakers. I think that the same applies to the Baptists,
>Anglicans, Methodists and Roman Catholics. However, in the Churches of
>Christ, Brethren and some other pentecostal churches YEC is stongly
>supported.
>
>If you go to the AiG website and choose "New Zealand" as your residence
>you can get info on AiG activity in NZ.
>
>You have my permission to post this message to ASA members if you wish to.
>
>Don
>
>
>
>gordon brown wrote:
>
>
>
>>On Sat, 11 Jun 2005, Don Nield wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>On the NZ scene, a booklet with the title "In the Beginning: Three Views
>>>on Creation and Science" has just been published. The 3 views are YEC,
>>>IDT, TE. The 3 authors wrote 6000 words each, exchanged documents, and
>>>wrote 2000 more words each. I contributed the TE view. My closure
>>>section included the following:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>Don,
>>
>>What is your sense of how the strength of the young earth creationism
>>movement in Christian circles in New Zealand compares with that found in
>>other countries?
>>
>>I was in New Zealand the last week of May and the first three days of
>>June. I noticed the words Creation Museum on an unimpressive looking
>>roadside building I passed about thirty minutes drive north of Dunedin.
>>This is what got me to wondering about the YEC influence in NZ.
>>
>>Gordon Brown
>>Department of Mathematics
>>University of Colorado
>>Boulder, CO 80309-0395
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

-- 
Donald A. Nield
Associate Professor, Department of Engineering Science
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142, NEW ZEALAND
ph  +64 9 3737599 x87908 
fax +64 9 3737468
Courier address: 70 Symonds Street, Room 235 or 305
d.nield@auckland.ac.nz
http://www.esc.auckland.ac.nz/People/Staff/dnie003/
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