Re: [asa] the Way Science Works/

Yes, clearly care is needed. I think the repeated comment that comes back
when I try to debate with YEC's is "where do you draw the line between
what's allegorical and what's literal history?". E.G. if Genesis 1 isn't
"true" (in the literal sense) what else isn't true, e.g. Abraham, Moses,
David, Jesus etc where do you draw the line? I'm never sure how best to
answer these worries.

But meanwhile .. we do things every day that mean something different from
the literal truth. When I click the send button it means that the mail will
be delivered. But that's not literally what happened - I clicked the mouse
button, the same one I'd click if (in the metaphorical sense) I'd clicked
the Send or the Discard button (with different meanings).

So "Clicked the Send button" is much more meaningful than "Clicked the mouse
button", and easier to understand than "Clicked the mouse button when a
pattern on the screen resembling and arrow moved over an area on the screen
resembling a button with the word "Send" written on it.

Iain

On 7/27/07, George Murphy <gmurphy@raex.com> wrote:
>
> Iain -
>
> There's a good deal of truth in what you say but care is needed. There's
> a big difference between saying (e.g.) that the resurrection of Jesus
> "means X" and saying "the accounts of the Easter appearances and the empty
> tomb mean X." The former makes sense if the resurrection is something that
> actually happened, but if it didn't then it's vacuous to say that it "means"
> anything. OTOH the stories can have a meaning even if they are not
> historical accounts.
>
> Shalom
> George
> http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/ <http://web.raex.com/%7Egmurphy/>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Iain Strachan <igd.strachan@gmail.com>
> *To:* drsyme@cablespeed.com
> *Cc:* asa@calvin.edu ; WENDEE HOLTCAMP <wholtcamp@comcast.net> ; George
> Cooper <georgecooper@sbcglobal.net>
> *Sent:* Friday, July 27, 2007 10:19 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [asa] the Way Science Works/
>
> A good (evangelical) friend of mine who is a lay preacher made the point
> to me that the word "myth" nowadays has negative connotations, implying just
> a made up fairy story. However the use of myths is to illustrate spiritual
> truths, rather than mere history. In other words, to state that the
> creation accounts are allegorical (and mythical) makes them MORE meaningful
> than mere history. However, in modern parlance the word "myth" just means
> "lie" ( e.g. how many times have you seen "10 myths about <xyz>
> debunked"). When understood properly, a mythical status of an account makes
> int more important.
>
> I'm also reminded of an industrial chaplain who used to visit a Christian
> group I attended, who said "in Jewish tradition, the important question is
> not 'did it happen?', but 'what does it mean?'". On reflection that seems to
> me to be the wisest thing I've heard on this whole debate.
>
> Iain
>
> On 7/27/07, drsyme@cablespeed.com <drsyme@cablespeed.com > wrote:
> >
> > What a fascinating sentence that is, probably more interesting than you
> > intended.
> >
> > First of all, what is the "traditional" view? I agree that there are
> > some interpretations of Genesis that are in conflict with science, but I am
> > not sure how traditional they are. And those who hold those views would
> > consider it anathema to "reinterpret" Genesis because it conflicts with
> > science. Those that hold this view would consider the science flawed, and
> > scripture as the only source of truth.
> >
> > Second, you used the word framework. Whether you realize it or not,
> > there is a biblical interpretation titled the "framework" view. It sees
> > Genesis more figuratively, but not as a fairly tale, and it does not
> > conflict with science. If you are not familiar with it the leading authors
> > of this view are Meredith Kline and Henri Blocher, among others.
> >
> >
> >
> > *On Fri Jul 27 9:18 , "George Cooper" sent:
> >
> > *
> >
> >
> > Since the traditionally viewed framework of Genesis is now
> > in conflict with science, reinterpretation is required. People who see it
> > as a fairy tale will certainly have little reason to take it seriously.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with "unsubscribe
> > asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
> >
>
>
>
> --
> -----------
> After the game, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.
>
> - Italian Proverb
> -----------
>
>

-- 
-----------
After the game, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.
- Italian Proverb
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