Re: [asa] Designed Kangaroos?

Thank you George. And, I think we have to be very careful about "scoffing"
at the notion of the fall. Let's remember that throughout Church history,
most Christians did indeed believe that "a real man and a real woman ate a
piece of fruit they weren't supposed to." Let's also remember that, however
exactly we take that narrative todayin terms of its precise historiography,
it is the narrative God gave us in the Bible concerning human rebellion
against God. We need to treasure the fact that God gave us this picture,
rather than make fun of it.

On 7/28/07, George Murphy <gmurphy@raex.com> wrote:
>
> While Genesis 3 should not be read as historical narrative, & while of
> course not all death, suffering &c can be attributed to "the fall," we get
> into difficulties if we make the story *only *a theological statement
> about our own sinfulness. The question of an origin of sin in the first
> humans has to be dealt with - otherwise we're likely to be in the position
> of saying that human nature itself is "sinful and disobedient" and that
> therefore God is the creator of sin. Gen.3 is indeed a theological
> statement about the fact that all human beings sin, and thus about the fact
> that the first humans (whoever & whenever & wherever they were) sinned.
> Again I'll refer to my recent PSCF article at
> http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2006/PSCF6-06Murphy.pdf .
>
>
> Shalom
> George
> http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Iain Strachan <igd.strachan@gmail.com>
> *To:* David Opderbeck <dopderbeck@gmail.com>
> *Cc:* Michael Roberts <michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk> ; Peter Loose<peterwloose@compuserve.com>;
> asa@calvin.edu
> *Sent:* Saturday, July 28, 2007 1:56 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [asa] Designed Kangaroos?
>
>
> I found the following explanation rather more helpful:
>
> *I cannot anyhow be contented to view this wonderful universe, and
> especially the nature of man, and to conclude that everything is the result
> of brute force.* *I am inclined to look at everything as resulting from
> designed laws, with the details, whether good or bad, left to the working
> out of what we may call chance.
>
> Darwin - letter to Asa Gray - (1860)
>
> I*t would of course take too long to give a full explanation as to why God
> allows bad things to happen. But I can't accept that it was _literally_ due
> to one historical woman and her husband eating a piece of fruit. My example
> was to show how unacceptable a literal interpretation is. The account is
> clearly an allegory of our own sinful and disobedient nature and our need
> for salvation.
>
> If we give cosy examples of God "designing kangaroos for jumping" then we
> get a good feeling, but if we think about God designing tigers expressly for
> ripping gazelles apart then it's not so easy.
>
> Anyway - I'm off on holiday, so won't be responding for a while.
>
> Iain*
> *
> On 7/28/07, David Opderbeck <dopderbeck@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > So what is your explanation Iain? Does this help?
> >
> > On 7/27/07, Iain Strachan < igd.strachan@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 7/27/07, Michael Roberts < michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I don't see design and evolution in contradiction but I would want
> > > > to ask why God designed the Ebola virus.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > Trivial. God designed the Ebola virus because a real man and a real
> > > woman ate a piece of fruit that they weren't supposed to in 4004BC.
> > >
> > > Really, Michael, you lack of knowledge is truly shocking!
> > >
> > > Maybe what's more shocking to some is that I don't believe my
> > > explanation.
> > >
> > > [ Ducks to avoid hail of rotten fruit ].
> > >
> > > Iain
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> -----------
> After the game, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.
>
> - Italian Proverb
> -----------
>
>

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Received on Sat Jul 28 11:28:33 2007