Re: [asa] Ireneaus and "Good"

At 11:32 AM 9/6/2007, David Opderbeck wrote:

>Following is a clip from a letter in the current "Science and
>Christian Belief." Does anyone know where to find this reference to Ireneaus?
>
>However, there is a Christian tradition which goes back to Ireneaus
>in the late second century AD (well before modern science)
>that sees in Genesis 1-3 evidence that God did not intend the Garden
>of Eden, let alone the world as a whole, to be a paradise for
>pampered pets, but rather a training ground for the development of
>moral and spiritual beings. In this context the traditional
>'freewill defence' argument in theodicy, which also goes back before
>the modern scientific understanding of the origin of the world, has
>been able to see a place for such things as earthquakes and disease
>in God's purpose.

@ George answered your question on that score, so I'll remind you of
a recent thread where that subject was being discussed on the ASA
list back in February, to wit:

QUOTE: "...Additionally, in specifying that the sun and moon are to
rule over the day and over the night" [Genesis 1:18] God appears to
be granting a certain measure of freedom to them. .... " [~ Page
7] "Augustine defined evil as "the privation of good"
.." Irenaeus ..built a theodicy upon the idea that good
is dependent upon a certain amount of evil for its existence.."
[Page 4]: http://www.rustyparts.com/upload/natural_evil.pdf ] "It
seem to me that the "free-process defense" [John Polkinghorne] is
most satisfying answer to me, at least for the moment." ~ Johan
Jammart 09:20 AM 2/26/2007 Re: [asa] Asteroid
Apophis http://www.calvin.edu/archive/asa/200702/0477.html

Other items that may be of interest:

"Saint Judas -[ the best friend Jesus ever had] - step right up to
the Gates, ring that bell, and don your halo -- you the man."
http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/006301.php

"....a gross confusion that simply invites cool people not to take
religion seriously. .." And the Cool Became Flesh, and Dwelt Among Us
- Friday, September 07, 2007 http://tinyurl.com/2ardsc

~ Janice

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Received on Fri Sep 7 11:28:53 2007