Re: Fwd: RE: [asa] Eschatology WAS Ecological and Environmental Ethics Conference CFP

Lynn,

I appreciate the fact that we should focus on the gospel and do not mean to take anything away from that. But Jesus' teaching on future events was for a reason and I believe we ought to try to see the meaning He intended there. As we have discussed before on this list, Jesus' admonition of coming false prophets implies that there would also be true prophets. I think the responsibility is on us to seek this truth as we do the truth in science apologetics.

If God inspired Hebrew scribes to write about future events 2000 years ago and we are seeing them come to pass then I think that is worthy of mention. Not only because it is relevant but it is something that is of great interest to the world and seekers. Agreed there has been abuse and error in this regard in the past but that is not sufficient justification to abandon it. We don't let Ken Ham ruin science apologetics for us, why should we allow Hal Lindsay or Tim LaHaye or your favorite pop eschatologist ruin the truth of prophecy that God chose to reveal to us in His ministry and His word?

Thanks

John

--- On Thu, 1/22/09, Lynn Braband <lab45@cornell.edu> wrote:

> From: Lynn Braband <lab45@cornell.edu>
> Subject: Fwd: RE: [asa] Eschatology WAS Ecological and Environmental Ethics Conference CFP
> To: asa@calvin.edu
> Date: Thursday, January 22, 2009, 3:37 PM
> On this topic, I have concluded that the Church has a poor
> record of trying to figure out the details of our Lord's
> return but has a good record of applying the Gospel in
> improving societies. I thus seek to focus on the latter.
> Concerning the Gospel, I recently came across an interesting
> essay. Yesterday, I sent the following excerpts to my adult
> children.
>
> >
> > Following is from an essay by Scot McKnight who
> teaches at North Park. He contrasts the "little
> gospel" with the "robust gospel". The essay
> is being discussed in a Sunday School class at Rochester
> Christian Reformed Church.
> >
> > "The little gospel creates individuals who
> volunteer to attend church on the basis of their preferences
> in worship, friendships, sermons, and programs."
> >
> > "The church is not an institution that provides
> benefits for individual Christians so they can carry on
> their personal relationship with God until that church can
> no longer provide what they need. Instead, the church is the
> focus of God's redemptive work on earth in the present
> age."
> >
> > "My physician tells me that the way I live during
> this decade will shape the way I live in the next decade.
> Likewise, the way we preach the gospel in this decade will
> shape the church of the next. A more robust gospel now will
> mean a more robust church for the next generation."
>
>
>
>
> >
> > Bernie,
> >
> > Thanks for the link and the excuse to discuss this
> because I have been dying to and agree it is worth
> struggling with. BTW the article starts at
> https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/october25/9tc082.html?start=1.
> >
> > I personally reject this spiritualized Christian
> "manifest destiny" that says man is going to be
> around forever. I think there is an end to the prophetic
> timetable and it doesn't take a prophecy teacher to see
> that we are getting close. I know there have been many in
> previous generations that said the same but they served a
> purpose and I believe God worked it out so that each
> generation would get a glimpse of this and that kept the
> faith alive and passed down to the next generation.
> Obviously also as we see from the article's author too
> much of an obession on this can be counterproductive but it
> is just as foolish to dismiss it out of hand as well.
> >
> > A friend of mine who is now a missionary in Tanzania
> got saved from reading Hal Lindsay's book and I remember
> my dad reading it as well when I was a kid and I saw it
> around the house and years later eventually ended up reading
> it myself, and it left a profound spiritual impact on me
> also just like the author.
> >
> > But why is this generation any different? I think if
> you take Revelation and filter out all the symbolism of the
> vials and bowls and angels and stars and scorpions etc and
> distill it down to only one reasonably testable and
> objective statement "that no man might buy or sell,
> save he that had the mark", then it should be obvious
> that we are now close to this being able to be fulfilled and
> that we never were before.
> >
> > For you skeptics let me ask a simple question, why do
> devices such as this even exist
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VeriChip ? Why would the man
> of mind even come up with this idea if it was not in
> relation to the fulfillment of this prophecy? Closer to
> home I was at an Arby's fast food restaurant the other
> day and at the cash register I noticed a "fast
> pass" type scanner that would allow me to pay for my
> meal by just scanning my debit bob if I had one. Why do I
> need that? Is my cashless debit card not
> > good enough? Why do I need a cashless proximity reader
> as well? And then once we are conditioned to that, then we
> will hear that we need to have it embedded so we won't
> lose it or to finally eliminate identity theft etc.
> >
> > Finally, by working backwards from what I consider to
> be the final and climactic point of all creation, the cosmic
> spiritual battle between good and evil in the form of God
> and Satan, what is more consistent than Satan trying to
> achieve his ultimate goal of his rebellion by trying to
> extort worship from God's created humanity through
> financial control? I think it is the obvious teaching of
> Revelation and consistent with the teaching of the rest of
> scripture and also correlated with what we see in current
> events as well.
> >
> > To me all this is just way too coincidental. I
> won't say it is tomorrow or next year or even next
> generation but I do think we are seeing an undeniable
> fulfillment of this non-symbolic tidbit if revelation that
> reliably allows us to date where we are on the prophetic
> calendar and I think it is getting pretty close.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > John
> > --- On Wed, 1/21/09, Dehler, Bernie
> <bernie.dehler@intel.com> wrote:
> >
> >> From: Dehler, Bernie
> <bernie.dehler@intel.com>
> >> Subject: RE: [asa] Ecological and Environmental
> Ethics Conference CFP
> >> To: "asa@calvin.edu"
> <asa@calvin.edu>
> >> Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 2:13 PM
> >> "future prospects and/or eschatological
> outlooks"
> >> I think that's a big one, because I think the
> >> evangelical Christian community at large thinks
> the
> >> end-of-the-world is coming very soon, contrasted
> with
> >> scientists who think we could live on Earth for a
> few
> >> million years if we take care of this place.
> This is a
> >> massive divergence in future outlook. Does
> planning for the
> >> long-term future- a few million years in advance-
> >> demonstrate that one doesn't take the
> teachings of the
> >> Bible seriously? That is a good issue to
> struggle with, I
> >> think. Try explaining the possibility that
> humans may be
> >> around for a million years to Christians like Hal
> Lindsey,
> >> his followers, and other Christian leaders with
> the same
> >> idea (like all the preachers on TBN for one
> group?). RE:
> >> article about end-time preachers and their
> effect:
> >>
> https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/october25/9tc082.html?start=5
> >> .
> >> ...Bernie
> >> ________________________________
> >> From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu
> >> [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of
> Nancy
> >> Halliday
> >> Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 9:28 AM
> >> To: asa@calvin.edu
> >> Subject: [asa] Ecological and Environmental
> Ethics
> >> Conference CFP
> >>
> >>
> >> Ecological and Environmental Ethics Conference
> >>
> >> Keynotes include Dr. Larry Rasmussen and Dr. J.
> Matthew
> >> Sleeth. See http://ossf.snu.edu for more
> information on the
> >> conference.
> >>
> >> Call for Papers (CFP)
> >>
> >> Science has determined that modern human
> civilization is
> >> detrimentally affecting local environments and
> the global
> >> climate. Scientists seek solutions to solve the
> pressing
> >> problems. In addition, society must make ethical
> decisions
> >> in discerning a proper course of action in caring
> for the
> >> environment and maintaining sustainable
> ecosystems for
> >> future generations. Numerous issues may inform
> ecological
> >> and environmental ethical decision-making within
> religious
> >> communities, including those with a
> Judeo-Christian
> >> perspective. Ethical decisions may incorporate:
> global
> >> stewardship; practical paradigms in making
> ethical
> >> decisions; community models and organizational
> paradigms
> >> that reflect environmentally ethical decisions;
> lessons from
> >> earth's ancient past; future prospects and/or
> >> eschatological outlooks; the role of humans in
> the
> >> biosphere; and social and ecological justice.
> These
> >> dimensions are not exhaustive and additional
> perspectives
> >> are solicited to inform ecological and
> environmental ethical
> >> decision-making.
> >>
> >> Please direct questions to Mark Winslow at
> >> mwinslow@snu.edu. Send abstracts of 250-500 words
> to
> >> mwinslow@snu.edu (Mark Winslow) by February 16,
> 2009.
> >> Abstracts received will be evaluated in a
> double-blind peer
> >> review process. Presenters whose papers are
> selected will be
> >> eligible for a nominal travel stipend to be
> announced before
> >> March 2, 2009.
> >>
> >> Undergraduates: OSSF also encourages and welcomes
> >> presentations from undergraduate students. The
> conference
> >> will include an undergraduate breakout session in
> which
> >> presentations and papers will be judged. While a
> travel
> >> stipend is not available for undergraduates,
> first, second,
> >> and third place will receive cash awards of $300,
> $200 and
> >> $100 respectively. Each presenter will also
> receive a
> >> certificate. Please follow the guidelines in the
> CFP above
> >> (abstracts are due February 16, 2009 and students
> selected
> >> for presentation will be notified by March 2,
> 2009).
> >>
> >>
> >> Talent is a gift - Excellence is a choice.
> >>
> > > Nancy Halliday, Ph.D.
> >> Professor of Biology
> >> Chair, Division of Science & Math
> >> Chair, Pre-Health Advisory Committee
> >> Southern Nazarene University
> >> 6729 NW 39th Expressway
> >> Bethany, OK 73008
> >>
> >> Phone: 405-491-6657
> >> Fax: 405-491-6689
> >>
> >> Matthew 22:37
> >
> >
> >
> > To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu
> with
> > "unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of
> the message.
>
>
> -- Lynn Braband
> NYS Community IPM Program at Cornell University
> 249 Highland Avenue
> Rochester, NY 14620-3036
> (585) 461-1000 ext. 241
> FAX (585) 442-7577
>
> The value of democracy is that we keep an eye on each
> other.
> Attributed to C. S. Lewis
>
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Received on Thu Jan 22 18:40:15 2009