[asa] Re: ASA Newsletter

A comment on the thread:

If you guys cannot agree on how Christianity in general can be promoted in
Africa then how on earth can you deal with what the ASA might have to
contribute in Africa? Seems to me some more fundamental work has to be
done here.

So if a group of Christians in science cannot form a consensus on this then
the last thing that is needed is the input from a bunch of atheists who
want to mix it up in the middle of their conversation.

On Sat, Sep 5, 2009 at 10:25 PM, David Clounch <david.clounch@gmail.com>wrote:

> ASA members,
>
> Regarding the issues raised pertaining to Africa, my feeling is those
> sorts of matters really are of concern to ASA members only.
> Probably many members will disagree with me. Its just that when it comes
> to strategies for outreach and mission it seems to me you have to get you
> ducks in a row before starting to catch grenades.
>
> As far as the ASA doing basic apologetics for Christianity in general, I'm
> not against the ASA doing that. I'm just surprised the ASA has to do it at
> all. It just seems slightly misplaced. (So if I am wrong here, please
> tell me so.) Is it not true there are many many other venues that perform
> that function? Would it not be more appropriate for someone with questions
> or challenges to Christianity itself to go to a more appropriate venue? I
> am ambivalent about that. I never had the expectation that it is the ASA
> that had the answers in this area. Or the charter to develop those
> answers. I suspect the enemies of Christianity do not really want answers.
> Are they really trying to understand, or are they are just making trouble
> and trying to distract?
>
> My personal opinion is it is far more important for us to dialog with
> Muslims, for example, than it is to dialog with atheists. We have something
> in common with Muslims, and Muslims are far more likely to ask a question
> that gives them insight into Christianity than is any westernized atheist.
> In fact I would suspect the entire population of China and the old Soviet
> Union makes for better dialog than do western atheists. The same goes for
> non-believing Africa.
>
> So, if we are going to have to regurgitate CS Lewis's moral argument for
> God's existence, and that sort of thing, etc,
> ad nauseum, perhaps we should do it in a form that is more likely to be
> digested by those who are really trying to understand?
>
> Dave C (ASA member)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
Received on Mon Sep 7 12:57:20 2009