Re: [asa] RE: TE and apologetics

Hi Bernie,

You wrote: "If one wants to preach the gospel to an intellectual who accepts
science, one has to explain things like the nature and cause of sin. A
literal Adam could be dismissed as a joke, and everything else (the rest of
the gospel message) with it."

The cause of sin comes from within each one of us. The nature of sin is
that it spews evil into the world. What is the ultimate origin of sin? I
don't know the details and the beginning of wisdom comes when we acknowledge
how poor our sight is. All I do know is that it emanates from choice.

Of course, sin is a theological construct. A more "secular" way to describe
it, for an intellectual who accepts science, is corruption. The corrupt
nature of humanity can be objectively and subjectively known. And, if there
is no God, our species will go extinct, ironically, because of our science
(the tree of knowledge). If there is a God, our corruption is so deep that
salvation can only come from mercy. It is the Cross that draws; not the
splendor of Creation.

Y'see Bernie, I embraced evolution a long, long time ago. It poses no
obstacle for my Christian faith because that faith is rooted in things I
know and experience, for example, my freedom and the corruption of all
mankind. That's why the gospel resonated - only Christianity resonates with
what I know. To. This. Day. I used to be an atheist. There is nothing
down that road, which is why they live their lives around distractions.

Mike

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dehler, Bernie" <bernie.dehler@intel.com>
To: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 11:48 AM
Subject: RE: [asa] RE: TE and apologetics

> "If your gospel presentation is supposed to be evangelism, why should you
> be looking for a way to bring in evolution?"
>
> If one wants to preach the gospel to an intellectual who accepts science,
> one has to explain things like the nature and cause of sin. A literal
> Adam could be dismissed as a joke, and everything else (the rest of the
> gospel message) with it.
>
> YEC's have a story for original sin, etc. BillyG skips it all, and just
> starts with sin (not mentioning how it arose, if he is open to biological
> evolution). Same skip with with Bill Bright and "The Four Spiritual Laws"
> tract. If there's not an alternative story from a TE, matching the fervor
> of YEC, then it can't compete on the evangelism front. Therefore YEC wins
> at evangelism because they have a complete story and fervor. But then
> again, they can't maintain the hold on the convert because the convert
> might eventually adopt evolution and become TE.
>
> So maybe the course is for the TE to let YEC's handle conversion, then
> pick up the recruit after conversion to bring them to maturity.
> Therefore, for a TE game plan, skip any emphasis on conversion (let the
> YEC's out front do it... charismatics and pentecostals doing the work),
> and instead focus on maturity (growth).
>
> ...Bernie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
> Behalf Of gordon brown
> Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 3:00 PM
> To: asa@calvin.edu
> Subject: RE: [asa] RE: TE and apologetics
>
> On Thu, 17 Sep 2009, Dehler, Bernie wrote:
>
>> YEC's involved in evangelism have a story for how sin entered the world
>> and tie it in to a gospel presentation. I was wondering how an
>> evolutionist could tie evolution into a gospel presentation, and if any
>> evangelists have done it, to give a alternative to the Ken Ham evangelism
>> approach. It seems like the alternative to the Ham approach is to be
>> agnostic- not mention where/how sin arose, just start with "we are
>> sinners."
>>
>
> If your gospel presentation is supposed to be evangelism, why should you
> be looking for a way to bring in evolution?
>
> Gordon Brown (ASA member)
>
>
> To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
> "unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
>
>
> To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
> "unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.13.105/2380 - Release Date: 09/18/09
07:49:00

To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
Received on Fri Sep 18 22:46:54 2009