>How many times do we have to hear this tired "I'm an oil man" story? This is
>simply another variation of the "I'm an expert, don't dare criticize" defense
>which seeks to bolster claims by keeping critics at bay. Have I asked you how
>many philosophers you've examined, or whether you've done doctoral work in
>theology?
It appears to me that you are reading attitudes into Glenn's remarks that
Glenn didn't intend. No one can master all fields, and the issue of
origins is particularly difficult because it has implications for a variety
of fields, including Glenn's field of geology. If every individual had to
master all fields that impacted what he needed to to do to live his life, I
daresay most of us would be living in thatched shelters in the woods,
eating berries. But specialization enables me to benefit from someone
else's knowledge without mastering that knowledge. It seems to me Glenn
was simply trying to offer his own insights from his field of expertise.
As a Christian, you have legitimate concerns about issues like evolution
that seem to touch on how we interpret and understand Scripture. Clearly
you have reason to be suspicious of the Carl Sagans and the Richard
Dawkinses of the world who are avowed atheists and have axes to grind when
they claim that naturalism is the only viable philosohphy and it refutes
theism. So do I. The obvious solution is for Christians to encourage some
of their own -- people whose Christian testimony we trust -- to study the
problematic fields and then rely on them to help us understand the issues
from a scientific point of view and to help us integrate what they have
learned with our understanding of Scripture. Glenn has done just that, as
have other Christians. But you seem to be condemning their conclusions
because they don't match what you expected. I don't understand.
Bill Hamilton | Vehicle Systems Research
GM R&D Center | Warren, MI 48090-9055
810 986 1474 (voice) | 810 986 3003 (FAX)