Stephen Jones wrote:
"I keep asking the same question. If God can intervene directly and
supernaturally in human history (against a general background of normal,
regular, historical process), why cannot God intervene directly in
biological history (against a general background of normal, regular,
biological process)?"
Glenn Morton responded:
"I think God didn't need to get involved in biological life regularly. I
think he was smart enough to program the information into the fabric of
the universe from the start."
Stephen responded:
Again, it's not a question of God being "smart enough". We are agreed
that God is omniscient. It's a question of why God cannot intervene
if He choses to. According to Christianity God *has* intervened in
human history (eg. Exodus, Incarnation, Pentecost, etc). On your
reasoning this would seem to be an admission that He was not "smart
enough" to "program" the "information" that determines human history
"from the start"?
And later adds:
"I am not clear if God has any more part to play in this "system"
Glenn. If He has, please indicate what it is. If He doesn't, how is
your position any different from Deism, where God winds the universe
up like a clock and then lets it run itself according to the rules
built into the clockwork mechanism?"
There is more to this in a subsequent post, but this is enough for my
purpose.
While I agree that a real difference of opinion is being discussed here,
let me respectfully suggest that this really has no meaning, for a very
simple reason: We say God is "omnipresent", which (I believe) possesses
*temporal* as well as spatial content. Does this not call into question
any real distinction between God acting "smart enough" in the remote past
and God intervene "directly in biological history"?
I realize the nasty word "deism" is potentially raised in the former, but
a God who could send his Son - when the time was right - some two thousand
years ago - as the "Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world" -
has very clearly shown his interest in mankind, beyond any reasonable
doubt. Moreover, when juxtaposed in this way, we clearly see God acting
*in a single event* both in the remote past and in history. So I suggest
to Stephen and Glenn, that you shake hands, and rest up for your next
battle :-); the present battle is "much ado about nothing". (With an
"invitation" like that, perhaps you two might prefer to join forces - and
show me my error of thought. :-))
Gordie