On Thu, 21 Sep 1995 13:40:21 -0500 you wrote:
SC>One must be very careful here. The attempt to provide a
>naturalistic explanation for the origin of life, etc is fraught with
>all the potential weaknesses that accompany human efforts. But then,
>biblical interpretation is also a human endeavor and also is fraught
>with human limitations. In both cases, the way human limitations
>affect knowledge need to be considered.
That goes without saying. I agree completely.
SC>I keep pointing to the Galileo affair as an example that having
>"good Biblical grounds" for a certain version of nature, is not a guarantee
>that one has truthful knowledge.
As I understand it, "the Galileo affair" had very little to do with
the Bible and more to do with Roman Catholic philosophical theology.
The Protestant Reformers were much more Biblical and they had no
problem with Galileo.
SC>When biblical interpretation of nature conflicts with an accepted
>naturalistic explanation, it does not mean that the naturalistic
>interpretation is incorrect, NOR does it mean that the Biblical
>interpretation is correct.
Again I agree.
SC>I submit that the conclusion you come to in your statement above,
>reflects a bias of supernaturalism.
Indeed, I am a card-carrying "supernaturalist"! :-) But I don't think
"bias" is the right word. I am prepared to accept the "supernatural"
if the evidence points to it and there is good theological reasons
to expect it, eg. origin of universe, origin of life, origin of
life's major groups. I would think that is being open-minded, and the
"bias" is those who refuse to even consider the supernatural.
SC>I also remind you that your conclusion here is exactly the
>opposite of what Augustine, Basil and Acquinas concluded.
Well, if that is the case, I am not unduly concerned about it! :-)
>>SC>This is a bias as large as what you accuse Glenn of having.
>SJ>No. The naturalist (I am not saying that Glenn is one), rules out
>the supernatural apriori. The supernaturalist is open to the
>possibility of there being other than naturalistic causes at
>strategic points.
SC>I don't disagree with your view of naturalism. But, simply because
>one considers supernaturalistic explanations does not eliminate bias.
No one claimed it did. But it dies "eliminate" the primary bias of
not seriously considering the possibility of the supernatural.
SC>From the discussion on this reflector, those who call themselves
>supernaturalists present a clear bias when considering evolutionary
>science and other issues.
Only when "evolutionary science" presumes to enter the metaphysical
realms of origins, while denying even the posibility of the
supernatural. I have no problem with genuine scientific findings of
"evolutionary science".
SC>Your own bias is evident in the message to which I respond here.
I have never claimed to be free of "bias". My first message on the
Reflector, quoted from Phil Johnson:
"I am a philosophical theist and a Christian. I believe that a God
exists who could create out of nothing if He wanted to do so, but who
might have chosen to work through a natural evolutionary process
instead. I am not a defender of creation-science..." (Johnson P.E.,
"Darwin on Trial", Second Edition, 1993, Inter Varsity Press,
Illinois, p14).
I could have quoted Phil's immediately preceding words, as my own:
"The last subject I should address before beginning is my personal
religious outlook, because readers are bound to wonder and because I
do not exempt myself from the general rule that bias must be
acknowledged and examined." (Johnson, p14).
SC>Thus, I find it extremely misleading, and frankly intellectually
>chauvinistic, to claim that supernaturalism eliminates bias.
It would be if I said it. But AFAIK I didn't. If you claim I did say
that "supernaturalism eliminates bias", please post where I said it
and I will apologise. :-)
God bless.
Stephen
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