Re: The difference of man and the difference it makes

Bill Hamilton (hamilton@predator.cs.gmr.com)
Thu, 5 Sep 1996 13:49:01 -0400

>Bill Hamilton wrote:
>
><<(I don't remember who wrote my subject line -- it was the title of some
>published work a number of years ago, and I think it's appropriate for the
>current debte about what characteristics of hominids would qualify them to
>be considered men)>>
>
>The book is by one of my favorite writers, Mortimer Adler.

Thanks, Jim. I should have remembered that. I can't count myself an Adler
fan because I haven't read enough of what he's written. But what I have
read by and about him argues for more Adler-reading (There was a very
interesting article about him in Christianity Today a few years ago)

I recommend it to
>all (especially in this current debate about full humanity). Adler, of course,
>was the force behind the Great Books series, the Syntopicon, and the author of
>such books as "How to Think About God" and "Truth in Religion." He became a
>Christian in his eighties.
>
><<I tend to be in Glenn Morton's camp on this one: it seems reasonable to me
>to look at clues in the sites these beings occupied and to regard evidence
>of art, worship, sophisticated problem solving, communication, etc. as at
>least circumstantial evidence that these beings were human.>>
>
>But do you believe, as Glenn does, that these were FULLY human, in the sense
>we are today?

Whoa! I state a tentative position and Jim wants me to swallow the entire
millpond. Is that what lawyers do? :-). I would say that _if_ these
beings carried the image and likeness of God, then they were fully human,
regardless of other "objective" criteria (measurements, evidence of art,
etc.) you may wish to apply.

>With the capacities the Bible indicates? Do you believe these
>humans were farming four million years ago? Building boats? Communing and
>entering covenants with God?
>
No comment

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