Q:>>I have a question for Phil Johnson which others on the list have also
asked:
How can you categorically rule out the possibility of theistic
evolution, i.e. the idea that God can direct outcomes non-mechanically in
accordance with His will, but in a way that looks like random evolution to
us?
Another way of asking it: How can you say that evolution is tantamount
to atheism, when all the Catholic Church has accepted it for decades, as
have numerous other Christian church leaders and denominations?>>
A: My take on this -- and I cannot speak for Phil -- is that I think he
speaks against evolution with the Darwinist definition -- we are here by
accident -- and not against evolution otherwise.
He does not "believe" in evolution; that seems a fair judgement, but I
think I've heard him say -- and I know I heard Al Plantigna say (just last
Thursday night) that evolution-as-a-mechanism to explain a major part --
even all -- of the record was a possibility. Plantigna speaks against, for
instance, the COMBINATION of naturalism and evolution, neither one nor the
other alone, "naturalism" being defined metaphysically as "no God." I think
Johnson is in substantial agreement with Al on this.
I'll run the q&a by him, though; if he responds, I'll share it. I'll also
add this to the reflector as an anonymous q&a since I did not see it there.
Burgy