On Thu, 27 Mar 1997 10:51:03 +0100 (MEZ), Oliver Beck wrote:
OB>Hello, after reading thus many posts on OEC I wondered what the
>definition of this word is. My question is: What is an OEC? A
>person who has the same convictions as a YEC only differing in the
>question of the age of the earth or one who has the same view as
>most scientists but believing that God interfered miraculously by
>creating new types of life during the history given by the geologic
>timescale? I would like to have answers especially from people who
>see their position as OEC.
This is a good question. By definition an OEC (Old-Earth
Creationist) is a creationist who is not a YEC (Young-Earth
Creationist). But not many creationists call themselves Old-Earth
Creationist. Hugh Ross and Alan Hayward are two that do. Hayward
uses the terms `Recent-Creationist' and `Ancient-creationist':
"The most radical approach is that of the recent-creationists, who
break away at the earliest possible point. They reject the whole idea
of 'succession', and argue that geologists, physicists and astronomers
are all mistaken in thinking the earth to be old...The middle ground is
occupied by the ancient- creationists. They regard `succession' as
being so well supported by experimental evidence that it cannot be
denied. But they reason that 'succession' is not necessarily due to
evolution; it might just as well be due to successive acts of creation
over a long period" (Hayward A., "Creation and Evolution", 1995,
p6)
I personally don't think of myself as an Old-Earth Creationist because
I think that OEC is just creationism and YEC is the variant. Indeed,
YEC is a comparatively recent phenomenon:
"It is only within the past couple of decades that the age of the earth
has become a subject for debate in English religious circles. When
was a young Bible-believing Christian around nineteen-fifty, the
matter was regarded as settled. There was only one creationist
society in Britain in those days, the Evolution Protest Movement, and
its leading members all accepted without question that the earth is
very old. I must have rubbed shoulders with hundreds of ancient-
creationists, but I only remember ever meeting one recent-creationist
before 1960. Young-earthists were as rare as flat-earthists in Britain
in those days." (Hayward A., "Creation and Evolution", 1995, p69)
OECs tend to call themselves Day-Age Creationists or Progressive
Creationists. I call myself a Mediate Creationist because I identify
more with the classical creationism of 19th century theologians like
Charles Hodge and B.B. Warfield, and am prepared to grant much
to the power of God working through natural causes:
"But while it has ever been the doctrine of the Church that God
created the universe out of nothing by the word of his power, which
creation was instantaneous and immediate, i. e., without the
intervention of any second causes; yet it has generally been admitted
that this is to be understood only of the original call of matter
into existence. Theologians have, therefore, distinguished between a
first and second, or immediate and mediate creation. The one was
instantaneous, the other gradual; the one precludes the idea of any
preexisting substance, and of cooperation, the other admits and
implies both...It thus appears that forming out of preexisting
material comes within the Scriptural idea of creating...There is,
therefore, according to the Scriptures, not only an immediate,
instantaneous creation ex nihilo by the simple word of God, but a
mediate, progressive creation; the power of God working in union with
second causes' (Hodge C., "Systematic Theology", 1960 reprint, Vol.
I, pp556-557)
God bless.
Steve
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