ebook img

Creation Matters Vol. 3 No. 1 January/February 1998 PDF

8 Pages·0.49 MB·English
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview Creation Matters Vol. 3 No. 1 January/February 1998

Volume 3, Number 1 January/February 1998 The Creation Story History, Myth, Hymn or Saga? by Aila Annala Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Some definitions of terms: Genesis (Number 2, page 15, 1997), the maga- history, myth, hymn, and saga zine of the Swedish creation organization, Foreningen GENESIS. This English translation The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines is reprinted here with permission. history as a "continuous methodical record V ery few people, Christian as well of important or public events," and myth Announcing as non-Christian, take the first as "traditional narrative usually involving Physical Science and Creation chapters in Genesis as a historical supernatural and fancied persons." Myth description of real events in the beginning. may be based on history, while saga is a An Introduction Most people have never reflected on the more fancied, often heroic narrative that by Don B. DeYoung, Ph.D. I creation story, and if someone asks them does not need to have any historical roots. n this small volume, Dr. DeYoung pre- about it, many will just try to avoid the Yet, myth and saga are often used as sents several carefully chosen topics question. The reason for this can be found synonyms. illustrating the integration of physical in the strong influence of the mass media science and creation. Dr. DeYoung pres- Hymn does not need to be defined — upon the people, and in what they have ents not only the classical subject matter of we all know what it means in our culture. been taught in the public schools - very physical science (the building blocks of But in the case of the creation story, it is one-sided evolutionary ideas. nature, motion and forces, gravity, energy, often used synonymously with myth; i.e., and light), but he also touches briefly on It is a common opinion that the crea- as a poetic presentation of some kind of a more modern topics such as radiometric tion story of Genesis is a myth, a hymn, or creation process. This is why I have cho- dating, quantum theory, the uncertainty a saga, written down by primitive people a sen the order of the terms above. I am go- principle, and relativity. long time ago. Modern research, it is ing to discuss myth and hymn more or less thought, has "proved" that their ideas are as one complex. Saga is, by definition, This book is the second in a series of irrelevant for those of us who today "know something that I want to leave without any short, introductory texts published by the better." Anyway, if we wish to argue for a further discussion. Creation Research Society. The first, As- Creator's existence, then we should just tronomy and Creation — An Introduction, The literary style read into Scripture an evolutionary process was also written by Dr. DeYoung. that took place during billions of years Anyone who reads the Genesis story in 80 pages. $4.95 plus $3 for postage and handling. (theistic evolution). In this way we can Hebrew will find out quite soon that it is read the creation story as a hymn to the one prose - a historical description of the be- Order from: who led the evolutionary process. But, is ginnings. Something very typical for He- CRS Books that really the way we ought to understand brew prose are the many waw-consecutive P.O. Box 8263 St. Joseph, MO 64508-8263 the creation story in the first chapters of forms in the beginning of the sentences Genesis? (the repeated "ands" in the beginning of the sentences My purpose is to show that the crea- Contents: in many English transla- tion story can - and must - be taken as a The Creation Story: History, Myth, Hymn or Saga 1 tions). To make the crea- historical description of the events in the 1998 ICC Registration Information 5 beginning, as it stands. Using a linguistic tion story into a hymn is as Crossword Puzzle: CRS Facts 6 difficult as trying to sing a Speaking of Science approach, I am going to point out some couple of pages from a The Firing Line Debate 7 details that give us evidence for a literal modern history book. Creation Calendar 8 reading of the text. January/February 1998 A Newsletter of the Creation Research Society 1 Surely, there are hymns in the Bible What about all the other older myths, and the authors have collected that are written in order to sing to the glory interpretations then...? information from sources outside the Bi- of the Creator-God; poems, such as Ps. ble, such as the Babylonian creation story 104, where we find such expressions as Alternative (non-literal) interpretations Enuma Elish (about 900 B.C.), in which "the foundations of the earth" (v. 5) and started to appear as late as the 17th and the god Marduk is struggling with the "the rising of the sun" (v. 22). But let us 18th centuries, when rationalism and em- sea-goddess Tiamat about the lordship of keep in mind that we still use this kind of piricism began to make an impact in the the universe. intellectual world, but reached prominence nonscientific language, sometimes even in Since Tiamat is quite close to the He- by the end of the 18th century. Until that very scientific contexts. Yes, there are po- brew tehom, "deep" in Gen. 1:2, some time the Jewish-Christian tradition had ems and hymns in the Bible that are written scholars believe that the Bible has bor- continued to read the creation story liter- in order to give the glory to the Creator, but rowed material from the Babylonians. Yet, ally, with just a few exceptions. the creation story does not belong to that the similarity is only linguistic, and there is category. It is prose. Let us look at some of these excep- no reason to see any dependence between There is no reason for taking the tions. There is a kind of gap theory (i.e., a the two stories. The Hebrew tehom, which creation story as a myth or hymn, although gap of time is postulated, between the first we often translate "deep," means simply there are many liberal theologians who try two verses in the creation story, wherein "wave," "a great quantity of water," to do so. There are many non-mythological the celestial bodies and the earth are "ocean," "sea," "gulf," "abyss." In other elements; e.g., the sun and moon are not thought to have been created far earlier creation myths one can often read about a called by their names, but are referred to than that which is presented in verse 2 and struggle between gods, but in the Genesis only as lights. Other people by that time the remainder of the creation account). story there is no trace of anything one worshiped them as gods. I believe that the This idea appears in some Jewish legends, would expect if Genesis were taken from original writer of the creation story in the writings of Filon (a Jewish philoso- the Babylonian epic. pher at the time of Christ who was influ- (whether it was Adam or someone later) It should be mentioned that the Gene- enced by hellenistic philosophers), in the wanted to make sure that these celestial sis story has more similarities to older aramaic Targum Onkelos (first century bodies were regarded as just lights and not creation myths from 3000-2000 B.C. (such A.D.), and later on (11th and 12th centu- gods. as the Sumerian myths) than to these ries) in the writings of the Jewish Rashi The German theologian Gerhard von and Ibn-Ezra. The modern gap theory ap- younger myths. In the old myths the Rad writes in his commentary on Genesis peared at the end of the 18th century. J.C. struggle motive is often missing. In one of (s 47 f, 63) that Gen. 1-2 is a doctrine, not Rosenmuller and others were at that time the Egyptian myths (from ca. 2700 B.C.) myth or saga. trying to make a synthesis between the we find the interesting similarity to the biblical account that the creation was per- "Nothing is here by chance; eve- creation story and the new geological hy- formed by the spoken word, and that the rything must be considered care- pothesis concerning the age of the earth. creator god was "satisfied" with his work fully, deliberately, and precisely. Soon the straightforward theistic evo- (about the same as "God saw that it was It is false, therefore, to reckon lution became widely accepted among good" in Genesis). here even occasionally with ar- theologians. It was thought that the evolu- chaic and half-mythological ru- tionary process was God's method of The fact is that one can make many diments, which one considers creation. Scientific speculations were fully comparisons between the biblical creation venerable, to be sure, but theo- accepted, and the creation story of the Bi- story and other creation stories, and see logically and conceptually less ble was to be understood in the light of both similarities and differences. All these binding. What is said here is in- them. stories bear a witness of creation in the tended to hold true entirely and beginning. Yet, the question remains: exactly as it stands. There is no The authenticity of the which one of these stories is the original trace of the hymnic element in the creation story one? All these stories come from the same language, nor is anything said that In the theological world, the literary criti- geographical area. The fact that the uni- needs to be understood symboli- cism and the historical method (which verse was created by a Creator-God seems cally or whose deeper meaning holds that the Bible should be read as any to have been a common tradition, and then has to be deciphered." other literature) were formulated to fit later on somebody wrote it down. So we got different accounts. Only the biblical scientific theories. Until that time the most von Rad also warns modern Bible story is free from mythological elements prominent theologians, the church fathers, students against reading their own prob- that are so common in the other stories. the reformers, etc., had believed that the lems concerning faith and knowledge into Our conclusion should be that the creation Genesis story should be understood mainly the text. These words come from one of the story in Genesis is the authentic, trust- in the literal sense. most respected Old Testament scholars of worthy account of the beginnings. our time. According to him, from a her- The literary criticism and the histori- Here we also have to note the tradi- meneutical point of view, the creation cal method have, during the past two cen- tional Christian view on inspiration of the story is a doctrine. turies, presented ideas that the creation Bible. If we believe that God himself in- story of Genesis is derived from other, January/February 1998 A Newsletter of the Creation Research Society 2 spired all that the biblical writers tell us, already given that order in the first chapter. were the heavens made... For he spoke, then we cannot think that he would have and it came to be; he commanded, and it The use of tenses in the modern given us some half-truths and false infor- stood firm." (Ps. 33:6,9 NIV) translations may sometimes give a wrong mation, whether the question is about the picture of the chronological order in the Everything was created instantane- beginnings or anything else. original Hebrew. In the Hebrew text it is ously by the word of the Creator. No The unity of the story not possible to distinguish between the evolutionary processes are possible. How past tenses (did, have/had done). For in- long ago the creation happened, I am not The literary critics have tried to see two stance, Gen. 2:19: "Now the Lord going to discuss here, since the Genesis different stories in Gen. chapters 1 and 2, formed/had formed..." In the light of the story itself does not give us that informa- the first occurring in Gen. 1:1-2:4a, and the chronology of chapter 1, "had formed" is tion. The Bible does not give any evidence second from Gen. 2:4b onwards. This of course to be preferred. for millions or billions of years. The evi- reasoning is due to differences in the lit- dence is quite impressive that the creation erary style, in the chronological order, and In chapter 2 the writer simply goes is fairly young. in the use of God's name, Jehovah, in the back to some details that he wants to bring "second" story. What can be said about up again, and I cannot see why we should Mature creation out of nothing has as this? not allow him to do so without questioning its natural consequence an apparent age. If the chronology. It has also sometimes been you accept that the biblical story describes There is no reason to try to split up the pointed out that in chapter 1 the light was a mature creation, then you have to reckon creation account. The Hebrew text is one created before the light sources, the celes- an apparent age. Compare, for example, unit. The reason for the differences in style tial bodies. This is something that we Jesus’ changing of water into wine, which and vocabulary can be as simple as that the was "good" (i.e., it was old). writer just changed them depending on what he was writing about. Any A whole universe in six literal The Hebrew verb for create, bara, writer has the right to do so. can only have God as its subject. Only days? Is it possible? Or, is it pos- God can create; i.e., command things The differences may also be ex- sible that the days represent and beings into existence. Bara, create, plained by the fact that the "second" longer periods of time? is an absolutely unique verb, with an story is complementary to the "first" absolutely unique subject, God, the one, which is a chronological presen- Creator of the heavens and the earth tation of the acts of the creation. In the modern people find hard to understand. and everything. "second" story the writer concentrates on But for the ancients, it was natural to think the creation of man. That is why the use of of light as a substance in itself, not de- Were the days really days? the personal name of God, Jehovah Elohim pendent upon material sources; the light A whole universe in six literal days? Is it (Lord God, instead of just Elohim, God) is was something divine (which explains possible? Or, is it possible that the days natural here — it was the name which God why the heavenly bodies were often wor- represent longer periods of time? later used to present himself to mankind. shiped as gods). In the Genesis story the celestial bodies were just given the task to The Hebrew word for day, yom, is In the "first" story, vegetation was mediate the light that already existed; their used both literally and symbolically in the created on the third day and man on the purpose was to be "lights in the expanse of Bible. In Gen. 1-2 we have to understand sixth, while in the "second" story it seems the sky to separate the day from the yom as literal, 24-hour days, for the fol- that man already existed when God created night..., to serve as signs to mark seasons lowing reasons: vegetation. But according to Gen. 2:5, there was no vegetation because there was and days and years... and... be lights in the 1. The creation days are de- no water for its growth. Yet, verse 6 tells of expanse of the sky to give light on the limited by the evening and morn- water coming from the earth to water the earth" (Gen. 1:14,15 NIV). ing, both of which always mean ground, which may imply that there was Creation of the universe, out literal evening and morning. some vegetation growing on the earth. of nothing 2. The first day, yom ehad, Verse 7 tells about the creation of man. "In the beginning God created the heavens is, in fact, not called the first day And then God planted a garden, verse 8, and the earth" could also be translated: "In in the Hebrew text, but "day one" using the plants that he already had cre- the beginning God created everything." or "one day." We could talk about ated. The Hebrews usually expressed totality by a "proto-day," a day that was to Another example of the supposed naming the opposites, in this case heaven be the measure of all the coming chronological problems in chapter 2 is that and earth. This becomes very clear in the days. It was not possible to use man seems to have been created before Sabbath commandment in Ex. 20:11 the order "first" yet, since there animals. We have already seen that chapter (NIV): "For in six days the Lord made the had not been any day before. It 2 concentrates on man, and I believe that heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that was not until after this "proto- we have to allow the writer to go back to is in them..." Everything was created dur- day" that one could start talking some details in his story, without repeating ing the creation week, out of nothing, by about the second day, third day, the chronological order any more. He has the word of God. "By the word of the Lord and so on. January/February 1998 A Newsletter of the Creation Research Society 3 3. Together with an attribute "Fear God and give him glory, because the trustworthy account of how the universe expressing order (e.g., the second, hour of his judgment has come. Worship came to be. There are neither theological the third, etc.), yom is only used him who made the heavens, the earth, the nor scientific reasons that can force us to literally. sea and the springs of water." (NIV) The take the Genesis story as archaic and un- latter part of this quotation is a short form trustworthy. 4. If the days were intended of the Sabbath commandment in Exodus The creation story is the foundation of to represent longer periods of 20:11 and shows the writer's belief in the the rest of the Bible. Human history began time, then why did the writer not 6-day creation. with the completed creation. Then sin use the word dor, which means a The New Testament, and the Bible as came into God's good creation and de- period of time and can be used in a whole, make it clear, time and time again, stroyed it. But God did not leave man alone different contexts, instead of that God is the Creator of everything, and in his sinful condition. His plan for fallen yom? that he did it in six days, as it says in the man is salvation through Jesus Christ. Be- Our conclusion must be that there is first chapters in Genesis. Nowhere can we cause of Calvary and the empty tomb man- nothing, either in the Genesis story or in find any evidence for any other under- kind can look forward to the new creation. other biblical texts, that gives evidence for standing of the creation story than what it Then we are going to see with our own eyes any understanding of the creation days really says, a mature creation in six literal how God makes everything new (Rev. other than that of literal, 24-hour days. days. 21:1-5), a new creation, out of nothing, as the prophet Isaiah describes it (65:17, Another interesting question is of Conclusion NIV): "Behold, I will create [bara in the course: from where did the 7-day week We have seen that the creation story in Hebrew text again] new heavens and a new come? Mankind has in all times and all Genesis 1 and 2 became widely questioned earth. The former things will not be re- cultures had some kind of week. The time first in the late 18th century, as a result of membered, nor will they come to mind." period of the week does not depend on the the development of the natural sciences heavenly bodies or other natural phenom- Literature and the skeptical rationalism. By that time ena as do other times periods (days, theologians began to read mythological Eriksson, Gösta, "Urhistoriens struktur", Genesis no. months, years). Why? From where does the elements into the biblical text and take the 1, 1991 week come if not from the original creation Erlandsson, Seth, Världshistoriens första dagar (Bib- creation story as a kind of praise, a hymn to week of Genesis? licums småskrifter) no. 12, 1983 the Creator, or as a saga. Today most peo- Fields, Weston W., Unformed and Unfilled, Presby- The New Testament and the ple in Europe have been taught this kind of terian and Reformed Publ. Co., 1978 Genesis story thinking. Kaiser, Christopher, Creation and the History of Sci- ence, Marshall Pickering, W. B. Eerdmans Jesus, while talking about marriage We have seen that there is no reason to Publ. Co., 1991 and divorce, says: "Haven't you read... that question the creation story in Genesis. It Morris, Henry M., The Genesis Record, Baker Book at the beginning the Creator made them stands there as a true history of the begin- House, 1976 male and female...?" (Matt. 19:4, NIV) nings. It is not to be interpreted but to be Pritchard, James B., The Ancient Near East, vol. 1, An Anthology of Texts and Pictures, Princeton Then he quotes Gen. 1:27 and 2:24. "The read and believed as it stands. University Press, 1973 beginning" refers, of course, back to the von Rad, Gerhard, Genesis (The Old Testament Li- The Hebrew text is prose, and neither creation week; the Bible does not know brary) SCM Press Ltd., 1972 the story itself nor other Bible texts leave any other beginning. Jesus fully believed in room for any understandings other than Aila Annala has studied at Newbold Col- the creation account of Genesis. what it says. The story is one unit, a de- lege in England and at the Universities of Uppsala and Lund in Sweden. She has the The writer of the letter to the Hebrews scription of God's creative acts. The literal Swedish "theol. Kand." degree from Upp- (1:10, NIV) quotes the book of Psalms: "In creation week with its literal 24-hour days, sala (which is similar to M. Div.), with additional studies in Semitic languages the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foun- the creation out of nothing, and many other from Lund. She lives in Sweden, working dations of the earth, and the heavens are the details give strong evidence that the story in team-ministry with her husband, and is an active member of the Swedish creation work of your hands." This shows that he of Genesis provides a unique insight into society "Genesis." Aila provided this also believed in the Genesis account. something that is possible only for an al- English translation. mighty God. Paul and Barnabas express their faith in God as the Creator of everything (Acts There are many other creation stories 14:15, NIV): "Men, why are you doing all all around the world, with similarities to this? We, too, are only men, human like and differences from the Biblical story, and you. We are bringing you good news, they all bear witness to a Creator-God. telling you to turn from these worthless Many of these stories have been corrupted things to the living God, who made heaven during the millennia, but they do have a and earth and sea and everything in them." common source, mankind’s collective memories of the creation of the universe. Revelation 14 describes three angels, My conviction is that the creation story of warning of the coming judgment, and in Genesis is the original, historical, and verse 7 we read the following message: January/February 1998 A Newsletter of the Creation Research Society 4 This page intentionally left blank. January/February 1998 A Newsletter of the Creation Research Society 5 Down 1. Space agency. 2. Founder and board member who is known as the world's foremost creation de- bater. 4. "By the Word ___ the Lord were the heavens made." 5. Bob _________ Wilderness, site of many CRS extended trail rides. 6. ________ Creek Canyon Gorge, PA. Location of a Society field research study. 7. Board member who is a retired chem- ist and university teacher. 8. _______ Canyon, subject of a Dec., 1997 Quarterly paper. 10. On day _____ the stars were created. 12. ______ Zone. Geological province where Research Center is located. 13. Creation ________ Expeditions. Name for CRS extended outings. 15. Who God created in His own image. 16. Board member who is a Lutheran Pas- tor and geologist. 17. A radiation particle that is an electron. 19. Name of current Research Center di- rector. 22. A patron of the Research Center. 23. E-mail address for Research Center Director. 26. Name of the book that sparked the modern creationist movement. 28. First CRS president who was the world's foremost rose breeder. 30. Geological events happening "fast and furiously." 32. “______ Organs.” Partial name of book published by the Society. Across 33. Biblical barge builder. 40. New research building at the Re- 35. Location of Big Bend National Park, search Center. where many creationary research projects 3. Board member who is an animal nutri- 41. Town nearest Research Center. have been carried out. tionist and CRS membership secretary. 44. "He spoke and it was _____." 37. First woman. 9. A son of Noah. 46. 199_, Society's 35th anniversary. 38. "________ recapitulates phylogeny,” 10. Board member, internationally recog- 47. __________ formation. A research a thoroughly discredited idea which is still nized expert on turtles. project under development at the Re- presented in many biology textbooks. 11. Name of state in which CRS Re- search Center. 39. Botanist board member who has pub- search Center is located. 51. Site of annual board meetings for lished in Calif. Academy of Sciences. 13. Unexpected earth upheaval. nearly 30 years. 42. A vein of metallic ore. 14. Board member who wrote "Starlight 52. "All things continue as they were from 43. Current (1998) president of CRS. and Time." the beginning." 45. Physicistl/Astronomer board member. 18. Ps. 23:5 bench. 54. Matt. 22:29 "Ye do ______ not know- 47. The whole is greater than the sum of 20. "In the _________." ing the Scriptures." its parts. 21. "______ to the Earth," a book of geol- 55. A founder of CRS who also co- 48. High-tech site of many discussions ogy reprints from the Quarterly. authored "The Genesis Flood." sponsored by CRS. 23. Current (1998) editor of Society's 56. Deceased board member who was 49. Board member who is an exercise Quarterly. Dean of Graduate Faculty at Tulane Univ. physiologist. 24. Pertaining to the moon. 57. _________ Mountain. Mountain east 50. More than _____ hundred scientists 25. Board member whose specialty is ge- of the Research Center. are members of CRS. netics. 58. _________ grassland. Ecological 53. Abbreviation of Society peer-reviewed 27. Deceased Board member who was community in which the Research Center publication. author of "Genes, Genesis and Evolution." is found. 55. To create. 29. _________ Peaks are visible to the 59. Board member who was also Dean of 56. Ps. 33.12. "Blessed is the man whose N.E. of the Research Center. the College of Engineering at Iowa State God is the ____." 31. Geological feature 100 miles north of University. the Research Center. 33. Abbreviation for an anti-creationist C R S Facts group. 34. Board member who is a geographer. by John Meyer, Ph.D. 36. Type of astronomical object being Answers on page 8. studied at the Research Center. January/February 1998 A Newsletter of the Creation Research Society 6 Speaking of Science Commentaries on recent news from science... Darwinian theory is convincing and is the only Behe's basic point was that life provides The Firing Line Debate possible explanation for natural history. evidence of design, but I don't think he effec- by Ashby L. Camp, J.D., M.Div. tively pressed that home to those who insisted a The only one from the pro-design side designer was unnecessary. Rather, his point was (Buckley, Johnson, Behe, and Berlinski) who As I feared, the debate (see sidebar) suf- really contested the viability of the Darwinian muffled by the reply that the designer could have fered greatly from the vagueness of the explanation was Berlinski. He argued that the accomplished his design through descent with proposition under consideration: Evolu- gaps in the fossil record were inconsistent with modification. Behe would agree with that, be- tionists should acknowledge creation. The two the theory. I think he was a bit shocked at the cause he is unwilling in the scientific arena to sides were, for the most part, addressing sepa- level of the debate. He seemed to me to be ex- argue anything about the designer or his meth- rate issues. pecting a more dispassionate, truth-seeking ex- ods, but he would not agree with Scott, Ruse, and Miller that his examples of design can be The pro-evolution side (Lynn, Scott, change and was surprised by the level of explained by a blind, undirected process. Behe Miller, and Ruse) addressed whether the theory gamesmanship and advocacy. He could not get a was nervous (which is understandable) and of descent with modification from a common straight answer to the simplest of questions (e.g., definitely got taken off his game. ancestor is a convincing explanation for the what is your estimate of how many morphologi- history of life on Earth. They were not interested cal changes would be needed to convert a dog- In that regard, Miller came off to me as a in debating whether God was involved in that like mammal into a whale?) and could not get condescending showman, but I can see why the process or was a necessary ingredient in the agreement on seemingly obvious facts (e.g., a evolutionists saw him as their hero. He, obvi- explanation. Indeed, there was an apparent dif- discontinuous fossil record is inconsistent with ously skilled in the tactics of this kind of debate ference of opinion between them on that point. the predictions of Darwinism). format, was able to create an impression that he had really shown something. His ploy with the Barry Lynn clearly believed that God em- I was disappointed that Berlinski conceded mousetrap was shameless. Not only did it not ployed descent with modification and, more the late-reptile to mammal transition. I realize disprove the irreducible complexity of a mouse- specifically, that He employed Darwinism as this is conventional wisdom in the scientific trap, since the trap still had all the necessary His means of creating. However, Lynn was community, but it is far from proven. Johnson's functions. But even if he had been successful, vague about just how deeply God was involved point that the alleged transitional forms are the mousetrap is simply an illustration of a in the process. I wish someone had clearly found where the fossil evidence is slightest, and concept that cannot be denied; i.e., that some pinned him down on whether he believed the thus where room for evolutionist interpretation systems cannot be reduced in complexity and Darwinian explanation of existence required is greatest, was probably lost. still function. This was nothing but smoke God in order to be viable. blown grandiosely to divert the layman from the The Debaters Eugenie Scott wanted to separate the thesis power of Behe's point. (This is the same Miller of descent with modification from the Darwin- On December 19, 1997, a two-hour debate on the who has shown himself to be careless or un- ian explanation. Of course, she had no other creation evolution controversy was conducted on scrupulous in several dealings with Dr. Gish. theory to put in its place, but she was trying to PBS' Firing Line. The special event was held before See, Duane Gish, Creation Scientists Answer say that "evolution" simply means descent with a student audience at Seton Hall University. Arguing Their Critics [El Cajon, CA: Institute for Crea- for the creationists and for the proposition were: modification, and that Darwinian theory is but tion Research, 1995], pp. 88-94). one possible explanation of "evolution" (albeit William F. Buckley, Jr., the host of Firing Johnson's (and Buckley's) basic point was the only game in town at this point). She agreed Line the philosophical side of Behe's coin, namely that science proper could make no statement Phillip E. Johnson, University of Califor- that naturalism is a philosophical rather than a about whether an intelligence was somehow nia (Berkeley) law professor and author of scientific conviction. In other words, science involved in the process, but her personal view 'Darwin on Trial,' 'Reason in the Balance,' proper has no basis for ruling out the possibility was that an intelligence was not necessary to and 'Defeating Darwinism by Opening of a designer. This is important, but it loses its the explanation. In other words, she thinks eve- Minds' edge in a debate where the opposing team (Lynn rything can be explained naturally, but she is Michael Behe, Lehigh University bio- and Scott) concedes the matter and then pro- willing to admit that science cannot prove the chemist and author of 'Darwin's Black Box' ceeds to argue that all of life evolved from a common ancestor. In that case, the focus needs noninvolvement of a designer. David Berlinski, mathematician, author to shift to the merits of that claim. I wish someone had clearly exposed that of ‘The Deniable Darwin’ What we really had here was a confusing she believed existence can be adequately ex- Arguing for the evolutionists and opposing the and unsatisfying mixture of at least two separate plained in terms of purely natural processes and resolution were: debates: (1) "Can our existence be adequately then pressed her to provide naturalistic expla- Eugenie C. Scott, Executive Director of explained by purely natural processes (i.e., nations for the clear features of design. I think the National Center for Science Education without the input of a designer)?" and (2) "Did the weakness of her practical naturalism would all living things descend naturally from a single Rev. Barry Lynn, Executive Director of thereby have been exposed (but I realize this common ancestor?" This muddle made the de- Americans United for Separation of format was not really a good one for pinning Church and State bate very difficult to score. Of course, they all someone down). either mocked or ran from the third issue; Michael Ruse, philosopher and author of namely "Is the biblical account of creation Kenneth Miller and Michael Ruse did not 'But Is It Science?' and 'Monad to Man' compatible with scientific data?" That was dis- let on if they felt there was any room for the Kenneth R. Miller, Div. of Biology and couraging, but I still think the airing of the de- involvement of an intelligence (unless one Medicine, Brown University bate will be a net positive. I suspect the lasting counts Miller's comment that he shares a faith effect will be to help legitimize the questioning — Editor with Buckley). Their whole point was that the of the reigning dogma. January/February 1998 A Newsletter of the Creation Research Society 7 Note: Items in “Creation Calendar” are for information only; the listing of an event does not necessarily imply endorsement by the Creation Research Society. March 21 August 3-8 Kansas City Fossil Hunt #1 Developing & Systematizing the Creation Model of Origins CSA for Mid-America (Kansas City area) 1998 International Conference on Creationism (ICC) Tom Willis, (816)658-3610 Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA March 28 Creation Science Fellowship Double-Header Creation Event with Dr. Gary Parker & Buddy Davis Dennis Wert, (412)341-4908 Souther Minn. Assoc. For Creation, Albert Lea, MN August 9-11 Bryce Gaudian, (507)256-7211 Niagara Falls Bus Tour (following the 1998 ICC) April 24-26 Creation Quest Expeditions, Creation Research Society Ha Ha Tonka Safari John Meyer, (520)636-1153 “More of God’s Wonders in less space than anywhere else” August 9-14 or 16-21 CSA for Mid-America (Kansas City area) Red Cloud Family Mountain Adventure Tom Willis, (816)658-3610 Alpha Omega Institute, Grand Junction, CO May 21-23 (970)523-9943 Creation Research Society August 20-26 Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors Bob Marshall Wilderness Trail Ride (Montana) San Diego, CA Creation Quest Expeditions, Creation Research Society Any member wishing to appear before the Board must make a John Meyer, (520)636-1153 written request to the Secretary at least one month in advance, September 28 - October 3 indicating the subject the member wishes to discuss. San Juan Mountains Trail Ride (Colorado) June 28-July 3 Creation Quest Expeditions, Creation Research Society Twin Peaks Family Science Adventure John Meyer, (520)636-1153 Alpha Omega Institute, Grand Junction, CO (970)523-9943 Creation Matters ISSN 1094-6632 A publication of the Creation Research Society Volume 3, Number 1 January/February 1998 Copyright © 1998, Creation Research Society All rights reserved. General Editor: Glen Wolfrom Email: [email protected] Assistant Editor: Lane Lester Email: [email protected] For membership / subscription information, advertising rates, and information for authors: Glen Wolfrom P.O. Box 8263 St. Joseph, MO 64508-8263 Email: [email protected] Creation Research Society Website: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/crs/crs-home.html Creation Research Society Nonprofit Org. P.O. Box 8263 US Postage St. Joseph, MO 64508-8263 PAID USA Creation Research Society Return Service Requested Creation Matters January / February 1998

See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.