Posted on 05/11/2003 4:38:14 PM PDT by Junior
Despite movements across the nation to teach creationism in public schools, a science historian said Monday that Christians haven't always used a literal interpretation of the Bible to explain the world's origins.
"For them, the Bible is mostly to teach a religious lesson," said Ernan McMullin of the earliest Christian scholars.
McMullin spoke to a crowd of about 60 people at Montana State University on "Evolution as a Christian theme."
McMullin, a professor at the University of Notre Dame and a Catholic priest, is recognized one of the world's leading science historians and philosophers, according to MSU.
He has written about Galileo, Issac Newton, the concept of matter and, of course, evolution.
It's a subject has been hotly debated ever since Charles Darwin first published "On the Origins of Species" in 1859.
Christian fundamentalists have long pushed the nation's public schools to teach creationism as an alternative, which in its strictest form claims that the world was created in six days, as stated in the Bible's Old Testament Book of Genesis.
But McMullin said creationism largely is an American phenomenon. Other countries simply don't have major creationist movements, leading him to ask: "What makes it in the U.S. ... such an issue (over) evolution and Christian belief?"
The answer probably lies in the nation's history, with the settlement by religious groups, he said. Also, public education and religion are more intertwined here than other countries.
McMullin discussed how Christians have tried to explain their origins over the past 2,000 years, using several examples to show that many viewed Genesis as more of a religious lesson than an exact record of what happened.
It wasn't until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century that Genesis started to be taken literally. Then theologians started using nature - and its many complexities - as proof of creation.
Charles Darwin spoiled that through his theory of natural selection, and the battle lines have been drawn ever since.
"It replaced an older view that had sounded like a strong argument for the existence of God," McMullin said.
You got me on that one - I meant to say "per se" meaning that is not the only meaning of the word cosmology.
Do statements like that make you feel better about yourself?
Are you going to continue to act all coy? Or are you going to share with the group which laws I broke?
Do you draw funds from the public treasury?
I think that actually means today's miracles are tomorrow's technology (I don't agree with your spin)
Because it makes you feel superior to others?
Thanks for mentioning this. So many people seem to believe that everything there is to discover about the earth has already been discovered.
A pity, you have the right tack, too. At least you show signs of understanding the material, even if you don't agree.
For that, I could visit the local homeless shelter. The conversation might even be at a higher level. Well, there's probably going to be at least one deranged wino babbling that "evolution is cosmology."
I just emailed him and hope to hear back from him.
Source: The Collins English Dictionary © 2000 HarperCollins Publishers:
cosmology [kɒz'mɒlədʒý]
noun
1
the philosophical study of the origin and nature of the universe
2
the branch of astronomy concerned with the evolution and structure of the universe
3
a particular account of the origin or structure of the universe
example: Ptolemaic cosmology
cosmological [ˌkɒzmə'lɒdʒýkəl]
"cosmo'logic adjective
"cosmo'logically adverb(ial)
cos'mologist noun
Yes, I can. Can you?
You don't need any Pope or any other man to translate the Bible for you, and you don't need any concordance, biblical commentary and lexicon to make sense of the Bible.
Just curious: Which Pope do you credit for translating your bible? Which concordances do you find are most helpful to your study of the bible? Which lexicons? Do you even have any? I have bookshelves full that I refer to constantly.
You are right that I don't need a Pope, though I do have great respect for him as a man. I just don't happen to have him, or Mary, or a host of saints standing between me and my relationship with Christ, nor do I owe anything to intermediaries in order to be able able to pray to Him. As iit is with some Catholics, apparently you feel differently.
You are displaying the typical arrogance and ignorance of Catholic bashers.
I don't bash Catholics. Many of my friends are Catholics. Most I know do not have questions about the authority of the bible like you do. We differ doctrinally on some points, but they don't question the authority of scripture. Your rush to declaim me for standing for the authority of scripture will put you in the company of quite a number of Catholic bashers actually.
But again, you are the Supreme Arbiter of Christian Orthodoxy, therefore unless I agree with your sectarian viewpoint, I'm following men and not the Holy Spirit.
If you continue to question the authority of scripture, I submit that it is your own needy ego which desires to be that "Supreme Arbiter," since you seem to wrestle so much with the Creator-God, Jesus Christ holding that title exclusively. It is His title after all, not yours, and not mine.
If you are not following Jesus Christ, you are following something other than Jesus Christ.
#&*$(@(, &*(&@#(&, *(&*(#*&$%&^ $&^))@ *(&^(#!!!
We're still waiting for you explanation of which laws you think "ThinkPlease's" idea violate.
Since you assured me that you DID study Cosmology as either an undergrad or a grad student, it should be a simple matter for you to demonstrate where and how his idea violates "known laws of physics."
Your statement is semantically equivalent to:
I just said "evolution as doughnuts" was not a proven complete scientific theory -
So, given your illogic and asinine attitude, buy a clue and crawl back under your rock like the cockroach that you emulate.
Have you ever run into such a buffoon before? How about this specific idiot? Is he a returnee activating some long dormant account? I don't mean to put you on the spot but have you got the slightest clue about this jerk?
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