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A Biblical literalist describes most people who describe themselves as Creationist. And Biblical literalists most certainly does not describe all of our Founding Fathers.

I can certainly see your point, USConstitutionBuff. Still, driving home from work tonight, I found myself a little disturbed by the inconsistency of Webster’s 9th Collegiate and their current on-line dictionary regarding the definition of creationism. So I am home now, and surrounded by dictionaries. Here’s the sample:

The New World Dictionary of the American Language, 1980:

creationism n. Theol. 1. the doctrine that God creates a new soul for every human being born: opposed to TRADUCIANISM 2. the doctrine that ascribes the origin of matter, species, etc. to acts of creation by God

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, 2003:

creationism n (1880): a doctrine or theory holding that matter, the various forms of life, and the world were created by God out of nothing and usu. in the way described in Genesis — compare EVOLUTION

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1969:

creationism n. Theology. 1. The doctrine ascribing the origin of all matter and living forms as they now exist to distinct acts of creation by God. Compare evolutionism. 2. The doctrine that each human soul is a distinct and new creation by God. Compare infusionism.

The American Heritage dictionary happens to be my personal favorite. But I recognize The Oxford Dictionary of the English Language (1971) as authoritative. It tells us so much about the history of a word:

Creationism A system or theory of creation: spec. a. The theory that God immediately creates a soul for every human being born (opposed to traducianism; b. The theory which attributes the origin of matter, the different species of animals and plants, etc., to ‘special creation’ (opposed to evolutionism).
1847 BUCH tr. Hagenbach’s Hist. Of Doctr. II. 1 The theory designated as Creationism … was now more precisely defined. 1872 LIDDON Elem. Relig. iii. 102. The other and more generally received doctrine is known as Creationism. Each soul is an immediate work of the Creator. 1880 GRAY Nat. Sc. & Rel. 89 The true issue as regards design is not between Darwinism and direct Creationism.

Anyhoot, it seems that the Webster’s on-line dictionary’s definition of “creationism” is an astounding redaction/reduction/redirection of the meaning of the word as it has been used historically in the human culture we know as our own. Or ought to.

FWIW I put my two-cents in. Thanks so much for writing, USConstitutionBuff!

Thanks for conceding the point. Other than the bit about creation of a unique soul, I know for a certainty that "biblical literalist" doesn't describe any Deist or Thomas Jefferson, so it is incorrect to say that the Founding Fathers were Creationists, when Deists don't believe in the Bible, and even self described Christians such as Thomas Jefferson were hardly Biblical literalists. Jefferson questioned everything and wrote his own version of the Bible.

Good to have you around, betty boop.

You are one of the most decent and courteous posters around, though I swear Ichnoumenon's request has been mistaken as coming from me! (must be because I think that there's more to Being than concept ; )

Miss the old days when the adults where online:

Human Rights and Second Realities
Human Rights & Second Realities -- Thread Two
Insights into Totalizing Ideologies, from Eric Voegelin

Logophobia: Eric Voegelin on Scientism

In my personal lexicon...

Creationism = God created mans spirit and put it in a body and he created other things too.. probably first..

Evolution = God didnt create anything especially mans spirit,. Life is a parasite of a beautiful planet... feeding on it...

Intelligent Design(ID) = Agnostic creationism..

**NOTE;
Theres so many variations of the first two you dont know exactly what the person you're talking to means exactly (usually).. unless you're in the same choir.. Do Evos have choirs.?. Absolutely.. and denominations too.. but not as contentious as creationist ones .. Why be contentious they have no hell.. or heaven..

I'm a creationist.. in my lexicon..