Replies

No problem, dear brother in Christ!

The Jewish mystics claim that God will hold us to account if we fail to notice, to inquire, to try and understand the world around us. I agree (emphasis mine):

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. - Romans 1:18-21

The difference, IMHO, is that the Christian or Jew looks at the depth and height of the physical creation – and sees a revelation of the Creator (Psalms 19:1-3) whereas others see a different context (e.g. Buddhism) or no context at all (atheism/agnosticism.)

Also, the Jews see the Torah as a direct revelation of God. We Christians see all of Scripture as a revelation of God. Moreover we Christians see the Father's most important revelations in Himself - in the Person of Jesus Christ and in the indwelling Holy Spirit.

But we are all individuals and tend to understand things somewhat differently. Moreover - at the forefront of these debates - and fueling resentments is the different understanding among Christians concerning the creation of man which derives, not from science, but from our understanding of Scripture.

Specifically, we Christians have different interpretations of Romans 5:12–14 and I Corinthians 15:42–48: one side says that Adam was the first mortal man and the other says that Adam was the first ensouled man. Thus, the interpretation among Christians concerning Genesis 1-3 (the origin of man) cuts this way:

Young Earth Creationism which says that Adam was the first mortal man and therefore the physical evidence must support a young earth of some 6000 years of age in proper or absolute time.

Gosse Omphalus Hypothesis which says that Adam was the first mortal man and that God created an old looking universe some 6000 years ago in proper or absolute time.

Old Earth Creationism which says that Adam was the first ensouled man, that the universe is some 15 billion years old in proper or absolute time, that evolution occurred and Adam was ensouled some 6000 years ago in proper or absolute time.

Special Creationism which says that Adam was created some 6000 years ago in some unspecified time and place.

My view – which is akin to Jewish physicist Gerald Schroeder's is that we must consider both relativity and inflationary theory – that some 15 billion years from our space/time coordinates is equal to 6 equivalent earth days at the inception space/time coordinates. There is no conflict with Genesis 1.

I go a bit further than Schroeder in asserting that God is the author of Genesis and the only observer of His own Creation and thus we must look at those Scriptures from the inception perspective until Adam is banished to mortality at the end of chapter 3, at which point the space/time perspective changes to Adamic man. Therefore, I assert that the first three chapters of Scripture deal with the creation not only of the physical realm but the spiritual as well (Gen 1:1, Gen 2:4-5)

Nevertheless, whereas the Christian and Jew may find peace with the materialist for the purpose of “doing” science – there will always be an underlying resentment among some because methodological naturalism excludes miracles on principle whereas Christians and Jews have already accepted many miracles.

A Christian believes that the Son of God became enfleshed in the body of a virgin, died on a cross for our sins, resurrected and is sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven and will come again. That while He was here, He walked on water, raised the dead, made the blind to see, the lame to walk and so on. Since we believe all of this, it is not a stretch for us to believe other miracles, e.g. Jonas and the whale, the Noah flood, the parting of the Red Sea, the burning bush, the plagues on Egypt, Creation week and so on.

I confess though that it troubles me when one of my brothers or sisters in Christ hinges his belief in Jesus Christ on physical evidence of a young earth. It is tantamount to saying “God, if you did not create everything in the way that I have interpreted your Holy Scriptures, then I reject you.”

After all, the mortal mind is indescribably puny compared to God.

Talk about “anthropomorphizing God” …. Jeepers.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. – I Corinthians 1:19-25

To the “doubting Thomases” out there - who demand signs or physical evidence of miracles or insist God must be rational to their way of understanding what “rational” means - I point to the unreasonable effectiveness of math in the natural sciences (Wigner).

After all, doubting Thomas was an apostle, too. And Jesus provided evidence so that he could believe (John).

So for those "doubting Thomases" who can receive it: the "unreasonable effectiveness of math" is God's copyright notice on the cosmos.

Nevertheless and despite whatever a Christian admits to his base of knowledge or how he prioritizes it, the bottom line flows from the Great Commandment (Matt 22:)

Love God surpassingly above all else. Believe Him. Trust Him. Follow Him.