Saturday 6 December 2008

Creation dialogue with the EA?

The British Centre for Science Education (BCSE) forum sometimes makes illuminating reading. According to their website the BCSE 'is a group dedicated to promoting and defending science education in the UK.' Their main goal though is removing any discussion about intelligent design or creationism from the classroom.

I don't usually make a point of responding to them on this blog, but a response is in order to set the record straight from some of the latest comments on a thread entitled Paul Taylor comments on Dr. Denis Alexander

Michael Roberts comments "it is not Denis who has caused division. Over the years he has strived to be as peaceful as possible. The division is caused by those who have tried to force a YEC position on other Christians."

Another Christian contributor says "I still think think the YECs are going to cause a major split within the church Michael, along similar lines to the reformation with most (if not all) evangelicals siding with the YECs. The Evangelical Alliance appears to be completely ignorant as to what is happening. Some sort of statement of faith from them would go a long way in addressing the situation but they (the Alliance) don't seem to want to say anything, perhaps for fear of upsetting the YECs (who are bound to be scathing in their response). It really is a different way of looking at Christianity. ... Quite an appalling situation and one that the Evangelical Alliance really can't ignore."

For the record; there is a strong desire amongst many creationists and intelligent design supporters to engage in respectful dialogue with other Christians through the EA, and some of us have even made representation to the EA to bring it about. However, nothing has come of this, and the current Head of Theology is clearly in support of the theistic evolution position.

For some evangelicals there is a strong desire to make Christian faith respectable to the world, even if it means isolating their 'embarrassing' brethren; which seems to be the position of Roberts and Alexander. I believe this is deeply misguided theologically, and there is a tendency to place more trust in the words of fallible scientists than in the words of Jesus - who called for unity.

Many of us have argued that Christians must seek to end division through respectful dialogue so that the church can be united first, and I urge the EA to establish its own forum to facilitate this dialogue.

And there is a case for Christians involved in science to hold science and scientists to account. Science requires dialogue, but evolutionists seek to close down the debate. There is a need to question the basis of foundational assumptions in science. Alexander says that Christians should let secular scientists get on with their work unhindered [Creation or Evolution p.351]. But we are faced then with having to interpret Scripture on the basis of the findings of secular scientists and unquestioned assumptions. Frankly that is a very unsatisfactory state of affairs.
Andrew S

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You guys don't seem much concerned with truth; rather, you merely want to create rationalizations for your dogmas and your myths, no matter how feeble the logic behind them.

In that sense, at least, you're in the same moral position as the scum who shot up Mumbai the other week; your "faith" justifies any bloody-minded nonsense, no matter how wrongheaded.

Anonymous said...

Anon. - I don't usually bother replying to comments, and although I could delete this one, it is more pertinent to leave online to show how blind those who criticise religion are to their own vitriol.
Andrew S

‘Induction over the history of science suggests that the best theories we have today will prove more or less untrue at the latest by tomorrow afternoon.’ Fodor, J. ‘Why Pigs don’t have wings,’ London Review of Books, 18th Oct 2007