From: isaak@aurora.com (Mark Isaak)
Subject: If Genesis is Fiction
Reply-To: isaak@aurora.com (Mark Isaak)
Organization: The Aurora Group, Palo Alto, CA
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 92 21:41:08 GMT


The quoted sections which follow are from the email Wayne Folta sent me in
response to the Flood FAQ, specifically in response to Davis Young's point
that Flood geology is harmful to Christianity by making it less credible.
I'm posting Wayne's argument because I have seen the same argument used a
number of times before to justify a literal flood and even Creationism
itself.  In fact, I think Wayne's argument may be the sole reason that some
people believe in Creationism.

[Wayne Folta writes]
> And if you delete the Flood, which the Bible paints as quite literal, what
> about Creation? If Noah was not real, what about Abraham or Jesus? If we
> can throw out Genesis as fiction, then we can throw out Sin, Redemption,
> the First Cause, the reason for evil in the world, ... In short, we can
> throw out Christianity. This "Evangelical" is slitting his own throat.

There are several problems with this argument.  First, the conclusion
doesn't follow.  I might just as well say, "If we can throw out the death of
Scarlet's daughter in _Gone With the Wind_ as fictional, we can throw out
the burning of Atlanta."

Second, who are you to say that the Bible paints the flood as literal?

Third, you are confusing "figurative" with "fictional."  The statement,
"with this argument, Mr. Young is slitting his own throat" is figurative,
but it's not fictional if in fact Mr. Young's argument is hurting him.  The
argument you're responding to never said the flood story was fictional.

Fourth, and (IMHO) most important, it appears that *you* are slitting your
own throat, or at least strangling it.  You have chosen an extremely
inflexible method of interpreting the Bible.  Lumping together everything in
the Bible, as you appear to be doing, would make it impossible to admit an
error in your interpretation of just one part of it.  What possibility then
do you have for spiritual growth?

Too many people equate faith with belief, when in fact the two ideas are
more nearly opposites.  Faith (to me, anyway) means knowing that, when the
time comes, I'll be all right when I let go of things--of possessions, of
control, of old ideas.  Do you have the faith to let go of your beliefs
about the Bible to go in search of better beliefs?

And finally, do you believe God created the world or not?  And if so, then
why should the Bible, which is third-hand at best, take precedence over
God's original word in the Earth itself?  If you throw out the evidence in
the Earth, you have no choice but to throw out all of Creationism.

> Not to mention, at the most basic level the conflict is between a totally
> Naturalistic universe and a universe that is only a part of a Supernatural
> reality. You cannot have both. It strikes me as ludicrous when a
> "Christian" makes enormous compromises with non-Christians and then
> expects them to make compromises back. An Evolutionist believes that
> everything is explainable by time, chance, and the properties of matter --
> no possibility of God.

The conflict is there only if you want it to be.  Yes, evolution is
naturalistic, but evolution isn't the entire universe.  Your last sentence
is simply false.  Some scientists may believe that way, but it certainly
isn't a requirement.

As far as expecting compromises goes, I don't really care what you believe.
But what you write misrepresents me and others.  The fact that belief in
evolution is compatible with a healthy spirituality is easily demonstrated
by the millions of people who have both.  Your false dichotomy may make some
people reluctant to engage in scientific study, and thereby miss a level of
wonder, beauty, and fulfillment which you probably cannot even comprehend.

-- 
Mark Isaak           "Every generation thinks it has the answers, and every
isaak@aurora.com      generation is humbled by nature." - Philip Lubin