Sunday, August 14, 2005
Intuitions on Intelligent Design
A couple of weeks ago, controversy was created when President Bush said that Intelligent Design and evolution should be properly taught side by side. I happen to agree with that remark, but I have a number of intuitions, free-form thoughts so to speak about intelligent design in general. I hope to expand on these thoughts sometime in the future where I will have more time to read and to think about the issue more clearly.
1. Of course there is intelligent design. I'm glad researchers are catching up with much of the church on this point. The Lord God spoke and created all things, both visible and invisible. Of course there is the appearance of design, because an intelligent Maker made all living things and the laws that govern them.
2. While I am a young earth creationist, I have mellowed out in my dogmatic stances over the years and will allow for some flexibility of belief. It is far more important to me that Christians in particular get the meaning of the word "day" in Genesis right before worrying too much about the approximate age of the earth. Let me state it clearly for one and all: while the word "day" could mean "age" or "a long period of time" or something like it, the church has, if I'm correct, simply assumed that "day" means a twenty four hour day. Is it possible? If the Lord can raise His only begotten Son from the dead to accomplish the salvation of many from all tribes, tongues and nations, then yes, he can speak and the world be created.
3. I believe that even if the age of the earth is millions of years old, the time of man is only about ten to twenty thousand years, if one is to follow the genealogies in the Bible back to their origins.
4. I have no problem with man and dinosaurs coexisting together. Just because we have dinosaur remains in one spot allegedly and human remains in another spot, doesn't necessarily mean that they didn't coexist.
5. Creation, by itself, can lead one to conclude that there is a God and he should be worshiped, but to get the story of salvation and redemption, special revelation is required. Thus, by itself ID research can get one no farther than perhaps a deistic view of God. To go much farther would require further teaching and exposition from the Scriptures.
1. Of course there is intelligent design. I'm glad researchers are catching up with much of the church on this point. The Lord God spoke and created all things, both visible and invisible. Of course there is the appearance of design, because an intelligent Maker made all living things and the laws that govern them.
2. While I am a young earth creationist, I have mellowed out in my dogmatic stances over the years and will allow for some flexibility of belief. It is far more important to me that Christians in particular get the meaning of the word "day" in Genesis right before worrying too much about the approximate age of the earth. Let me state it clearly for one and all: while the word "day" could mean "age" or "a long period of time" or something like it, the church has, if I'm correct, simply assumed that "day" means a twenty four hour day. Is it possible? If the Lord can raise His only begotten Son from the dead to accomplish the salvation of many from all tribes, tongues and nations, then yes, he can speak and the world be created.
3. I believe that even if the age of the earth is millions of years old, the time of man is only about ten to twenty thousand years, if one is to follow the genealogies in the Bible back to their origins.
4. I have no problem with man and dinosaurs coexisting together. Just because we have dinosaur remains in one spot allegedly and human remains in another spot, doesn't necessarily mean that they didn't coexist.
5. Creation, by itself, can lead one to conclude that there is a God and he should be worshiped, but to get the story of salvation and redemption, special revelation is required. Thus, by itself ID research can get one no farther than perhaps a deistic view of God. To go much farther would require further teaching and exposition from the Scriptures.
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