Subject: Re: Atheists who did create the earth?

Date: 25 Jan 1999 05:59:17 GMT

From:  (Ken Smith)

Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian

Perhaps I can offer some help about why I object to people describing

evolution as “only a theory” – with the implication that it isn’t much

better than a guess – and don’t object to describing gravity as “only

a theory”
“Bradley” <> writes:

>Ken Smith wrote in message <780>…

>>Yet once again we have confusion over the meaning of “theory”
>Maybe I should have put it in “”
>>”Bradley” <> writes:
[deletions]
>>During my 30+ years of lecturing in mathematics at the University of

>>Queensland I used as textbooks in various classes ones which had

>>titles like

 Bradley deleted my citation of various books which used “theory” in

 the title.
>We are not talking of physics theories, the context was regarding evolution

>etc. which seemed quite clear.
Why not?

“Theory” in physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology is used with the

same meaning as it is in physiology, anatomy, botany, entomology,

zoology, …
>These theories are accepted and taught as truth. History is also taught as

>if it is all truth when in fact some of it is just a theory. Why not teach

>that it is a theory? Maybe another word should be used to stop any confusion

>(non on my part) but I used “theory” since it was used in the post being

>replied to.
><snip>
>>I’m still very worried that lots of evangelical Christians prefer to

>>follow the ideas of Ellen G. White, the founder of Seventh-day

>>Adventism, filtered through Henry M. Morris, rather than people like

>>John Calvin and John Stott.
>Never heard of any of them.

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ellen G. White was the founder of Seventh-day Adventism.

She was firmly of the opinion that the word “day” in Genesis 1 must be

interpreted as 24 hours.
George McCready Price, another SDA, wrote a book “The New Geology” in

1923, which pushed this view.
John Whitcomb and Henry Mossir wrote a book, “The Genesis Flood”, in

1961, most of which was pinched from Price.
John Calvin was one of the fathers of the reformation.  In his

commentary on Genesis he wrote “He who would learn astronomy, and

other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere.”  Were he writing today he

would no doubt have included biology and geology along with astronomy.
John Stott is an Anglican theologian, of the evangelical variety.

In his book “Understanding the Bible” he writes, about the insistence

that the “days” in Genesis 1 must be interpreted as 24 hours “… the

text does not demand it, and scientific evidence seem to be against

it.” (quoted from memory, so it may not be quite right – if anyone

wants the exact wording I’ll dig it out).
>>><snip>

>>>>Jason
>>Ken Smith
>regards,

>Bradley
Ken Smith

—

Dr Ken Smith <> | “God, we know you are in charge, but why

Department of Mathematics,         |  don’t you make it slightly more obvious?”

The University of Queensland,      |        Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 1990

St Lucia, Qld. 4072.  Australia.   |   (address to students at at West Point)