----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Brin-L" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 8:55 AM Subject: Re: Evolution Question > > I would too, since I'm a devout Jew and I know many other devout Jews and > many devout Catholics, none of whom deny that the universe is billions of > years old, that evolution happens, and that the literal story of creation >in Genesis is not a scientific text.
One of the best arguements for this view that I've seen is about 800 years old, predating science as we know it. Tommy Aquinis has stated that it is not the purpose of scripture to inform us of natural philosophy, rather it is to impart to us the information that we are unable to obtain on our own. > The mental deficiency, IMO, is seen in people who ignore so much basically > irrefutable physical evidence that contradicts their fundamentalist >theology in order to maintain an increasingly threadbare and obviously wrong > insistence on biblical inerrancy. > It comes down to whether or not you fetishize the Bible, i.e., do you >believe in it rather than in God? The Bible is just a story; God is much much >larger (infinitely so). It's possible, and for a Jew imperative, to interpret the > Bible while following its commandments. The literal meaning of the words >is just the starting point. > > We have eyes and brains and we're supposed to keep both open and use them > both. People who actively refuse to do either are cretins, in my opinion. > How many fundamentalists do you know well? The church where I'm a member has a significant minority of fundamentals. I've been able to argue philosophy and theology with a number of them over the years. I think that you did not nail the source of their philosophy on the head. Most of the fundamentalists that I know want/need something absolutely solid to base their worldview upon. Many times have I heard the question "if you start questioning the Bible, where do you stop?" Its not that these people won't or can't think, many of them have good analytical skills. They are not really cretins. Many of them are caring, sensitive individuals. They are just individuals who have an inherent discomfort with the idea of gray areas. Dan M.
