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Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 20:17:46 -0400
From: John Colagioia <JColagioia@csi.com>
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Subject: Re: evolutionism in IF
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Richard Bos wrote:
> Tarage <tarage@nospam.bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>I agree with John on this one...vagarity works wonders. I honestly don't
>>think most Christians (for instance) get too hung up on whether it was
>>1,000 years ago or 20 billion that the world was created...
> Actually, I do. I think it is most insulting of literal creationists to
> imply that my God is a petulant child who created fossils only to lead
> the more intelligent of His children to hell. Subtil ist der Herr Gott,
> aber boeshaft ist Er nicht...

I'd rather not continue the discussion, since the consensus appears
to be "it's a work of fiction, regardless."  However, it should be
noted that God is, indeed, portrayed as being rather petulant.  And,
arguably, His earliest children, at least, were not supposed to be
rooting around underground:

4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the
fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of
the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his
offering: 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.
And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

(Quote courtesy of http://sacred-texts.com/bib/kjv/gen.htm)

Considering His interactions with Abraham, Job, and others, it is
arguably well within His character (during that period) to enact
something of a practical joke on anyone doing what is already
established as wrong.

That is, a story can easily be created which is both coherent and
consistent with at least most editions of the Bible.  That God was
portrayed as an evolving character through the ages cannot be blamed
on such a story, nor should His current status soften the past.

And this all discounts the possibility that the Earth was created
long before Eden, or concurrent with it and apparently aged more
quickly--an idea not inconsistent with the diminishing lifespans of
humanity down the generations.

OK, I'm done ranting.  Please take this in the spirit offered (mostly
story ideas, and certainly not proselyzation), and if you'd like to
continue the debate (or curse me out for heresy, for that matter),
you know where to send the e-mail...

