I found Michael Shermers interview at the creation museum very interesting. Click on the link to watch it. He was very polite and mainly just asked questions. I thought the womens answers also very interesting. She seemed to contradict herself often, saying interpretation was important at one point, and then saying you couldn't interpret Genesis. If you set out saying, 'I know what scripture says, so anything that contradicts it must be wrong' is very weird. It's also a form of interpretation, which she said you can't do.
I don't really see any difference between how this women chooses to believe, and how a Scientologist chooses to believe. I guess it bugs me, because she can literally make stuff up. If you don't have to prove anything, you can just say, "this is the way it is", and there is no obligation to offer any evidence.
I wonder what she would think of theologians like J.I. Packer who thinks she is flat out wrong when it comes to her literal reading of Genesis. Would she care, would she say he does not know how to read the Bible? I guess we have an idea, because of how she dismissed Collins and Miller.
Watching the interview has left me a little baffled and worn out. It seems to me to be so sad that all that money would go to something that has no real importance to Christianity, peoples lives, and can only really do harm.
I think I need a cup of tea and a shower.
Scott
What's so hard to understand Scott? You are either right or you are interpreting. And apparently this woman gets to decide for the world which one you are doing.
ReplyDeleteI'd hate to be her and have the burden of deciding for the world if they were right or just interpreting...
Alas, perhaps I am misinterpreting her, I better pick up the phone and find out!
Hmm... Skepticblog.org seems to be experiencing technical difficulties... I would have liked to see the video before commenting...
ReplyDeleteAnyways, there seems to be a LOT of fuss about the mode and mechanism of the birth of time. Small wonder, since it is pretty much the start of everything :)
Warning Unsupported Belief Statement to Follow:
I believe that there are a variety of mechanisms that may explain the beginning of Earth and are not mutually exclusive with the existence of a God, even a good God, even the God described by the Bible.
And I agree with you Scott that how the universe began should probably play a small, if not insignificant, role in how anyone addresses the common state of humankind. Perhaps it's a akin to discussing the workings of the Deathstar as you're trapped in the garbage compactor 3263827 on the Deathstar when you're about to be squished. Sure it would be nice if Luke new exactly how it worked and where all the pieces came from, but ultimately he just needs to get a message to R2 to shut the blasted thing down and get out of there.