Comments on: #1 Genesis expert offers help for Louisiana science education

By: Herman Cummings

Herman Cummings — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:08:49 +0000

Professor James McGrath walks the same path as most every theologian I contact. When I offer to present the truth of Genesis, they have the attitude that “they already know and teach the truth of Genesis”. When in reality, they are no where close. Mr. McGrath has not done his homework, just as creationism and theology has failed to do.

Here are some statements taken from the works of Gordon Wenham:

* * * *

The narrative of Genesis 2-3 will always retain its meaning for humankind. Something basic is said about humanity which no religious or ideological, no scientific, technical or medical development or change can or will in any way alter. It is part of human existence that a person is fallible. One cannot be a human being other than a fallible human being. This is the context of the limitation of human existence; not indeed that death is the penalty for the offense committed by a first man, but rather that fallible, sinful, disobedient humanity is humanity separated from God. A person separated from God is a person limited by death, suffering and toil.

* * * *

First, Mr. Wenham avoids specific commentary on Genesis chapter one if he can. He, among others, does not understand it.

Second, he considers chapters 2 and 3 to be allegorical, rather than historical, and not being able to assign a specific date to when those events occurred.

Adam was put in the Garden in about 7200 BC, and Eve was made in about 7000 BC, which was 200 years later. They both were expelled from the Garden in 4267 BC.

“Creation” did not begin the week that Adam was formed, and “original sin” occurred on Earth over 650 million years before modern mankind was mad by God.

Herman Cummings
ephraim7@aol.com

By: Louisiana anti-science law: 3 questions, 1 suggestion « Tony’s curricublog

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:00:14 +0000

[...] example of the kind of thing that people might want to bring into Louisiana schools (also featured here on Curricublog.) More seriously, in a different post, The Curmudgeon writes: IN DUE COURSE there will be a furious [...]

By: airtightnoodle

airtightnoodle — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:40:46 +0000

Wow. People never cease to amaze me.

By: James McGrath

James McGrath — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:18:54 +0000

I’m a Biblical scholar (admittedly with more of a focus in New Testament), and I’ve never heard of this guy. But presumably it goes without saying that no one (unless they are writing about themselves in the third person for a book blurb pretending to be an impartial bystander) who is the world’s leading authority would describe themselves as such.

I’d recommend Gordon Wenham, a genuine leading authority on Genesis, a British evangelical who accepts the scientific evidence for evolution, if one wants to look into Biblical scholarship in this area.