Claim CH050:
True science and true religion are founded on Genesis. All Biblical
doctrines have their foundations laid there, and the book of Genesis
itself is founded on the events of its first chapter.
Source:
Response:
- This claim is an instance of religious bigotry. Lots of religions,
including Buddhism, Hinduism, Druidism, and many more, have no
connection with Genesis at all. For a person to say that these are not
true religions is
- a gross insult to the people who practice the religions. Many of
these people are highly devout, with a spiritual relationship at
least as great as any creationist.
- a gross insult to God. The person is saying that God's revelation
must coincide with his own opinion to be valid, that God cannot
reveal himself differently to different people. Anyone making this
claim places themself above God.
- a disservice to oneself. Bigotry is hateful and will prevent good
relationships with good people.
- If Genesis is so all-important, why do creationists reject serious
study of it? Modern (and even not-so-modern) scholarship has revealed
much about the authors of Genesis (called J, E, P, and R) and other
books of the Old Testament, including their motivations and places in
history. For example, the Flood account is an interleaving of two
different flood stories by J and P (Friedman 1987). Creationists
studiously avoid any such knowledge. (Creationists are not alone in
this; most Christians generally are woefully ignorant of biblical
scholarship.)
- Ideas in other parts of the Bible stand on their own. Creationists
themselves frequently quote them out of context. The Old Testament
itself refers to documents that no longer exist; the Book of the Wars
of the Lord (Num. 21:14); the Book of Jasher (Josh. 10:13, 2
Sam. 1:18); and others (1 Kings 11:41; 14:29, 19, 16:5; 1 Chron. 29:29;
2 Chron. 20:34, 13:22). Knowledge of earlier scriptures is helpful but
not critical. Jesus sometimes rejected the letter of some Old
Testament laws, so the letter of the Old Testament cannot be too
important, and Jesus exemplified the spirit. The reason creationists
find Genesis so important is because they depend on it, not because
other parts of the Bible depend on it.
- If one believes that God created the earth and heavens, then surely the
earth and heavens are God's primary work. Study of the earth and
heavens should be foundational. Placing an object such as the Bible
before them is idolatry.
- No accepted science has ever been based on the Bible. That is not
for lack of trying. Up to the nineteenth century, serious scientists
tried to accomodate literal readings of the Bible to what they saw in
nature. Young-earth creationism failed early on, so scientists tried
gap creationism, day-age creationism, and other attempted
reconciliations. But purely Bible-based science has always failed.
True science is based on reality as expressed in the world (Young
1988).
References:
- Friedman, R. E., 1987. (see below)
- Young, Davis A., 1988. Christianity and the Age of the Earth.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Artisan Sales.
Further Reading:
Friedman, Richard Elliott, 1987. Who Wrote the Bible? New York:
Summit Books.
created 2003-8-12, modified 2003-9-13