Dear D,
I have in front of me a copy of A History of Christianity by Kenneth Scott Latourette of Yale University Divinity School. I quote from the preface:
You seem to be able to double-speak. You made a major point that the positive results of many experiments would not be fact, but only theory. Then you jumped up and down on the fact, the “incontrovertible” fact, of evolution.
You seemed to be confident in what I was about to say and had an answer for it before I finished a sentence. We certainly needed more time.
I have just spent a month on the East Coast, 21 hours of public teaching, many hours (50) in cars, in planes (10), and more hours in one-on-one teaching and in fellowship. It is good to be home!
During this time, I spent eight days in the home of a man who has been a close friend of mine since 1958. He taught physics as the U.S. Naval Academy for 42 years. He got his PhD in atomic physics at Catholic University and completed postdoctoral studies in astronomical physics at Cambridge University. He is a very godly believer. Since I hoped to finish this letter on the trip, I took your correspondence with me. He read your letter and my answer. I had wanted his input. It has been several weeks and I did not take notes, so I cannot give an accurate account of his thinking other than to say that he was concerned for you.
You said that you are “a highly moral secular humanist.” I have not doubted that. The moral standards are different in humanism than they are in the Bible.
Here are a few differences:
There are few other differences. In the Bible, pride is described as a basic character of Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-178 and 1 Timothy 3:6). Humility is the basic character of Jesus (Matthew 11:28, Phil. 2:5-11). “But Samuel replied: 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king'” (1 Sam. 15:22-23).
In the KJV, “arrogance” is rendered “stubbornness.” It seems to me that you have an inordinate pride in your energy, your mind, and your accomplishments, academically, physically, and athletically. The problem is not that you have these unusual abilities, but how you hold them.
With love and respect,
Jim Wilson
I have in front of me a copy of A History of Christianity by Kenneth Scott Latourette of Yale University Divinity School. I quote from the preface:
If it is complained that this is not an 'objective' approach, it must be remembered that pure objectivity does not exist, even in the natural sciences. One is either for or against Christianity: there is no neutral or strictly 'objective' ground. Reason has a legitimate place. We must employ it in testing what are presented to us as facts and in searching for other facts. But truth is not attained by reason alone. The insight that is born of faith can bring illumination. Faith is not credulity and if that which is called faith ignores reason it does so to its peril. But uncritical confidence in reason as the sole or final criterion is a blind act of credulity which may be even more dangerous than a faith which disdains reason. Throughout the chapters which follow is the conviction that the faith which is stimulated by contact with the Christian Gospel, the faith which is the commitment to God of the whole man, body, mind, and spirit, the commitment which is the response in love to God Who is love and Who in His love has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, opens the mind towards the true understanding of history. That we fail to understand history is due to our lack of such a commitment. That we understand it partly but imperfectly arises from a commitment which is real but incomplete. No one of us has made a full commitment. If we are honest with ourselves we know how limited our commitment is. We should, therefore, never claim infallibility for our interpretation of history. Yet so far as the faith which follows commitment has been given to us, we must seek in its light to perceive the road which man has thus far traversed.Thank you for meeting with. Again, I learned more about you than what you told me in your life story. Your story was very interesting. You are a workaholic, study-holic, recreation-holic. You are competitive, very (100K run, 1,2000-ft. peaks).
You seem to be able to double-speak. You made a major point that the positive results of many experiments would not be fact, but only theory. Then you jumped up and down on the fact, the “incontrovertible” fact, of evolution.
You seemed to be confident in what I was about to say and had an answer for it before I finished a sentence. We certainly needed more time.
I have just spent a month on the East Coast, 21 hours of public teaching, many hours (50) in cars, in planes (10), and more hours in one-on-one teaching and in fellowship. It is good to be home!
During this time, I spent eight days in the home of a man who has been a close friend of mine since 1958. He taught physics as the U.S. Naval Academy for 42 years. He got his PhD in atomic physics at Catholic University and completed postdoctoral studies in astronomical physics at Cambridge University. He is a very godly believer. Since I hoped to finish this letter on the trip, I took your correspondence with me. He read your letter and my answer. I had wanted his input. It has been several weeks and I did not take notes, so I cannot give an accurate account of his thinking other than to say that he was concerned for you.
You said that you are “a highly moral secular humanist.” I have not doubted that. The moral standards are different in humanism than they are in the Bible.
Here are a few differences:
You shall have no other gods before me. (Ex. 20:3)The moral decadence that is described in Romans 1:24-27, 29-32 is the duel result of the verses previously quoted from Romans 1. If you are not a part of this described decadence, you are an exception. According to the Bible, you have violated the first and greatest command. That is the greatest sin.
Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. (Matt. 22:37-38)
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Rom. 1:20-23)
...who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen...And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. (Rom. 1:25, 28)
There are few other differences. In the Bible, pride is described as a basic character of Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-178 and 1 Timothy 3:6). Humility is the basic character of Jesus (Matthew 11:28, Phil. 2:5-11). “But Samuel replied: 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king'” (1 Sam. 15:22-23).
In the KJV, “arrogance” is rendered “stubbornness.” It seems to me that you have an inordinate pride in your energy, your mind, and your accomplishments, academically, physically, and athletically. The problem is not that you have these unusual abilities, but how you hold them.
With love and respect,
Jim Wilson
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