cms@dragon.uucp (08/12/90)
In article <Aug.5.19.00.48.1990.17356@athos.rutgers.edu>, dhosek@sif.claremont.edu (Hosek, Donald A.) writes: > In article <Jul.24.04.42.12.1990.17387@athos.rutgers.edu>, irilyth@cs.swarthmore.edu (Josh Smith) writes... > > Just as a side note on this, it should be pointed out that > Catholics do believe in an infallible Bible, but not in the same > sense as fundamentalists; for Catholics, infallibility (in any > application, whether it applies to the Bible, the Pope, or a > council of Bishops) means that an incorrect doctrine cannot be > taught. Thus, the Bible contains nothing that is doctrinally > incorrect although some passages have meanings which may be taken > to be strictly allegorical (e.g., Genesis 1-10; in this > particular case, incidentally, no doctrine has been defined on > whether that passage is to be taken literally or not, so > Catholics are free to believe what they will on this). I thought Augustine wrote a wonderful book on this subject entitled "The Literal Meaning of Genesis." There are some interesting questions he asks regarding the figurative language used to describe a concept that must be construed as a faithful record of events. Some of the questions he attempts to answer (sometimes paraphrased for clarity): 1. In the beginning God created heaven and earth. What is heaven and what is earth? Does this expression mean corporeal and spiritual creatures or only coporeal? 2. How did God say, "Let there be light?" Was this in time or in the eternity of His Word? (Note: Augustine distinguishes between time and eternity; time does not exist without motion or change; in eternity there is no change. Therefore, there is no time unless a creature is made which moves, thus causing change.) How can we conceive of God saying it except by means of a creature? Did God use created heaven to produce His utterance subject to time and change when He said, "let there be light"? 3. Was there a material sound of voice when God said, "let there be light," as there was when He said, "Thou art my beloved Son"? If so, what was the language of this voice when He said, "let there be light"? There did not yet exist the variety of tongues, which arose later when the tower was built after the flood. What then was God's Creation language? Who was intended to hear it and to whom was it directed? Augustine notes that this may be an absurdly material way of thinking and speculating on the matter. (From my point of view, it's a good question for Biblical literal inerrantists.) 4. So, is it an intellectual idea signified by the sound of the voice, in the words, "let there be light," that is meant here by the voice of God, rather than material sound? (My observation: Before atmosphere was created, what was the medium, in the absence of air, through which God uttered, "let there be light"?) Does the intellectual idea belong to the Word, i.e., "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"? So, God created light through the Word so the utterance is eternal and through this utterance creation in time was brought about. 5. What is the light God created? Is it spiritual or material? (My observation: later on, God creates the sun, the moon, and the stars.) 6. Why is it stated, "In the beginning God created heaven and earth," instead of, "Let there be heaven and earth"? Does this mean that all God made is to be included and brought to mind first in a general way, and that then the manner of creation is to be worked out in detail, as for each object the words "God said" occur? (My observation: I always thought the Creation Story began in medias res.) Good questions, good answers, good read. Recommended. > Don Hosek TeX, LaTeX, and Metafont Consulting and -- Sincerely, Cindy Smith _///_ // SPAWN OF A JEWISH _///_ // _///_ // <`)= _<< CARPENTER _///_ //<`)= _<< <`)= _<< _///_ // \\\ \\ \\ _\\\_ <`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ <`)= _<< >IXOYE=('> \\\ \\ \\\ \\_///_ // // /// _///_ // _///_ // emory!dragon!cms <`)= _<< _///_ // <`)= _<< <`)= _<< \\\ \\<`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ GO AGAINST THE FLOW! \\\ \\ A Real Live Catholic in Georgia