Wonder what would happen IF – An ardent but “closet” creationist …

Comment on Dr. Geraty Affirms the Literal Creation Week? by Charles.

Wonder what would happen IF –

An ardent but “closet” creationist from the “conservative” side of the Adventist community were to attend a top public university(s) (anywhere in the world) and earn a doctorate in biology (or related field). Over a few years, this hypothetical scientist would eventually find his way into a top position in the biology department at a public university – like maybe “University of California, Berkley” After the appropriate time and protocols, our professor becomes tenured. As a little time passes, the mask comes off and we find this closet creationist teaching the literal young age of the earth with a literal 7-day miraculous week of creation as fact, in his classroom.

Far-fetched, maybe? But how would Berkley deal with it? I think its kinda what happened to Walter Veith in S. Africa, except that he did not infiltrate their system under a pretense.

But how would a public university deal with such a situation?

Charles Also Commented

Dr. Geraty Affirms the Literal Creation Week?
@Bill Sorensen:

I do not wish to “conjecture” anything and am quite willing to wait until the kingdom to understand better.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.


Dr. Geraty Affirms the Literal Creation Week?
SAU published a seven-principle statement affirming the University’s stand on Creation. This was published in the June, 2011 Southern Tidings.

http://www.southernunion.com/site/1/docs/Tidings/2011/jun11.pdf
(see page 15)

Here are the seven principles:

1. We affirm the primacy,
authority, and trustworthiness of the
Bible in all areas of inquiry it addresses,
including the origin of the natural
world and the various kinds of life
created therein.
2. We affirm that Genesis 1-11 is
an accurate and historical account of
the events it presents. The description
found therein is reaffirmed throughout
the Old Testament, and every New
Testament writer and Jesus Himself
explicitly or implicitly affirms the historicity
of Genesis 1-11.
3. We affirm the supernatural
Creation of a beautiful and perfect
world in one literal week of six consecutive,
contiguous, 24-hour days of
creative activity, followed by the Sabbath
of rest.
4. We affirm that the Creation
week and the origin of life on Earth
took place recently, a few thousand
years ago, and that there was no life
on Earth prior to that time.
5. We affirm that death came
about as the result of human sin,
that there was no death in the world
as originally created, and that there
will be no death in the new Earth as
restored by God.
6. We affirm the value of Ellen
G. White’s endorsement of the biblical
teaching on the early history of Earth,
specifically a literal six-day creation,
God’s rest on the literal seventh day,
a short chronology for life on Earth
of a few thousand years, and a global
Flood.
7. We affirm that the doctrine
of Creation is foundational for and
interconnected with other important
biblical doctrines, including the inspiration
of Scripture, the Sabbath, the
character of God, the plan of salvation,
marriage, resurrection, and the
new earth.

I notice in principle #4 the statement, “Creation
week and the origin of life on Earth
took place recently, a few thousand
years ago, and that there was no life
on Earth prior to that time.”

Does that statement allow for an earth “without form and void” being in place prior to the creation week? How would that idea compare with what scripture says and what is written by EG White?

The Bible (KJV) says:

Genesis 1

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

So, was the earth (as an un-created mineral ball) here prior to our creation week – possibly as part of an earlier creative act by God? The two verses above seem to possibly allow for that.

What does EGW say?

“In the creation of the earth, God was not indebted to preexisting matter. “He spoke, and it was …; He commanded, and it stood fast.” 237Psalm 33:9. All things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord God at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and everything in it, came into existence by the breath of His mouth.” {MHH 236.6}

Her statement above does not seem to preclude that God may have created the material of this earth at an earlier time. But it is clear that it was created by God and it was created from nothing but His own power.

For me, it does not matter on that point. I believe what scripture says about it and I believe that Ellen White was inspired and correct in what she wrote.

I am not a qualified expositor on the original languages but there is indication in the SDA Bible Commentary that the form of the earth described in Gen 1:2 may be similar to the form of the earth as prophesied in Rev 20:3. We understand that condition (abussos) to be desolate of life.

I believe that this world was created by God about 6,000 years ago in a literal 6-day week followed by the first Sabbath day. It was a miraculous work and in no way depended on the notions of “science” as we know it here on earth. If the earth was hanging here (in space) prior to that creation, I know that He put it there at some previous time in preparation for what He was planning relative to the creation.

He is so totally in control. We even have a Biblical example of Him “making the sun stand still”. It would be speculation as to how He did that one. Did He stop the whole world from turning for those few hours? It does not matter. God is not bound by the laws of science, physics, or any other constraint that we are bound by. He is Almighty God. Who can know His ways?


Dr. Geraty Affirms the Literal Creation Week?
@Faith:

I know there is plenty about Gen 1 I do not understand and indeed may never understand. But when Jesus comes, I think we will all see “the light”.


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It was an event that changed the world in ways that top-down powers would yearn for.

No point in speculation… I think Veith probably was mistaken to do that deep dive and it seems that he has quietly backed away from it.

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There is a great “conspiracy” – otherwise known as “The Great Controversy”. It is the ultimate reality of our rebellious little world today. AND it is the foundation of all of these other problems we deal with.

AND, IT WILL BE ENDING SOON!


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