Answers in Genesis recently posted an article Why Don’t Many Christian Leaders and Scholars Believe Genesis? by Dr. Terry Mortenson. He quotes 13 Christian leaders and scholars who have indicated that “evolutionary theories about the history and age of the earth and universe are the determining factor influencing their understanding of Genesis 1-11.” The conflict at La Sierra University is ultimately about authority.
Mortenson says these leaders and scholars are teaching “that science is the final authority in determining the correct interpretation of some or all of Genesis 1–11, or at least that science is the final authority in determining that the young-earth view must be wrong.” This shows that often it is not careful exegesis of Genesis that drives LSU professor’s interpretation of chapters 1-11. It is no wonder professors in the LSU religion and biology department feel “free to advocate all kinds of alternative interpretations, no matter how exegetically weak they may be.”
Why Don’t Many Christian Leaders and Scholars Believe Genesis?
By Dr. Terry Mortenson
Many people think that Bible scholars and other Christian leaders or educators who accept millions of years and hold to the gap theory or day-age view or framework hypothesis or a localized Noachian Flood do so because of careful attention to the Biblical text in the original languages.
However, the following old-earth proponents’ own words indicate that evolutionary theories about the history and age of the earth and universe are the determining factor influencing their understanding of Genesis 1-11. Error-prone and, in many cases, erroneous scientific interpretations about the unobserved past appear to have a higher authority for them than Scripture does. Consider these statements, made by Christian scholars who all avowedly affirm that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. All of these scholars are clear that they accept the millions of years or, at least, lean quite strongly in that direction. But some of them are not clear about precisely which old-earth interpretation of Genesis they favor. That is why I say in some cases that someone “apparently favors†a particular view. (Read more)
