@David Read: Likewise, we have a huge problem in creationism, …

Comment on Mrs. White: “Don’t send your children to…” by Sean Pitman.

@David Read:

Likewise, we have a huge problem in creationism, in the fact that we are told that all the animals were gathered up in the ark, and yet the fossil record is full of animals that don’t exist in the modern world and never existed at any time following the Flood. In fact, much of the sub-tertiary vertebrate fossil record is composed of just such animals. That’s a stupendous problem with the creationist worldview, which is solved by my interpretation of the amalgamation statements. Admittedly, the amalgamation statements are vague. That being the case, why not interpret them in a way that solves serious problems for our view of earth history?

Because of the very reason you listed for the problems created when mainstream scientists do this very thing to support their own ideas on naturalism. The use of such vague “evidence” to support a particular view simply isn’t valuable beyond just-so story telling. It has very little clear predictive value beyond those already convinced of a given perspective. It also raises as many problems as it “solves”. There are many extinct creatures in the fossil record that are not clearly problematic – at least not as obviously problematic as many animals that were evidently saved on the Ark (like the crocodile for example).

Anyway, I do think such stories and ideas are interesting, but I do not think they should be used as statements of what clearly happened. They should only be used as points or questions to ponder, but given no more weight than that given the significant vagueness of the statements upon which they are based.

Sean Pitman
www.DetectingDesign.com

Sean Pitman Also Commented

Mrs. White: “Don’t send your children to…”
For further clarification:

I’m not saying that David Read is wrong. I’m just saying that his theories aren’t based on very solid evidence as far as I am able to tell. As such, they don’t seem to me to be all that much more reliable that just-so stories or conjecture (similar to the just-so story telling used to back up popular evolutionary theories). However interesting, they simply don’t have all that much predictive value. While certainly within the realm of possibility, the likelihood that these stories are true cannot be determined with any significant degree of accuracy nor can they be clearly tested in a falsifiable manner.

Even the SoP statements he uses aren’t very clear as to what, exactly, Mrs. White was actually saying with regard to what she meant in different contexts by the word “amalgamation”. We can surmise all day long, but even David admits that his conclusions are dependent upon a great deal of conjecture. For me, this isn’t very useful as anything to base much on beyond whimsical stories about what might have happened on the level of a novel or some other such fanciful story that is very loosely based on real life.

In short, I think there is far better scientific evidence upon which to base our faith than these just-so stories and large leaps of imagination…

Hope this helps.

Sean Pitman
www.DetectingDesign.com


Mrs. White: “Don’t send your children to…”
@David Read:

There are degrees of “class-bending” I suppose. Simply giving a creature with features usually associated with different groups of animals the name “monotreme” does not change this. Looking only at fossils makes this job all the much more difficult and subjective. I may be “obtuse” in my reticence to declare an obvious blurring of boundaries between most animals in the fossil record vs. living animals, but so be it. I think it contrary to the cause I stand for to be too overzealous with theories that you yourself describe as being “highly speculative.”

Sean Pitman
http://www.DetectingDesign.com


Mrs. White: “Don’t send your children to…”
@pauluc:

A faithful reading of the text requires that one read in context – something you are not doing. The Bible is its own interpreter. You are placing an interpretation onto the text which is contrary to the clear context in which it was written and contrary to how the biblical writers themselves interpreted all mankind as being of “one blood”.

You may believe that this is preposterous because you are seeing the world from a modern naturalistic perspective but the issue is was it preposterous to the mind of the person writing this passage? If you think it was you have not been paying attention to much ancient or indeed more recent literature. What precisely were the centaurs and medusa in greek mythology? What of the animal human hybrids that we have captured in stone from the egyptian empire that were likely part of Moses heritage? Have you not read Miltons Paradise Lost a book with many parallels to the great controversy; what was the provenance of the guardian of the pit into which the Devil was cast after the war in Heaven? How did the devil look upon the first woman?

What are you talking about? The notion of human-animal hybrids and even hybrids between humans and “the gods” is certainly part of mythology, but it is clearly not part of the thinking of the Biblical authors. Also, Milton’s Paradise Lost, while certainly having many parallels, is not supported in many details by the writings of Mrs. White who very clearly explained the whole concept of “sons of God vs. daughters of men”. Did you not read the above-listed commentary in this regard?

Sean Pitman
http://www.DetectingDesign.com


Recent Comments by Sean Pitman

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You opted not to get vaccinated during the pandemic, for whatever reason, but did not advise others to do the same. That’s fine. I think you probably increased your own risk a bit, but that’s far better than giving medical advice to others when you don’t know for sure that you’re right – especially for those who were at higher risk than you. It’s also good that you supported others who did choose to get vaccinated.

As far as SDA hospitals and organizations, I agree that there has been some drift from the ideal. I’m not happy that so many non-SDAs are hired to work in and to be leaders. I’m also disappointed that there isn’t a lot more emphasis, direction, and teaching with regard to healthful living. There are some who are doing this, like Dr. Roger Seheult. However, there does seem to be a lack of an organized or official emphasis on how to living healthful so as to avoid having to use so many medications for chronic conditions that are largely self-inflicted. Now, I do sympathize that quick fixed and pills are what most patients want. Most doesn’t want to give up their back health habits, so doctors often just give up and give their patients what they want. Still, this does not excuse the lack of effort along these lines in our hospitals and medical schools. Also, more should be done to spread the Gospel Message in our hospitals as well…


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Thank you for your kind words and support. I really appreciate it very much!


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I’m fine with open dialogue, but that includes presenting and at least understanding things from the GC’s perspective and why the significant majority of SDAs and GC delegates believe that the GC did the right thing during the pandemic and with the original 2015 statement on vaccines.


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If the human immune system were the “perfect mechanism” that God originally designed it to be, you’d be right. However, after ~6000 years of sin and decay, the human immune system is no longer what God originally designed it to be – as evidenced by the great many, even among healthy vegan SDAs, who died during the pandemic. Water and light therapies are great and are helpful as layers of protection, but for many, especially those over the age of 65, whey were not enough. The mRNA vaccines were very effective in providing an additional much needed layer of protection during the pandemic. Now, I’ve very glad that you did not get sick enough to require hospitalization and that you avoided long-term injuries and death during the pandemic, but many many others were not so fortunate.