@adamjedgar: The real problem here is not whether or not YEC interpret science adequately, or whether or not their research is thorough enough…the real problem is that humanism cannot allow itself to accept God and Design into the evolutionary doctrine (and lets face it, Evolution is a world view).
Adam, In my humble opinion you are making a false dichotomy about evolution and belief in God as creator. Many Christians, myself included, have reconciled evolution with God as creator using evolution to accomplish His purposes. I recommend the following article by Pastor Tim Keller: Creation, Evolution, and Christian Laypeople - BioLogos where the difference between evolution as a world view and evolution as a biological mechanism is explained. You can accept evolution as a biological mechanism, without accepting it as a world view.
Absolutely, The DnD artwork style has evolved a lot over time from basic line drawings for the First Era books way back when. And, to be fair, the monster designers milk from many cows as they say. Some are classic sword and sorcery staples like orcs and elves, but others are proper Lovecraftian eldritch horrors like Jubilex, and everything in between.
What is particularly interesting for our current conversation is the reams of lore that accompany them too. For example, the now out of print Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes is a 258-page expansion of the Monster Manual. Over half of that is background lore for the monsters it contains, in addition to the descriptions that accompany the stat blocks.
All this is then pumped into the DnD Campaign (or modified to varying degrees) but the Dungeon Master as the players all bond via means of shared narrative in which they see themselves as meaningful participants. That’s a pen-and-paper RPG (and not the only one) tapping into an ancient human social practice, right? Community formation through shared narrative.
Thanks, Christy. I think even YEC types agree that scripture contains metaphors: the word everyone seems to have forgotten. BTW, another animal in that scripture in Job is NOT mentioned here, probably because it’s so…normal: ox. Any takers on getting into an argument on what an ox looked like when Job was written?
Well, if you go by KIng James version, it was an unicorn, and some other translations use rhinoceros. Pretty much sums up the danger of mistaking the metaphor for the message.
Phil, I’m not sure what you’re stating. Metaphors can be a better description of some aspect of the truth; they are not to be taken literally, but they are to be taken seriously. The author of Job also wrote about “the doors of my mother’s womb,” a metaphor to graphically describe Job’s angst in that moment. Disclosure: I am not an Ob/Gyn.
Just saying that focusing on the identity of the species of a beast used as an example in a metaphorical sense is a mistake when the message is about focusing on the folly of thinking one can control and direct God.
That’s a really interesting point. I could see this among students when I was teaching. THere was more going on than a committment to playing a game. There weren’t, for example, “subcultures” of scrabble players, or eucre players. But the DnD kids had a kind of loosely identifiable cohesion. And for some of them, building an alternate world was a survival skill. They supported each other in that way as well.
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Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
167
My favourite multidimensional creature is the spider in Perdido Street Station.
Weavers communicate telepathically by riddle, although communicating with them at all is fairly dangerous owing to their constantly-changing interests, such as a fascination with collecting scissors or ears.
Who knew?!
Well, of course, you did.
Sounds far more interesting than the trilogy I am currently reattempting after 43 years. Still horribly, institutionally, sterilely boring but for different reasons. Why Kelvin’s wife’s namesake would strategize a future, if the species is going to die off with the larger half of it entirely absent or too witless to be allowed an entry, much less an entrance? Maybe there is encyclopedic knowledge of cloning. Haven’t gotten that far. Predicting I won’t. Kierkegaard is much more fun.
Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
169
Yes and all the charm of the conference rooms at the time. Nice new edition, when I was in 8th or 9th grade and highly recommended by a social studies teacher I liked, but whose taste in fiction I didn’t. Probably in association with additional volumes in hopes of making more hay.
I think I’ll quit trying to enjoy what I dislike and relocate the “The Eye Altering”. That’s a direction I am more confident in. Also Ms. Butler’s work. I need to find what lies beyond kindred.
Klax
(The only thing that matters is faith expressed in love.)
175
Sometimes. Sometimes they don’t respect our lack of adaptability or lack of vision. Or our foolish inclinations to just bury the past as if it never were or as if the past has no effect on the present. Or former (sometimes current) tendencies for some to view over half the population as able to unengage in anything interesting.
Some things are best suited for entries in encyclopedias.