@Mervin_Bitikofer How do we escape this need to have God in just yet another box that is still largely of our own fashioning.
Peter Enns work has stimulated some very worthwhile discussion on this Forum. In choosing a career in science, I realized I ran the risk of depending too much on human intellect to make sense of God’s marvelous universe–to put Him into one of the ‘explanatory boxes’, like physics and biology. On the other hand, the intellect that He bestowed on mankind is the most exalted gift we can imagine, and it would be a gross insult not to use it to its fullest. So I look at is this way: we should take the path of materialistic naturalism as far it can take us before we take the jump into the cold stream of Faith. This may give us a clearer conception of what God’s purpose for us actually is. For example and for me at least, I am hazy about the two concepts of ‘going to Heaven’ and ‘Christ’s Second Coming in a cloud from Heaven’. Could the Second Coming actually be the improvement in earthly existence that could potentially come from a combination of medical science (that would alleviate much of physical ailments) plus a much improved social science that would thoroughly incorporate Jesus’ command to love one another (even your enemies). In one case we would be waiting (more or less) for Jesus to come, and in the other we would be working diligently to hasten His (non-physical) arrival as mankind’s Savior. The news media these days clearly informs us that it is more likely that we need saving from ourselves rather than saving from Satan (or is that saying the same thing?)
Al Leo
[/quote]