Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekmdp!dadla!dadla-b!hutch From: hutch@dadla-b.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: "Re: Re: "Ark Confusion" - (nf)" Message-ID: <466@dadla-b.UUCP> Date: Tue, 14-Jun-83 13:59:16 EDT Article-I.D.: dadla-b.466 Posted: Tue Jun 14 13:59:16 1983 Date-Received: Thu, 16-Jun-83 01:20:27 EDT Lines: 40 In partial response to Darrell Plank: I will quibble with you on a few points, but I won't try to reply to your entire article point by point. You quote the Christian view of an "infinitely merciful" God. I am not sure that is really true, although it is close. The difference is like the one between innocence and purity, not the same thing but almost. The concept of mercy does not imply or require that one must tolerate evil. What it does imply is that as long as there is good in someone, it is of value. It would be unmerciful to destroy that good. The times where God is reported as having destroyed men and their works all include the statement that they had become so evil and corrupt that it would be unjust to allow them to continue. As for Christians burning witches. Witch-burning was a popular sport in Europe long before Christianity managed to permeate society there. The practice of witchcraft was strongly associated with the Druidic religion, and the invading Germanic tribes did not particularly like Druids either. However, there is even evidence that witches were sometimes burned by the Druidic societies. So don't jump to conclusions based entirely on the evidence of modern folklore. Christians did not originate the practice. Back to your notions of the "contradictions" in the view of God. Please reconcile for me immediately and in simple terms that any child can understand, the contradictions between particle and wave physics. You will discover that the difficulty here is due both to lack of complete knowledge, and to the fact that the medium of expression (language) is too imprecise and ambiguous to properly represent all ideas completely and without apparent contradiction. In conclusion, I urge you to keep asking questions, but also that you not shut out any answers you might hear just because they offend your sensibilities. Steve Hutchison Tektronix Logic Analyzers