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Evolution doesn't produce depravity, as this is a non-material concept. The prescription, theologically, for describing total depravity would be the same regardless of the cosmological theory which serves as its backdrop.
I have issues about your view of "TE." I have often been labeled that way, although I would prefer another label.
Anyhow, I don't believe the Bible teaches original sin. It never claims that Adam and Eve were perfect and it never claims that we are corrupted though and through. ..... Finally, not all forms of evil are due to evil intentions from some inner, wicked nature. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Sometimes evil or suffering is simply due to bad timing.
You did not read carefully what I said. I said I could be labeled a TE, though I prefer another label. That does not mean I'm not into what some call TE. You asked about original sin and I responded by saying I do not hold with it. That certainly seems relevant to me. What about others into TE? From what I have seen, very few would go with original sin. One o f the major problems here is that original sin is not biblically supported and comes mostly from the teachings of St. Augustine.
Why would evolution be the causal agent of any Christian doctrine?
Because it would have given us the ability to sin.
No it wouldn't. Try explaining how you think it would
I don't agree, Papias. For example, I could easily be labeled a TE, though I would use another term, and I do not believe original sin is a biblical concept at all or makes any real sense in the first place. Rebellion against God is not necessarily wrong. God wants his or her creatures to think for themselves and make their own decisions. Hence, God respects the decisions of his or her creatures, just as a loving parent respects the decisions of his or her offsprings. So suppose the parent wants the offspring to move in such-and-such a direction, but the offspring wants to move in a different direction. In many cases, that may be OK and the parent should respect it. For example, my sister-in-law is very bright, did terrible in school, got a college scholarship and blew it, spending most of her time socializing. She got married and is happy being a housewife. I and members of her family wish she would have gotten through college, but we respect her decision not to go that way. Same with God and creation. Again, rebellion is not necessarily bad. Also, ne needs to remember that Adam and Eve sinned upward, toward gaining more knowledge.
Animals think, are they totally depraved too?Are you saying our brains didn't evolve the ability to think? Choose?
Animals think, are they totally depraved too?
No, the problem is with you, -57. You are not up to date on your theology. A major movement in contemporary Protestant thought is process theology. Incidentally, I am a process theologian. Anyhow, process holds that not all rebellion against God is necessarily bad.
Another issue concerns Christology. You keep saying that Christ has no place in TE. Well, that is not al all true. You might try reading sometime John Cobb's "Christ in a Pluralistic Age." It is also important to bear in mind that there is more than one theory of the atonement: There is the classical theory, perfect-pattern-man theory, Platonic theory, penal-substitutionary theory. The latter is particularly popular. Christ had to go to the cross to take the punishment upon himself for our sins so that we could be forgiven. Now, I and I think most people into TE would object to that. We consider it unfair, and unjust. Largely, this theory became popular during the Middle Ages, when they used whipping boys to prevent princes from having to be punished. I take a wholly different approach. I view Christ on the Cross as a powerful conscious-rasising event to the fact that God empathically shares in all our sufferings as well as joys. Whenever an innocent man is hanged, God is there, sharing in his experience; whenever someone is pounded into the dirt, God is there, sharing in the pain.
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