Holiday Press Release

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PRESS RELEASE

A Holiday Message from Genesis Proclaimed Association

Subject: Newly published article: Young-Earth Creationism: A Literal MistakeDate: December 10, 2003Organization: Genesis Proclaimed Association – American Scientific AffiliationWeb Page: http://www.genesisproclaimed.org/resources/YEC%20Article.pdfContact: Dick Fischer – [email protected] – phone 703-963-0426

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Biblical literalism often is blamed as a leading cause of conflict between creationists and evolutionary scientists. Battles are waged in school boards and text book committees every year over whether evolution is a fact or theory, or just plain wrong. Is taking the Bible too literally a source of this conflict? Perhaps not.

Young-earth creationists are leading advocates for modifying the teaching of evolution in public schools to include creationist theories. They maintain they interpret Genesis literally which precludes evolution, and that everything – including mankind – was created in six 24-hour days.

Does the Bible weigh in on the age of the earth and its encompassing universe? Specifically, is our earth 4.6 billion years old and our universe approximately 13.7 billion years old, or does Genesis indicate an age of six to ten thousand years?

In an article published this month in Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, blame is shifted away from the written Scriptures and placed on those who allegedly have been unable to comprehend them.

According to Dick Fischer, author of the article: “It has been long thought by both Christians and secularists alike that regardless of how scientifically-repugnant young-earth creationism (YEC) may be, nevertheless it has been thought to be grounded in biblical literalism. From Scripture alone, it is shown clearly that YEC is not biblical literalism at all, but “biblical distortionism.”

“Scribal errors and translation mistakes have led to flawed interpretations, and some of the problem can be traced to those who wrote Bible commentary centuries ago. But the Bible itself can rise above these difficulties. All we have to do is read it, and except in obvious instances, take it literally,” says Fischer.

The focus of the article is on mistakes in translation and interpretation, some of it subtle, some of it obvious, that have led millions of believers to erroneous conclusions. Fischer, who is president of Genesis Proclaimed Association, maintains that “when errors in translation and interpretation are removed, Genesis does seem to have genuine historical integrity, and is entirely comfortable with the latest revelations of modern science, evolution included.”

The article titled, “Young-Earth Creationism: A Literal Mistake” is in this month’s edition of Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith and on the Genesis Proclaimed web site (www.genesisproclaimed.org).

Dick Fischerwww.genesisproclaimed.org