Subject: skeptics

To: Sean Mccullough

From: Michael Hardy

Date: 6/5/96

-=> Quoting Sean Mccullough to Michael Hardy <=-

MH>>> Both of your points here are completely wrong. There are no known corruptions of the Bible which affect *any* important parts of it, and very few known corruptions altogether. Biblical archaeology has supported the Biblical record in most cases, and yielded ambiguous results in the rest.<<<

SM>> Hogwash. The main reason so few Biblical Archaeology departments, chairs, or professorships exist these days IS that biblical archaeologists have this rather nasty tendency to debunk the Bible whenever they possess a reasonable degree of independence.<<<

Please explain why non-Christian universities, who don't care if their work supports the Bible or not, would be motivated thus wise.

Also, please explain why Christianity Today, the leading journal of evangelical Christianity, wishes *more* archaeology would be done. See the following:

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EDITORIAL: Why We Dig the Holy Land

If biblical archaeology is not reinvigorated, Scripture-illuminating evidence will remain buried in the Middle East.

By David Neff

Christians and Jews owe a lot to biblical archaeology. Over the past century,archaeologists have repeatedly confirmed and illuminated the historicity of the biblical record. Although, as Calvin taught us, we trust the Bible because of the inner witness of the Spirit, having physical evidence that confirms the historical context of God's saving acts bolsters our faith.

But will biblical archaeology survive? An acerbic essay entitled "The Death of a Discipline," published last month in the lively Biblical Archaeology Review, decries the trend in American universities to downgrade or eliminate programs in biblical and Middle East archaeology. According to the author, William Dever of the University of Arizona, the secular academic institutions that have been leaders in this field (Arizona, Chicago, UCLA, and Harvard, among others) have failed to keep their programs fully operational. In Dever's case, his institution has decided to cancel their program. Likewise, writes Dever, religious schools have cut back their commitments to biblical archaeology. (Counter to Dever's argument, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary has made a strong commitment to biblical archaeology and continues to educate specialists at the master's level.) The picture Dever paints is bleak. Other archaeologists interviewed by CHRISTIANITY TODAY quickly noted Dever's gift for hyperbole, but they joined him in sounding the alarm: the situation is indeed serious.

[.........]

Evangelicals are committed to fostering a belief in the trustworthiness of Scripture. That requires both argument and evidence. And the evidence, buried in the tells of the Middle East, requires painstaking excavation and analysis. Who will provide the funds? Who will lead the way?

CHRISTIANITY TODAY - 1995

... Jesus saves. The rest of us rack up credit card debt.

Origin: Di's Online Cafe - Mobile, AL (334) 661-8945

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