The Video That Ended a Career

[Deacon]

The Video That Ended a Career [LINK]

Dr. Bruce Walke recently publicly expressed his support of a view called Evolutionary Creationism and resigned from his teaching position.

"If the data is overwhelmingly in favor of evolution, to deny that reality will make us a cult ... some odd group that is not really interacting with the world. And rightly so, because we are not using our gifts and trusting God's Providence that brought us to this point of our awareness," he says, according to several accounts by those who have seen the video. Those words set off a furor at the Reformed Theological Seminary, where Waltke was -- until this week -- a professor. (The seminary is evangelical, with ties to several denominations.)

Rob

 

[matt wade]

The Video That Ended a Career [LINK]

Dr. Bruce Walke recently publicly expressed his support of a view called Evolutionary Creationism and resigned from his teaching position.

Do you expect a professor to deny the creation the way God said it happened, call Christianity a cult, and then retain his position?

 

[Peggy]

It's sad that the professor was fired for expressing his opinion - which by the way is backed by the sciences, particularly astronomy and geology. I don't believe that the earth is literally 6000 years old. I believe that the earth and the universe are millions of years old, and God had his creative hand in the formation of the world.

 

[asterisktom]

It's sad that the professor was fired for expressing his opinion - which by the way is backed by the sciences, particularly astronomy and geology. I don't believe that the earth is literally 6000 years old. I believe that the earth and the universe are millions of years old, and God had his creative hand in the formation of the world.

He did more than that. He spoke the universe into existence. Either we believe that or we don't. And the same text that tells us that also informs us that it was done in 6 days, acc. to Exodus 20.

 

[matt wade]

It's sad that the professor was fired for expressing his opinion - which by the way is backed by the sciences, particularly astronomy and geology. I don't believe that the earth is literally 6000 years old. I believe that the earth and the universe are millions of years old, and God had his creative hand in the formation of the world.

Of course you wouldn't have a problem with it. You also don't believe what God told us in His Word.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Of course you wouldn't have a problem with it. You also don't believe what God told us in His Word.

No, she rejects your interpretation. As do I, and many other Christians.

 

[matt wade]

No, she rejects your interpretation. As do I, and many other Christians.

Well, you any many other "christians" don't have faith.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Well, you any many other "christians" don't have faith.

You have no idea about the faith of others, so you expose your own ignorance.

 

[matt wade]

You have no idea about the faith of others, so you expose your own ignorance.

Yes, I can get an idea about the faith of others by their words. When someone tells me they don't believe the literal creation account, as told to us by God Himself, I can ascertain that they don't have enough faith to believe it.

 

[Deacon]

Why Must the Church Come to Accept Evolution?: An Update

Leading evangelicals who support evolution are rightly fearful of personal attacks on the integrity of their faith and character. Even when they believe that scientific data must be taken seriously, and that science has revealed the ways in which God created the world, they are more willing to be associated with those who are clearly wrong about God’s truth as revealed within His World, and who are thereby also wrong about how they understand His Word. How will the Church ever come to discern truth and falsehood if academic discourse is neutered for fears of public perception? This situation, before us, more than any that we are familiar with in the one year history of biologos.org, poignantly demonstrates the importance of the task we all have.

There are countless people, especially young people, who are discovering that the world of science is not out of touch with reality. Data emerge every day that make this even more clear. As Dr. Waltke himself says in the video, we cannot allow Christianity to become a cult––but this is what will happen if the Church continues to turn its head. When young people discover that neither the science they’ve been taught in their churches nor the theology that undergirds it are credible, many will feel they have to throw out their faith. For the sake of those countless young people, and for the sake of intellectual integrity, courage of conviction is required.

We Christians focus sometimes solely on protecting the past. We must also protect the future and prepare for it. We need to stand up to the forces that will harm our young people, even when others call on us to retreat. Dr. Waltke retains our respect in so many ways and we thank him for stating so clearly on his video what he believed then and still believes now.

 

[Ivon Denosovich]

It's sad that the professor was fired[SNIP]

According to RTS, he resigned.

In recent national news articles and blogs some incorrect statements have been made and wrong motives applied to RTS, such as the idea that RTS forced Bruce to resign as a professor at RTS. Bruce initiated the offer to resign after a certain video became public which was bringing harm to RTS. Bruce and I dealt with the issues of the video for over a week, seeking to understand the situation, praying and waiting on the Lord’s guidance. As I came to understand the situation better, I ultimately accepted Bruce’s resignation believing it best for RTS and also best for Bruce.

Also, Waltke has said:

I find no fault with the RTS administration; in fact, I think they did the right thing.

This looks like a lotta drama over nothing. There SEEMS to be no hard feelings. These are two parties that can't agree and parted ways. Strikes me as the civil thing to do. <shrug>

 

[preachinjesus]

You also don't believe what God told us in His Word.

I thought God sent us the Word...

 

[preachinjesus]

recently publicly expressed his support of a view called Evolutionary Creationism and resigned from his teaching position.

Well he needed to resign. While I blanch at the loss of academic freedom, within our theological schools there is a greater calling to uphold. He did not believe what the seminary held, he needed to resign.

I respectfully disagree with Dr Waltke...but I deeply respect him as a person and scholar.

 

[Ivon Denosovich]

I respectfully disagree with Dr Waltke...but I deeply respect him as a person and scholar.

Ahem, how do we clone you? I find my position is the opposite. I disagree with RTS but deeply respect it as an institution. Kinda figure a bunch of geeks in Greek are way smarter than me.

 

[Tom Butler]

Well he needed to resign. While I blanch at the loss of academic freedom, within our theological schools there is a greater calling to uphold. He did not believe what the seminary held, he needed to resign.

I respectfully disagree with Dr Waltke...but I deeply respect him as a person and scholar.

Theological schools should not allow academic freedom, except within narrow theological parameters. No seminary in the Southern Baptist Convention, for instance, should allow one of its professors to teach falling from grace, works salvation, baptismal regeneration and the like.

The schools may allow, as do most churches, different views of eschatology and ecclesiology.

(Although I believe Dallas Theological Seminary allows only one eschatalogical view to be taught--dispensationalism, that, too is its right.)

Some schools will not allow Calvinism to be taught. Others are avowedly Calvinistic. That, again, is their right to set those parameters.

 

[Amy.G]

"If the data is overwhelmingly in favor of evolution, .....

If the data is overwhelming? There is no data to prove evolution.

 

[Jerome]

Charles Spurgeon, Ministers Sailing Under False Colours:

Treachery is never more treacherous than when it leads a man to stab at a doctrine which he has solemnly engaged to uphold, and for the maintenance of which he receives a livelihood.

Scrupulous conscientiousness would not wait for any enquiries of church courts

But if the man make no such declaration to the religious body from whom in heart he differs, and offers no such resignation, but remains with it in name and in pay while secretly or openly opposing its covenanted faith, we have no words which can sufficiently describe the meanness of his conduct.

 

[Ivon Denosovich]

Jerome, I'm not sure how this last quote of Spurgeon's is relevant.

But if the man make no such declaration to the religious body from whom in heart he differs, and offers no such resignation, but remains with it in name and in pay while secretly or openly opposing its covenanted faith, we have no words which can sufficiently describe the meanness of his conduct.

(Bolding mine.) Maltke offered a resignation. Also, not even RTS is describing this as "treachery." Again, if we look at the actual parties involved, there's little cause for drama here.

FWIW, if I'm misreading the tone of your posts I apologize.

 

[go2church]

Already has a new job at Knox Seminary. Creationism is a silly topic to lose your job over, eveven in a seminary

 

[Jedi Knight]

God created the world in 6 days and trying to make scripture marry evolution is heresy 101.