Considering Standards of Progress

Pastor Timothy Keller in his book, The Reason for God asks a very interesting, if not challenging question.  It is this. “How can we use our time’s standard of ‘progressive’ as the plumbline by which we decide which parts of the Bible are valid and which are not?”*

Of course one might broaden the question out and ask the same of one’s notions of truth, progress, and a whole host of other assumptions.  Pastor Keller goes on to make the observation that just as people in our day look back and view the past as primitive, one day people will look back at us with the same label.  Yet one must ask, “Is this really so?” and “Are we really more advanced that those of years ago?”

The Benchmark of Progress

This notion that today is a legitimate “plumbline of progress” is a part of a greater question.  Is our benchmark for deciding progress based upon accurate truth or biased assumption?  For example one might offer the speed with which knowledge is expanding as evidence that man is no longer primitive and in fact advanced over what he was in past centuries.  Or perhaps offer that Western man is living longer as some mark of progress.

Again one does well to ask the question.  Are these legitimate marks of man’s progress?  If so, then they are accurate truth.  If not they are evidence that once again a flawed and biased assumption has been bandied about to the degree that it is accepted as truth. 

Assumptions about Intelligence

Look for example at man’s intelligence.  It is not uncommon for people to conclude that today’s man is more intelligent and accomplished than mankind of five, six, or even then thousands of years ago.  It is not uncommon to hear people refer to the Hebrews of 5,000 years ago as primitive goat herders. 

The assumption is that man has greater intelligence than ever before (Darwinian Theory).  But, is that really true?  The only way to test the validity of the theory is to read the writings of the time in the Jewish Scriptures and as well consult such archeological sources as are possible.  Such reveals a far different picture.

The Genesis Account

Do you know anyone who is capable of giving a name to every one of the 280 animals in the Species: Vertebrate, Class: Mammalian Masupialia?  Yet the first man of recorded history did so and more (Genesis 2:19-20)!  One may argue that he was unique but there again one assumption is as valid as the next and really there is no way to know beyond the Biblical text.  Of course there are those who when they find some aspect or another of the Biblical text inconvenient to their truth paradigm spare no intellectual and academic effort to refute the Scriptures.

The Egyptian Account

While the sons of Jacob (Israel) and their families were most certainly in the livestock business, at the outset of the 400 years they were in the Egyptian culture such did not remain so for many.  Archeologically in the vicinity of the Valley of the Kings there are discoveries that suggest it was Jewish artisans who carried on much of the construction in general and as well much of the aesthetic work on the Tombs. 

This discovery is in its infancy.  As more and more is discovered there is a strong possibility that more and more will be discovered that validates the initial discoveries.  However, when one reads of the construction of the Wilderness Tabernacle another picture is present.  Yes, there was the Divine giftedness present in those doing the actual work.  As well, there is a sense of those doing the work having some background in the trades.

The Land of Israel

More and more archeology is validating the narrative of the Scriptures and in those narratives one finds that the Kingdoms of David and of Solomon are rather advanced.  Though they existed some 3,000 year ago, they included written languages (Hebrew), international trade and commerce, systems for taxation, military organizations, judicial systems, and much more.  Bear in mind that this organization was in place less than 400 years after the Egyptian experience.

The Babylonian Experience

The Babylonian Empire was at the leading edge of progress in its day with a road system and a mail system that transited the Empire.  The government was advanced and in need of skilled civil servants to see to the administration of same.  It was not uncommon that such were found in and among the conquered peoples. 

So it was in 605 BCE, when Babylon conquered Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar the ruler over Babylon brought four Hebrew young me to be trained for court duties.  Such were anything but “goat herders” as is evidenced by the rise in power of one man, Daniel.  He was so well trained that when the Persians conquered Babylon he was retained in the royal court.

The Jewish Writings

Should one take the time to consider just when the Books found in the Jewish Bible were written and then consider the vocabulary, the text, the various constructions involved in the writing of the day there is a very legitimate conclusion to be drawn?  Such a study will show that the writers were not uneducated people of the fields butt a cross section of Jewish culture. 

All of these men were men of understanding, education, and skill in reading, writing, culture, and communication.  Such at the very least should begin the process of delegitimizing the notion that is most popular among many that present day man has progressed well beyond his predecessors.

Questionable Assumptions

In today’s culture assisted as one is with technology it is easy to miss the point that those of by gone days conducted the affairs of their lives right on up to those of state without such communication and travel aids as are present today.  The question of how they did so with capacities much lower than today’s man is certainly intriguing or is it?

For the reasons provided, it seems then that the assumption that today’s man had advanced in intellect and mental capacity beyond that of his forbearers must be called into question. More to follow in a subsequent posting.

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*Although it would appear that I take issue with Pastor Keller, may I say that this is a most excellent book that every Christian and Atheist should read.   Christians to bolster their faith, Atheists to challenge theirs.