Bishop claims creationists are blasphemers, as the Bishop of Oxford, UK, Richard Harries, joins the debate over teaching creation in schools by broadcasting a paper supporting evolution and condemning creationists with the following statement “The evidence for evolution is in general so overwhelming, in all sorts of overlapping areas of science, that the literalist creationist is forced to postulate a God who deliberately faked it in order to deceive us (tempt us?) into thinking that evolution happened. To the true believer, isn’t it an insult to God to suggest that He is a charlatan, a faker? And isn’t creationism therefore a form of blasphemy?” (brackets in original)
Editorial Comment: Is the Bishop confusing God with Richard Dawkins?
The most dangerous thing the Bishop says is in a further letter to Mr Chapman UK (18th April 2002) “Suffering is an inescapable aspect of the created order and death is part of God’s purpose.”
If the Bishop believes that God made (or evolved?) the world then he must believe that God deliberately created suffering and considers it ok. (Who is blaspheming?!) There is nothing good about death. It is God’s physical and spiritual penalty for sin (Romans 5, 1 Corinthians 15). It is the reason we need a Saviour. (Ref. Oxford, Creation, death)