From: Gary North (gknorth@gte.net)
Date: Thu Apr 16 1998 - 20:37:22 MDT
I am posting this response because the author of the previous posting
has so blatantly mnisrepresented my views that I feel compelled to
respond. I think, in all honesty, he has misrepresented my
eschatological views worse than anyone I have read, which has to be some
sort of record. [Eschatology refers to the doctrine of the last
things.]
[JYA Note: Hal Finney is a highly reputable programmer, cryptography
a specialty]
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 15:07:42 -0700
From: Hal Finney <hal@rain.org>
To: extropians@extropy.com
Subject: Re: Y2K once more
Arjen Kamphuis, <mountain@knoware.nl>, writes:
> On this site some basics for those unfamiliar with the problem:
> this is a wake-up call: http://www.garynorth.com
As I wrote before, Gary North is a religious fundamentalist who
is well known among Christian millennialists (believers in the
near-term apocalyptic events foretold in the Book of Revelations).
He has written dozens of books on religious topics, focusing on
issues related to the coming apocalypse, long before he heard
of Y2K. Here is an excerpt from a review of one of his books, at:
NORTH: On the contrary, I am an anti-premillennialist
(anti-apocalypticist), and I have spent about a million dollars to
publish books against apocalypticism. For this reason I am distrusted
by the fundamentalist leadership. I am what is known as a
postmillennialist, a position that is anti-apocalyptic to the core.
For this reason, my stand on Y2K is not understood by my many
fundamentalist critics. They regard my views Y2K as too apocalyptic.
My views sound far more like what they believe.
By the way, the biblical book is called (by Protestants) Revelation, not
Revelations. Anyone who refers to "The Book of Revelations" exposes
himself as someone who has never read that document.
My critic does not understand the nature of the intense rivalry of the
three major eschatological schools of opinion. The following extract
reveals my view, clearly stated: anti-premilleninial, anti-amillennial,
and therefore anti-apocalyptic. Read it for yourself. My critic read
it but did not understand it.
http://metanet.net/freebooks/docs/2142_47e.htm
: Here is the main question: Will Jesus' Great Commission be fulfilled
in
: history? Will nations be discipled by the Church? Will God bring
judgment
: against His enemies in history? Most important, do we have enough time
: for the healing power of the gospel to do its work? Two millennial
views
: say no, there isn't enough time: premillennialism and amillennialism
: ("pessimillennialism"). A third view says yes, there is enough time:
: post-millennialism. The revival of interest in this third view has
: taken both rival camps by surprise. By tying a vision of victory in
: history to the doctrine that the Bible offers specific answers to
social
: problems, a new movement has begun to capture the minds of a
generation
: of Christian activists. The movement is called Christian
Reconstruction.
: In Millennialism and Social Theory, Dr. Gary North, co-founder of this
: movement, examines why both pre-millennialism and amillennialism have
: never developed independent social theories, and why the spokesmen of
: both positions appeal to the prevailing ethics of contemporary
humanism
: as the only possible way to run society.
I believe North sees Y2K in religious terms, as an element of the "end
times" which have long been foretold. His Y2K site is largely secular,
until you read the bulletin boards where some of his long time followers
retain their religious views.
NORTH: On the contrtary, I think the "end times" began in the first
century -- an anti-premillennial, anti-apocalyptic viewpoint. Y2K has
nothing to do with the so-called end times promoted by fundamentalists,
because those end times are a misrepresentation of what the New
Testament teaches. For saying this for over 30 years, I have gained
considerable opposition from fundamentalists. As the previous extract
said, I am opposed to end-times madness (the book title by one of my
co-authors, Gary DeMar).
The point is, North is filtering the data he presents through his
religious ideas. It is a biased presentation designed to lead to the
desired apocalyptic conclusion.
NORTH: Again, I will say it: I am an anti-apocalypticist. No one who
has read my eschatological views, and the views of those whom I have
published, could say such a thing. My critic has not read my books or
the books of those whom I have published. So, he should refrain from
commenting on my eschatological views.
Given the remarkable confusion in his critique ("The Book of
Revelations"), I doubt very seriously that the author has ever read a
book on eschatology. He should stick with his own specialty.
Please deal with my Web site for what it is: a warning on Y2K, not a
warning about the end of the world.
--
For over 1,300 links to documents on the Year 2000 Problem (y2k),
organized topically, visit http://www.garynorth.com
Get my free e-mail report on y2k and the economy. Click through:
mailto:year2000@garynorth.com It will be sent immediately.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 14:48:56 MST