Wednesday, 31 August 2011
-
Evolution For Christians
I believe that many Christians have a false idea about the theory of evolution. I believe this because I had a false idea about evolution. From what I understood -- and what I was taught by my church and what my friends told me -- and what I read in certain creationism books, evolution was this idea that humankind came from monkeys. I thought that sounded a little fishy. Obviously, something didn't sound right with that. So I always believed what I was told; we came from Adam and Eve no more than 10,000 years ago.
I kept hearing what evolution actually was, but I kept plugging my ears while screaming "LALALALALALALA". Humans. Don't. Come. From. Monkeys. I even picked on the Christians who did believe in evolution.
It took awhile for me to open up, but I finally did; first, I had to get comfortable in my faith in Jesus Christ before I could come to such a conclusion that we did, in fact, evolve. And No. Humans. Don't. Come. From. Monkeys.
We all have genetic mutations. They happen every day. Some are inherited. Some aren't. Some are harmful. Some aren't. Some are irrelevant. Some aren't. But some of these genetic mutations are passed along to future generations. This is what we call "microevolution". This is something that has been observed, and hardly anybody disagrees that it happens. The thing about this is, that given enough time, microevolutions eventually add up into macroevolution. Macroevolution being the idea that one species can eventually evolve into something different. This would not be possible without microevolution. And this makes complete sense. It isn't that we come from monkeys. It's that we share a common ancestor with monkeys. Just like dogs share a common ancestor with bears and mice share a common ancestor with rats. We see it all over. But does this idea fit our Christian worldview?
What About Adam and Eve?
First, I think it's important to realize the culture in which the Old Testament was written. The creation story mimics many stories from the surrounding areas in the middle east. Ancient Samaria is a great example as they share not only a talking, evil serpent in their creation story, but a flood story as well. It is my belief that the story of Adam and Eve was never meant to be taken literally, but to show the dominance of the one true God- the God of Israel. In other words, it shows that it wasn't any of the Samarian gods that created the world. It was the God of Abraham. It wasn't any of the gods of the land that hold the power to destroy humankind and the earth along with it. It is the God of Jacob.
I believe that the story of Adam and Eve gives us an important notion. It is our own fault that we give in to sin. It is our option to do good or to go against God. This is not to say I don't believe in the spiritual side of Christianity. I believe in influences, both by the hand of God and demonic. I believe that at the heart of every temptation is a tempter and in the heart of every good action is God. I believe that apart from God, we can do no good.
I think one of the important things to note is that a story doesn't have to be real in order for it to be true. The truth of the stories of creation and Adam and Eve is one that is timeless. One question to consider is this: did every story in the Bible have to happen in the literal sense in order for the story -- the entire metanarrative -- to be true?
Creation
I consider myself to be a creationist. I believe that a designer created everything we know and don't know. I believe that includes a spiritual reality as well as a physical reality. I just believe that the theory of evolution is accurate. All biological studies are done in light of evolution. And this is an idea that isn't going away. The great majority of biological scientists believe in it. So much so, that it is almost guaranteed that you will not come across a biologist who does not believe in evolution. And with each passing day, they are finding more and more evidence that evolution happened.
This is just a tool God used- and is still using in God's method of creation. Honestly, I'm surprised that not enough Christians back this up with all of the evidence pointing toward evolution. I mean, I don't want to be the one to tell God that He's wrong in the way He chose to create. Would you?
What we need to consider:
If the story of creation happened exactly the way the Bible records it, we need to consider so much. First, we have to believe that all of us came from Adam and Eve -- all 6.5 billion of us and all our races and nations. We also have to believe that stars aren't really millions, even billions of light years away (because it take billions of years for the light to reach earth). We also have to believe that Dinosaurs and Man walked the earth together- despite all evidence that it didn't happen that way. We also have to believe that somehow, other nations existed even when Cain was around (Gen. 4). There is so much more to consider too, but God is a God of Order, not disorder. It makes sense that God would allow us this gift to figure out exactly how he created everything, being that we are in His image. We should not take what we now know for granted.
What's really important:
It doesn't matter how one believes God created the world. If one wants to believe the way the Bible tells it, that should be one's own prerogative. But one has to understand that what we know now is complete human progress. It shows what we are capable of, not only as human beings, but as creations of God. In all, just be faithful to God in however you believe God created us. Be careful of how you disbelieve though, because you'll never know. It may be the method God used in creation.
Do you believe in microevolution and/or macroevolution? Do you believe in creation? Is there some middle ground in which both can exist? Why or why not?
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to revelife's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in revelife's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: jmallory@xanga
- Name: Jimmy
- Location: Dayton, Ohio, United States
- About Me: Jesus is alive and working in me. I'm just trying to manifest his glory.
-
True
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 55 Views: 0 34018 Comments: 0 785 View all posts by jmallory@xanga
Comments (54)
This is such a weird coincidence. I just started reading Darwin's "The Origin of Species" tonight. Though I noticed I've read this blog before though, on your actual page and not on revelife. And again, I say, our christology is rooted in Adam and Eve's story. We can say that the story of Adam and Eve is perhaps a parable, except then we're stuck explaining the geneologies in the New Testament. Yeesh. Pray for me as I explore this further.
I never thought evolution taught we came from monkeys. I know it teaches that we have a common ancestor with them. Monkeys, along with worms and trees and fish. I really think I am going to do an in depth blog showing all the incompatibilities between evolution and the Bible, along with the MANY facets of evolution which are just taken on faith.
@mtngirlsouth@xanga - I look forward to that blog.
@GodlessLiberal@xanga - @mtngirlsouth@xanga - I too look forward to that blog.
Honestly, I don't know everything about evolution (as I have yet to fully study it). Though I do remember sitting in a hospital waiting room and picking up a book about evolution but my mother and her bf (both christians) said it was trash. I didn't understand then and I don't.
How can the idea of evolution be trash?
@apb102088@xanga - How is it?(Darwin's book I mean)
Incidentally, I have just finished reading "The Question of Origins" by Ron Choong (PhD). He attacked the question of origins methodically and logically from both science and theology. As a PhD student myself, I find his arguments compelling and logical.
In regards to evolution and the creation account in the Bible, he came up with a hypothesis to attempt to find reconciliation. At the end of the book, he said that somewhere along the line in prehistory, anatomically modern human (AMH) became cognitive modern human (CMH). Physiologically, there is no difference between the two. However, as CMH possess the ability to cognize God (contain the breath of God, the image of God). This explains the long fossil record of homo sapiens (AMH) and the relatively recent emergence of homo sapien sapiens (CMH); the really intelligent ones as recorded in the Bible.
As for the light from stars taking a long time to reach earth, that is problematic only in Newtonian gravity. In Einstein's general relativity, gravity distorts spacetime, and in the early phase of the universe (when matter were much closer to each other), the time it took for light to get from one point to another is much shorter due to the gravitational spacetime distortion.
Anyway, you should read the whole book... there's so much more!
@tgwiy@xanga - @GodlessLiberal@xanga - @mtngirlsouth@xanga - I look forward to that blog. Next.....
@tgwiy@xanga - @GodlessLiberal@xanga - @musterion99@xanga - Really? I began it, but it is so tiresome when I know it will only get me a shitstorm. I am so weary. But I have begun.
@mtngirlsouth@xanga - Keep going! It's a must read.
If evolution is true, than the new Testament is wrong.
Paul, in Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned" (ESV)
If, Adam was not a real life human being, who sinned just as the Bible lays out. than Romans 5:12 is wrong. If Adam was a parable or a good moral story, or anything less than historical record, than the truthfulness of Paul's statement in 5:12 is in doubt. If 5:12 is in doubt, than what about this statement?
Romans 5:18-19 (ESV)
18Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (ESV)
Paul in Romans 5 spends the first part, talking about how we have peace with God, through faith. He spends the second part of the chapter, saying that because Adam sinned, death entered into the world. he then says that just as sin and death enetered because of Adam's sin. Because of Christ's righteousness and perfection, grace and life entered the world. But if Paul was wrong in Romans 5:12 and Adam did not literally sin, than sin and death did not enter into the world. and there was no need for Christ to die.
If death entered into the world with sin. Than dinosaurs and humans could not have evolved because evolution requires death. You can't have a progression from one species to the next without death. We can't have fossils from millions of years ago, if humans have only been on the scene for a short part, to sin and allow death into the world.
To sum this comment up, Evolution is not compatible with evolution for two reasons.
1. Adam has to be a literal person, who sinned just as the Bible says, or the NT is wrong and sin did not enter the world through Adam and death with sin. If sin and death did not enter the world through Adam, than we cannot believe the Bible when it says that Christ entered the world to give us grace because of sin and death (romans 5)
2. Sin and death according to the Bible, entered the world through the sin of Adam. If humans have only been on the scene for a short time, than we have a conflict between the fossil record and the deaths of animals for millions of years, and the Bible because Adam sinned only a few thousands of years ago and brought death into the world.
@GodlessLiberal@xanga - @tgwiy@xanga - @musterion99@xanga -
It's up. http://mtngirlsouth.xanga.com/754730917/faith-evolution-and-the-bible/
@ProudToBeAChristianFruitcake@xanga - I did a whole blog about it....
@mtngirlsouth@xanga - Sam, you are really a glutton for punishment, aren't you!!! You know what's coming. At least, no agnophilo. I bump into him here and there and it is still the same. Dan
"The thing about this is, that given enough time, microevolutions eventually add up into macroevolution."
This is far from being necessarily true. I've said my piece on this particular issue many times so I don't really want to say it again. But I think its only fair (and scientific) to recognize that this statement is more assumption than fact.
"All biological studies are done in light of evolution. And this is an idea that isn't going away."
This is true. Which is why I think everyone should thoroughly learn the theory of evolution. Biological studies SEEM to only MAKE SENSE in light of evolutionary theory. Evolution is the best naturalistic explanation of biodiversity. However, this doesn't guarantee that it is absolutely true. Again, its critical to pinpoint exactly what is scientific evidence and what is intellectual construct....and not blur the lines between the two. Evolution will never go away because many will always have a prior commitment to materialism and need a purely naturalistic explanation of biodiversity (and life itself, and the universe). There will always be a good number of people that simply cannot allow God to exist in their worldview.
Evolution will also likely never go away as micro-evolution is backed by a tremendous amount of evidence. Thus it is an almost infallible base ......but again, to the extent that one can scientifically build upon that base with no assumptions is another story. And also while evolution is not going anywhere ....I'm not so sure that is the case for Neo-Darwinian theory. Will we still be teaching Neo-Darwinian theory 100 years from now? 200 years from now? Maybe....maybe not.
I have to reiterate I am not a Creationist (or a Creationist in disguise as I have been accused of)....nor an "anti-evolutionist". I honestly have no dog in this fight as if evolution was proven to be 100% true, it really wouldn't affect me at all. In fact, I would be glad that evolutionary theory finally reached the standard of evidence which I deem necessary to claim anything is a "scientific fact". I do find evolutionary theory fascinating and have read up quite a bit on the subject. But the entire scope of evolution...as the fool-proof explanation of all biodiversity.... I can't buy into it. At least not yet.
@apb102088@xanga - That's cool that you are reading Origin of Species. I think everyone should.....if for no other reason than its importance. I've been labeled as an anti-evolutionist.....and even anti-science ("anti-science" is apparently synonymous with being critical of evolution..... I thought being critical was a part of scientific thinking....but what do I know.) But I am actually hugely pro-science, which is why I think everyone should research as much as possible....but then reason out their own judgements based on the evidence. I know some Christians or Creationists might cringe at hearing Darwin's name, but personally, I admire and respect Darwin as a brilliant scientist. What I don't do however, is celebrate Darwin's birthday instead of Lincoln's (they have the same b-day) as I have actually known some people to do. =)
@mtngirlsouth@xanga -
"Really? I began it, but it is so tiresome when I know it will only get me a shitstorm. I am so weary. But I have begun. "
I totally understand! I also planned on sitting down and writing out my thoughts on the subject of evolution. Of course, when I actually thought about the scope of such an endeavor, I realized it would be quite tiresome and I questioned whether or not I should put in the effort to do such a daunting (for me at least) task (haha and the fact that only like 3 people visit my site didn't help). (On the bright side, you'll have more than 3 people that will read it.)
In any case, add me to the list of people looking forward to that blog.
@Hinase@xanga - It's very interesting! I'm learning a lot already. I never really understood what the theory of evolution was, but now I'm beginning to.
@ProudToBeAChristianFruitcake@xanga - You are exactly right on that! That's one reason I'm trying to study up on evolution, because if it's true that humans do have a common ancestor as other animals, then the Bible's wrong. They can't both be right, I don't care what anyone says. Thank you for making a great point.
@wizexel22@xanga - It is up, but it got late, and it was getting long, and I am weary of it all. Tired of trying to explain something that, quite frankly, they seem brainwashed into thinking the only way to see things is theirs. If you would like to do a guest blog for me, more in depth, I think that would be great. I focused more on the Biblical conflict in the one I did - you could focus on the scientific side.
@ProudToBeAChristianFruitcake@xanga - If death entered into the world with sin. Than dinosaurs and humans could not have evolved because evolution requires death.
Why does evolution require death?
@ProudToBeAChristianFruitcake@xanga - This is one of the problems I have with Paul despite being a Christian. There are insects that will die within a few hours if they do not consume other insects or plant life.
There are Christians, myself among them, that believe there is a gap between Gen 1:1 and Gen 1:2. God initially created the earth, then God sees that it is "void". Perhaps the meteors occurred during that time, wiping out the previously inhabited earth. God creates life anew. I also believe that the story of Adam and Eve is an allegory. Cain had to get a wife from somewhere, right? The main point of Creation is that we were created in God's image, and that mankind fell through disobedience to God. Adam is a symbol of the first man who sinned. Thus, St Paul is correct to point to Adam's sin in Romans 5. Since we weren't there when man was created, and since God has not revealed all the details to us (the Bible is not a science textbook), we take what He has revealed--the story of Adam--and recognize the interaction between God and man which resulted in Christ coming to undo what Adam did. The earth is billions of years old, and one must not park the attribute of reason outside the pages of Scripture. God wants us to know HIs history of salvation. That's what the Bible is about. There shouldn't be any conflict between how God made man and the fact that Christ came to earth to redeem us. Much ado about nothing.
i think the huge difference is what each belief (evolution and Creationism) entails. evolution doesn't dictate anything else about my life, how i behave, or how i treat others. if evolution was proven wrong beyond a shadow of a doubt, i'd shrug my shoulders and move on with my life. in contrast, Creationism is tied into an entire belief system. i've often wondered if Christians have a hard time with that concept: to believe in something but not necessarily be attached to it.
I agree with you, Jim. And, frankly, I disagree with Sola Scriptura, the idea that God has limited His revelation of Himself to the literal acceptance of every word written in the scriptures. To the extent anyone clings to that, that person remains carnal and extremely limited in the scope of his or her awareness of God.
It is important to make the point that believing in the evolution of species IS compatible with believing in God the Creator of all things. It is not necessarily a hindrance to faith in God and in His Messiah.
I believe that micro-evolution within mankind -- both physically and spiritually -- was helped along by agents/messengers of God whom we can correctly call extra- terrestrials. God, Our Creator is still creating mankind in His Own Image For His Own Glory. This fact did not set well with some of His other creatures -- Lucifer and those who were expelled from heaven with him -- and they rebelled against Him and His Plan. They're still causing trouble for mankind today.
Nonetheless, God's plan for mankind includes Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Belief in God's Provision and Acceptance of His Gift of Eternal Life is the major macro-evolution any human being can experience! At that moment the human being actually becomes a "new creation." Angels wonder and rejoice every time it happens! And the demons tremble. It affects the whole universe and not merely the world of earth!
Now, some evolutionists say that Homo sapiens were originally aquatic lol~
@JerusalemHill - Even though I was baptised in a Protestant Church, I find "Sola Scriptura" to be completely illogical and incorrect. It is even proven to be a false teaching, I don't see why people can still believe in it. Don't ask me, turn on brains and start thinking. Okay, what is true remains true, whatever people believe in, okay?
@Christenstein@xanga - Evolution requires death, because evolution requires millions of years.
According to the fossil record, humans have only been on the scene for thousands of years. So if Adam's sin brought death into the world, than what caused the death of the fossils millions of years old?
@ProudToBeAChristianFruitcake@xanga - Evolution requires death, because evolution requires millions of years.
You clearly do not understand what evolution is and we'll just leave at that.