I believe God created everything and say this regularly in the Credo - 'I believe' He is the 'maker of heaven and earth'. I also see evidence of creatures having apparently evolved - that is having become genetically modified over a period of time and seeing this find that Darwin offers some valid (in terms of scientific thinking) ideas about this. Interestingly I find what I class as lower animals do appear to have evolves but see little evidence of evolution in man and wonder if this, and the missing links, don't point to the fact that there are discrete divisions within creation and that man is indeed relatively unchanged because he represents the pinnacle of creation and is indeed in the image of 'you know who'! (man is a generic here, I also include woman in this catchall).
Moving on, I see some people (but not all) reaching quite markedly when they approach the theory of Common Descent (which seeks to draw all creatures back to one common ancestor). Some seek to merely extrapolate back because they are fascinated by the thought that somewhere is the great granddaddy of everything. Others, perhaps wounded and seeking to retaliate because of 'religious' people and their vitriol seek to extrapolate merely to deny God and find something that started it all that isn't God. (Of course if they did, I'd merely point out that if they turned the first thing over, it would have 'Made by God' stamped on it!!!
Now it seems that I don't have a problem with evolution at all but of course, considering the timescales some speak of, I would be struggling a bit if I'd painted myself into a corner by being a 'Young Earth' creationist. The setting of creation occurring on a Monday afternoon in October some 7,000 years ago is an invitation to a punch-up with evolutionists, isn't it? As for me, I have decided that I am an 'Old Earth' creationist and so have no conflict. Perhaps it's about choosing your fights and if the fight hadn't been engaged that evolution was contra-God, it might never have been taken up by some to be exactly that.
Evolution identifies and seeks to explain something that is observed. To demand that it isn't investigated but merely believed is the source and reality of the same religious error that dealt so admirably with Galileo, Copernicus and many, many, many others, especially when the explanation defies logic or scientific reality. This is where some of the Christian morons in white coats enter, for they seek to satisfy and defend what doesn't need to be defended and by doing so damage God rather than support Him.
Evolution doesn't defy God's creation. Mind you, to do this I guess we would need to create a parallel universe and compare 'God's Creation' with 'Man's Creation' and see how the two compare - not sure but think I read the answer turns out to be 'forty-two'! We can theorise all we like about prehistoric matters (what did happen to the dinosaurs and why do so many men have this as a salvation issue?) and the very beginning but as all records of this have been lost - it's always conjecture (unless you believe the Bible). In a science lecture many years ago we were told that as the various sciences were developing it was looking more and more like the pattern of creation was correct - timescales excluded, the professor before us basically said the Bible had got creation right - and he was a self-professed atheist!
So - with regard to evolution I can see why people are interested in it and can see that it doesn't deny the existence of God (unless you're a literalist), in fact I think it makes God even cleverer that I thought before I started looking - after all, he's made the lower orders of creation self-modifying so He doesn't need to keep tinkering with it. (I have this heretical image of God in the shed at the end of His garden playing with earth and the universe whilst His dinner gets cold!)
So there's some thoughts - I was going to get into the minutiae (because that's who I am) but realised that this has been done to death in so many other places by people much better placed than me to do it and decided against it. I merely want to explore for myself and hopefully prompt some others to investigate and add to their arsenal of intelligent thinking. But of course - I now have to investigate 'Intelligent Design' as I find this might be an 'unintelligent' area.
Hey Ho - Jesus loves me, this I do know - it's because of the way God made me I guess (and the person I've become because of Him too!).
3 comments:
Thank you, Vic, for a thoughtful and thought-provoking blog on this often contentious issue. I'm not in the slightest bit a creationist - but I really enjoyed reading what you had to say, and thought 'I wish ANY of the Christians I know could have this conversation!'
Tanya
I consider myself a devout Christian Rev. Vic, yet I do not deny the process of evolution, and I see no conflict in that. I've come to call my belief "Evoligion". OK, sorry for that, but seriously now...
The way I think about it is that God created a process for life on earth, as evidenced in the fossil record. But at some point in time and space he touched us, and for better or worse, gave us our power of thought. Had he not done that, we'd still be living in trees; a miracle in itself, but far, far from what he created and wanted in us.
So did we evolve from protozoa? Yes and no. Yes, we have come up “through the ranks” so to speak, which is not to be denied, but held up and revered for the sheer magnificence of it. But then God wasn’t through. He came to earth and became "human"; once at our creation and once as the Christ. Both times he gave us life, as our Good Book so accurately states.
I know that I'm breaking rules on both sides but no one has all the answers. As for the Darwinian side, that doesn't concern me so much, but as for God's side, he'll forgive me for not being able to fill in all of the blanks. He knows what I believe and by His grace I am saved.
I think it is essential that Christians have the ability to dialogue and stand for the things that need standing for without painting themselves into corners or engaging in battles that add nothing to the overall picture - seems to me, evolution and creation sit fairly within this.
Thanks for comments = V
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