Tertullian- "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem."
I would like to approach this topic from a theological perspective since that is the language and discipline I am most familiar. The basis for ID is a strict, literal interpretation of the first chapters of Genesis. To put it simply, there are people who believe that the ancient Hebrews and other Ancient Near Eastern groups processed and defined both history and science in a modern matrix. The Bible is not only a theological document, but can also be used in science text books. Put this way, the whole proposition seems almost laughable. To use the Bible as a polemical weapon to battle against the "evil" designs of science is to forfeit religious and spiritual credibility as a Christian. The most ancient forms of Christian faith, Orthodoxy and Catholicism, do not even endorse such a view. What fundamentalists must understand is that both religion and science seek truth, but do so in different ways. Where science becomes incompatible with religious beliefs, then those beliefs must be changed or modified to remain relevant.
Theologically speaking, evolution is completely compatible with the Christian religion. God the Father is both Creator and Love. The whole concept behind love is freedom- being willing to accept something or someone as is. I believe that evolution more adequately represents the character and economy of God. Since love implies freedom, then would it not be more plausible that God ALLOWS the universe and the rest of creation to "create" itself and pursue paths to life as it sees fit? Could God have given the universe the freedom to create itself? Science has shown how both the universe and carbon-based life have literally taken billions of years to shape itself. From Hubble's discovery that the universe is expanding to Darwin's proposal that life evolved from lesser life forms, we are given a unique perspective of where humanity stands in the great scheme of things. Humans are related to and made up of the same materials as the rest of the creation around us. Evolution can serve to enrich that kinship between the environment and ourselves.
2 comments:
I've got someone who would LOVE to discuss CREATION/EVOLUTION.
Here's Dan Shunk's website: http://www.evidentlyitstrue.com
Thank you for the website; however, I checked it out and it does not address specific issues and is not very informative. More importantly, the website offers no proof to support his position. Please give your friend my address and I will be glad to discuss it with him.
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