Creation and Evolution – My View
About a month ago, I decided to start a regular post on the topic of science and religion, and I thought it made sense to start with a series about creation and evolution.
I know that sharing my opinions at this stage might take away from an objective review of the issues as we move forward, but I also think that some might benefit from knowing where I stand on the issues right up front.
As I think I have made clear already, my opinion on these matter may change over time, but as of this moment, this is what I believe …
- I believe in God, because I do. I don’t think the evidence for His existence is sufficient to believe. I simply believe.
- I believe the Scriptures are inspired by God Himself.
- I believe nature is also God’s revelation.
- I believe God created the universe approximately 14 billion years ago.
- I believe the events described in Genesis 1:2 immediately followed the events described in Genesis 1:1.
- I believe in the Big Bang – the universe started in an extremely hot and dense state, some 14 billion years ago, and that it has been expanding ever since.
- I believe that the days of creation are chronological.
- I believe that the durations of each day are not necessarily equal, and that they represent very long periods of time (millions and millions of years).
- I believe that galaxies and solar systems formed over billions of years. I accept astronomical evolution.
- I believe the current geology of the Earth is a result of billions of years of geological evolution.
- I believe the Earth was seeded with life intentionally by God. He may have chosen to do so via fiat, or chemical evolution may have played a part. I have no idea.
- I believe atheism is not a prerequisite to believing in evolution
- I believe there is overwhelming evidence for biological evolution.
- I operate under the assumption that all life on Earth evolved from a common ancestor.
- I think the fossil record supports either special creation by God at different times during the history of Earth, or in some kind of non-Darwinian evolution from one species to another.
I think those last three points deserves some explanation. I have no philosophical or theological bias against biological evidence. As a matter of fact, I agree with Charles Darwin’s view of this idea.
There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.
My area of interest is cosmology, astrophysics, and theology. I have read extensively on the theory of biological evolution, but mostly from a philosophical standpoint. I simply do not have the expertise in biology to make an informed decision. I have also studied Scripture for many years, but I don’t know enough to say for sure whether I think God uses biological evolution as a means for creation. I would have no problem with it if He did, I just simply don’t know.
Labels
For those of you who would prefer I label myself in terms of the current debate …
- I reject the supposed physical evidence of a young earth as pseudoscience.
- I think organizations like Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research spread misinformation and lies.
- I reject “flood geology” as pseudoscience.
- I think “Creation Science” is not science at all.
- I think intelligent design is not science.
- I subscribe to some kind of old earth creationism – probably progressive creationism, but I don’t rule out theistic evolution (in fact, as mentioned above, I rather like the idea)
- I reject the gap theory and hold to a “day age” view of Genesis chapter one, though I have no theological opposition to suggestions that the days of creation represent days of revelation instead of the actual days of creation.