Archive for October 14th, 2010

Evolution and Christianity

The majority of people today think that evolution and Christianity are incompatible. Many unbelievers think that science has proved Christianity “wrong”, and consequently just as many Christians refuse to believe in evolution, even though it is taught to their kids in school. Amazingly, both parties are blind to the facts: evolution and Christianity are remarkably harmonious.

In what follows, we will show Christians how to understand evolution and show unbelievers why Christianity is a rational and logical modern day religion.

When we look at the scientific theory of evolution alongside the “7 Days” creation story in Genesis we see that they are very similar. First of all, there is no need to interpret the “7 Days” as literal days. Everyone who reads their Bible knows you very often read it allegorically. Which makes sense because to read allegorically is to read spiritually; i.e. to find the meaning behind the words. Both evolution and the Bible show us that the universe evolves towards higher forms of life, meaning it moves towards God, who is life.

Let’s begin.

At the very beginning, as Science tells us, a tiny ‘singularity’ exploded and the universe came into being with a magnificent bang. The “Big Bang” was the beginning of time and space. Genesis agrees, saying that on the first day “God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light” (Genesis 1: 3).

Scientists tell us that millions of years later, the earth was formed by probably rolling out of our sun, and began spinning around the star. The earth was hot for a long time, but over millions of years a hospitable atmosphere was eventually formed, as rains fell upon the earth creating rivers, lakes, and oceans. On the third day God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear" (Genesis 1: 9). The earth was now a water-bearing planet, and was ripe to give fruit.

Before long (or indeed, after a very long time) the very first forms of life appeared on earth. It was very simple life; bacteria life. Over the course of millions and millions of years, this bacteria life had evolved into a more complex thriving plant kingdom. On the third day God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." (Genesis 1: 11).

Then evolution tells us that millions of year’s later, life advanced into even higher forms, and all sorts of animal species appeared on the earth. On the fifth day God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky" and "creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." (Genesis 1: 20 – 24).

Finally (200,000 years ago) evolution tells us that Homo sapiens, persons like you and me, appeared into this world. On the sixth day God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” and “in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1: 26 – 27). Last, according to the time scale of both evolution and the Bible, human beings came into existence, the most intelligent and sophisticated of all life forms to date.

So we see that evolution is actually found in the very first page of the Bible. I often wonder why so many fail to see that. Christians should take pride that evolution is found in the Bible because it shows the genius of the author of Genesis, who, despite living three thousand years ago, shows remarkable insight into the creation of the world.

And we also see that both Scriptures and evolution show that the earth evolved toward higher forms of life: from stars, to plants, to animals, to humans. The universe definitely evolves towards more consciousness and awareness. Stars cannot be considered alive, but plants are alive. Animals are more alive (conscious) than plants, as evidenced by their wide range of instinct and spontaneity. Human beings are even more alive (more conscious) than animals: we can travel into space, and unlock the mysteries of the atom.

And yet the fundamental question that evolution poses for us is: how did all of life, including persons like you and me, evolve from that tiny “singularity” so long ago?

And it is precisely this question that Christianity answers more satisfactorily than atheism or agnosticism. The most popular answer by atheism and agnosticism is that it happened “by chance.” To me, that is intellectually unsatisfying, for science has revealed to us that there are determined reasons for everything in the universe. Furthermore, physics tells us that there are causes and effects, and that an effect must equal its cause. This means that if life (the effect) appears in the universe, it is because it was present in the very beginning (the cause). And this is what Christianity (and Islam and Judaism, for that matter) maintain: that God (who is life) is the First Cause – the reason life ever appeared in the universe at all. Thus, despite popular belief, an evolution towards higher forms of life is the clearest evidence for the existence of God.

Now, of course, atheists and agnostics might say they “don’t know” how life and persons appeared in the universe, which is a fair enough answer, but it is still not more logical than the Christian answer. Whereas atheism and agnosticism lack a proper general interpretation of the universe, Christians can at least explain the physics of evolution.

Finally, I would like to point out to Christians what evolution means for their belief about heaven and the resurrection. Because the universe moves towards higher forms of life and consciousness, and God is life and consciousness, we see that what is actually happening is that God is uniting the universe to Himself. This is why the universe moves towards higher forms of life and consciousness: God is attracting it. Over millions of years, God has lifted from the depths of nothing the magnificent living structure of the biosphere, with the intention of uniting it to Himself. “My Father is at work till now, and so am I” (John 5: 17). This simply means that the end of evolution (of which humanity is at the forefront) is what Christians know as the “resurrection,” or “heaven;” when God is “all in all.”

Christians need not be afraid of science because science is a search for truth and God is truth. Christians should look to science for answers about their faith. Christians can be comforted by the fact that their faith is logical and rational. Furthermore, when a Christian does not trust science, they thereby close the door on potential people who might be interested in Christianity but cannotaccept a faith that distrusts science. Yes, human beings evolved from star-dust, but did you not know that “out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham” (Luke 3: 8) and that “you are dust, and unto dust you shall return” (Genesis 3: 19)? Modern day science can show Christians clearer ways to envision doctrines such as the Trinity, the Body of Christ, Adam and Eve, Heaven and Hell, but we will have to leave that discussion for another time.

I’ll simply end by saying that if I had to believe that evolution was not true, I could not be a Christian. But if I had to believe that Christianity was not true, I could not understand evolution.

Continue Reading