Genesis, the Gospel, and Theistic Evolution Essay

Genesis, the Gospel, and Theistic Evolution Introduction Humans have asked questions about their origin and their purpose on earth for eons. The Bible tells humans that God created them and explains their purpose. However, since the Renaissance, humanism answers questions about origins by naturalistic means and science has been redefined in the process. Most institutions of higher education and many individuals have adopted the naturalistic theory of evolution to explain human origin without considering its effects on faith. In contrast to prevailing thought at Goshen College, a literal six-day creation is foundational to the Gospel message. Combining evolution and Christianity makes one’s faith less logical and opens one’s†¦show more content†¦Some theistic evolutionists prefer to be called evolutionary creationists. Most of the following arguments against theistic evolution could also be applied to any combination of Christianity and macroevolution (i.e. bacteria to human evolution), irregardless of its label . Naturalism or Christianity as a Foundation for a System of Ethics Theistic evolution meshes two worldviews, naturalism and Christianity, and each worldview lays a foundation for a system of ethics and morality. Let us first examine more closely the foundation laid by naturalism. Naturalism deifies chance. Random chance is responsible for life as we know it. In The Beak of the Finch, evolutionist Jonathan Weiner writes, â€Å"Natural selection leads to evolution.† He further explains that for natural selection to occur, the organisms most suited to their environment will survive (1995, p. 128). The best adapted organisms are more likely to pass on their genetic information while the less well adapted lose out in the great battle of life. Such a view of origins establishes by extrapolation a moral and ethical foundation. If humans are only products of chance evolution, they will naturally follow the instincts that have been ingrained in them for millions of years. They will pass on their genetic information to as many offs pring as possible. Because they have gained great intelligence andShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Science And Christian Belief1345 Words   |  6 Pagesoverstepped, there are claims of theistic evolution that offer a logical argument to a personal creation by the Living God. Arguments that God could take inert objects, add a dash of mutation, conceptualize and implement natural selection, and allow this to take course in His time all have the potential to be correct as stand-alones. Diane Bissen is a renowned biologist and theologian; therefore she is as capable as anyone combining these fields into the idea of theistic evolution. 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