Evolution and The Big Story by Dr. Dennis R. Wiles Senior Pastor

INTRODUCTION This article is an attempt to answer questions received from our congregation in reaction to my sermon on February 6, 2011. Since we have begun utilizing the new email address, questions@fbca.org – we have received some great questions about the sermons and the daily Bible readings from TWOG4TPOG.
Let me begin by stating that in a brief article there is no way for me to address all the issues surrounding evolution and its connection to the teachings of creation as recorded in the Bible. I am not a scientist - my expertise lies in the arena of Biblical text, history and philosophy. However, because of my early years in college were spent preparing for entry into medical school, I became a student of the teachings of evolutionary biology. Most of my professors in college were ardent evolutionists. Since that time, I have maintained an interest in developments in studies in evolution or the expansion of Darwin’s ideas. Obviously, I have spent a great deal of time researching the teachings of the Biblical material surrounding creation and the origin of life. With that said, I’ll offer you my basic position on this issue at the outset. So, you can read this paragraph and not have to read this entire article! There may be way more information here than you are interested in – so, I will give you my core conclusion in the introduction!

Core Conviction: Everything starts with God! I believe God is the eternal, self-existent, independent, mysterious, living God who is the Creator of the universe(s). Creation exists as an expression of His divine will.

Core Conclusion: God is the designing intelligence that both created and sustains the universe. Evolutionism is the idea that natural selection and random chance are both *un-directed* processes that govern the evolution of life. I reject the basic premise of an “un-directed” universe. I believe in God’s guiding hand in the design of the universe and in the sustaining of the universe.

SCIENCE AND RELIGON Volumes of literature have been written on the relationship between science and religion. These two have not the kindest relationship on record! Certainly today there is significant tension between the two. One of the problems seems to be that ardent defenders of each one tend to take such extreme positions that true dialogue is impossible. Usually, defenders of religion are trying to “take down” folks from the scientific community – and vice versa. In truth, science and religion play two distinctive roles. Their only true substantive intersection occurs when questions about ultimate reality are raised. That is where the controversies are birthed and the animosities are nursed. When science offers ultimate statements about the ultimate cause of observable natural phenomena – a line is crossed and heated debate is as certain as an Auburn victory in a national championship game. OK – maybe a bit more certain than that!

Why? Because religion deals in the ultimate. Science deals in the observable and predictable. When science delves into ultimate philosophical statements of causality, then many religious leaders bristle. Conversely, when biblical experts try to interpret scientific findings, scientists usually have a similar reaction. Let me give you an example. All molecular biologists agree that the language of the genetic code in the DNA molecule is complex and vital to life itself. In fact, the actual sequencing of the code has to be exact, or life cannot exist. This is a scientific fact. It is observable and predictable. So, what is the big deal?

The ultimate question lies in causality. How was the information coded in the original life form? Did it evolve from a series of developments that can purely be explained by chemical processes and mutation? Or, did it require some kind of “guiding hand” so to speak? You remember Watson and Crick, right? They were credited with the discovery of the DNA molecule. Years later, about the structure of the DNA molecule, Crick cautioned all biologists to remember that they must “constantly keep in mind that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved.” (Quoted in Stephen C. Meyer, Signature in the Cell, p. 12)

So – Crick offered a philosophical, ultimate statement. The molecule only “appears” to have been designed; it is not the result of any intentional effort on the part of a deity (God). This is the kind of statement that riles theologians and preachers! While grateful for Crick’s scientific research and how it has benefited mankind – I would critique his philosophical assumption that DNA is a complex molecule resulting from a series of complex, purely mechanical, un-directed processes. So – theologians, preachers – in fact, Christians in general, are comfortable in addressing ultimate reality. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? What does it mean to live forever? Why does the universe exist? How did it all come into being? What is the purpose of mankind on earth?

And – so much of what concerns us is not scientifically verifiable or provable. It requires faith. We posit our faith in our God through His Son, Jesus Christ. We believe His Word is a reliable guide for life and an authoritative revelation. However, we live in a real world and we encounter scientific discovery as a part of life in the modern world. We also have to deal with the philosophical positions of those who shape our culture. Further, our children are faced with worldviews and perspectives in the classroom that cause us to evaluate what we believe about science in general and its findings in particular. Often, that leads Christians to pose some meaningful questions about the intersection between science and religion – and often the clash between the two.

Questions from FBC church members After my sermon on February 6, we received a number of questions by email at questions@fbca.org – the address we are using to offer a bit of interaction in our journey this year. A number of questions had to do with the relationship between Evolution and the creation account in Genesis 1. Some of you wanted to know things like, “Can I believe in evolution without compromising my Christianity?” Or, “Is evolution the process that God used?” Or, “Is mutation a part of Intelligent Design theory?” Or, “What about the dinosaurs?” –actually, these are my paraphrases of the actual questions. Allow me to seek to answer these questions by offering you some options. I will also give you my core conclusions.

Options 1. Evolution – many folks choose simply to embrace the scientific conclusions that are placed under the general heading of evolution. The two governing principles of this perspective were first articulated by Charles Darwin in 1859 in his publication, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Darwin presented his case for both natural selection (also known as “survival of the fittest”) and random variation (mutation). In this book, Darwin did not actually address the origin of humanity. He later addresses this issue in The Descent of Man. Nevertheless, Darwin’s influence would be difficult to exaggerate today. Most scientists embrace his two governing principles as the only option for reasonable minds to understand the evolution of life on earth. In fact, most scientists have further concluded that all of life shares a common ancestry. All living entities began with one living cell. Through mutation and natural selection, various forms of life and various species have all descended and evolved. Often the philosophical position that accompanies these conclusions is that the entire process is un-guided, un-directed and can be explained without the need for a designer, cause or deity.

2. Creationism – Many perspectives are lumped into this general category. By and large, however, most folks use this term to describe the scientists and philosophers who adopt a “young-earth” perspective. Instead of the almost universally embraced idea that the earth is 4.3 billion years old – folks in this category are prone to date the earth’s age in the thousands of years. Often, this is connected to a literal reading of Genesis 1 as well as the interpretation of scientific data through a different lens than the evolutionary scientists would embrace. (Note: the next two options are positions that accept the view that God created the universe as well.)

3. Theistic Evolution – This view has gained prominence in recent years. The earliest proponent of this view was James McCosh – former President of Princeton University. As far back as 1871, he proposed the idea that natural selection was God’s way of guiding the development of life. In today’s world, Francis Collins would be the most prominent voice among the proponents of this view. Collins headed up the Human Genome Project and now is the Director of The National Institutes of Health for the United States. He is the pre-eminent Christian scientist of our day and his influence is widespread. His acclaim is evidenced by his selection to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He founded the BioLogos Foundation – a community of scientists who represent the perspective of Theistic Evolution. You can consult www.biologos.org for more information about this perspective. Basically, it is the merging of Christian faith with scientific discovery. It is a fascinating branch of the scientific and religious communities that has had far-reaching influence in our culture today.

4. Intelligent Design – This is the newest option in the science and religion intersection. “The theory of Intelligent Design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection.” (From www.intelligentdesign.org – a website that offers the most complete presentation of this view.) There are various proponents of this view who argue for the verifiable observation of intelligence in the design or operation of the universe. I would see Stephen Meyer – the Director of the Discovery Institute – as the strongest voice among these scientists. His book, Signature in the Cell has generated much debate in the scientific community. He is a force to be reckoned with.

CONCLUSIONS OK – so, what do we do with all of this? Why is it important? Does it really matter what we believe about creation, evolution and the origin of life? Here are my core conclusions:

1. I believe that God created the universe and that He is the cause and source of life. The Bible does not argue for God’s existence, neither does it offer a scientific explanation of reality. The Bible is not a science textbook. The Bible is a book about God! It is a testimony to His revelation. The Bible declares the truth that God created all that exists. He is eternal in His essence. He is transcendent. Yet, He has chosen to create the universe and it displays His glory.

2. *I reject the theory* that life develops and evolves due to natural selection and random chance in an un-directed process.** My central problem with the theory(ies) of evolution lies in the philosophical realm. I am not a scientist. I cannot discount the discoveries of species development, nor can I repudiate the evaluation of the fossil record. In fact, I enjoy reading and studying about the scientific discoveries in both the biological and astronomical arenas. I reject, however, the philosophical premise that all of the observable processes are un-directed. I am on record stating my conviction that God created all that exists.

3. I am intrigued by both Theistic Evolution and Intelligent Design. Unfortunately, scientists and philosophers from these two perspectives are at odds with each other today. They struggle to debate issues without deteriorating into personal attacks on each other. This truly is unfortunate. I have been most influenced by Francis Collins and Stephen Meyer. Collins is a scientist while Meyer is a philosopher. These two men are both bright and articulate. I hope they will find a way to integrate their research into a more holistic perspective that will benefit all of us.

4. This is an important topic. Our beliefs about all of this are important. Let me explain. Adopting the view that God is the creator of the universe is pivotal to constructing a biblical worldview and a sturdy systematic theology. The creation account in Genesis (and the corroborating witness of the whole of the Bible) provides the bricks for some foundational Christian beliefs:

a. Monotheism – the ancient world was filled with myths about the origin of the world and the heavens. Multiple gods and goddesses were used to explain natural phenomena. Genesis does not allow for any kind of polytheistic view. There is only one God. He is the God of the universe. He is the Creator.

b. Purpose – creation is an expression of the will of God. He is a purposeful Creator. The universe is not the result of random chance, but rather a reflection of God’s intentional activity.


c. Meaning – the crowning achievement of God’s creation is mankind. Human beings were placed on earth by God to bear His image in this world. Humans are created with a capacity to relate to God and to reflect His glory in life. Humans are in a unique relationship with God that is unparalleled on earth. Humans are not the result of a random process without direction. Humans are the special creation of God.

d. Personal God – the creation account offers a glimpse into the nature of a personal God who is interested in relationship. He is a God who cares about His creation. He is a God who loves. As the story unfolds, we will discover that He is a God of redemption and hope. His power is on display throughout the universe and in the lives of His people.

So, there you have it. A brief overview of my views offered in response to questions from our people. As I said earlier, I am not a scientist – but, my discipline as a theologian causes me to intersect scientific conclusions. I hope to continue to be informed and honest as I continue in my own development (or evolution, depending on one’s perspective!). The journey continues .