Question 57 – Couldn't God have used evolution?

Yes, from a purely hypothetical standpoint, He certainly could have. However, in my opinion, this would not align with the God revealed in the Bible. Many Christians and believing scientists, however, do uphold the theory of so-called theistic evolution. At its core, this theory suggests that God actively participated in the creation of the world through evolutionary processes or at least initiated these processes Himself in the past. The biblical narrative of the origin of the world and sin becomes merely allegorical, without historical significance. Although I consider this theory unorthodox for many reasons, I understand why many Christians (and others) adhere to it (see the previous question). Thus, we should not be surprised by these concessions and compromises. Believers, in good faith, think that "those scientists" must be right, and that they shouldn't "make fools of themselves" through doubts that might harm their faith. Simply put, many Christians prefer to interpret the Bible according to contemporary scientific "knowledge," and not vice versa. For many reasons, I believe that this theory cannot stand up either in the light of scientific understanding or from the standpoint of fundamental Christian doctrine. The theory of theistic evolution, in my opinion (and I am not alone in this), is a distortion and dilution of biblical texts. Ultimately, it implies that Jesus is a liar, as He referred to the events and figures mentioned in the book of Genesis as real and historical, not as allegory.

Let me endeavor to briefly outline the main reasons against this theory:

1) Scientific Facts Testifying Against Evolutionary Theory

All arguments raised in this series of questions concerning science and faith can be grouped into this reason. Evolutionary theory is merely an inflated bubble, being nothing more than an unproven and unverifiable hypothesis based on many assumptions and preconceived (unverified) conclusions.

2) There Are Many Believing Scientists Who Reject Evolutionary Theory

Although there are fewer scientists who openly reject evolution ("only" a few thousand), they nonetheless form a significant voice that should not leave any honest seeker of truth indifferent. How is it possible that groups of scientists from around the world, including Nobel laureates and graduates from the world's most prestigious universities, reject this "clearly proven" theory? Something is wrong here! Either they are all deceived, mad, and lying, or there is a significant argument that those "irrefutable" proofs supporting evolutionary theory are not what they seem. As a believing Christian, I can therefore dismiss the theory of evolution with a clear conscience without fearing that I would be committing intellectual suicide (though many think otherwise).

3) Theological Arguments

The debate over reasons why Christians should reject the theory of evolution is relatively extensive and goes beyond the scope of this book; therefore, I will limit myself to a few simplified points and questions for reflection:

• The Bible says that when God created man and nature, everything was very GOOD. How can it be good, according to God, that nature developed over millions of years, driven primarily by death, violence, despair, and mercilessness?
• The greatest theme of the biblical message is death. According to the Bible, death is a consequence of sin and the fall of the first humans. Jesus Himself had to personally experience it to conquer it. Yet, according to proponents of theistic evolution, God used death (His enemy), which was not part of His plan, as a tool of creation and even called it "good." Believing proponents of evolution argue that the fall of man brought about spiritual death (not physical, which they claim always existed). However, from the context of the biblical texts, it is clear that it involves both spiritual and physical death.
• The Bible states that a tree is known by its fruit. The theory of evolution is one of the main reasons why millions have turned away from faith in God and have replaced Him with philosophical naturalism or materialism. Other consequences include hundreds of millions of deaths, the victims of maniacs influenced by evolutionary theory, like Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, or Mao Zedong, and millions of children killed in abortion. Is this "tree" a divine product according to His will?
• God in the Bible creates "suddenly," instantly, and rapidly in many ways. He does not need millions of years to create anything. Healings, raising from the dead, and many other acts display elements of power and immediate changes at the cellular level in humans. Even the event that awaits all true Christians at the end of the world (the transformation into a more complex new body) will happen, according to the Bible, "in a flash" (1 Corinthians 15:52). Why would God have created differently in the beginning? Intelligence does not need to operate through trial and error over millions of years; it can achieve things immediately.

Summation

The theory of theistic evolution is widely embraced in liberal Christian circles, and many Christians see it as a credible compromise between faith in God and modern science. However, according to the views of many Christian thinkers and scientists, this theory cannot withstand scrutiny on either scientific or theological grounds.