Creationist Evolution

There is a great divide between science and religion. And these two groups have never had a more polarizing topic than the origin of man. Evolutionists vs. Creationists has become a misconstrued bifurcation. But this battle royal is an unnecessary one and this divide can be easily bridged. There can be a peaceful union of church and science.

Evolution through natural selection is a theory for a mechanism of positive change in organisms. Simply put it states that the organisms that survive are the ones that have properties that encourage their survival. This idea is a theory, much like the theory of gravitation or quantum mechanics, and although it is a theory it has been used to make predictions and is the most accurate model for describing the physical world. We have seen multiple events of new species evolving in modern times and also organisms adapting to their environments by altering their genetic code. The fossil record also points to an evolutionary pattern of gradual adaptation and modification. Scientifically, evolution is the most complete theory of the how life diversified.

However, this theory causes many Christians to feel that scientists are pushing God out of the equation. And many scientists find that this theory causes god to be irrelevant. But both of these ideas are drawn from unfounded assumptions. If God created the universe could he not have done it through the creation of standard laws that give rise to complex organisms? Many people see the universe as something that God has to interact with to impose his will. But if he truly is the creator of the universe why would he have to change anything? Are we confining the power of the creator by thinking from too human of a perspective? The theory of evolution could just as easily be apart of God’s creation as the theory of gravity. To God the universe is a clock he has wound from the beginning (even though from God’s perspective there is no time).

I see God in the laws of nature and evolution is no different. Evolution is simply a part of the creation story, which much like the Bible ends with man. Just as the laws of physics allowed for stars, galaxies, and solar systems to form, these same tenets seem to allow for Man to be created. I see a universe that reflects its creator, with constant laws that give rise to unique attributes. The universe does not reveal a God who is constantly tinkering with his creation but a God who has planned out his creation from the beginning, and it was good.

The Bible states that all of existence was created in seven days and this has often been criticized. This first of all was written over 2000 years ago and the language of a day did not define a day as 24 hours but instead as day and night. And with the general theory of relativity proposed by Albert Einstein, even science has redefined time itself as a relative and changing dimension. So simply because the simplified version of the creation of the universe in the bible only comprises seven days does not infer that it is incorrect.

We must be careful not to jump to soon to conclusions, or to too hastily think ourselves understanding of an omnipotent creator. There are forces at work beyond our understanding or control, and that is something that science and religion can both agree upon.