it was only a matter of time before these struggles would be shared. i know that i am not alone, and so i pray that through this sharing, many may be encouraged that they are not alone. i pray that many will be encouraged that this intellectual struggle does not mean the death of faith, and that this struggle can coexist with a growing faith – but only by the grace of God.
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It was only two years ago that i really began being exposed to the ideas of evolution. Prior to that, i had not really considered all the implications that evolutionary theory had for my Christian faith. Then in Cambridge, i took a year-long course on Evolution and Behavior, which exposed me to ideas from human anthropology as well. There, I heard from lecturers on the evidence supporting the evolutionary process – from molecular evidence (how similarity in DNA correlated to relatedness between species), to vestigial/’poorly designed’ structures (which support evolution, since natural selection does not yield optimal designs), to fossil and DNA evidence about bipedal homonids and all.
I did relatively well in the exams (thank God!), but there was always (and still is) an ongoing struggle within me – deep questions which I asked. Questions that I did not have the answers for.
I hope to share some of these questions in this post, and some brief reflections. The reflections are not meant to be exhaustive, and not meant to provide substantial answers. They are just there to reflect the honest struggle, and maybe some of you would like to chat about it some day with me (:
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1) The Genesis Creation Account
Young Earth Creationists (YECs) take this passage literally, believing that God made the earth in six 24-hour days. But scientific studies suggest that the earth is much older than that suggested by the Genesis account – billions of years old. So there are ‘Old’ Earth Creationists, who believe that the ‘days’ in the Bible refer to longer epochs of time.
There are many other problems – for instance, why two creation accounts that apparently contradict?
Increasingly, there is the view that Genesis 1 and 2 should not be taken literally, and that it should be understood in the context of that time. The Genesis creation account was not written in response to Darwinian evolution – it would be absurd if such a concept was brought up in that era; rather, it was written in response to other Ancient Near Eastern literature, which also had their own accounts of creation.
Several ancient Near Eastern creation accounts write that the earth, and mankind, were created as a result of a struggle between divine powers. It was a result of the conflict between gods. The Biblical account stands in stark contrast to this – God is the only unopposed god, who creates the universe out of his own pleasure and will. Mankind is created for a special relationship with Him.
My struggle is whether to take Genesis literally or not. To be honest, I increasingly believe that the Genesis creation account was not a literal description of how the world was formed. Rather, it establishes theological truths that God is the Sovereign Creator, and that mankind was made for a special relationship with Him. Also, the problem of sin is made clear.
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2) The Origin of Man
It would be so much easier if I could just believe that Adam and Eve were historical figures, who were created out of dust and soil, into whom the breath of God was breathed. But again, there is the struggle, for there are definitely fossils of other bipedal organisms, there are definitely studies that suggest that humans were not the only bipeds – for instance, there were Neanderthals. And if humans originated from a process of evolution, then it would be difficult to believe that Adam and Eve were the ‘first’ humans.
Maybe Adam/Eve were symbolic? But many have said that this poses problems for NT passages where Adam is treated as a historical figure – the genealogy of Christ/Romans 5 among many.
I have a lot of sporadic thoughts on this matter:
- What distinguishes man from other organisms is the level of consciousness that he has been given. His awareness of good and evil, his ability to understand language – and hence communicate and have a relationship with God. I believe that this degree of awareness was unprecedented before humans.
- At some point, God endowed this ability onto mankind; at some point, mankind sinned and so acquired the awareness of good and evil.
- What is important is that at some point in history, such an organism appeared – humans. What is also important, is that at some point in time, this organism became aware of right and wrong.
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3) Problem with Pain/Suffering/Death
Another problem with evolution! If evolution was the process by which organisms were brought about, then death and disease probably existed BEFORE the fall of man. I think C.S Lewis also struggled with this matter, as apparently in his book ‘The Problem of Pain’ (which I hope to read soon).
But the Bible so strongly connects the world’s suffering to the sin of man! The Bible so strongly connects the suffering of creation with the fall of man (Romans 8:18-25, where creation is subjected to suffering until the revealing of the sons of god). I’m not sure how all this really comes together 
I guess, what’s important is that at some point in history, natural suffering (floods/disease…) became linked with moral suffering. At some point in time, mankind acquired this awareness – that the tragedy of moral suffering is reflected in the tragedy of creation’s suffering!
Through the imperfect creation, God hopes to bring all of us to a realization of our moral poverty and need, so that we might be saved.
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so there, some difficult questions, with some inadequate answers. many thoughts on the various matters remain unexpressed. perhaps they will come to mind some time in the future (:
at the end of it all, the truth of Jesus Christ and his resurrection must still be grappled with! The central question of Christianity is not about how the world came to be, but about what the world’s state is. We are all, if we search deeply, in a state of need, and only Christ has offered an eternal hope, evidenced through his resurrection (if that is untrue, then we are truly fools)
Hear Our Praises 