A negative comment about theistic evolutionists and a response

Posted on January 17, 2009 by Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Science and the Bible.

Comment:

I am not impressed with your endorsement of "theistic evolution". This position is nothing more than a fence-straddling compromise to make evolution mutually compatible with creation and it will never work! Evolutionists simply refuse to allow God the glory to suddenly and spectacularly create, as in "Let there be light" (Gen 1:3) and "He spake and it was done." (Ps 33:9). No slow or sporadic arrival of light, man or animal is ever alluded to, but rather He would laugh at such slowpoke notions! God was able to create a great army of men from a pile of dry bones right before the eyes of Ezekiel in no more than a minute! (Ezekiel 37:3-10). And John the Baptist confirms that "God is able of these very stones to raise up children unto Abraham" if He so desried (Matt 3:9). More than that, we are told that He doesn’t even need material substance such as bones or stones to create, for "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear." (Heb 11:3). Every text book in the world on evolution posits some sort of matter, however small it might be, that eventually exploded into what we now call the universe. But again, the Lord tells us that the things which we now see were not made out of any pre-existing materials whatsoever by His clear-cut declarartion that they were not made by "things which do appear". It is pitiful that thiestic evolutionists unwarrantly criticize their "Creation-out-of-nothing" brothers who are simply believing what God says! Compromising evangelicals should be corrected, not endorsed or accommodated on your website.

Response:

I agree with you and I tell audiences wherever I go around the world that the universe was created out of nothing (Hebrews 11:2-3). I also believe and teach that life itself was a special creation and Adam and Eve were a special creation. I often quote Matthew 3 in that context , as you do. Just last week I taught this in both Iloilo and Davao, Philippines. I appreciate your respect for biblical inspiration and agree completely with you.

Having said that, I will admit that I also accept that the evidence from science is overwhelming that the earth is very old (perhaps 4.5 billion years old). I also agree that the theory of evolution is very useful in explaining the data we have on how species have changed over time. I do not believe that Genesis 1 can reasonably be interpreted in lines with this thinking.

Although I appreciate your devotion to God’s word, I detect an unchristian atttitude toward Christians who do not agree with you on maters which are not a salvation issue, such as the exact manner in which God brought species into existence. To call the beliefs of fellow believers "pitiful" is not worthy of a follower of Jesus. The Golden Rule precludes calling a fellow believer a "compromiser" and saying they deny the glory of God. I am willing to publish the ideas on debatable matters by those with whom I do not agree, including those who lean more toward theistic evolution than I do. I have never published a single article in which believers in theistic evolution criticize creation-out-of-nothing. In fact, as far as I know, all theistic evolutionists believe in creation out of nothing of the universe and most of them also believe in life’s creation out of nothing. Let us please lower the level of angry rhetoric and behave in a more Christian way. When I travel and teach, I always mention that although I believe the earth is old, I believe that the young earth is a possible theory and ask that we respect those who believe this.

I can see that you are really concerned for the glory of God, and really appreciate this conviction. Let us not bring disgrace on Jesus by being disunited over debatable matters, as he prayed for the unity of believers on his last night before he was crucified for our sins(John 17).

John Oakes, PhD