Creation, Genesis, and Evolution

Last updated on October 29th, 2018

My Philosophy on Creation, Genesis, and Evolution

I believe that there are a lot of people who have destructive/combative views on how the universe was created. Many people think that there are only two sides to how it occurred. Evolution or Young Earth Creation with a literal interpretation of Genesis from the bible. In Young Earth Biblical creation the universe was CREATED by GOD in a very complex design. (More information is available at Answers in Genesis) The theory of evolution claims that all life came about through a RANDOM process of genetic mutation and natural selection without a creator managing the process. There may be a way to reconcile aspects of both theories/paradigms.

Science and Religion

People usually fall into four categories concerning the relationship between science and religion.
1) Science always trumps religion
2) Religion always trumps science
3) They are two different discourses/domains. Spiritual/moral domains & empirical world.
4) They are two ways of knowing (continuity & convergence).

I fall into the last category when it concerns the Christian faith.
In contrast to Darwin’s theory of evolution (to which biology and genetics have proven invalid), a more sound theory of origins is the theory of intelligent design. It simply claims: “that intelligent causes are necessary to explain the complex, information-rich structures of biology and that these causes are empirically detectable.” [William A. Dembski, Intelligent Design (Downer’s Grove, Ill: InterVarsity, 1999), p. 106. ]
for more information, please visit Access Research Network

Interpretations of the Genesis account in the Holy Bible

There are six ways that are popularly used to interpret the creation account in Genesis.
1. Literary approach (held in the Patristic period)
2. Progressive creationism or day-age theory (theistic evolution) (held from Augustine to present)
3. Pictorial or revelatory-day theory (days of revelation to Moses) (medieval period)
4. Gap theory (popularized by Scofield Reference Bible in the 1800s)
5. Flood theory (creation science or scientific creationism developed in the 1900s)
6. Appearance of age theory (don’t know the origin, but I don’t think it is worth investigating)

A variation on combining creation and evolution

Here is how the flood theory might work, Biblical Creation through genetic mutation and natural selection, aka theistic evolution. Based on a verse found later in the Bible. For the Lord, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day. This theory has some support by both science and the Bible.

1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) — Big Bang
2. God created Light (Genesis 1:3) — The beginning of stars
3. God said let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other. (Genesis 1:6) — As the earth cooled the oceans formed as well as the clouds.
4. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation…” (Genesis 1:11) — Plants were the first form of life on earth
5. God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; (Genesis 1:16) — The sun and moon were created around the same time as the earth
6. Then God said, “Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures…” (Genesis 1:20) — Animal life most likely began in the ocean after plants had made enough oxygen.
7. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures…” (Genesis 1:24) — Life migrated to dry land.
8. Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26) — Homo sapiens is the youngest species of the very complex animals.

The above narrative could be applied to a young earth or ancient earth model. Genetic science has shown the resiliency of genes to change and impossibility of genes randomly gaining information without a creative outside force indicates that evolution of one species to another has not happened and will not happen without divine intervention.

Flood Theory

In February 2018, I watched a documentary on a scientific investigation on the origin of the universe and the relation of geology with the Genesis account of creation and the flood at the time of Noah.  If you have Netflix, you can check out “Is Genesis History?” with Del Tackett.

Finally, as evidence is still being examined, I will remain open to other theories as to the process of Creation, Genesis, and Evolution until I see sufficient evidence supporting another theory. Please let me know your thoughts on this highly debated issue.

Creation, Genesis, and Evolution - Jesus created all


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