Monday

My Answer To An Atheistic Evolutionist

Recently an evolutionist commented on my post about the amazing Jewel Roach Wasp. I felt his comment and my response might be helpful to some who are concerned with the ongoing creation/evolution debate. I have posted our comments below but you may read the whole post with comments here. If you aren't familiar with the Jewel Wasp I would encourage you to go to the post.

Evolutionist's Comment: Yes, this predatory behavior is quite amazing. But how could this possibly be the creation of loving God? God clearly does not love cockroaches since He created this wasp to devour them alive and very slowly. No, I believe this speaks to wonderment of evolution - though perhaps in a more complex manner than simple random mutation in concert with natural selection. There is no need, and in this case good reason not, to bring God into it.

My Response: Thanks for the comment. It takes me back to my childhood when I would sit at the feet of my grandfather, a lifelong atheist, and listen intently as he extolled the intellectual virtue of atheism and dismissed the existence of a god. My grandfather was also knowledgeable about the Bible and theology. I credit him with helping to influence my natural curiosity, and promoting a need to question and then find answers. That need ultimately led to my conversion to Christianity. Something, by the way, my grandfather had no problem with... Since those early years I have been an avid reader of both theology and biology.

You imply that the wasp’s action breaches some moral standard. As an evolutionist what is your source for the moral standard you used to indict the creator of the wasp?

I am always amused when an evolutionist uses moral conscience to ding God for creating predators, disease, disability, etc. since atheistic evolution has no root morality. In evolution the predator’s violence, human or animal, is what it is… not right--not wrong. Reversing your question shows the desert-like starkness of evolution: How could this possibly be the creation of a loving evolution? Evolution knows no love, mercy, or morality… The amorality of evolution drove the horrible crimes of Dr. Josef Mengele and his 20th century ilk. Moral consciousness will always sense the anti-morality of atheistic evolution...

Those who read Christian theology know there is a clear Biblical reason for predation. In fact the reason predators continue to exist is found in the transitive attributes of mercy and grace flowing from the love of God. Immorality, with all its horrible effects, was introduced into physical creation by mankind, so it is mankind who carries the guilt of predation. It is the mercy of God in Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection that allows this complex, grievous, system to continue for a time. And this is only so that some of us will be saved from our guilt and its consequences. So... yes there is very good reason to bring God into this issue.

I am very interested in the detail of your evolutionary scheme. Being an avid student of biology I must necessarily read evolutionists weekly. I would really like to study the evolutionary system you mention that specifically answers the problems, with supporting evidence, posed to evolution by the complexity of the Jewel Roach Wasp. I've never read an explanation anywhere. Frankly... I don't think an answer exists... But you are welcome to post it here for my readers to examine. Its easy to say, “No, I believe this speaks to wonderment of evolution - though perhaps in a more complex manner than simple random mutation in concert with natural selection.” But much harder to display the detail of this mysterious wonderment. If you cannot support your statement yourself then please post a link to the evidence specifically answering the peculiar evolutionary problems presented by the Jewel Roach Wasp. I await your evidence.

7 comments:

  1. Love that answer. In a fallen world, God has put in place a system to keep it going. What seem's to some to be a cruel violent world; i.e. evolved. Is actually God's mercy to keep a fallen world balance for the blessing of all mankind. A tree may die, but there is a termite to eat the wood and nature recycles and continues. Theres a pupose for the Jewel Roach, Dung Beatle, Flies, Bees, etc. If you want to point out the violence that is fine, as long as you recognize that it does good also. Just as Jesus Christ who came and was innocent of all evil, was Crucified on a Cross. Cruel, Yes! But, it was for our good. God loved the world so much he provided a system in with all the world could be saved. And all who believe on Jesus who was given to us by God, will have everlasting life. That sounds like a loving God to me.

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  2. Romans 11:33-34
    O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

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  3. Were it not for the fall of man in the garden,that brought such violence and immorality, perhaps the greatest attributes of God's character (Grace and Mercy) would never have been revealed. Nor would morality exist...

    PM

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  4. Why can't you believe in God and at the same time look at natural phenomena through the lens of evolution? You can argue that, yes, indeed, there is a Creator, and He set life (and so evolution) going on earth and only he knows where else in the universe. I really don't see the dichotomy. Thanks for listening. Tony

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  5. It has been a few years now since a micro-biologist I respect published a book defending, in part, his belief in theistic evolution (the notion that God used evolution to create this modern world). After reading his book I found myself actually wishing I could accept his position... it sounded so plausible... so conciliatory. But... I cannot believe it. There are many reasons for my unbelief, but two which render my position profoundly irreconcilable with theistic evolution. I will mention them in brief here:

    1. Evolution is death based while the Bible teaching of creation is life based. By “death based” I mean that death is vital to the theory of evolution. Death and natural selection are fundamentally inseparable. Death has no penal value... it is just the natural way.

    By “life based” I mean that Bible based creation begins with perpetual life. Death was unknown to the original creation. Death is unnatural and has penal value (The Creator introduced death as a penalty).

    As far as I can see these two positions are completely incompatible. Christians who hold the position of theistic evolution have overwhelming consistency problems with, among other things, the concept of divine justice, the position of man in divine order, and the problem of sin and the fall of man.

    2. I have no authoritative basis upon which to rest a belief in theistic evolution, so I have no “lens” to use. I believe the Creator has authoritatively used human language to tell us things about Himself, creation, and us that we could not otherwise know. In all my years of studying theology I have never come across a credible text where the Creator has expounded His use of evolution as a tool of creation.

    Thanks, Tony, for your comment, and I hope this has answered your question.

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  6. If the Jewel Roach Wasp Is proof of an unloving God or no God at all wouldn't most snakes fall into that catagory, eating prey alive and all? Or bears eating salmon? Reptiles eating insects, etc? It's The food chain plain and simple; a structure that without we would probably not be able to adequally sustain human life. The whole thing seems a little... pre-meditated?

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  7. OOOOO ... dat's a burn!  :P

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