"If evolution is "*inherently* an anti-theistic theory", it would not
change matters if Biblical events could be harmonised with it. The
late great Dr Carl Henry drew attention that Biblical Creation and
Evolution are antithetical concepts:
"The fundamental contrast between the Hebrew-Christian doctrine of
creation and the Greek-modern doctrine of evolution is therefore
crystal-clear. The Genesis creation account depicts a personal
supernatural agent calling into existence graded levels of life by
transcendent power. The Greek-modern theory depicts a simple
primitive reality temporarily differentiated by immanent activity into
increasingly complex entities that retain this capacity for future
development." (Henry C.F.H., "Science and Religion", in Henry C.F.H.,
ed., "Contemporary Evangelical Thought: A Survey", 1968, Baker, p252)"
If you define evolution as "life coming into existence without God," then of
course it is anti-theistic. But if you define evolution as "the means God
used to bring the diversity of life after he created it," then it is
impossible for it to be antitheistic. The whole problem is that christians
who do not like evolution define things in such a way that the latter
position is ruled out.
Stephen wrote:
"The real issue is: do we as Christians hold Biblical theism as our
primary metaphysical framework and try to fit the scientific facts
into that framework, or do we hold naturalistic science as our primary
framework and try to fit the Bibical facts into that?"
All the evolutionists I have seen on this board hold theism as their primary
metaphysical framework. I don't always agree with their Biblical
interpretations, but then they don't always agree with me. That's O.K. We
are all God's servants and as such it is God's job to straighten his servants
out.
Stephen wrote:
"If we who are Christians really believe that God has spoken uniquely
in and through the 66 volumes called the Hebrew-Greek scriptures, why
do we tacitly assign that a lower priority? This is independent of the
very real issue of interpreting those ancient Hebrew-Greek writings.
The alien spaceship's writings would be even more difficult to
interpret, but that does not take away from the fact of their
in-principle higher priority."
We don't assign the Bible a lower priority. We interpret it differently but
that does not mean that it is lower in priority unless only your
interpretation can be defined as holding the Bible high.
Stephen writes:
"1Ki 18:21 "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long
halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if
Baal, then follow him...""
Evolution is not Baal.
glenn