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Several posters have suggested the idea that God usually achieves his
purposes through natural mechanisms in order to hide his activity from
humans. Some have extended this principle to progressive creation,
suggesting that God designed and created new lifeforms with genetic
homologies to existing lifeforms, in part at least, to allow humans room
to doubt his existence.
The idea that "God uses natural mechanisms to hide himself" is very
troublesome to me. I think it puts the emphasis in entirely the wrong
place. It almost implies that the reason God used natural mechanisms in
the formative history of the world is just so that 20th century
Western educated humans could have a crisis of faith!
I would rather say, "God typically uses natural mechanisms to achieve his
purposes." Period. End of sentence.
Pause.
NOW we can speculate on several reasons why God would do this.
I would suggest:
1. FOR THE SAKE OF HIS CREATION ITSELF. The joy which we humans
experience when we create something complex and functional -- which can
accomplish what we desire with only minimal and subtle input (e.g. an
automatic loom; a computer program which can perform many useful tasks
with minimal input, instead of needing to re-write the operating system
each time) -- may reflect something of our Creator's nature. Also, God
may in some sense respect his creation, as he respects us, as something
_other_ than himself, a respect which implies granting it a certain degree
of freedom to be itself.
2. FOR THE SAKE OF BELIEVERS. If God's providential care over our daily
lives occurred via specific and obvious supernatural acts, we would be
strongly tempted to think of God as a "quid pro quo" god. (Job's friends
seemed to think about God this way. This also seems to be the basis of
most ancient and modern idolotries.) God did miraculously provide for his
people's physical needs on certain occasions (manna for the Israelites in
the desert, Jesus' feeding of the 5000). While they rationally
acknowledged the miracles as coming from God, their spiritual responses
were hardly ideal. I wonder if we would have done any better.
Rationality is only ONE important aspect of our human nature. By
providing for nearly all our needs via the natural order of his creation,
I believe God is inviting us to realize that ALL things, big and small,
come from him. He is inviting us to stop running after what we eat,
drink, and wear, and instead to seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness.
This, I would argue, is NOT the same is "hiding." While God cares for us
through "natural" processes, he also _reveals_ to believers, in clear
words, that he is acting through these natural processes. I believe that
God is teaching us that he is present in everything which happens to us,
not just the obviously supernatural events.
3. FOR THE SAKE OF UNBELIEVERS. Now, at last, we can speculate that one
reason God acts natural processes is to "hide" his actions. Others have
written eloquently about how God wants a response of true faith and
commitment, not of rationality, and about how God might have mercy on
those who are determined to reject him. I won't repeat it here.
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Why would God use (or appear to use) natural mechanisms over billions of
years in the formative history of the physical and biological world? I
think that "hiding his actions from humans" must be an extremely tertiary
factor -- if it is part of the reason at all. (Remember that for most of
history, the existence of the world seemed a profoundly SUPERnatural fact
to almost everyone. Depending on where and when they lived, they
attributed it to the God of Abraham or to their own pantheon.) Moreover,
I believe that the recorded accounts of God's historical acts of
revelation, as well as God's personal response to any genuine seeker,
should more than offset any skepticism induced by God's use of natural
processes in creation.
Why would God use (or appear to use) natural mechanisms over billions of
years in the formative history of the physical and biological world? I
would RATHER emphasize God's delight in his creation for its own sake, and
God's invitation to believers to see his care and providence in
EVERYTHING.
Comments?
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"Some people just aren't open |
to revelatory experiences." | Loren Haarsma
--Calvin (_Calvin_and_Hobbes_) | lhaarsma@opal.tufts.edu