Re: Conflicts and confrontation

Merv wrote:

I am still trying to develop good and sensitive answers to YEC
concerns about
where 'evolutionary philosophy' will lead a person. Science aside,
it seems to
me their concerns remain well-founded. I've heard of a person's
amazement at
the 'order and provision' of creation inspiring them to seek out
faith or
enhancing their existing faith. But have any of you, because of your
evolutionary beliefs, found your faith enhanced -- built up?

Firstly, as others have stated, it is critical to distinguish between
the methods and conclusions of science with regard to the natural
world, and any philosophy or theology that is attached to those
scientific conclusions. The natural world is what it is, and its
history is what it is. How we interpret or understand it is a
different matter. Science is about understanding the natural world
on its own terms -- that is by appeal to natural causes and agents.
It is a very limited endeavor, and is incapable of addressing our
most important questions about meaning, purpose and morality. While
the pursuit of scientific explanations may raise ethical and
theological questions, it cannot resolve them.

How we interpret nature is determined by our philosophical and
theological commitments. Those interpretations must be argued and
defended on their own terms. Our understanding of the natural world
can, and should, be integrated into our larger worldview. However,
that resulting integration is NOT itself a scientific conclusion.

With regard to the impact of the evolutionary theory on faith -- I
have never seen my faith and my understanding of the natural world to
be in tension or conflict. My faith and my scientific understanding
have matured in tandem. Growing up, I lived in an evangelical
Christian environment in which my parents' faith was completely
integrated with their lives. There was no sacred/secular dichotomy.
Everything that they did just naturally flowed from their faith. I
was not brought up to fear learning, but to pursue it. All of my
interests, however fleeting, were enthusiastically encouraged by my
parents. All Truth was God's truth.

As I have grown, my growing understanding of nature has strengthened
and deepened my faith, and my faith has given meaning and context to
my pursuit of science. Understanding the tortuous process of
Creation, with its embedded pain and suffering, has provided for me a
very helpful way of understanding God's interaction with His people.
I am understanding more how God is a God of process -- that the
pathway is as important as the destination. God is revealed as we
live and work out our faith in the face of challenges,
disappointment, and even pain.

The continuity of living things in time through the tree of life
(descent with modification from a common ancestor) has also enriched
my understanding of God as Creator and humanity as God's image
bearers. We are connected to all of the rest of life on Earth -- we
are all made of the same stuff -- yet we also are aware of God and
chosen by God to be His image-bearers to the rest of Creation. I see
this as enriching my grasp of what it means to be Creation's
stewards. It also vastly enlarges my view of what it means for
Creation to give glory to God. As humans we have only the privilege
of seeing the tiniest portion of Creation. Nearly all of what exists
and has existed, is forever removed from our view -- either by the
vastness of space, or by the vastness of time. Most species that
have ever lived have lived only for the pleasure of God, and have
passed into extinction without ever leaving even a fossil trace for
us to marvel at. All exists only at, and for, the pleasure of God
and His worship.

_________________________

The following two paragraphs are taken from an essay on the web, and
seem relevant to the topic.

     Miller, K.B., 2004, Evolutionary theory and continuous creation,
Divinity School Publishing, Issue No. XI.
http://divinity-school.com/authors/bio.html?authorid=2681

" God is the Creator of all things and nothing would exist without
God's continually willing it to be. Creation was not merely a past
accomplished act, but rather is a present and continuing reality. The
best term for this view of God's creative activity is "continuous
creation." I also believe that God's existence can be known in the
creation through faith. However, scientific observation provides no
proof of the existence of a creator God, indeed it cannot. Neither
does scientific description, however complete, provide any argument
against a creator. Since God acts through process, evolution and the
theology of creation are perfectly compatible. In fact, I see them
as positively reinforcing. An evolutionary understanding of creation
illuminates our theological understanding, and theology places our
scientific discoveries in a more comprehensive context and provides
necessary moral guidance in the scientific endeavor. "

"One commonly held perspective that tends to reinforce a conflict
view of science and faith is that God's action or involvement is
confined to those events which lack a scientific explanation.
Meaningful divine action is equated with breaks in chains of cause-
and-effect processes. This view has been called a "God-of-the-gaps"
theology. God's creative action is seen only, or primarily, in the
gaps of human knowledge where scientific description fails. With
this perspective, each advance of scientific description results in a
corresponding reduction in the realm of divine action. Conflict
between science and faith is thus assured. However, this is a
totally unnecessary state of affairs. God's creative activity is
clearly identified in the Bible as including natural processes,
including what we call chance or random events. According to
scripture, God is providentially active in all natural processes, and
all of creation declares the glory of God. The evidence for God's
presence in creation, for the existence of a creator God, is declared
to be precisely those everyday "natural events" experienced by us
all. Thus Christians should not fear causal explanations. Complete
scientific descriptions of events or processes should pose no threat
to Christian theism. Rather, each new advance in our scientific
understanding can be met with excitement and praise at the revelation
of God's creative hand."

____________________

The testimony of Creation is understood by faith -- it is not
something that can be concluded or proved through science. For those
who by faith see nature as Creation, then nature becomes a rich
source of inspiration for worshipping God. One way that I have
stated this in previous writing is that if someone cannot see God in
a sunset or a thunderstorm, he or she will not see God in a bacterial
flagellum or strand of DNA. As I read scripture, God is revealed and
to be worshipped through our everyday experience of the natural
world. That is natural revelation. It is not dependent on some new
scientific discovery -- it is not dependent on science at all. I
see the role of science as informing our stewardship of Creation that
is part of our mandate as 'Images of God." The understanding of
nature provided through science enables us to better exercise our
steward lordship, and to worship the Creator.

In Christ,

Keith

Keith B. Miller
Research Assistant Professor
Dept of Geology, Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-3201
785-532-2250
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~kbmill/
Received on Mon Jun 5 15:07:46 2006