Re: [asa] Science as Christian vocation

John Walley wrote:

> Interesting. I think one of the issues the church has with
> evolution and TE is because they don't want to accept the seemingly
> harsh and cruel concept of survival of the fittest. But if this was
> God's mechanism of creating life in the animal world, how do we
> then bridge the gap to the sanctity of life in humans?
>
> This opens a tremendus can of worms, not only eugenics but
> abortion, human relief etc. What is the stopgap to prevent the
> logical progression to the liberal theology of Schmucker?

"Survival of the fittest" is a caricature of evolution. Evolution
only presupposes what we all recognize as the reality of nature.
That is, death is a given, and that those individuals that die before
reproduction are on average less fit than those that survive.
Moreover, that fitness is completely relative to the current
environment in which that individual lives. Fitness is not an
absolute quantity - it is not a statement that one individual is
better in any absolute sense. In evolution, an unfit character can
become fit with a change in the environment.

On this question, evolution posses no significantly new theological
problems than are already present with the recognition that death has
been an integral part of creation from the beginning. This is just
an extension of the Problem of Pain and the Problem of Natural Evil.
This is nothing new with evolution.

As has been discussed frequently on this list, God's creative action
in and through the death and pain embedded in creation can be seen as
consistent with and reflective of Christ. The Creator is the Crucified.

Keith

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Received on Wed Feb 4 10:20:10 2009