Today’s Scripture Reading (February 6, 2018): Romans 14
Some years ago I read a book by Denis
Lamoureux entitled “I Love Jesus & I Accept Evolution.” Lamoureux holds
doctoral degrees in dentistry, theology, and
biology and at one point in his life wrote and lectured as a young earth
creationist, a belief that holds that the earth is just over 6,000 years old.
Lamoureux jokes that in the early days he would be hailed as Dr. Lamoureux at
various events. At the time the only degree he held was in Dentistry. He then
asks, “Do you know how many courses a Dentist has to take on evolutionary
biology? None.” So when he wrote and spoke about the creation-evolution
controversy, he was arguing totally outside of his field. The Dr. that
promoters loved to place in front of his name was misleading because he had no
expertise in the subject matter.
But he did gain the expertise, and he also
changed his mind. Lamoureux ended up leaving the world of the young-earth creationist’s and becoming what he
calls an evolutionary creationist. Although this might not be popular to admit,
I could also be described as an
evolutionary creationist, and I have been one since long before I read or
listened to the teachings of Denis Lamoureux. For me, the teaching makes sense.
Evolutionary Creationism is not contrary to the creation reading that we have
in Genesis 1, although Genesis 2 has to be interpreted
a little more poetically. At the same time, it solves some of the problems that
I have with evolutionary science; specifically, how random changes in the
genetic code of the earliest life on the planet became more and more ordered
and complex. As our children’s bedrooms prove, the natural progression is to go
from order to chaos. To argue that complex beings evolved out of single-celled organisms through random genetic
changes stretches the imagination unless
there was some force that guided those changes. Enter God or a godlike being.
One way that I describe evolutionary creationism is that evolution becomes the
tool that God uses to create life on the planet. Just as a scalpel is useless
outside of the hands of a skilled surgeon (I know because I have one collecting
dust in a closet that has never done anyone any good), so evolution is useless
outside of the guiding force of a Creator God. To me, it makes sense.
It is also useless information. In the large
view, how God created the world is disputable. We really don’t know. For me, this idea of God using evolution as a
tool is elegant, and it answers all of
the questions that I might have regarding the creation of man. A good friend of
mine imagines creation quite differently. For him, God formed Adam out of the
dust or the mud of the earth. And then he stepped down out of heaven and
thumped his chest, performing the first CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to
get Adam’s chest beating. Which one of us is right? Maybe the better question is, does it really
matter? I love the imagery, and the poetry, of my friend’s description of
creation. To me, my description better fits the available facts. In the end, we
both might be wrong, but in the end, both
of us are also still Christians.
But what bothers me are the people in my life
that have accepted evolution, and by
their assessment of the truth of evolution have rejected Christianity. This is what angers me about the continuing
Evolution-Creation debate. And I want to call Paul as my first witness. If it is disputable, and if it has no bearing on
salvation (I know that I am saved by faith in Jesus, because of Jesus death and
resurrection, the penalty that should be mine has been removed, and I can stand
in front of God as a new creation) then don’t worry about disputable arguments.
You who have accepted Jesus as your Savior should accept the one who is
starting the faith journey without raising issues that may not have an answer
and also has no bearing on their salvation. If the quarrel over these matters is going to become a barrier to faith, then it
is time just to let them go.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Romans 15
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