edited 6.15.09
When I was saved I first believed in a mix between intelligent design and evolution-- quite a conundrum. It was hard for me to believe we're from apes, and equally as hard to believe we're from Adam and Eve. The innovations of carbon dating show dinosaurs living way before man. Scientists know everything, right? What do I do? Should I ask everyone questions, go on an apologetic research binge, or just blow it off?
Jesus says not to rely on our own understanding, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Still, the issue of design v. evolution can be a difficult one to tackle. This doesn't make me question my existence like it used to (honestly, around four months ago), when I just summed it up as one of God's mysteries. These days I have come to embrace the intelligent design theory based on the origination of man's sin.
God issued a command to Adam & Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge. They were tempted soon after, defied that command, and immediately felt shame because they stripped away the innocence that a loving God created in them. Needless to say, God was just and brought on His punishment. It was that first encounter with evil that shaped mankind forever, that fall from Grace that birthed idiosyncratic theology. God is who we have inherited life from- who we are made in the image of. The popluar "missing link" theory of mainstream science will always leave a lot to the imagination.
That reminds me of a conversation I had with someone in 2007. This person figured that God's ten commandments given through Moses were actually man-made during the time of hunters and gatherers, in order to protect their families. That would mean the concept of sin is invalid- that actual good and evil doesn't exist. That is because man's law is changeable, therefore fallible and unreliable. God's law has never changed, and it will prevail, despite our intellectual complexities.
I can be perceived as a man of faith, a lukewarm convert, a confused Jesus freak, etc. I honestly don't' worry about that anymore. In the end, it's about living in love and seeking truth in my life. Jesus says "I am the truth and the life...", so I suppose I am seeking Him, whether I know it or not.
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2 comments:
I'm a fan of Alfred Russel Wallace who came up with the idea of evolution about the same time as Darwin. Wallace believed in the spiritual side of life.
nice blog. personally, i believe in both evolution *and* intelligent design, as in, the concept of evolution could have been part of God's plan for creation. i've done a blog on this if you're interested
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