Liz asked:

“What do you think about evolution? Do you think that Adam and Eve were the first humans that came from primates? And if you don’t believe in evolution –why? Many other Christians believe in it.”

Liz, first of all, thank you for your question.   I apologize for taking so long to get back to you, but I wanted to take some time to gather my thoughts.  Evolution is an issue that is highly debated by Christians, and like you mentioned, there are individuals who stand on both sides of the issue.

So where do I stand?  Well, after lots of research in my own personal journey towards God, I have concluded two things in regards to this issue: that there is insufficient evidence in support of evolutionary biology, and that accepting evolution leads to several conflicts with the Christian faith.

You may ask, “What are the issues with the evidence for evolution?” Well, I am going to break it down for those of us that don’t hold a doctorate in Biology.

Issue #1 – Biochemical Complexity

The meat of this argument is that cells are incredibly complex working machines that could not possibly have been formed by random chance.  Rather than finding more evidence in support of evolution with advances in modern science, we are actually finding that the evidence points more strongly toward an intelligent designer, who was actively involved in the creative process.  Below, Biologist Michael Behe explains in detail the basis behind this challenge to evolution:

RESOURCE: Unlocking The Mysteries of Life

Issue #2 – The Fossil Record

Charles Darwin wrote in his 1859 book, The Origin of Species, that “…by this theory, innumerable transitional forms must have existed, why do we not find them embedded in countless numbers in the crust of the earth?” and continued later in his book by saying, “The case at present must remain inexplicable; and may be truly urged as a valid argument against the views here entertained.”

What Darwin plainly admitted in his own work was that if we could not find ‘innumerable transitional forms’, than this lack of evidence could be ‘truly urged as a valid argument’ against his theory of evolution.  So where are these uncountable number of transitional forms almost a century and a half after Darwin wrote these words?  The answer is that we don’t know.  After 150 years of discovery and technological advances, we still have not found any of Darwin’s required transitional fossils.

OK, so great, what does all of this really mean?  It means that the fossils we have found are of numerous different species, none of which show attributes of a transition between one species into the next.  In other words, there are no land animals with ‘half fins’ left over from their transition from the sea, or ‘half wings’ indicating their transition to the sky.  In order for a chimp to become a man, there would have to be evidence of millions of minute changes from generation to generation in our fossil record, and it just doesn’t match up.

RESOURCE: The Case For a Creator

My next set of issues, Liz, is how I believe evolution is in conflict with the Christian faith.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that you cannot be a Christian and believe in evolution (being a Christian is not dependent on your beliefs about science, it is dependent on your beliefs about Jesus), but what I am saying is that evolution will keep you from a complete acceptance and total understanding of the majesty and sovereignty of God.

It all begins with the book of Genesis and the story of creation:

“1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” -Gen 1:1

For the sake of brevity, I will summarize the events of the first 7 days, but I suggest you read the first book of Genesis if you haven’t already, it’s action packed! (Gen 1)

• Day 1 – God created Light (Day) and Darkness (Night)
• Day 2 – God created the Ocean and the Sky (both with bodies of water… the waters of the sky later to fall in Noah’s Flood)
• Day 3 – God created Dry Ground (Land) and separated the waters into Seas… then allowed the land to produce Vegetation
• Day 4 – God created the Sun, the Moon and the Stars
• Day 5 – God created all the Creatures of the Sea and the Birds of the Air
• Day 6 – God created all the Land Dwelling Creatures and created Man and Woman
• Day 7 – God rested

This brings me to my first conflict:

Issue #1 – The Bible Is Clear That Adam Was The First Man (A uniquely designed living creature)

The book of Genesis continues on with the story of Creation in Gen 2 as it elaborates on the creation of Adam (the first man):

“When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens – and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground – the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” – Gen 2:4-7

As you can clearly see, from the very beginning, Genesis is absolutely clear that Adam was the first human being.  Why couldn’t he have evolved from Cromagnon man?  Well, for one the bible says that both land dwelling creatures and man were created on the same day (Day 6), but if you have yet to be convinced of the ‘6 days’ creation issue, you cannot deny the clarity of the statement, “There was no man to work the ground.” This statement puts to rest any doubts about other humanoids being around before man as we know him today.

Issue #2 – If Humans Are A Result of A Random Evolutionary Process, Than Genesis Is Nothing More Than Symbolism

Let me explain why this is a problem.  If Genesis is simply a compilation of stories and symbolism, than you must infer that the story of Original Sin is nothing more than symbolism as well.  Without Original Sin, there is no longer a need for a savior.  Without the savior, you no longer have Christianity.  You cannot sacrifice the truth of any part of God’s Word without doubting the truth behind the remaining scriptures.  This is why I believe that accepting evolution requires you to sacrifice the completeness of your understanding and acceptance of God.

RESOURCE: Can Christians Believe In Evolution?

Liz, I hope that I have adequately answered your questions and motivated you to do more research into this topic on your own.  I know that what I shared here with you is only scratching the surface of these topics and there are tons of books and videos out there, filled with wonderful information to supplement these arguments.  I hope and pray that you are encouraged to keep seeking out the Lord and that He will fill you with His abounding love as you seek to know Him more intimately.

Thank you again for your questions… I leave you with the great and endless wisdom of Dilbert and Dogbert.

Be blessed,

-God’sWings