Darwinian Evolution - the Really Hard Questions
QUESTION 1: “What about the huge amount of death and suffering that is intrinsic to the evolutionary process - how can that be compatible with the notion of God’s creation in Genesis Chapter 1 repeatedly being declared ‘good’? QUESTION 2: “How does the Biblical teaching about Adam and Eve relate to the evolutionary account of the origins of humankind and how does this relate to the doctrine of the Fall?
Three introductory points 1. The importance of doing full justice to both the theology and the science. 2. Getting used to not knowing the final answers. 3. Our responsibility both as Christians and as Christians in science is to describe to the best of our ability what God has actually done in the created order, not what we think He should have done.
“Whenever “Whenever we we feel feel there there is is something something odd odd in in Christian Christian theology, theology, we we shall shall generally generally find find there there is is something something odd odd in in the the truth”. truth”. G.K.Chesterton G.K.Chesterton
The three types of death in the Bible 1. PHYSICAL DEATH In the Old Testament…earthy….matter of fact.. You have your allotted span on earth and then depart for sheol. The prayer of Hannah: “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave ( sheol ) and raises up” (1 Samuel 2:6).
The three types of death in the Bible 1. PHYSICAL DEATH In the New Testament….physical death looks more like an enemy to overcome… “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:26). Jesus has come to “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15).
The three types of death in the Bible 2. SPIRITUAL DEATH - separation from God Paul: “For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death” (Rom.7:11) BUT “through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Believers are those who have been “brought from death to life” (Romans 6:13).
The three types of death in the Bible 3. THE SECOND DEATH - permanent separation from God Jeus: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Jesus: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death” (Rev. 2:11 cf. Rev. 20:6; 20:14; 21:8)
Biology is a ‘package deal’ PLUS MINUS Life Death Survival Pain Mutations are essential Mutations cause cancer and for our existence and genetic diseases our diversity Apoptosis is essential Apoptotic dysfunction can for development and cause cancer prevents cancer Bacteria are essential Bacteria can kill us for a healthy life Eating Increases Reactive Oxygen Species DNA damage aging
Death in biology Sun --> Oak Tree --> Squirrel -->Bobcat--> Fungus--> FOOD FOOD CHAINS CHAINS sun --> producer --> herbivore consumer --> carnivore consumer --> decomposer THE THE SCALE SCALE OF OF DEATH DEATH IS IS HUGE: HUGE: HUMAN HUMAN DEATH DEATH * An estimated 5 x 10 30 bacteria in the 155,000/day 155,000/day world, >92% underground, equivalent 108/minute 108/minute roughly in weight to all the plants A A pile pile nearly nearly • >99% of all species that ever lived 30 30 miles miles high high are extinct
BRAIN COMPLEXITY PAIN! SENTIENCE The The evolutionary evolutionary process process “could “could be be titled, titled, perversely, perversely, ‘the ‘the evolution evolution of of suffering’”, suffering’”, Holmes Holmes Rolston Rolston III III
Mutations causing cancer - example of one large recent study • 518 kinase-encoding genes were analysed from 210 different cancers. • 1000 mutations were identified of which 158 were identified as actual ‘drivers’ of carcinogenesis Greenman, C. et al Nature 446: 153-158, 2007 DEATH! DEATH! HELIUM HELIUM BERYLLIUM BERYLLIUM CARBON CARBON
Adam & Eve and the Fall THREE THREE USES USES OF OF ADAM ADAM IN IN THE THE GENESIS GENESIS TEXT: TEXT: 1 . Adam, 1 . Adam, humankind humankind, , Gen Gen 1:26, 1:26, made made in in God’s God’s image, image, ‘male ‘male and and female female He He created created them’ them’ (cf. cf. Gen. Gen. 5:1-2). 5:1-2). 2 . 2 . The The Adam Adam with with the the definite definite article, article, as as in in Gen Gen 2:7 2:7 when when God God makes makes the-Adam the-Adam out out of of the- the- adama adama , , the the ground. ground. Personal Personal names names in in Hebrew Hebrew do do not not carry carry the the definite definite article. article. 3 . 3 . Adam Adam as as a a personal personal name name, , first first found found without without the the definite definite article article in in Gen. Gen. 4:15 4:15 where where Adam Adam ‘lay ‘lay with with his his wife wife again’. again’.
‘Genetic fossils’ in our genomes from viruses reveal our ancestry species range of a given provirus number of proviruses human specific 13 human, chimp 1 human, chimp, gorilla 10 human, chimp, gorilla, orangutan 7 human, chimp, gorilla, orangutan, gibbon 4 total 35 Gibbon Orangutan Gorilla Human Chimpanzee E C 4 7 10 N A T I Figure illustrates R E H N common ancestry I C I T E N E G CTGCCCCCACCCTAG/TCTTGGTTCCCTGAC
Pseudogenes are ‘genetic fossils’ in our genomes that reveal our ancestry For For example, example, our our chromosome chromosome 7 7 encodes encodes 1,150 1,150 genes, genes, but but also also 941 941 pseudogenes, pseudogenes, molecular molecular relics relics of of our our genetic genetic past. past.
Anatomically modern humans Archaic Archaic Homo Homo sapiens sapiens [emerged [emerged in in Africa Africa c. c. 0.5m 0.5m years years ago] ago] Spread Spread across across Africa, Africa, into into Near Near East East + + Asia Asia [displacing [displacing populations populations of of Homo Homo erectus erectus ] Anatomically Anatomically modern modern Homo Homo sapiens sapiens [earliest [earliest fossils fossils date date from from c. c. 195,000 195,000 years years ago, ago, found found in in S. S. Ethiopia, Ethiopia, see see Nature Nature 433: 433: 733-736 733-736 2005] 2005]
15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000 40,000 40,000 70,000 70,000 60,000 60,000
Adam & Eve, the Fall and Evolution Michelangelo's Temptation and Fall from the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
Adam & Eve, the Fall and Evolution - 5 Models [Models A-C compatible with current evolutionary theory, Models D-E incompatible] MODEL MODEL A: A: the the Ahistorical Ahistorical View View “The The story story of of the the Fall Fall has has no no intention intention to to be be historical historical in in any any sense. sense. It It is is a a theological theological narrative narrative that that describes describes the the common common human human experience experience of of alienation alienation from from God God through through disobedience disobedience to to God’s God’s commands”. commands”.
Adam & Eve, the Fall and Evolution - 5 Models [Models A-C compatible with current evolutionary theory, Models D-E incompatible] MODEL MODEL B: B: a a gradualist gradualist Protohistorical Protohistorical View View “As As anatomically anatomically modern modern humans humans evolved evolved in in Africa Africa there there was was a a gradual, gradual, growing growing awareness awareness of of God’s God’s presence presence and and calling calling upon upon their their lives, lives, but but this this awareness awareness was was consciously consciously rejected rejected in in favour favour of of choosing choosing their their own own way way rather rather than than God’s way. God’s way. Therefore Therefore the the Fall Fall is is a a process process happening happening over over a a prolonged prolonged period period of of time time”. .
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