With the new movie Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in theaters, and a recent worship song referencing evolution, Christians are thinking about all issues pertaining to evolution, creation, and the age of the earth. How should we, as Christians, think about these topics? Are science and the Bible at odds when it comes to origins? I weigh in on how we can think intelligently and biblically on these hot button issues on today's podcast.
15 Comments
7/2/2018 03:19:05 pm
Alisa,
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Alisa Childers
7/2/2018 04:29:30 pm
Hi Eric, I just listened back and you're right, I misspoke. I was actually able to make a quick little edit to fix it. Thanks for helping clarify!
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Philippe
7/3/2018 09:45:15 am
Thanks for that Alisa!
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Jennifer
7/4/2018 10:36:59 pm
I don’t usually listen to podcasts, but I decided to listen to this one, and the question I’m left with is this: isn’t it possible to hold a theistic evolutionist view in terms of how all life developed, AND also still believe in a literal Adam and Eve who literally committed the first sin? In this view, one would see the story of the fall as symbolic in that the first sin may not have been eating forbidden fruit and Satan may not have been an actual snake, but Adam and Eve literally sinned by doubting God’s goodness in some way. If one held this view, then the assumption would be that God breathed life into the very first set of fully-evolved hominids, making them a special creation, and giving them a soul.
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Alisa Childers
7/5/2018 12:01:04 am
Hi Jennifer, thanks for your comment. When I speak of Theistic Evolution, I am speaking of the view that tries to wed Christianity with Darwinian Evolution. Darwinism by definition is an unguided, natural, purposeless process.... which can't reconciled with Theism, in my opinion. At best, it will give you a Deistic God who started things off, but is uninvolved in the process. And if a person believes that God guided the process, I can't see how that could fit with the definition of Darwinism, because that would be more of an intelligent design theory.
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6/7/2020 10:47:03 pm
Hi Alisa,
Ben
7/9/2018 09:04:11 pm
It seems to me that some stories are just obviously not historical. If I tell you that I had a conversation with a snake, that should be pretty much it as far as taking me literally goes. I wouldn't even call it a lie, because I would expect my listeners to understand that the story didn't really happen, at least not literally. And if I learned that someone thought I was relating a literally true historical account, I would be utterly dismayed. I mean, a talking snake? Do I really have to add, "oh and by the way, this isn't literally true"?
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Mona
9/17/2019 12:59:31 pm
I have really appreciated your podcasts and your apologetics ministry in general. I am in complete agreement with the majority of your views and beliefs. However, I was wondering why theistic evolution is the "mountain you would die on?" I have a mountain too, but it's young earth (6000-10000 yr old), literal 6 - 24 hour day creation. I took a year long course from Institute of Creation Research called "Creationist Worldview" as a result of my desire to really get some knowledge about this issue. The websites of "Answers in Genesis" and the Canadian apologetics website "Creation.com" have been tremendously helpful, and I know they have been bashed and mocked by many in the evangelical world, which I really don't understand. They have ph.d scientists who study and offer viable answers to the critics. After studying the theistic evolution also, I am left with a few things that give me confidence in the young earth belief. #1 - The bible gives absolutely no indication anywhere that evolution (macro) was used in God's creation process. Evolution requires long ages to happen, therefore, if long ages is not true, evolution is immediately removed as a viable option. #2 - The flood is a huge thing to consider in this question of the age of the earth - Mt. St. Helen's is a strong example of how quickly layers can be laid down and what secular science has said takes millions of year, at Mt. St. Helen's it took 10 years. Fossil evidence is far stronger in support of young earth (the fossils being laid down during the flood) than it is for old earth. #3 - Even if I hypothetically took both the old earth and young earth views side by side and said they had equally strong physical evidence, which one is more biblical in terms of the plain reading of Genesis - even with the word "yom" is strikes me as very unlikely that the Biblical writers would have chosen a word that is most often used as a 24 hour period rather than another word that would have made it clear it was not just a 24 hour period. I must believe the view that is (Occam's razor) the most obvious intent of the writer. #4 - The one thing that I always do when there is seeming confusion in biblical texts is to ask, "which view gives more glory to God, and which view gives more glory to man?". I believe young earth most accurately conveys what the biblical text is saying, and gives more glory to God in that it uses the text as the ultiimate authority and unquestionably trusts, even against the compromising position of alternate views. I would love to engage in a conversation with you about this.
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Alisa Childers
9/17/2019 02:02:26 pm
Hi Mona, thanks for your comment. I don't take a position regarding the age of the earth, so I would not have any reason to argue against your young earth view. I think where we disagree is when you said that any view other than young earth is "compromising." I don't believe the young earth view or the old earth view compromises Scripture.
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Mona
9/19/2019 08:54:45 am
Thanks for your reply. I have attached a link to a website that contains an article I read recently which I think gives another thought to consider, and in fact may be one of the best arguments I have heard in defense of young earth. I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Brenda
12/19/2020 12:19:06 pm
I would recommend a resource for kids called God’s Amazing Creation over Genesis 1-2 written by Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt. Pages 60-71 explain how the Bible clearly supports a young earth. I stand on God’s word alone for my belief in a young earth.
Nicole C McCaskill
10/17/2019 03:39:56 pm
Hi Alisa, Thank you for your podcasts. I appreciate your heart for defending the truth of God's Word and the Gospel. Regarding this podcast, however, I am thinking that any interpretation of Genesis 1 that undermines the linguistic and textual meaning of the word Yom (day), which is determined by context (morning and evening equals a 24 hour period throughout Scripture) actually undermines the foundations of our faith. Also any interpretation of the creation account that disregards the order of creation also undermines the inerrancy of Scripture. According to the Genesis 1 account, there is no room for an old earth or an old universe. Furthermore, Jesus Himself refers to the 6 days of creation as 6 literal days. To my way of thinking, to concede that the earth and the universe is ancient (billions of years old) is to compromise with a faction of scientists who wrongly interpret the scientific data because of their erroneous worldview. There are many esteemed creation scientists who can give scientific evidence that points to 6 day creation. It would be good to point out that fact in your podcasts on this issue. You might enjoy this video by Dr. Jason Lisle and find it both helpful, challenging, and informative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bheY9AEnSWc
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Alisa Childers
10/18/2019 10:22:38 am
Hi Nicole,
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Christine Brunetti
12/31/2020 02:45:30 pm
I agree totally with the young earth view. If other accounts of the Bible are considered literal days, why isn’t Creation? I came across this article today: https://creation.com/the-dubious-apologetics-of-hugh-ross
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Katie Graham
2/25/2021 06:22:02 am
Hi Alisa, curious if you’ve read Ken Ham’s “the lie”?
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