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Biology and Theology—At Odds?

We, our children and young people, need to know how our Christian faith is under attack from pro-evolutionist elements in the church (!) as well as in the secular, humanistic world outside of it.

How sad that the church—external Christianity—is more and more caving in to theistic evolution. This is happening in our day not so subtly (see footnote 1). Various aspects and assertions of evolution are more and more being accepted under the guise of science even in formerly conservative, Bible-believing circles.

Case in point: last fall a young thirty-something husband and wife, new arrivals in town, dropped by for worship at our CLC church (Redeemer, Cheyenne). After the worship service, in the process of telling us they were searching for a conservative Lutheran Church, they proceeded to inform us that both of them were instructors in the field of biology at the local junior college.

At a meeting with the husband the next week, it was soon discovered that “biology trumped theology” for this well-intentioned gentleman. One exchange went something like this:

Pastor: “With your field of expertise, surely you will grant that there is an Intelligent Designer behind the amazing world in which we live.”

Instructor: “To me that is just a subtle way Bible-believers are trying to insert ‘God’ into the subject of origins.”

After a 90-minute back-and-forth it became clear that the only way this college instructor could mesh the two “-ologies” was by holding to the idea that the Creator used evolution as a tool to create. Among other things, our biologist proffered the frequently heard “from the lesser to the greater” argument—evidences out there of “micro-evolution” (moths-adapting-to-their-surroundings) support “macro-evolution” (molecules-to-man). It was also opined that “now useless” appendages in the human body are further evidence of molecules-to-man evolution over eons of time. Bottom line, Genesis chapters 1 & 2 were not to be taken literally but parabolically.

From our pastoral vantage point, we have always stood with the faith-full men and women mentioned in Hebrews chapter eleven. How significant that the holy writer begins his “by faith Abel…Enoch…Noah…Abraham…Sarah…Isaac…Jacob…Joseph…Moses…Rahab (and others ‘of whom the world was not worthy’)” chapter by stating, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (11:3).

It’s as though the Holy Spirit knew the “debate about origins” was coming. And standing with the same Spirit today, we contend it is the devil’s lie that “science/biology proves” that the Creator used (uses—it must be on-going, right?) evolution as His means to create the world and everything in it, including mankind.

Satan’s sharpest arrows have always been reserved for the Bible itself. His question, put first to Adam and Eve (“Hath God said…?” see Genesis 3), is repeated interminably by unbelievers regarding holy truths recorded from the very first to the very last chapter of God’s revealed truth. Specifically, the “Hath God said?” arrow verbally assaults a six-day creation via “fiat” (God simply speaking the words, “Let there be…” followed by “and there was…!”).

Is this dangerous? Look at it this way. The “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) knows that the doctrinal-domino theory works in his favor, ultimately destroying the gospel (his aim and goal). If the First Article (“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth…”) is placed on the doctrinal scrap-heap, crumbling along with it is the Second Article (Jesus Christ “has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature…that I should be His own”) and the Third Article (“I cannot by my own reason or strength believe…, but the Holy Ghost has called me by the gospel…”). Good bye, true Christianity—and heaven, too.

For Bible-believers (“…Your Word is truth”—John 17:17), biology (the ‘study of the origins and characteristics of plant and animal life’) and theology (the ‘study of God and His relations to the universe’) neither clash nor contradict. Far from being at odds, at every level the former (biology) supports/undergirds/screams out that the latter (the Bible-based theology of a young-earth, six-day creationism) is Truth!

Remember too that the Master Teacher (who taught, “The Scripture cannot be broken…” John 10:35) took Genesis at face value, when He answered His accusers: “Have you not read [in Genesis 1:27] that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female…?” (Matthew 19:4).

We continue to thank God for what science/biology has done and can do for mankind’s benefit (high-tech communications and medical technology, for example). Yet science is out of place when used to trump theology—contradicting/gainsaying the truths of God’s Word.

Before our visit with the local biology instructor came to a close, we recommended that he be in touch with a Bible-believing scientist such as Dr. David Menton, who could respond far more knowledgably than we to his pro-evolutionary ideas and assertions (see footnote 2).

Be not deceived, dear readers. Darwinism’s God-less teachings are designed to exalt man and human wisdom (“contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge,” 1 Timothy 6:20), thus undermining God’s wisdom and God’s gospel, which

alone can save.

1) Copied from a February 2011 issue of Christian News: “Did you know that on Sunday morning, February 13, about 350 pastors will be talking about creation vs. evolution? Believe it or not, though, these churches will have pastors actually speak in favor of evolution! This coincides with Charles Darwin’s birthday, February 12. For months, a web page has been promoting what’s called ‘Evolution Sunday.’ If you visit this site, not only will you discover that over 10,000 pastors have signed a statement in support of evolution, but hundreds of them have agreed to promote evolution in their churches on Sunday. Incredibly, the founder of this movement is an atheist!…”

2) The latest Answers in Genesis Newsletter reports that Dr. Menton has recently produced a set of DVD’s titled “Body of Evidence.” All eight of the 2-part DVD’s are said to be “great for anyone studying the human body, plus all who want to be able to show their skeptical friends some of the most amazing designs that point unmistakably to our Creator.”