by Bernie Dehler
10-16-07
I read a very good article called "Theistic Evolution and Christian Theology" by Craig Rusbult, Ph.D. (click here to read it). The conclusion? Yes, there is room in Christianity for evolutionary beliefs. There are a number of very good points in this essay which Evangelical Christians need to know (they need to be corrected). I will do that in multiple blog posts. By the way, I consider myself an Evangelical Christian also.
The following is a section I'd like to quote and add some comments. This is in regard to debates amongst creationists (old earth, young earth, evolutionists, etc):
We should respect each other, but respect does not require agreement. We can respect someone and their views, while vigorously criticizing their views. If we are searching for truth, we should avoid the intellectual laziness of postmodern relativism, because for most questions about origins a skillful use of evidence and logic can be a valuable source of knowledge, leading to improved understanding.
For dedicated Christians who care for both people and ideas, the goal is an appropriate humility that requires a balance between two desirable qualities — confidence (which if overdeveloped can become rude arrogance) and humility (which can become timid relativism or aggressive postmodernism) — that are in tension. But most of us tend to err in the direction of overconfidence in our own theories, so trying to develop the virtue of modest humility usually has a beneficial effect. {more about appropriate humility when interpreting the two books of God}
As the Bible says, "knowledge can puff up," but that isn't to say that knowledge is bad or to be avoided. I've heard so many Christians who proudly seem to advocate avoiding any debates. However, I think that the real honest "thinkers" love and enjoy an "honest" debate as a means to more fully understand the truth. All truth is revealed in two books: God's Word and God's works. Taking just one or the other leads to great and serious error. It is absolutely required to consider both to get at the whole truth.
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