We can observe the way God interacts with this world not only by studying the scriptures, but by scientifically observing the way nature works. In fact, the scientific method works amazingly well, and I doubt many of us would want to live in a world without it. It would be interesting to see how different Genesis would be if those who wrote it understood evolution and natural selection, yet I believe that the theological meaning would remain unchanged.
The story of Adam and Eve is not a scientific text, it is a theological text. The Bible says that God created all things by his word and design, and created human beings in his image. The language it uses to describe this is not literal, scientific language meant to answer scientific questions, it is pre-scientific and it tries to explain why the world is as it is based on the information available at the time. Genesis was not written with reference to modern scientific methods or questions. I believe that the Adam and Eve story does not need to be a literal account of human origins in order to be useful and meaningful. Nor does it need to be literal account in order to be true. If I say,"My daughter passed away and it broke my heart", is it untrue because it isn’t true literally? of course not.
Genesis is written in language appropriate for the culture, the purpose and the setting. It wasn't written to or by or for modern scientists, yet I am bombarded with accusations that one who doen’t accept the literal truth of Genesis is rejecting the entirity of the bible as truthful. In fact, I see no compelling evidence that the bible concerns itself with changes in alelle frequency at all. Natural selection is the mechanism by which God enables His creation to exist in an ever-changing environment, and this can only be attributable to love.
The Bible isn't Gods last word, it's His first word. He continues to reveal himself to all who seek him, and studying nature is one way to come to a closer understanding of how He works, even if the discoveries point to somthing that is literally different than what was recorded in the pre-scientific language of Genesis.
God could have seen fit to endow anything with an immortal soul. As it turned out, He chose a couple of Hominids wandering the savannahs of eastern Africa. Perhaps these were the first “humansâ€Â; beings with a moral sense; a sense that set them apart from the rest of creation, and a being that for the first time is able to forsee the results of their actions and choose to sin. Our species was young. Similarly, we don’t expect children to understand the concept of right and wrong until they show some degree of understanding consequences.
God is omnipotent, and though all outside forces are subordinate to him, He is bound inwardly by his nature. The universe itself as well as physics/natural law proclaim his fidelity as well as his willingness to let us observe His “fingerprintsâ€Â. God created a rational world, and Science works. At present, the theory of evolution and natural selection is the most rational way we have to explain the changes we see in populations of organisms over time, and we should rejoice in the unfolding of the universe to our understanding. God created a rich and complex world, and I believe that He wants us to explore and learn about it. Christians, (and anyone else, for that matter) should never be afraid of the search for truth. No matter what is discovered or proven, it can only increase the glory of God.
“O Lord how manifold are thy works!
In wsdom thou hast made them all.â€Â
The story of Adam and Eve is not a scientific text, it is a theological text. The Bible says that God created all things by his word and design, and created human beings in his image. The language it uses to describe this is not literal, scientific language meant to answer scientific questions, it is pre-scientific and it tries to explain why the world is as it is based on the information available at the time. Genesis was not written with reference to modern scientific methods or questions. I believe that the Adam and Eve story does not need to be a literal account of human origins in order to be useful and meaningful. Nor does it need to be literal account in order to be true. If I say,"My daughter passed away and it broke my heart", is it untrue because it isn’t true literally? of course not.
Genesis is written in language appropriate for the culture, the purpose and the setting. It wasn't written to or by or for modern scientists, yet I am bombarded with accusations that one who doen’t accept the literal truth of Genesis is rejecting the entirity of the bible as truthful. In fact, I see no compelling evidence that the bible concerns itself with changes in alelle frequency at all. Natural selection is the mechanism by which God enables His creation to exist in an ever-changing environment, and this can only be attributable to love.
The Bible isn't Gods last word, it's His first word. He continues to reveal himself to all who seek him, and studying nature is one way to come to a closer understanding of how He works, even if the discoveries point to somthing that is literally different than what was recorded in the pre-scientific language of Genesis.
God could have seen fit to endow anything with an immortal soul. As it turned out, He chose a couple of Hominids wandering the savannahs of eastern Africa. Perhaps these were the first “humansâ€Â; beings with a moral sense; a sense that set them apart from the rest of creation, and a being that for the first time is able to forsee the results of their actions and choose to sin. Our species was young. Similarly, we don’t expect children to understand the concept of right and wrong until they show some degree of understanding consequences.
God is omnipotent, and though all outside forces are subordinate to him, He is bound inwardly by his nature. The universe itself as well as physics/natural law proclaim his fidelity as well as his willingness to let us observe His “fingerprintsâ€Â. God created a rational world, and Science works. At present, the theory of evolution and natural selection is the most rational way we have to explain the changes we see in populations of organisms over time, and we should rejoice in the unfolding of the universe to our understanding. God created a rich and complex world, and I believe that He wants us to explore and learn about it. Christians, (and anyone else, for that matter) should never be afraid of the search for truth. No matter what is discovered or proven, it can only increase the glory of God.
“O Lord how manifold are thy works!
In wsdom thou hast made them all.â€Â