Evolution and Theology

Sometimes as adults we forget that all our reflections on science and faith have a history and that we all came to this space by a long route, sometimes deep into childhood. In this blog we get a rare insight into the thinking of a child, one who thinks very hard and very deeply about the questions that really matter. 

About the author:

William Hurren is 10, and lives in Otautahi Christchurch and goes to Middleton Grange School. He has been a faithful participant in NZCIS Conversations and Seminars for several years now. He loves asking questions. He spends his spare time pondering about science, philosophy, history, and geopolitics. When I asked him what his main sources were he said the Bema Podcast and pondering for hours. When I asked what he was reading it was Dungeon Master’s Guide, The Swarmby Frank Schatzing and Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman

The Blog:

Many think that only evolution or The Bible can be true but is there a possibility that both are? But what really is evolution? Evolution in a nutshell is the theory that different individuals interact with each other, which causes mutations to become more or less common. So, if you believe that DNA exists, that mutations can happen, and that animals interact with each other. Then what’s your problem with evolution?

When asked this question many people I speak to say  that in Genesis that’s not how it happened.  But I respond that Genesis was written by a middle easterner to middle easterners. Now you might be asking, why does this matter?  There are two trains of thought: the individualistic or western train of thought, and the near eastern or eastern train of thought. Middle easterners use the eastern train of thought, they use patterns and images predominantly so when they write something like this it’s never just telling you how it happened. To disprove evolution effectively using The Bible you need to know The Bible.

As a reply, the most likely thing to do would be to ask, are you saying that The Bible is fake? So clearly that’s what this paragraph is about. The short answer is yes and no, but also just no. Now for the long answer. Under the light that we give The Bible the truth is stretched. But does that make The Bible wrong or the light we shine on it wrong? Let me give a different example, The Mercator Projection is one of the most popular types of maps in the world, but it’s distorted. What’s wrong the map or the person who drew it? Neither. The map is one way of representing truth in two dimensions. But if we really get to know The Bible, then clearly The Bible’s true.

In conclusion both evolution and The Bible can be true but we’re under a spell of believing that everything happened exactly as the Bible said literally. We can break this spell, but we will have to work together, and it won’t be easy (it isn’t a literal spell, only a metaphor.)

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