[sword-devel] OT: can you be a Christian evolutionist?

[Chris]

>
>
>The first is a claim to creation ex nihilo, the second 
>the fulfilled prophecy. Other ancient books make creation claims, but all of 
>them involve supernatural beings modifying pre-existent material.
>
Don't get me wrong. I'm not an apoligist for evolution - not at all.
But I can see where a Christian might say, well God created
everything, but maybe he didn't snap his fingers, maybe
he went through a process to get to the end result. There
might be two scriptural arguments, God didn't make the world
in one shot, but he made it in steps. IF God were describing
evolution, we wouldn't expect a biology course, we might
expect an abstract summary that the process was multi-staged.
Secondly, he didn't even make woman by snapping his
fingers, he modified a man. Not the same thing I know,
but it is a precedent that God doesn't always start ex nihilo.

The entropy arguments aren't that good. If you have a
mutation mechanism, and a selection mechanism, then
there can be a reduction in entropy. The question is, was
there enough time, and a big enough sampling
to result in life as we know it without
God. I can't see it myself. There are far too few
mutations and I never saw a mutation which
was a benefit.

The point is, a thoughtful Christian could possibly believe
in evolution. I realise it raises a bunch of problems, but
we shouldn't get all obsessive about this issue. I'm sure
the Enemy uses it for his purposes.