This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to Genesis 5 and Moses 6. We discuss the old patriarchs, the original apostasy, and the start of a new dispensation. Study with me!
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Showing posts with label #Adam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Adam. Show all posts
Sunday, January 16, 2022
Sunday, January 9, 2022
Ward Preacher Podcast Ep 159 - Misunderstanding the Fall of Adam and Eve
This week, our Come Follow Me curriculum brings us to Genesis 3-4 and Moses 4-5. We talk about traditional and modern misunderstandings of the fall, and the truth about what happened. Study with me!
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Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Eve did not lie to God
This year, LDS Gospel Doctrine classes are delving into one of my favorite places... the Old Testament. I absolutely love this often overlooked and frequently misunderstood portion of the holy scriptures.
One of the first lessons of the year is based on the fall of Adam and Eve. Many in our class plainly expressed that there are many things about this story that we do not know (which is true). We do not know the length of time that they lived in the Garden of Eden. We do not know the size of the garden. We do not know what the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil looked like.
Of course, there are some things that we do know... some of the most essential elements of the story. We know that Adam and Eve were naked, and that they were unaware of this fact (Genesis 2:25). We know that there was a tree with fruit that would somehow give knowledge to those who ate of it (Genesis 3:6). We know that Satan was present (Genesis 3:1, Moses 4:5-6). We know that the consequences of Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit involved being cast out of the Garden of Eden, and the introduction of death (Genesis 3:16-24).
There are things that many people infer in the story. We infer that Adam and Eve were married (Genesis 2:22-24, Mark 10:2-9). We infer that eating the fruit did bring wisdom to Adam and Eve. We infer that life was difficult after they were cast out of the Garden of Eden.
The most popular speculations that are made involve Eve.
Some people have suggested that had only Eve resisted the temptations of the devil, that all of humanity might have dwelt in the perpetual paradise originally created by God. They infer that Eve was the source of pain and toil. Many modern prophets have refuted this conclusion... and other sources of scripture show that the fall was a necessary step in God's plan of salvation for his children.
Other people, in the spirit of correcting the perceived injustices against our first mother Eve, have suggested that not only should Eve be held blameless, but that she was a mastermind who comprehended that God's plan would require them to gain wisdom, and to have children out of the Garden of Eden. They suggest that Eve was not tempted by Satan... but that she saw through his ruse into the deeper meaning of partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
This is also bunk.
Satan, who did not go through the process of birth and had memory of premortality, still "knew not the mind of God" (Moses 4:6). Yet we are supposed to think that Eve, who did not realize that she was unclothed, somehow knew everything perfectly?
I have heard impassioned voices in many wards try to infer that the innocence of our first parents did not mean they were ignorant of the workings of God's plan. It has been suggested that Eve searched for alternatives to taking of the fruit, thus proving her foresight. Of course, for members of the LDS church, this would not explain why Adam was ignorant of the reasoning behind sacrifice, or why they only expressed joy in their circumstances after the gospel was revealed to them (Moses 5).
Most importantly, Eve did not lie to God.
God asked for an explanation of Eve's actions, and received from her this simple statement:
"The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:13)
There was no "I partook to fulfill thy plan" or "I partook that mankind might be" or "I partook because there were no other solutions to give us knowledge and allow us to have children."
Here, Eve answered God honestly. She had been tempted to do something she did not understand, and she did it.
Adam gave a much more complex answer, because there was more complex reasoning behind his action:
"The woman thou gavest me, and commandest that she should remain with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I did eat." (Moses 4:18)
His course of action was motivated by a desire to stay with his wife. He had a choice between avoiding the fruit, or remaining with Eve, and, thanks to Eve, he chose the latter.
The consequences of the fall of Adam and Eve are profound, and persist even to the present day. It is central to the plan of God that we be born under the effects of a curse that bars us from the immediate presence of God, and allows us the freedom to choose for ourselves between good and evil. Eve certainly does not deserve blame... but she does not deserve credit either.
There was only one who knew all of the parties involved in Eden... only one who knew the consequences of every choice... only one who knew what Satan, and Adam, and Eve would do, before they even thought of doing it themselves. It was the one who planted the garden. It was the one who created the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was the one who engineered the entire plan.
Only God knew.
Much as it is today... people have a tendency to give credit and lay blame where they are not due. Other people may do harm, but the effects of the most heinous acts are, at their very worst, temporary. Other people may do good, but at their very best, they are still flawed. We are not so much smarter than our first parents, and we have difficulty overcoming temptations, mistakes, and problems on our own... but the same one who planted the Garden of Eden also knows of us, and his Holy Son Jesus Christ, who broke the curses of sin and death for Adam and Eve, can crush the obstacles that bar us from fulfilling our divine destiny.
"...there is none good but one, that is, God..." (Matthew 19:17)
One of the first lessons of the year is based on the fall of Adam and Eve. Many in our class plainly expressed that there are many things about this story that we do not know (which is true). We do not know the length of time that they lived in the Garden of Eden. We do not know the size of the garden. We do not know what the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil looked like.
Of course, there are some things that we do know... some of the most essential elements of the story. We know that Adam and Eve were naked, and that they were unaware of this fact (Genesis 2:25). We know that there was a tree with fruit that would somehow give knowledge to those who ate of it (Genesis 3:6). We know that Satan was present (Genesis 3:1, Moses 4:5-6). We know that the consequences of Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit involved being cast out of the Garden of Eden, and the introduction of death (Genesis 3:16-24).
There are things that many people infer in the story. We infer that Adam and Eve were married (Genesis 2:22-24, Mark 10:2-9). We infer that eating the fruit did bring wisdom to Adam and Eve. We infer that life was difficult after they were cast out of the Garden of Eden.
The most popular speculations that are made involve Eve.
Some people have suggested that had only Eve resisted the temptations of the devil, that all of humanity might have dwelt in the perpetual paradise originally created by God. They infer that Eve was the source of pain and toil. Many modern prophets have refuted this conclusion... and other sources of scripture show that the fall was a necessary step in God's plan of salvation for his children.
Other people, in the spirit of correcting the perceived injustices against our first mother Eve, have suggested that not only should Eve be held blameless, but that she was a mastermind who comprehended that God's plan would require them to gain wisdom, and to have children out of the Garden of Eden. They suggest that Eve was not tempted by Satan... but that she saw through his ruse into the deeper meaning of partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
This is also bunk.
Satan, who did not go through the process of birth and had memory of premortality, still "knew not the mind of God" (Moses 4:6). Yet we are supposed to think that Eve, who did not realize that she was unclothed, somehow knew everything perfectly?
I have heard impassioned voices in many wards try to infer that the innocence of our first parents did not mean they were ignorant of the workings of God's plan. It has been suggested that Eve searched for alternatives to taking of the fruit, thus proving her foresight. Of course, for members of the LDS church, this would not explain why Adam was ignorant of the reasoning behind sacrifice, or why they only expressed joy in their circumstances after the gospel was revealed to them (Moses 5).
Most importantly, Eve did not lie to God.
God asked for an explanation of Eve's actions, and received from her this simple statement:
"The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:13)
There was no "I partook to fulfill thy plan" or "I partook that mankind might be" or "I partook because there were no other solutions to give us knowledge and allow us to have children."
Here, Eve answered God honestly. She had been tempted to do something she did not understand, and she did it.
Adam gave a much more complex answer, because there was more complex reasoning behind his action:
"The woman thou gavest me, and commandest that she should remain with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I did eat." (Moses 4:18)
His course of action was motivated by a desire to stay with his wife. He had a choice between avoiding the fruit, or remaining with Eve, and, thanks to Eve, he chose the latter.
The consequences of the fall of Adam and Eve are profound, and persist even to the present day. It is central to the plan of God that we be born under the effects of a curse that bars us from the immediate presence of God, and allows us the freedom to choose for ourselves between good and evil. Eve certainly does not deserve blame... but she does not deserve credit either.
There was only one who knew all of the parties involved in Eden... only one who knew the consequences of every choice... only one who knew what Satan, and Adam, and Eve would do, before they even thought of doing it themselves. It was the one who planted the garden. It was the one who created the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was the one who engineered the entire plan.
Only God knew.
Much as it is today... people have a tendency to give credit and lay blame where they are not due. Other people may do harm, but the effects of the most heinous acts are, at their very worst, temporary. Other people may do good, but at their very best, they are still flawed. We are not so much smarter than our first parents, and we have difficulty overcoming temptations, mistakes, and problems on our own... but the same one who planted the Garden of Eden also knows of us, and his Holy Son Jesus Christ, who broke the curses of sin and death for Adam and Eve, can crush the obstacles that bar us from fulfilling our divine destiny.
"...there is none good but one, that is, God..." (Matthew 19:17)
Monday, April 9, 2012
Immortality
The creation of the Earth is the first topic in the book of Genesis. The idea of creationism has been debated even among those that agree there is an intelligent designer behind our presence in the universe.
The most popular Biblical account is that God created the world in six days, and then rested on the seventh day. The details of each of these creative periods is described in the first chapter of Genesis, however, I would like to briefly review them.
On the first day, God created light and divided it from darkness (Genesis 1:3-5). On the second day, God created a firmament which he called heaven (Genesis 1:6-8). On the third day, God caused the dry land to appear separate from the sea, and then created plants and trees on the earth (Genesis 1:9-13). On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:14-19). On the fifth day, God created fish, whales, and every winged fowl (Genesis 1:20-23). On the sixth day, God made every animal on the land, and then made mankind in his own image. He gave man dominion over all the earth and everything upon it (Genesis 1:24-28).
Many believers will leave it at that. Especially when the very first verse of the next chapter indicates that "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." (Genesis 2:1) He immediately talks about resting on the seventh day from all his work of creation.
What has often stood out to me is the next verses appear to give another version of creation that most Christians in my experience, including Latter Day Saints, tend to skip over. These passages are, in my opinion, of vital importance.
As we continue reading, we see that "every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew" (Genesis 2:5). Further in the chapter, we read "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). There are then several passages about God planting and creating a garden we know as Eden (Genesis 2:8-17). Skipping ahead we see that "And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." (Genesis 2:19) Finally, at the end of the chapter, Eve is created from Adam (Genesis 2:21-23).
An LDS perspective describes this version of the creation as a natural creation as opposed to the spiritual creation that is represented by the six creative periods that are famous in Genesis (Moses 3:5). This is consistent with the idea that in one set of creation, man (both male and female) are created by God (Genesis 1:26-27) prior to the creation of Adam from the dust of the Earth in Genesis 2.
Another important conclusion that can be drawn is that if God created every plant of the field before it was in the earth, would this not also mean that God created every man and woman before they were naturally on the earth also? The point is that every person lived before their birth on this world.
This concept is not a revolutionary idea to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We already have an understanding that we lived with God before we were born, and that in this existence, our identity was distinct from others of God's creations: we were the children of God himself.
The idea that we lived before we came to earth is important in providing purpose to life. God has a plan for his children. There is a reason we are here.
In the end though, that reason does not matter if there is no life after death. In fact, if there is nothing after this life, then not even the power of the sacrifice of Christ himself for our sins is meaningful. Why save someone that will live a few years and then cease to exist?
Perhaps even more important than understanding the place from which humanity came is understanding that humanity has a destination that is largely determined by us here and now. If there is nothing more, then all ethics and values are relative and thus, relatively unimportant. Theft, deception, adultery, murder... these concepts are only truly negative in the context of something more than this life. Only if good truly triumphs over evil can justice truly be administered. Otherwise there will always be a system of which advantage can be taken by cunning dishonest men.
Fortunately, there is good news. The quest for immortality does not require that we find the Holy Grail, or that we master alchemical formulae. Immortality is a gift, given by Jesus Christ.
Though there were enemies that mocked him saying that he saved others, but could not save himself (Matthew 27:42), in truth, he did save himself. He took up his body and gave himself eternal life. In doing so, he made it possible for all the other descendants of Adam and Eve that had been cursed to die to be raised again with the same power.
The hope of life beyond death gives potency to the purposes that God gave to men before the world was. Salvation and exaltation were not spur-of-the-moment ideas... and truly, God has patiently invited people in every generation as much as possible to fulfil their purpose. Immortality and Eternal Life is available to those that heed the council of His Majesty Jesus Christ: "whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
The most popular Biblical account is that God created the world in six days, and then rested on the seventh day. The details of each of these creative periods is described in the first chapter of Genesis, however, I would like to briefly review them.
On the first day, God created light and divided it from darkness (Genesis 1:3-5). On the second day, God created a firmament which he called heaven (Genesis 1:6-8). On the third day, God caused the dry land to appear separate from the sea, and then created plants and trees on the earth (Genesis 1:9-13). On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:14-19). On the fifth day, God created fish, whales, and every winged fowl (Genesis 1:20-23). On the sixth day, God made every animal on the land, and then made mankind in his own image. He gave man dominion over all the earth and everything upon it (Genesis 1:24-28).
Many believers will leave it at that. Especially when the very first verse of the next chapter indicates that "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." (Genesis 2:1) He immediately talks about resting on the seventh day from all his work of creation.
What has often stood out to me is the next verses appear to give another version of creation that most Christians in my experience, including Latter Day Saints, tend to skip over. These passages are, in my opinion, of vital importance.
As we continue reading, we see that "every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew" (Genesis 2:5). Further in the chapter, we read "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). There are then several passages about God planting and creating a garden we know as Eden (Genesis 2:8-17). Skipping ahead we see that "And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." (Genesis 2:19) Finally, at the end of the chapter, Eve is created from Adam (Genesis 2:21-23).
An LDS perspective describes this version of the creation as a natural creation as opposed to the spiritual creation that is represented by the six creative periods that are famous in Genesis (Moses 3:5). This is consistent with the idea that in one set of creation, man (both male and female) are created by God (Genesis 1:26-27) prior to the creation of Adam from the dust of the Earth in Genesis 2.
Another important conclusion that can be drawn is that if God created every plant of the field before it was in the earth, would this not also mean that God created every man and woman before they were naturally on the earth also? The point is that every person lived before their birth on this world.
This concept is not a revolutionary idea to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We already have an understanding that we lived with God before we were born, and that in this existence, our identity was distinct from others of God's creations: we were the children of God himself.
The idea that we lived before we came to earth is important in providing purpose to life. God has a plan for his children. There is a reason we are here.
In the end though, that reason does not matter if there is no life after death. In fact, if there is nothing after this life, then not even the power of the sacrifice of Christ himself for our sins is meaningful. Why save someone that will live a few years and then cease to exist?
Perhaps even more important than understanding the place from which humanity came is understanding that humanity has a destination that is largely determined by us here and now. If there is nothing more, then all ethics and values are relative and thus, relatively unimportant. Theft, deception, adultery, murder... these concepts are only truly negative in the context of something more than this life. Only if good truly triumphs over evil can justice truly be administered. Otherwise there will always be a system of which advantage can be taken by cunning dishonest men.
Fortunately, there is good news. The quest for immortality does not require that we find the Holy Grail, or that we master alchemical formulae. Immortality is a gift, given by Jesus Christ.
Though there were enemies that mocked him saying that he saved others, but could not save himself (Matthew 27:42), in truth, he did save himself. He took up his body and gave himself eternal life. In doing so, he made it possible for all the other descendants of Adam and Eve that had been cursed to die to be raised again with the same power.
The hope of life beyond death gives potency to the purposes that God gave to men before the world was. Salvation and exaltation were not spur-of-the-moment ideas... and truly, God has patiently invited people in every generation as much as possible to fulfil their purpose. Immortality and Eternal Life is available to those that heed the council of His Majesty Jesus Christ: "whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
Thursday, February 23, 2012
On the Origin of Species by Means of Creationsism
I remember the first time I thumbed through my sixth grade history textbook in elementary school. We had just adopted a new textbook series. For my grade level, ancient civilization was the focus. I started in the middle of the book and worked backwards, looking at artistic depictions of Roman soldiers, Greek phalanxes, Persian chariots, the hanging gardens of Babylon, and cuneiform tablets. As I approached the front of the book, I realized that there was more material prior to the Egyptians and the first Mesopotamian cities. There was a section that identified Cro-Magnons, Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, and other forms of what the text referred to as "proto-humans."
Being a nerd, I had read enough to know that I was about to get my first experience in the public education system with the theory of evolution. Being a young member of my church, I viewed the presence of this content as offensive. I had been taught clearly that God had created man. As we began going through the material, I became increasingly uncomfortable, however, I remained silent with respect to my feelings on the subject. One day, one of my classmates pointed aloud before the class that the depictions of these "proto-humans" resembled monkeys. I did not shout, but I certainly did not politely raise my hand when I began saying that I was not a monkey, my father was not a monkey, and his father was also not a monkey. The class became silent. Finally the teacher gave a diplomatic statement regarding required curriculum, scientific evidence, and if I recall correctly that the subject had no bearing on what we may have learned in Sunday school.
Since then, I have learned much more with respect to both the theory of evolution and my church's belief in the creation.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints does not have a firm point on how the world was created. The church does maintain firm doctrinal stances on why it was created, and also that God is who created it.
Many people within the church have found this fact sufficient to reconcile the modern theory of evolution with their belief in God. After all, God could have caused the Big Bang ages ago to set everything into motion. He could have controlled all of the forces that led to the climate and elements present such that small creatures could adapt, survive, and emerge from the sea to evolve into a variety of species, one of which became the race of men.
It probably helps support this concept that the records in Genesis seem incomplete. There is very little information in the Bible about society after the fall of Adam. The events surrounding the flood make it easy for people to come to the conclusion that these are not literal stories, but symbolic representations of events for which we do not have all the details. Evolution provides a scientifically accepted, evidence-based context for how life on this world came to be.
In a conversation with one such individual, I recall them attempting to persuade me to accept evolution. They pointed out the development of children in the womb as proof that one type of living cell could become an entire organism in a short time under the right circumstances.
Another individual that had no belief in God defined evolution simply as "change." This is obviously an over simplification, otherwise I would be an expert on the subject from my experience "evolving" diapers for my two young boys.
In spite of its acceptance among so many people, few people really understand what evolution is. At the risk of producing a straw man argument, I wish to enumerate the major points of evolution.
1. Evolution is not manifest in acquired characteristics. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck is perhaps best remembered for promoting this theory. An example of this is that a parent that works out frequently and obtains greater muscle mass will not necessarily produce offspring that also have great muscle mass.
2. Evolution is manifest by changes in allele frequency by means of natural selection. In other words, those that have genetic characteristics that allow them to more successfully reproduce, or survive to reproduce will pass these genetic characteristics to their descendants. A tortoise that genetically has a longer neck and is able to eat higher food is less likely to starve, for example, and more likely to pass on its longer neck to subsequent generations. The result is the species evolves to have longer necks.
3. Evolution implies common ancestry. The idea that all species were once one and through various means life diversified and grew complex is central to the theory. In order to have enough generations to account for these changes, the time frame of this theory necessarily takes millions and millions of years.
4. Evolution requires assumptions. If life, death, and reproduction have not always functioned the way they currently are observed, changes in allele frequencies are impossible.
5. The concept of "species" is more complicated than many people believe. A common understanding of a species is a group of organisms that are still able to reproduce. Dogs for example are bred using unnatural selection to produce certain characteristics such as size (chihuahuas), strength (pit bulls), and speed (greyhounds), but dogs are still able to breed with one another and produce fertile offspring. The combination of a horse and donkey produces the sterile mule, thus horses and donkeys are considered different species. This definition obviously cannot apply to organisms that reproduce asexually.
Having presented these points, let me also present points of belief for creationism. Let me do so with the understanding that this represents my belief, and not necessarily those of anyone else.
1. Creationism does not forbid adaptations that come by means of changes in allele frequency. The Galapagos tortoises do not rule out creationism since creationism is a view on the past.
2. Creationism does not have to be limited to six 24-hour periods. It is also possible that it does represent six 24-hour periods. There is not a fixed definition for "day" in the scriptures.
3. Creationism rejects common ancestry of all species, but accepts common ancestry for humanity. Creationism accepts a literal man named Adam and his wife Eve as the parents of mankind. Adam and Eve are not figurative concepts for groups of advanced primates, they are actual individuals that were created with special attention and using different methods than those used for the creation of other plants and animals.
4. Creationism requires assumptions. While this is pointed out by individuals that enjoy antagonizing creationists, there is no point in denying it. Creationism assumes that life, death, and reproduction have not always functioned the way they are currently observed. Conditions prior to the fall of Adam, and even prior to the flood were not the same as conditions generally observed presently.
5. Creationism implies purposes for various species. While there exist evolutionists that believe in intelligent design and embrace the concept that man has a different purpose than other types of organisms, the implication is required in the creationist paradigm. Man is not simply an animal. God commanded man to "...be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." (Genesis 1:28)
In the end, both creationism and evolution rely on assumptions about times that were very different than what we see now. A person that does not accept evolution is not guilty of forcing Galileo to recant. We simply accept different assumptions.
I believe that God created the world and placed life upon it. There was a time where life, death, and birth did not exist as we now know them. When Adam transgressed, everything changed. Mankind was sent to a place where their observational abilities were severely limited. We only detect a narrow range of electromagnetic radiation as visible light. We hear a narrow range of frequencies. We must be very close to smell, touch, or taste items. While science has brought miraculous new advancements that allow us to see things we have never before seen, we are still unable to detect theoretical particles that are very small, or comprehend distant astronomical phenomena that are very large. Certainly our observation is limited by time, and while we may be able to interpolate what conditions may have been like in prehistoric times, or predict what may appear in the future, confirmation is typically only available for time periods much closer to the present.
As limited as mankind is, God has promised that through his son Jesus Christ, the curses and limits under which we find ourselves can be removed. There is a great potential in each man and woman that can be realized by following Jesus. He even has power to redeem men after they die... and as difficult as the world may become, when he comes again, he will save us all.
Is it so hard to believe that "in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"?
Being a nerd, I had read enough to know that I was about to get my first experience in the public education system with the theory of evolution. Being a young member of my church, I viewed the presence of this content as offensive. I had been taught clearly that God had created man. As we began going through the material, I became increasingly uncomfortable, however, I remained silent with respect to my feelings on the subject. One day, one of my classmates pointed aloud before the class that the depictions of these "proto-humans" resembled monkeys. I did not shout, but I certainly did not politely raise my hand when I began saying that I was not a monkey, my father was not a monkey, and his father was also not a monkey. The class became silent. Finally the teacher gave a diplomatic statement regarding required curriculum, scientific evidence, and if I recall correctly that the subject had no bearing on what we may have learned in Sunday school.
Since then, I have learned much more with respect to both the theory of evolution and my church's belief in the creation.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints does not have a firm point on how the world was created. The church does maintain firm doctrinal stances on why it was created, and also that God is who created it.
Many people within the church have found this fact sufficient to reconcile the modern theory of evolution with their belief in God. After all, God could have caused the Big Bang ages ago to set everything into motion. He could have controlled all of the forces that led to the climate and elements present such that small creatures could adapt, survive, and emerge from the sea to evolve into a variety of species, one of which became the race of men.
It probably helps support this concept that the records in Genesis seem incomplete. There is very little information in the Bible about society after the fall of Adam. The events surrounding the flood make it easy for people to come to the conclusion that these are not literal stories, but symbolic representations of events for which we do not have all the details. Evolution provides a scientifically accepted, evidence-based context for how life on this world came to be.
In a conversation with one such individual, I recall them attempting to persuade me to accept evolution. They pointed out the development of children in the womb as proof that one type of living cell could become an entire organism in a short time under the right circumstances.
Another individual that had no belief in God defined evolution simply as "change." This is obviously an over simplification, otherwise I would be an expert on the subject from my experience "evolving" diapers for my two young boys.
In spite of its acceptance among so many people, few people really understand what evolution is. At the risk of producing a straw man argument, I wish to enumerate the major points of evolution.
1. Evolution is not manifest in acquired characteristics. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck is perhaps best remembered for promoting this theory. An example of this is that a parent that works out frequently and obtains greater muscle mass will not necessarily produce offspring that also have great muscle mass.
2. Evolution is manifest by changes in allele frequency by means of natural selection. In other words, those that have genetic characteristics that allow them to more successfully reproduce, or survive to reproduce will pass these genetic characteristics to their descendants. A tortoise that genetically has a longer neck and is able to eat higher food is less likely to starve, for example, and more likely to pass on its longer neck to subsequent generations. The result is the species evolves to have longer necks.
3. Evolution implies common ancestry. The idea that all species were once one and through various means life diversified and grew complex is central to the theory. In order to have enough generations to account for these changes, the time frame of this theory necessarily takes millions and millions of years.
4. Evolution requires assumptions. If life, death, and reproduction have not always functioned the way they currently are observed, changes in allele frequencies are impossible.
5. The concept of "species" is more complicated than many people believe. A common understanding of a species is a group of organisms that are still able to reproduce. Dogs for example are bred using unnatural selection to produce certain characteristics such as size (chihuahuas), strength (pit bulls), and speed (greyhounds), but dogs are still able to breed with one another and produce fertile offspring. The combination of a horse and donkey produces the sterile mule, thus horses and donkeys are considered different species. This definition obviously cannot apply to organisms that reproduce asexually.
Having presented these points, let me also present points of belief for creationism. Let me do so with the understanding that this represents my belief, and not necessarily those of anyone else.
1. Creationism does not forbid adaptations that come by means of changes in allele frequency. The Galapagos tortoises do not rule out creationism since creationism is a view on the past.
2. Creationism does not have to be limited to six 24-hour periods. It is also possible that it does represent six 24-hour periods. There is not a fixed definition for "day" in the scriptures.
3. Creationism rejects common ancestry of all species, but accepts common ancestry for humanity. Creationism accepts a literal man named Adam and his wife Eve as the parents of mankind. Adam and Eve are not figurative concepts for groups of advanced primates, they are actual individuals that were created with special attention and using different methods than those used for the creation of other plants and animals.
4. Creationism requires assumptions. While this is pointed out by individuals that enjoy antagonizing creationists, there is no point in denying it. Creationism assumes that life, death, and reproduction have not always functioned the way they are currently observed. Conditions prior to the fall of Adam, and even prior to the flood were not the same as conditions generally observed presently.
5. Creationism implies purposes for various species. While there exist evolutionists that believe in intelligent design and embrace the concept that man has a different purpose than other types of organisms, the implication is required in the creationist paradigm. Man is not simply an animal. God commanded man to "...be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." (Genesis 1:28)
In the end, both creationism and evolution rely on assumptions about times that were very different than what we see now. A person that does not accept evolution is not guilty of forcing Galileo to recant. We simply accept different assumptions.
I believe that God created the world and placed life upon it. There was a time where life, death, and birth did not exist as we now know them. When Adam transgressed, everything changed. Mankind was sent to a place where their observational abilities were severely limited. We only detect a narrow range of electromagnetic radiation as visible light. We hear a narrow range of frequencies. We must be very close to smell, touch, or taste items. While science has brought miraculous new advancements that allow us to see things we have never before seen, we are still unable to detect theoretical particles that are very small, or comprehend distant astronomical phenomena that are very large. Certainly our observation is limited by time, and while we may be able to interpolate what conditions may have been like in prehistoric times, or predict what may appear in the future, confirmation is typically only available for time periods much closer to the present.
As limited as mankind is, God has promised that through his son Jesus Christ, the curses and limits under which we find ourselves can be removed. There is a great potential in each man and woman that can be realized by following Jesus. He even has power to redeem men after they die... and as difficult as the world may become, when he comes again, he will save us all.
Is it so hard to believe that "in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"?
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