Re: Acme Academy statement on evolution
Murphy (gmurphy@imperium.net)
Tue, 24 Sep 1996 12:08:03 -0400dohlman@cornerstone.edu wrote:
>
> Some assistance desired:
>
> Following is a statement on evolution similar to the one I wrote for the
> Christian Nature Federation in 1989. It has been adapted for a local Christian
> school, but has not yet been presented for approval. Keep in mind that it is
> a statement that must be understood by high schoolers, their parents, the
> teachers, and the administrators. It also needs to create a level of comfort
> for all parties -- most of whom are not scientists, but claim to be Christians
> committed to the authority of the Word.
>
> A critique by this forum would certainly be helpful for us. One caution: most
> associated with this Academy ("Acme" of course being fictitious) are sceptical
> of those who would call themselves "theistic evolutionists." Most who pay
> attention to this area are comfortable with Philip Johnson.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Dean Ohlman
>
> Acme Academy Statement on Evolution
>
> Acme Academy believes that the existence of the Creation
> cannot be explained apart from the work of a personal God who
> created and now sustains the natural realm. Any hypothesis or
> theory that denies the necessity of God or speculates the
> "spontaneous" origin of matter or man is rejected as contrary to the
> Bible, the revealed Word of God.
>
> The great majority of those who call themselves evolutionists
> seek to explain origins apart from a personal, superintending God,
> and many of their conjectures about origins are based on faith in
> their philosophic presuppositions; they are not based on the
> scientific method. Therefore these conjectures are not accepted as
> fact by the faculty of Acme Academy and will not be
> perpetuated in the classroom or in our written materials.
>
> For instance, the scientific method has consistently shown that
> there are observable changes within similar classifications of living
> things over time -- changes that appear to permit these organisms to
> survive longer. This is sometimes called "micro-evolution."
> However, to extrapolate from these small changes the whole
> framework of natural selection as conjectured by Darwinism is not a
> careful scientific judgment; it is a philosophic leap of faith. At Acme
> Academy we believe the ability of certain classes of living things to
> adapt to a changing environment is a part of the divine design.
>
> On the other hand, Acme Academy will not present as
> proven scientific fact Christian speculations about origins that go
> beyond the clear, revealed Word of God (even though some of
> these speculations may indeed prove to be factual some time in the
> future). For example, speculations about the origin and demise of
> dinosaurs will remain speculations when discussed and considered
> in the classroom.
>
> Many of the positions held by Christians are positions taken on
> faith in the Word of God. These positions will not be presented as
> proven scientific fact until they are proven so by the proper,
> unbiased use of the scientific method. This is not to say, however,
> that beliefs based on faith are not true. Some truth -- no doubt the
> most significant truth -- lies beyond the naturalistic, finite verification
> processes of the scientific method. It is this very acknowledgement
> that sets Acme Academy apart from institutions which accept only
> naturalistic explanations.
>
> While Acme Academy will not shy away from the continuing
> debate on origins, it will always hold that all things have their
> ultimate origin in a personal, loving Creator who, in the form of the
> Son, created the earth in the past, sustains it in the present, and will
> restore it in the future.
>
> We also recognize that the origins debate has resulted in great
> conflict within the church and that it has kept many of us from
> recognizing the more important biblical fact that we are to be
> stewards of the creation gift that has been given to us by God.
> Therefore, on the Acme Academy campus far more attention will be
> given to creation stewardship than to the origins debate. We are
> convinced that at the Judgment God is not going to expect us to
> explain how He brought the earth into existence. It is likely,
> however, that He will expect us to give an accounting of how we
> developed the potentialities of the Creation for His glory.
1) The first sentence is a tautology: Creation requires a Creator.
What is meant, I think, is that "the universe" or "nature" cannot be
explained apart from a creator.
2) What information supports the statement at the beginning of
paragraph 2 about the intentions of "the great majority of those who
call themselves evolutionists"? Is it helpful to make such an assertion
in a position statement like this?
3) My overall sense is that the statement's tone is far too negative
and defensive. Why not start with a positive statement about creation
and providence? E.g., "God the Holy Trinity is the creator of all
things, and preserves, works through, and governs all creatures." Then
go on to say that biological evolution is a scientific theory about the
development of life and that some (I would say many) Christians believe
it to describe the ways in which God has worked in the world to bring
living things about. Some warning about unchecked theological or
philosophical extrapolation of evolutionary theory might then be
appropriate.