Re: Evolutionary mechanism GOOD??

Mark Phillips (mark@ist.flinders.edu.au)
Wed, 06 Jan 1999 19:27:37 +1030

> Reply:
>
> Pain is a natural response - biologically designed to help
> an animal avoid what needs to be avoided. Is the animal aware that
> there is a function to pain or rather that pain functions?
> Same with genetics, is our body aware of the function of genetics
> or that genetics functions? Perhaps God made a functional universe.
> Surely, we, who are not so functional, can look at the universe
> and see the hand of God in the beauty and remarkable coincidences
> that the universe (and the evolutionary record) afford. But then,
> who are we to step away from the function of pain and the function
> of genetics and say Oh, that's mean and nasty? From Jesus,
> we learn to embrace suffering. And ironically, from that embrace
> we find life. In a weird sort of way, suffering functions.

Yes it's true that pain has a function (though there is plenty of pain
and suffering without an obvious necessity). But surely the Christian
hope is not just that we embrace suffering and learn to live with it?
Sure sometimes this is necessary in this life, but we have hope for a
life to come where "every tear will be wiped away". Paul suggests
that the only reason Christians should not be regarded as fools for
putting up with the persecution and suffering of this life, is that we
have a hope of resurrection.

Your answer seems to be saying that the pain and suffering of this
life is exactly how things were meant to be. Where then can we see
the fallen nature of this world?

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