On Mon, 02 Oct 1995 19:39:21 -0500 (EST) you wrote:
LH>ABSTRACT: PC and TE perspectives on "guided" evolution: "God
>using finely tuned natural law and precisely specified initial
>conditions" is an important element of, but does not exhaust, God's
>involvement with biological evolution under TE.
LH>Brian, when you responded to my earlier post on this subject, I got
>the mpression that you would like to define
>"theistic evolution" = "God used finely tuned natural law
> and precisely specified initial conditions."
>"progressive creation" = "God guided and intervened in the evolutionary
> process, perhaps obviously, perhaps subtly
> or even undetectably."
I agree with Brian that this is the real dichotomy between TE and PC.
LH>I prefer to define the terms this way:
>
> "deistic evolution" = "God carefully set up the initial conditions but
> did not guide or intervene in the natural
> processes until humanity arose."
Disagree. DE doesn't even allow any guidance or intervention, save
only perhaps in the origin of life.
> "theistic evolution" = "God used and guided natural processes subtly,
> so biological history does not show obvious
> supernatural events/guidance (aside from the
> truly astounding fact that it exists at all)."
It is unclear here if there has been any divine "intervention" in any
meaningful sense. IMHO TE is an unstable position. If it grants any
divine intervention, then it is difficult to distinguish it from PC.
OTOH if it denies divine intervention, then it is difficult to
distinguish it from DE.
>"progressive creation" = "unguided natural processes cannot account for
> the existence, diversity, and complexity of life,
> so the scientific evidence suggests supernatural
> guidance/intervention in biological history
> (although it may have happened in many small
> steps)."
I agree with this. To me the most helpful definition of PC was given
by Ramm:
"In progressive creationism there may be much horizontal radiation.
The amount is to be determined by the geological record and biological
experimentation. But there is no vertical radiation. Vertical
radiation is only by fiat creation. A root-species may give rise to
several species by horizontal radiation, through the process of the
unraveling of gene potentialities or recombination. Horizontal
radiation could account for much which now passes as evidence for the
theory of evolution. The gaps in the geological record are gaps
because vertical progress takes place only by creation." (Ramm B.
"The Christian View of Science and Scripture", Paternoster: London,
1955, p191).
It may be that by "Fiat Creation" Ramm meant de novo creation. But
the essence of his definition IMHO is his contrast between "vertical"
and "horizontal radiation". The essence of PC is that truly vertical
radiation is only possible by the supernatural intervention of an
Intelligent Design.
Horizonat natural processes are also under God's control, but they are
subject to His overriding First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics.
The wise Preacher expressed it well: "there is nothing new under the
sun" (Ecc 1:9).
Taking this "vertical" element as the essence of PC, it can be seen
that there can be two PC's:
PC1. God created de novo new higher taxa progressively over a long
span of time, originating or varying archetypal designs. No existing
genetic material was used and there is no common genetic ancestry.
PC2. God created new higher taxa progressively over a long
span of time, originating or varying archetypal designs. Existing
genetic material may have been used and there may be some common
genetic ancestry.
I tend to PC2, since it explains more data (eg. vitamin C deficiency
in all primates) and also seems more in harmony of the Biblical
picture, eg. God making man from the dust of the ground (Gn 2:7),
rather than de novo.
IMHO PC2 is a robust defendable position, that is in harmony with both
the Biblical and scientific data. It is more consistent than TE in
that, unlike TE, PC does not have to contain a little bit of creation
(eg. the origin of life, and the origin of man), in order to stay
within the Christian fold. PC2 would see the origin of life, the
origin of man, and the origin of higher taxa being accomplished
essentially the same way, ie. by God's intervention and use of
existing materials for new purposes.
God bless.
Stephen
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