Three Questions for Christians who accept Evolution

UPDATE: Wow! I'm amazed that, even thought I put up this video over a year ago, it is still getting comments. I have to make note that I've met a few Christians since (and read a few comments) that have shown me that being religious does not necessarily mean closing one's eyes and stopping up one's ears to new knowledge of the world (to science, that is). There is still definitely a disconnect between any literalist view of the Bible and scientific views of the world (not just evolution either) but the whole issue is not quite as black and white as what I thought when I recorded the video.




DonExodus has a great video explaining why the evidence does NOT support the idea that modern animals evolved from survivors from Noah's Ark. It's called "Noah's Ark and the Cheetah." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIlWKp44T50


Just note--I'm not trying to say to any Christian that they shouldn't accept Evolution. I'm just wanting to know how anyone would reconcile evolution with a belief in the Bible. Curious...stuff I don't dare ask Christians I know for fear of starting an argument. So I ask here!

Questions for Christians who accept the Theory of Evolution

1. Do you believe in a literal fall of man? According to the Biblical narrative as a whole, as I was taught, Christ came to reverse the curse that was brought on the world by the sin of Adam. (See Romans 5:12-21) The whole idea that god himself needed to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins was based on this idea. So, if there was no literal Adam and no literal fall from grace and no curse, how do you make sense of the idea that Christ needed to die for our sins?
2. Even if there were a literal Adam at some point in the history of the world, the whole history of the world before he evolved would have included death and pain and decay. So what of the idea that it was due to the sin of man that death and suffering came into the world? (See Genesis Chapter 3).
3. Do you believe that an all powerful, and all knowing God would use a process as cruel and arbitrary as natural selection to shape life on earth? Would god have purposely created some species only to go extinct? I personally have no moral objection to natural selection itself, but only because I see it as having no sort of conscience foresight or intent guiding it—it is a totally natural process. The Blind Watchmaker, as Dawkins puts it. But is this the route you really think an all-powerful and all-knowing, not to mention loving God would use?

I think these are all good reasons to think that if evolution is real—and we have an abundance of evidence that says it is—then the God described in the Bible could not exist and the whole narrative of Christianity makes no sense at all. But I don't want to just assume that I've come to the correct conclusion about this without hearing what the other side has to say. So, any Christians out there who accept the theory of evolution, how do you reconcile the implications of evolution and natural selection with your faith? Please feel free to respond by comment or video.

Thanks.

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• christianity
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