More Walke on Evolution
Bruce Waltke has given several clarifying points concerning the recent Biologos Foundation video on evolution and the church. I, for one, am thankful that Waltke was given the opportunity to clarify the things said in the video (knowing that organizations often takes things out of context), but am still wondering how any Reformed man can say that “creation by the process of evolution is a tenable Biblical position.” I thought that Theistic Evolution was not a viable option for ministers who accept the principles of analogia fidei and analogia Scriptura. On what basis can you affirm a single historical Adam that comes about by process of evolution? How can you distinguish between man and animal in this system? How can you say that man will not become something other than what he is now? How can you say that one man is the representative for the entire human race, if he came into being by process of creation by evolution? Does only one animal evolve at such a rate that a single man appeared so that God stopped the evolutionary process from occurring any further with regard to other animals becoming man? These are the questions I still am left with, and the reason why I am adamantly against the suggestion that “creation by the process of evolution is a tenable Biblical position.”
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Is this the crux? “How can you distinguish between man and animal in this system?”
The imago Dei? Maybe there were all kinds of homo species of bipedal hominids, but then the Creator stamps his image only on homo sapiens sapiens (and thus are “uniquely created”)? Doesn’t Waltke imply this in #1 (in his recent clarifications)?
Could not the Creator have done something new by placing Adam in the garden (to be in a special relationsip with Him and thus also made representative of all his kin)? And wouldn’t this therefore render any perceived problems regarding pre-existing hominids irrelevant?
You ask: “Does only one animal evolve at such a rate that a single man appeared so that God stopped the evolutionary process from occurring any further with regard to other animals becoming man?”
You know I’m no expert, by any stretch, but the “consensus” is that the creatures that evolved into homo sapiens sapiens diverged from other creatures and under very specific environmental conditions, etc., etc., until the “arrival” of homo sapiens sapiens. It’s not quite a valid question, then, to wonder whether or not other animals will evolve into humans—it’s not possible, or at least the probability is so small as to be non-existent.
I’m not sold on the whole neo-Darwinian package by any means, Nick. But I’m heavily skepical of a young-earth scenario (even if I think, like Sailhamer and Walton, that Genesis does describe a fairly recent event).
Nick,
Wasn’t Warfield an evolutionist?
Bob, see this article by Keith Mathison that offers a good overview of various Reformed responses on this subject: http://bit.ly/daY0Dh
The Waltke Clarifications ring pretty hollow. A bit like a school bully claiming “I wasn’t fighting, I was shadow boxing to the Rocky theme. Johnny just walked into my fist . . 3 or 4 times.”
There is no way to unsay or repurpose the remarks on tape. There is no way to reconcile the taped remarks with the Clarifying points.
There is no attempt to explain how evolution as a process allows Adam & Eve to be historic figures created “not in continuum with animals.”
The taped remarks certainly sounded like an exposition and embracing of evolutionism as a philosophy that must dictate the reading/interpretation of Genesis 1 through 3. The exact opposite of clarification #4.
Dr. Waltke’s taped remarks gave no indication that “the human and social enterprise of science” are in flux. Contrary to Clarification #5, this human and social enterprise of science must be made a controlling factor for the Church’s very existence. If we maintain creation ex nihilo per Scripture, we will be a cult. That’s defaming the Church of Christ and putting Evolutionism as the primary mark of the Church.
I just can’t buy any attempt to spin those taped remarks.
Where can I view the recording? Or, if that’s impossible, can I read a transcript of what was stated?
Mark
The Reverend Walke is a true believer in God the Creator. Who’s to say that He didn’t use an evolutionary process to grow life on earth. Consider Genesis 1:12 & 24 where it is written, “… and the earth brought forth…”
With the inevitable appearance of a suitable vessel, that of homo sapien sapien, God met with and breathed a spirit in His own image into its flesh. That was the creation of the Man, Adam. Just as He met with Abraham: that was the creation of His people, Israel. Just as He met with the disciples through Jesus: that was the creation of His people, the Church.
And eons of time is not an issue. When the universe was still very small, time flowed billions of times faster than it does today. This is Physics at it’s purist. Therefore, the first 6-7 billion years of time could easily fit into one of our current 24-hour days. So the 6 Days of Creation truly are literal 24-hour days, from our current perspective. But they encompassed: Day 1, 7 billion of our current years; Day 2, 3.5 billion of our current years; Day 3, 1.75 billion of our current years, and so on. Read Genesis. The events that take place match EXACTLY the cosmological, geological and biological accounts as presented by honest scientists.
Don’t condemn Rev. Walke with your church traditions. Jesus HATED the traditions of the Pharisees. Don’t you dare fall into the same trap as they. Next you will be wanting to burn Galileo at the stake and insist that the sun revolves around the earth. Wake up Christians!! Forsake tradition for the Truth. Evolution is the way God did it, every step of the way.