Over the past two years, I have written quite a lot about the creation/evolution debate, young earth creationism in general, and Answers in Genesis in particular. Some of my posts have been straightforward, simply analyzing what men like Ken Ham actually say; some of my post have been laced with humor (I mean, how can you not find it funny when someone claims people living 4,000 years ago possessed advanced technology that would have put our modern technology to shame? How can you not laugh when the Ark Encounter puts on display a diorama that depicts a pre-flood colosseum, where people are being thrown to…vicious dinosaurs?).
I tried to write about these things in a straightforward, but occasionally humorous way because I figured that most Evangelical Christians in America simply didn’t really know about the outrageous things that YECists claim. I figured if one simply sheds light on some of the truly outlandish (and I might add, unbiblical) things that organizations like AiG are claiming, that most people would have common sense enough to reject it.
Well, these days, I’m not so sure anymore. To quote William Butler Yeats, it seems that “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”
In the many discussions I have been involved in, and in the many I have read online, what strikes me is how the vast majority of them always circle back to either the minutiae of scientific findings or outlandish caricatures of what either science or the Bible actually says…only to be followed by either cries of persecution or pharisaical condemnations like, “Oh, you’re just putting man’s word above God’s Word—that organization is anti-God!”
It’s easy to get sucked in to it all and to forget to just keep things simple and straightforward. And so, in this post, I want to just clarify 10 points regarding the whole creation/evolution debate that I feel need to be taken to heart and clarified.
1. The Genre of Myth: The major reason why YECists reject modern science, the claims of an old earth, and evolutionary theory is not scientific—it’s biblical. They believe that the claims of modern science conflict with the Bible, specifically Genesis 1-11, because they think Genesis 1-11 is historical narrative and touches upon the scientific explanation of the origins of the universe. The fact is, though, Genesis is not historical narrative, and it does not give scientific information of the origin of the universe. It is more like ancient Near Eastern mythological literature than modern historical/scientific writing.
2. Church History is not on YECists’ Side: YEC has never been considered to be a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith; a literal/historical interpretation of Genesis 1-11 has never been considered foundational to the Gospel. That is nowhere in the creeds; no early Church Father ever claimed that. In fact, it is a claim that has been made up by YECists.
3. That’s Not in the Bible: Let’s get this out of the way: most YECists claims are not in the Bible: the Bible doesn’t talk about Noah going to shipwright school; it doesn’t mention dinosaurs or pre-flood colosseums where people were thrown to velociraptors; it doesn’t mention a perfect genome, or say Adam and Eve were “perfect.” Go to the Ark Encounter and just notice how on virtually every display there the words, “might, possibly, probably, could have”—translation? It’s not in the Bible, so we’re making things up.
4. They’re Not the Same Thing: Evolutionary theory and philosophical naturalism are not the same thing. Evolution is the over-arching scientific theory that attempts to explain the various forms of life in the natural world and what natural processes brought them about. Philosophical naturalism is a presuppositional worldview that claims nature is all that exists and that there is, therefore, no God. They are two separate things, but YECists routinely treat them as the same thing.
5. Things are Politically Motivated: YECism’s real goal and focus is on winning the “culture war,” and thus, is more aligned with the GOP and political conservativism than anything else. I say this as someone who is “center-right” politically and has never voted Democrat. But this is important to note because, if you ever have gotten into a debate with a YECist, chances are at some point the charge of “being a liberal” will come up, and they will ask you about your view on gay marriage of LGBTQ rights. Regardless of your view on those things, those things have nothing to do with evolutionary theory and the question of the age of the universe. The fact that so many people think they are related (and this is true for both people on the Left and the Right) shows just how political this debate has become. Sadly, it has more to do with politics than either science or proper biblical exegesis.
6. Admit Evolution’s Limitations: YECists also claim that evolution is a religion, and that the age of the universe is a “religious belief.” So, let me suggest to those who accept evolutionary theory: throw YECists a curveball and admit evolution has its limits; admit it is a theory; admit it can’t answer everything; admit that belief in a common ancestor is a belief that’s not provable. Yes, all the scientific evidence points to that probability, but of course, no one has ever found “the common ancestor.” Say something like, “Sure, we don’t know for certain; but all the lines of evidence point in that direction. And so, we are using evolutionary theory as a guide in further research, and thus far, what we have discovered has further solidified it as a strong theory. If something is discovered that explains the natural world better, we’ll reject evolutionary theory and go with that, just like scientists left Newton’s theory behind and went with Einstein.” And there you go…it’s not a religion—it’s a scientific theory that is upheld by what has been discovered.
7. Focus on the WHOLE Biblical Story: As for fellow Christians who are not YECists, we shouldn’t fall into the YECist trap of focusing solely on Genesis 1-11. There’s a lot more to the Bible that just that. The “answers” aren’t in Genesis—the problem and questions are put forth in Genesis. The answers are solely revealed in the history of ancient Israel, and fully revealed in Christ. So let’s focus on that more: tell the story of Israel more; tell the story of Jesus more; tell the story of the Church more. Sure, touch upon Genesis 1-11 when necessary (because it really is important). But let’s not limit the Christian faith to arguments over 11 chapters.
8. Facts Don’t Convince: I’ve been guilty of this many times, but the reality is that no matter how many facts you prove, no matter how many falsehoods you point out that someone says, people who are firmly entrenched in their respective ideological camps are not convinced by facts. So, sure, keep pointing the facts out, but don’t get your hopes up. Some people just will not accept reality. Hammering that outstanding point just one more time isn’t going to do the trick.
9. Just Accept It: And I have a hard time with this, but accept the fact that Ken Ham, AiG, and other YECist organizations have won. At least, they’ve successfully won over a large chunk of the American Evangelical world, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. As much as they play the victim card and claim persecution, the fact is that within the Evangelical world, they hold the power and they are the ones who attack and condemn, and yes, persecute, any and all Christians who challenge their power. So speak the truth, but accept the beating. Turn the other cheek. Pick up your cross and remember, it was the religious leaders of Jesus day who framed him and handed him over to be crucified.
10. Mourn: I grew up within Evangelicalism, and I have many, many friends who are wonderful Evangelical Christians; and I still am convinced that there is a silent majority of Evangelicals who are not fooled by a lot of the current foolishness. But, I am convinced now that over the next 50 years or so, there is going to be a fairly large section of the Evangelical church that is going to veer down a very dark and destructive road.
Conclusion
This saddens me. It makes me think of the situation that Jesus and his disciples faced. They knew that the majority of their fellow Jews would be led astray by corrupt religious leaders who held to a legalistic and Pharisaical worldview and who, instead of being a light to the Gentiles, were intent on “rallying the faithful” to open hostility and conflict with Rome. The result, as Jesus prophesied, would be Jerusalem’s destruction. He told his disciples that when they saw that happening, to flee to the hills and to proclaim his Gospel to the nations.
Before that happened, though, he told them to go throughout the cities of Israel and proclaim the news of the Kingdom of God, to anyone who would listen. And if they didn’t, if they rejected it, the disciples were to simply shake the dust from their feet and move on.
I think the church in America might be facing as similar situation—not exact, to be sure, but similar. As for me, I will still occasionally address the things I find to be false about YECism, especially when it misrepresents the Bible or Church History. But I think we need to make a mental shift, and focus on just bearing witness to the Gospel in our lives, proclaiming the entire biblical story and (sadly) accepting the fact that YEC is killing Evangelicalism. Engage in discussions to be sure, but when someone wants to make YEC a big deal and proceeds to question your faith because of it, just shake the dust from your feet and move on.
I’m with you here, for sure, Joel. I can’t even call myself “Evangelical” anymore due to the baggage that label now carries. I am tired of fighting, and I’d rather just leave in peace than try to have a discussion with someone whose starting point is that I’m compromised and an unwitting tool of Satan.
I consider myself an Orthodox in exile. It is a bit disconcerting, though. I remember after my junior year in high school, after reading “Mere Christianity” by CS Lewis, and becoming truly convinced of the truth of Christianity, I longed to find a community of believers where I would truly feel welcomed and at home. I’ve learned I’m going to have to be context with a handful of close friendships here and there. But as far as feeling a sense of true, deep, Christian community on a corporate level…I’ve learned not to expect much. But even with that, it is further confirmation of the truth of Christ’s words:”Foxes have holes; birds in the airs have their nests; but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
I’ve seen some (though often not people in America) suggesting that young earth creationism is gradually losing influence among evangelical Christians, notably younger people. But I note your pessimism regarding the future of evangelicalism in America. I note that in an era when rational people are worrying about deliberate fake news (and denial of reality) put forth by the US far right (ie Trump and his supporters) the likes of AiG are protesting about ‘fake news’ and ‘lying media’ too – but the news in question frequently is a factual exposing of (and sometimes refutation of) their pseudo-scientific claims about the past.
I also avoid calling myself “evangelical” or “conservative,” although back when I was a Lutheran I would have to stretch things to claim the word “evangelical” (in the American sense of the word). And “conservative” could mean many things. It could mean that you agree with the Nicene Creed and are against such things as abortion and euthanasia, or it could mean that you believe uncritically in American nationalism, avidly follow end times “prophecies,” and you fret whether it is “biblical” for your wife to balance the family checkbook. Society and church are polarized, and the loudest people tend to most deny facts. The right has its conspiracy theories and “fake news” and the left quickly denounces or ignores any facts that go against its narrative.
I would love to shake the dust off my feet and move on, and I often do, but I teach Biology at Christian university with strong evangelical leanings. Evolution is the elephant In the room and I’ve learned it’s best to address it head on the first day of class. Most of my students are undecided about what they believe about evolution or have leanings towards some kind of theistic evolution, but in every class there are a few ardent YEC who quote Ken Ham more than they quote the Bible. It’s tempting to want to destroy their arguments and be done with them, but as their professor I am there to guide, not annihilate. I won’t tolerate them bullying other students and I make it clear that none of us get to decide who is a “real Christian.” Other than that, I spend a lot of time praying for pateince and saying things like “that is an interesting point, but have you considered….”
I hear you. I taught high school Biblical Worldview for the better part of 16 years at three different Christian high schools. I got burned twice, and I wasn’t even directly saying anything about this issue. The students themselves liked how I covered this topic, but it came down to one or two administrators who were the real bullies. I’d love to learn more about your situation. We can swap stories. Either find me on FB or email me at joelando11@yahoo.com.
I know that BioLogos says they believe they’re making some progress among evangelicals, and maybe they are, but it seems to me there’s also a hardening of the YEC position among other evangelicals. It’s interesting that even fundamentalists have loosed a bit on some things (contemporary Christian music), but hardened on YEC. I was startled to see your prediction of dark days ahead because of YEC. I agree, but can’t put my finger on what to expect along those lines. Do you have predictions?
I think your assessment is largely correct. Yes, on one hand a lot of people, particularly younger people, are leaving what I call “ultra-fundamentalism,” but many are leaving Christianity altogether because they have been so scarred by the YEC brand of zealotry. And that is something to mourn. On the other hand, the hard-core YECists have just dug their heels in and, I guess you could say, hardened their hearts even more.
I wrote the post simply out of frustration. It is so obvious to me that YECism is utter foolishness, and it is disheartening to see how much influence it now has on American Evangelicalism. That really is scary. As for predictions, I don’t know. I think a segment will lose their faith altogether; I think a segment will “see the light” so to speak, and grow in their faith while walking away from YECism. But I also thing a significant portion of many Evangelical churches will just continue to veer away from the traditional and historical Christian faith. I suppose it is possible that Evangelicalism as we know it will eventually wither away, with people either (a) leaving the faith altogether, (b) transferring over into the opposite direction and “progressive” Christianity, (c) discovering the more ancient, liturgical traditions, be it Anglicanism, Catholicism, or Orthodoxy, or (d) “going down with the ship” of ultra-fundamentalism.
I have a ministry to Christian CEOs and Owners. Some of them have gone on their vacation/pilgrimage to the Ark. I just bite my lip and say nothing, since my focus is helping them run their businesses to the glory of God, and advance the kingdom through their extensive influence and reach. YECism is so accepted by them, that it does not affect their daily activity, as they strive to grow in Christ. It is intellectually primary doctrine, but practically secondary doctrine. Thus, I keep it secondary with them too, and would only intervene if I sensed it becoming practically primary.
Good thoughts. I totally agree. I think most Evangelicals do “intellectually agree” but really have never given it much thought, and it doesn’t really affect anything. And as far as that is concerned, I think everyone probably has a belief in something that (a) doesn’t affect anything, and (b) actually is wrong.
The danger I’ve experienced firsthand are the zealot YECists (i.e. like Ken Ham actually) who really do claim YECism is a primary doctrine and a fundamental of the faith. That happened with me–a zealous YECist headmaster found out I didn’t agree with YECism, so even though I never taught “evolution” or spoke out against YECism in my Biblical Worldview class, he decided I was dangerous to the students, and I lost my job. And THAT is the really insidious nature of the more militantly zealous YECists.