The Evolution Trap: Balancing Belief In The Biblical God With Intellectual Credibility

Many are reluctant to reject evolution outright fearing they will undermine their intellectual credibility. However, it becomes problematic to posit any sort of quasi evolution because at some point, difficult lines must be drawn necessitating choices that seem to preclude any sort of "middle ground".

For many claim they believe in evolution but NOT Darwin's strictly atheistic sort. At this point, it becomes a different flavor of evolution entirely. As such, why not just fabricate another name for this distinct ideology? For instance, if one is led to believe in evolution just enough so as to avoid jeopardizing his intellectual credibility but not enough to challenge his deep-seated religious convictions, he might believe any given species can evolve but outright reject inter-species evolution. And also likely believe "man" was lovingly crafted by God Himself.

In this way, God, whatever that might mean to somebody, got the ball rolling such that evolution (of lower level organisms at least) became necessary and "man" itself was specially created "as is, ready to go right out of the box!" Strictly speaking though, this is simply "creationism" all over again. For it is "God" Who simply paved the way for lower level evolution and custom engineered "man". In essence, He created. So why not just call this "Creationism 2.0"?

Carefully reflecting upon the beliefs of Francis Collins, the current Director of the National Institutes of Health, a seemingly insurmountable obstruction to believing in both evolution and the idea of a "God breathed soul" must be accounted for. In his book, “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief", there is something crucial he fails to explain: if we evolved from primates, at what discrete point did "WE" attain our coveted souls?

As such, if I were to investigate my family's lineage, it seems going back far enough would produce forebears something less than human. Oh how I grieve there being no chance to meet them in the afterlife only because they lacked souls! Did God think about this?

Now if one supposes primates have souls like "US", why would it stop here? What other species might be endowed with souls as well? Might mosquitoes have them too? As such, from where do we derive our moral justification for putting OURSELVES above all other species if many of them have souls just like us?

On the other hand, one can simply appeal to the unfalsifiable stand of, "well, that's just how God wants things!" The problem with this is it explains NOTHING. This type of view prohibits any sort of critical thinking. Perhaps that's just how God wants things? My own suspicion is "God" is simply a proxy for individual egos. In which case, how does "God" want things? However YOU say.

God And Bioethical Considerations

The more I ponder the discipline of bioethics, the more I become dissuaded of the existence of God. At least a God that could reasonably intervene on our behalf such that He might be considered personal. The ironic thing is this comes in response to having read Francis Collins' “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief”. Ironic in that he is a self-professed Christian.

In the end, trying to “fit” a wonderful, personal God into the obviously callous and cruel nature of reality seems to necessitate absurd explanations as to why a child would be born with cystic fibrosis, something or other.

Concerning the discipline of genetic engineering, it would seem that God can choose to be either personal to the wishes of those who believe genetic engineering in all its grandeur is an affront to His authority or personal to the wishes of those who believe He has given us the fortitude and perhaps even His blessing to reverse these genetic “oversights”. In other words, he can't be personal to both.

With this realization, it becomes difficult to endorse the idea that God is personal to us all. Perhaps He is personal to NOBODY?

If one outright rejects this supposition, a challenging follow-up question to the notion of this Creator being personal is personal to whom? I have pondered this extensively and have concluded, perhaps regrettably to many, that the idea of a personal God does not seem to overcome simple scrutiny. How can God be personal to all of us when it seems the vast majority of our prayers and desires seem to conflict with that of other faithful followers? For instance, how would God personally intervene in the lives of countless God-fearing males all seeking the affection of the same God-fearing female?

If one chooses to overlook this “problem”, he is burying his head in the sand like an ostrich to deny what is perfectly obvious.

Alternatively, if one believes God is personal, this would of course imply that He is personal to him. Does this not seem of utmost arrogance? Where is the humility?