Theistic evolution, the idea that God used the big bang, deep time, and Darwinian evolution to create the universe and its abundant life here on earth, is currently taught in many of today’s Christian seminaries and colleges. The majority of Christians, who do not accept the creation story as described in the Bible, do accept the compromise view of theistic evolution. Most liberal Christian churches accept theistic evolution as the scientifically proven explanation for origins. This is a view that differs only on a few tiny points from atheistic evolution, the philosophy primarily developed during the enlightenment for the sole purpose of rejecting the Creator God. As I mention in my biography and testimony, I was a theistic evolutionist until I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior and cast off my evolutionary indoctrination at 40 years of age.
In the nearly four decades since I accepted Christ, I have written and spoken often about the dangers of theistic evolutionary ideas to western civilization in general and to Christianity in particular. Listed below are some summary statements regarding dangers inherent in theistic evolutionary beliefs:
1. Theistic evolution is neither factual nor logical and can in no way be made to agree with a straightforward reading of the Bible.
2. Leading evolutionists cannot agree on what ad hoc fixes to apply to the big bang and Darwinism to repair the obvious failures of the foundational hypotheses. Therefore, theistic evolutionists must always accept constantly changing shattered “theories,” rather than the unchanging Word of God. Theistic evolutionists must accept a history of human speculation rather than the documented history of the One who was there.
3. Evolutionism is a philosophical belief presently held even when all evidence for it has disappeared. Even if every biological explanation of the supposed general evolution of life were to fail, faith in evolution itself will remain unaffected, because evolution is itself a faith position.
4. So-called Christian organizations (e.g. BioLogos) that attempt to harmonize the Bible with Darwinism not only lack compelling evidence for the idea but ignore overwhelming evidence against it. These attempts to harmonize disproven theory are worse than negligent!
5. Many theologians feel pressured by secular peers to incorporate theistic evolution into their teaching since they know so little about the subject. Secular authority is accepted, and they assume evolution is a fact proven by neutral, objective, unbiased science. In reality, evolution is not, and cannot be, supported by the scientific method and is simply “religiously” sustained, not scientifically proven.
6. Many ministers and clergy are prone to accept evolution that not only lacks evidence, but has overwhelming refuting evidence, because of their own blatant ignorance regarding not only the science involved but the bias of its proponents.
7. The consequences of so many Christian leaders accepting theistic evolution are tragic. Many of the historical foundational doctrines of Christianity soon crumble in churches where theistic evolution is accepted. The reality of the Fall and the fact of redemption due to the work of Jesus Christ are among those first to vanish. Once those are gone, every other foundational precept of the faith is at risk.
Clearly all attempts to harmonize and compromise deep time, the big bang, and Darwinism with biblical Christianity have failed and will continue to fail. The two worldviews are logically irreconcilable. What stronger warning against theistic evolution in the Church could possibly be broadcast to the faithful?
J.D. Mitchell
