The Evolution of the Species

I'm working on a sermon that answers the question "Do science and evolution invalidate the Bible?" No matter how I answer that question, some one's gonna get their theological feet stepped upon. My goal will be to encourage people to consider the possibility of a merging of the two in a way that provides both the theological "why" with the scientific "how." From where I stand this is the only way to hold these two competing disciplines in the same conversation.

As we consider this, there are so many directions to go, and plenty I can't. I've got about 20-25 minutes to get this done in. One of the topics is evolution of humanity. The author of the book we're using (Lee Strobel's The Case for Faith) argues that if humanity is really evolving, ti would do so in the direction of goodness. Since humanity seems to have an ever increasing propensity toward evil, we must not be evolving. I disagree. Evolution pre-supposes survival of the fittest. If we are evolving we would be evolving toward self-protection and self-preservation. Take a look at our world, is there any less war than ever before? Is there any less greed? I believe that our current world condition only offers evidence for evolution.

I also believe that God provides a correction to the self-centered, evolutionary tendency of humanity. That correction is Jesus Christ. Through the cross of Christ we are granted the grace we need to become a new creation. We are re-made in the original image, the image of God, filled with grace and love. This incredible choice we've been given serves to allow us the possibility of moving humanity toward caring for each other and creation and away from the self-preservation nature.

As an tangential thought on the subject, I offer this article for your review... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29552692 . I've been clear in the past that I am against the death penalty. I believe that the boundaries of life and death belong to God. Whenever we choose those boundaries we are choosing to (a) be god and (b) leave God out of the process. We've also said that this person, who has committed an act of self-centerdness, has reached the end of the possibility for God's redemption, grace has a limit, and we decide the limit, not God. I find that to be incredibly arrogant on our part.

In the article, it appears that the tendency toward self-preservation has found it's own paradox. Out of personal self-preservation we put people to death, but out of financial self-preservation we discontinue the execution.

Human nature never ceases to amaze me.