This is the online edition of In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood
(7th Edition) by Dr. Walt Brown. The online version of the book is designed to be read online.
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Is Evolution Compatible with the Bible?
Many people, although they may not know the term, are theistic evolutionists; that is, they believe God used evolution to create the universe and everything in it. For some, this is an acceptable compromise—belief in at least some aspects of evolution and belief in God. The first provides scientific respectability, while the second satisfies an inward conviction that there must be a Creator. For these people, evolution is compatible with the Bible.
But is it? Since Darwin’s time (mid-late 1800s), many who knew what the Bible said have tried to reinterpret Scripture to make it compatible with the theory of evolution. The fact that there are about twenty theistic evolution theories indicates the general dissatisfaction with each. It also suggests that reconciling evolution with the Bible is not as easy as some claim. You will soon see why.
Better-known efforts to reinterpret the early chapters of Genesis include the day-age theory,1 the gap theory (pages 383–384), the framework theory,2 the revelation theory,3 and progressive creation.4 Each theory uncritically accepts some aspects of evolution and then reinterprets Genesis to force it to accommodate those aspects. These reinterpretations contradict obvious meanings in Scripture, interpretations of the text made by ancient and modern Hebrew scholars,5 clear statements of many Old Testament writers, all New Testament writers, and Jesus Christ Himself.
Many who accept these theories sincerely reject evolution. Unfortunately, they fail to realize the evolutionary assumptions on which these theories, and their personal beliefs, are built. Those assumptions may appear “scientific,” unless the evidence is closely examined.
No single theistic evolution theory incorporates all 74 beliefs listed below.6 However, each is compatible with one or more of the primary theistic evolution theories. Actually, no compelling scientific evidence supports any of these evolutionary positions, and much scientific evidence refutes them. [See “The Scientific Case for Creation,” pages 6–99.]
Notice how many ideas in the left-hand column below are uncritically accepted by mainstream society. Notice also how these ideas have subtly alienated many from the Bible—which both contradicts theistic evolution and lays the foundation for some of our most basic beliefs and institutions. Undermining this foundation has obviously contributed to many societal problems. [See “What Are the Social Consequences of Belief in Evolution?” on page 398.]