Evolutionary explanations for species’ origins that incorporate
Darwinian mechanisms of random variation and natural selection are
deemed incompatible with creation teachings by some religious believers
who oppose evolution, and also by some atheists who oppose religion.
However, survey and case study data suggest that most scientists
and science teachers view evolution as compatible with religious faith,
as do many of the major
religions' governing bodies in the United States.
68% of Americans surveyed in 1999 consider evolution compatible with
belief
in a divine creator, and 66% do not want creationism taught as science (Evolution
and Creationism in Public Education: An In-depth Reading of Public
Opinion). Similar views are even more prevalent among
scientists. 84% of Ohio college science professors surveyed in
2002 consider the theory of evolution consistent with belief in God (Ohio
Scientists' Intelligent Design Poll).
Roman Catholic theologian John F. Haught writes: "Any judgment
that evolution is an inherently materialistic or atheistic notion is
not
itself a strictly scientific claim, but instead a belief." (Responses
to 101 Questions on God and Evolution, Paulist Press, 2001, p.
108). Some vocal atheists erroneously defend their belief as if
it were a necessary correlate of evolutionary science. Some
anti-evolutionists
doubly error, first by echoing
the claim that evolution is atheistic, and second by ignoring the
overwhelming evidence for the scientific theory of
evolution.
C. S. Lewis was sympathetic to some anti-evolution arguments because
he recognized that extra-scientific atheistic philosophy was (and still
is) promoted as if it were a necessary part of evolutionary
science. However, Lewis refused invitations to reject evolution
outright. The following quotation comes from C. S.
Lewis on Creation and Evolution: The Acworth Letters, 1944-1960 by
Gary B. Ferngren and Ronald L. Numbers (Perspectives on Science and
Christian Faith, Volume 48, Number 1, March 1996, 28-33):
Theistic
Evolution: A Christian Alternative to Atheism, Creationism, and
Intelligent Design by Ted Peters and Martinez Hewlett provides a
lighthearted but insightful argument for viewing evolution as part of
God's creation.
Anglican priest John
Polkinghorne is one of many scientist-theologians believing in both
a Creator and modern evolutionary science, while rejecting both
atheistic materialism and religiously-motivated attempts to find
scientific "alternatives" to evolution. Please click here for two quotations from
Polkinghorne's recent publications.
Even many conservative Christian theologians teach that the creation
stories in the Bible should not be read as historical or scientific
accounts; for example, see Making
Sense of Genesis 1 by R. E. Watts.
“We seem to be engaged in contentious, destructive, and wholly unnecessary debate about evolution and creation. From my perspective as a scientist working on the genome, the evidence in favor of evolution is overwhelming . . . Outside of a time machine, Darwin could hardly have imagined a more powerful data set than comparative genomics to confirm his theory.”
“I think scientist-believers are the most fortunate. We have the opportunity to explore the natural world at a time in history where mysteries are being revealed almost on a daily basis. We have the opportunity to perceive the unraveling of those mysteries in a special perspective that is an uncovering of God’s grandeur. This is a particularly wonderful form of worship.”