Can you be A Christian and Believe in Evolution?

What atheists have noticed that many Happy Thinking Christians have not
 

Christian Evangelist and defender of the Gospel Ravi Zacharias talks about how to reach the "Happy Thinking Pagan." He describes their thought process this way:

“I don’t believe anything but I’m very happy. What does it matter?” And of course, it was also along the time of slogans such as “If it feels good, do it” and “Don’t worry, be happy.”[1]

I mention it because it is becoming increasing clear to me that when it comes to the creation / evolution debate, there is a large number of Christians who are walking in the thought process of the happy thinking pagan - namely "What does it matter?" and "Aren't they compatible, so why worry about it? Be happy."  It seems that many Christians are as ignorant of the harm to the faith caused by evolutionary thought as happy thinking pagans are to the reality of God.

Interestingly enough, thoughtful atheists have noticed the incompatibility between evolution and the Christian faith.  Evolutionary evangelist Richard Dawkins has commented:

"I think the evangelical Christians have really sort of got it right in a way, in seeing evolution as the enemy. Whereas the more, what shall we say, sophisticated theologians are quite happy to live with evolution, I think they are deluded. I think the evangelicals have got it right, in that there is a deep incompatibility between evolution and Christianity..."[2]

In fact, so many atheists have begun proclaiming the incompatibility between Christianity and Evolution that one blogger - a misguided Christian who believes evolution is true - wrote a blog post titled "Dear atheist friends: Stop saying Christianity and evolution are incompatible."[3] In it he cites other atheists proclaiming the incompatibility such as Jerry Coyne, respected biologist and author of "Why Evolution is True" and former minister turned atheist Mike Aus.

How is it that atheists are arriving at this conclusion sooner than Christians - who should know their own faith better than the atheists? I submit it's due to two primary reasons:

1. Many Christians are like the happy thinking pagans, and simply don't think much about their faith, and don't see how evolution contradicts the core of everything that Christianity teaches. And since since they don't think about it, they don't  care about it - out of sight, out of mind.

2. Those who have seen the incompatibility are too afraid of being seen as "scientifically ignorant". Dawkins is widely quoted as having said:

“It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked, but I'd rather not consider that).”[4]

And they don't want to be included in that group, as if  the arrogant derision of a deceived person has any significance before God. For these I would advise to have the courage of their convictions and stand up for the truth, if for no other reason than to be mindful of the admonition of the Lord:

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
(Mark 8:38)
 

For the Happy thinking Christians who see no problems with evolution, or are content with the compromise of theistic evolution, let me list two reasons why the bible believing Christian does not want to be found in that camp.

Why a Christian should not believe in Evolution

1. It's not true
Simply select the "Evidences" category on this site, and you'll find a number of reasons - from both science and theology - why Evolution is not true. As for the reasons evolutionists give against creation - they're invalid as well. Here's one they think is a silver bullet against creation: DNA is 98% junk; only 2% is functional. A designer would never do that.  The claim that DNA contains mostly "junk" is simply not true. See this short clip:

2. The Logical conclusion to accepting evolutionary doctrine is to become an atheist

Atheists are at least consistent when they come to believe in evolution and as a result, conclude there is no God. That was one of the reasons why Darwin came up with evolution - to get God out of the picture. As it turns out, Darwin was just another person angry with God over the death of his daughter, who turned hate toward God into a reason why God (in his mind) didn't exist - though he wouldn't say that publicly.[5]

But being angry with God does not change the fact of his existence, or the truth of what he's done.  And it's that truth that is totally incompatible with the evolutionary scenario. Through his word, God has said:

1. He created all in 6 days, and man from the dust of the earth
2. There was no death in the original creation
3. Death is an intruder in God's creation; it  came into a formerly "very good" (Gen 1.31) creation after man's sin
4. With man's rebellion, man became sinful and in need of a savior
5. God himself saved us through Jesus Christ who paid for our sins by dying on the cross.
6. The Destiny of all who believe is an eternal life of love, joy, happiness and peace with God in his kingdom, which is a real, physical place.

If you believe the evolutionary account of things you must believe that:

1. Man emerged from the primordial ooze after millions of years of death and dying to give evolution the needed time to "evolve" humans
2. There is no such thing as original sin, since there was no original Adam and Eve, and no original Garden of Eden, and thus no original transgression against God.
3. Death has always been in the world - It's a natural part of it, and in fact death is needed to bring about the world we see.
4. Since there was no rebellion, there was no sin, and no need of a savior.
5. Since there were no beings created by and loved by God, no rebellion and no sin, there is no need for a savior to die on a cross, no redemption, no future hope and in fact no reason for religion at all.
6. There is no life after death, and in fact like us, the universe will die a cold, lonely death and there will be no restoration. There is no hope for mankind.[6]

Let me be blunt here: the above evolutionary account, can not be held by a bible believing Christian because it is heretical; and those who hold to it have setup an idol in their lives, putting the unsubstantiated stories of men who claim to be wise before the testimony of God. Anything that stands in the place of God is an idol. Should a Christian live with an idol at the core of his worldview?

Does such talk offend you? In a discussion on atheism, leading atheists Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett[7] agree that they don't intend to be offensive, but they would choose to be offensive and tell the truth rather than not tell the truth.  That is one thing which they have in common with Jesus - he often offended people by telling them the truth. Jesus said those who are fully trained will be like their master (Luke 6.40); so if Jesus spoke the truth at the risk of offending; Christians must also speak the truth at the risk of offending - in hopes that - like Ezekiel, we may sound a warning and save those with ears to hear. (Eze 3.21)

Clearly, there's more going on here than either the happy thinking pagan, or the happy thinking Christian realizes. Christian: it's time to wake up! People are dying because of the godless theory of evolution.  The words of the creator could not be more important: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  The rest the account is just as important it. Read and believe! (Gen 1-3).  Now let me close with this final word to the wise:

"They are not just idle words for you--they are your life..."
(Deut 32:47)

Duane Caldwell | posted 5/19/2014

1. Ravi Zacharias "Engaging the happy pagan" accessed 5/18/14 http://www.rzim.eu/engaging-the-happy-pagan
The original page has been since taken down. You may read an archived version here:
http://rationalfaith.com/archive/Engaging-the-happy-pagan.htm
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2. Richard Dawkins referenced from "Atheist Richard Dawkins: evangelical Christians have really sort of got it right"

http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2011/04/21/atheist-richard-dawkins-evangelical-christians-have-really-sort-of-got-it-right/
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3. Tyler Francke "Dear atheist friends: Stop saying Christianity and evolution are incompatible"
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4.  Richard Dawkins Initially in a 1989 book review, re-affirmed in the 2006 article "Ignorance is No Crime" accessed 5/18/14
http://old.richarddawkins.net/articles/114-ignorance-is-no-crime
The original page has been since taken down. You may read an archived version here:
http://rationalfaith.com/archive/Ignorance-is-No-Crime.htm
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5. Dinesh D'Souza "The Evolution of Darwin" http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/january/24.67.html
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6. Physicists Michio Kaku put it this way:

"The universe will disintegrate and temperatures will become so cold that any intelligent life will freeze to death."

Michio Kaku, The Universe Episode "Dark Matter/Dark Energy" TV Documentary, 2008
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7.  Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett discussing atheism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
feature=player_detailpage&v=XJNS84mBwaM
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