Evolution and Eternity
Bruce Newton
Bruce Newton
I’ve just been reading an intensely interesting article by Olivia Judson written in the New York Times. Ms. Judson is an evolutionary biologist, and a writer contributing to various high profile publications and television shows. What is interesting about this article is that finally, (perhaps unknowingly) an evolutionist naively asks the question, “What happens when the populace buys into a naturalistic, evolutionary worldview?” Well, to be fair, she didn’t ask that question outright. But it becomes the obvious query when she muses about the fact that of all the species on earth, only one has the auspicious characteristic of … committing suicide. The fact that humans are different in any respect is an admission most naturalists would not readily admit; but in her rush to show our deficiency (our tendency to suicide), she eloquently draws attention to the fact that in fact, we are different. So different, in fact, that if you buy into her worldview, most introspective (a singularly human quality, I might add) folks will feel an uncomfortable emptiness.
So much so, that some people will just give up.
At this writing, 248 people had ‘blog’ responded, with almost an entirely Godless perspective, trying to figure out why people are unique in this characteristic. You and I know why. Without God, there is a painful emptiness we as humans simply cannot tolerate. There is no flourishing, no eternal future, no ultimate entity that really cares about our suffering, or our most selfless and heroic moments. We simply have no significance, in the long term. Why DO we care? Because God has placed eternity into the very core of who we are. Modern evolutionary theory and its philosophical worldview attempts to surgically tear that sacred, God-placed eternity out of our very hearts. I have no doubt why suicide has risen in the last 20 years. People can’t live without God or the tie to eternity He has put in us.
My blog response is #248, if you plan on looking that far…and though I don’t believe evolution is ultimately a tenable worldview, I chose not to argue that point with either her, or her readers, but used a “minimalist” argument method instead. For your info files; I believe in humankind’s special creation, and have arrived at that conviction both through Biblical worldview, and logical inquiry.
Bruce Here is the link to Ms. Judson’s article.
At this writing, 248 people had ‘blog’ responded, with almost an entirely Godless perspective, trying to figure out why people are unique in this characteristic. You and I know why. Without God, there is a painful emptiness we as humans simply cannot tolerate. There is no flourishing, no eternal future, no ultimate entity that really cares about our suffering, or our most selfless and heroic moments. We simply have no significance, in the long term. Why DO we care? Because God has placed eternity into the very core of who we are. Modern evolutionary theory and its philosophical worldview attempts to surgically tear that sacred, God-placed eternity out of our very hearts. I have no doubt why suicide has risen in the last 20 years. People can’t live without God or the tie to eternity He has put in us.
My blog response is #248, if you plan on looking that far…and though I don’t believe evolution is ultimately a tenable worldview, I chose not to argue that point with either her, or her readers, but used a “minimalist” argument method instead. For your info files; I believe in humankind’s special creation, and have arrived at that conviction both through Biblical worldview, and logical inquiry.
Bruce Here is the link to Ms. Judson’s article.