Some people say Christians can believe in Darwinian evolution. What do the Freedom from Religion Foundation and other unbelievers say about the relationship between evolution and unbelief? Should schools and the government promote evolution but not creation?
According to its website, the Freedom From Religion Foundation is an association of more than 30,000 atheists, agnostics, and skeptics (ffrf.org, 1/6/2022).
They created a billboard with a picture of Charles Darwin urging people to “Praise Darwin” and “evolve beyond belief.” That is, they hope Darwin’s doctrine of evolution will lead people to abandon faith in God, Jesus, and the Bible. Consider some observations.
Evolution Is Fundamental to the Faith of Unbelievers.
Some people claim that Bible believers can also believe in evolution.
“An Open Letter Concerning Religion and Science” said: “We the undersigned, Christian clergy from many different traditions, … believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth … To reject this truth … is to deliberately embrace scientific ignorance ….”
– Via http://butler.edu/clergyproject/Christian_Clergy/ChrClergyLtr.htm (later removed)
Biologos is an organization that exists to convince Bible believers to accept evolution. Their website says: “…evolution is not in opposition to God … we reject ideologies that claim that … evolution replaces God.” – Biologos statement of “What We Believe”
https://biologos.org/about-us/what-we-believe (12/29/2021)
So some, who claim to believe in God and the Bible, also promote evolution.
But unbelievers themselves say evolution is a basic tenet of unbelief.
This is the message of the FFRF billboard. In fact, all unbelievers accept evolution.
The American Humanist Association, another group of unbelievers, says: “As non-theists, we begin with humans not God, nature not deity … science affirms that the human species is an emergence from natural evolutionary forces” (Humanist Manifestos pages 8,16,17).
Huxley, an ardent evolutionist, said: “Evolution if consistently applied, makes it impossible to believe the Bible.” (Handbook of Religious Quotations, page 63)
Charles Smith, former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, said: “Evolution is atheism.” (Evolution: Science False So-Called, 16th Ed., page 87)
Woolsey Teller, also of AAAA, said: “The God idea cannot be reconciled with our knowledge of evolution.” (Evolution: Science False So-Called, 16th Ed., page 87)
So, despite the claims of compromisers, unbelievers affirm that evolution is a fundamental tenet of unbelief. They say you cannot truly believe in evolution and the Bible at the same time.
Hebrews 1:10 – You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. The Bible says believers must accept creation, not evolution.
Unbelievers Want Evolution Promoted but Not the Bible
A county sheriff had a Bible verse painted on a wall of his office. FFRF demanded it be removed. Their attorney wrote the sheriff: “…the First Amendment mandates government neutrality … between religion and non-religion” – https://www.toddstarnes.com/cancel-culture/we-will-not-remove-bible-verse-says-north-carolina-sheriff/
The Constitution actually says “Congress shall make no law … prohibiting the free exercise” of religion. So Christians should be free to teach and practice their faith anywhere.
But if the unbelievers really believe the government should be neutral between religion and non-religion, why do they insist government-run public schools must teach evolution not creation.
Evolution is as much a tenet of non-religion as creation is a tenet of religion. So, if the government was really neutral, it would teach neither evolution nor creation, or it would teach both evolution and creation. To teach evolution but not creation is biased according to the statements of the unbelievers themselves. They say they want neutrality, but what they really want is partiality as long as it is in their favor.
Psalm 14:1 – The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
Mark 16:16 – He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
True believers know the ultimate reward for faith and the penalty for unbelief come after this life.
(c) Copyright David E. Pratte, 2024; gospelway.com
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