Creative Thinking

I had the privilege of attending a lecture on Evolutionary Creation (aka Theistic Evolution) by Dr. Denis Lamoureux at St. Joseph's College (part of the Univ. of Alberta) yesterday. It was by all accounts an excellent presentation on the subject and I would recommend it to anyone interested in this issue. Even though I did not agree with much of what was being taught, it certainly helped me to understand this theory that seems to be gaining popularity among evangelicals. For those of you who may not know, evolutionary creation basically teaches that God created life on earth indirectly through preordained natural processes. That is to say that God used evolution as a means of creating you and I.

Now there are to be sure a lot of theological questions/concerns that I have with this theory. For example, what about Adam and the fall? If man is the result of evolution, was there in fact one historical man named Adam? Why is this important? Biologist David H. Lane explains in his essay "Theological Problems with Theistic Evolution".

If Adam was not a historical figure and the Fall is not historical, then the typology of Christ as the last Adam (Rom 5:12–14; 1 Cor 15:22, 45–49) becomes meaningless, as do the doctrines of redemption, atonement, and justification. Furthermore Paul specifically related the historicity of Adam to the historicity of Christ’s resurrection, thereby laying a basis for the believer’s hope in the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15:12–23). The linchpin of the gospel (Christ’s resurrection) is anchored in the historicity of Adam and the Fall.

Again, there are many such theological concerns that are related to the theory of Evolutionary Creation. Still, the basic question remains, is the theory of evolution compatible with scripture in the first place? I personally do not believe it is. Instead I believe that Genesis clearly teaches that "The work of creation is," as the Westminster Shorter Catechism says, "God's making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good."

How then do I account for the apparent age of the earth? Perhaps, just as God created Adam as a grown (let's say 20 year old) man in one day, God also created a "full grown" (10 billion year old) earth in six. If you are interested in finding out more about what is called the "Mature Earth" view you can find it on p.113 of Vern Poythress' book Redeeming Science which you can read for free here.

In the end, as with any other issue, we need to remain in open dialogue with one another. This of course does not mean that we can not or should not have personal convictions or hold to a certain position with passion as Dr. Lamoureux thankfully does, otherwise it would have been a boring lecture. It simply means that as we do so, not only do we need to speak graciously, but we also need to listen to others sides of the discussion in order to interact with them and be informed. This is why I went to the lecture in the first place, and this is why I want to share the following video clip with you, as food for thought.

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. - Hebrews 11:3 (ESV)

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Cause for Concern or Not

The National Post ran a story today about a youth pastor from Red Deer who was recently brought before the Alberta Human Rights Commission over his written stance on homosexuality. Now to be sure, this is an issue that the church has all too often handled poorly, frequently without any grace and humility, forgetting that we are called to speak the truth in love. Yet, the point is, we are clearly called to speak the truth, even when it is counter cultural. The question is, does this story represent just another blip on the proverbial radar or is it a sign of things to come?

The judgment of the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission (AHRCC) against the Reverend Stephen Boissoin, a Protestant youth pastor, is a direct violation of his religious liberty. Whatever his "guilt" --and who is not guilty before the human rights commission? -- the judgment requires him to write an apology abjuring his views on homosexuality, and prohibits him and the Concerned Christian Coalition from making "disparaging" remarks about homosexuals.

It is not specified what the AHRCC might consider "disparaging," but simply reading in public -- as in a sermon -- the Biblical admonitions against homosexual acts is not precluded. Indeed, the scope of the AHRCC order is so wide that it effectively says that Rev. Boissoin may not speak publicly on homosexuality ever again, unless he changes his opinion.

Given that the "offence" was a letter to the editor published in the Red Deer Advocate, the judgment by implication would apply the same restrictions to the newspaper itself. The offence was "causing to be published" the letter, which "was likely to expose homosexuals to contempt or hatred because of their sexual orientation." In order for something to be published in a newspaper, both a writer and an editor/publisher are required. Had the complainant in this case named the Red Deer Advocate in his charge, there is every logical reason to expect that the AHRCC would have slapped a perpetual ban on the newspaper publishing any "disparaging" stories on homosexuality.

Rev. Boissoin is not the only Alberta clergyman hauled before the AHRCC. In 2005, Frederick Henry, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Calgary, was brought before the commission for writing a pastoral letter against same-sex marriage to his own flock. Before the AHRCC had a chance to find him guilty, Bishop Henry clarified his remarks and the complaint was withdrawn. It is now clear that had it gone ahead, the AHRCC would have ordered the bishop of Calgary not to speak about same-sex marriage ever again.

To read the entire article click here.

Again, this is an issue that the church and its leaders must handle graciously, acknowledging that we are all sinners in need of God's mercy. Still, this story is somewhat concerning as we think about what the future may hold for the church in Canada. May we always be willing to stand up for the truth, yet may we always "do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame." 1 Peter 3:16 (ESV)

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Some Discernment Required

Don't you hate it when you go through all that effort of choosing the perfect gift for your children only to discover, when they open it, those three dreaded words: some assembly required. Just when you thought that your work was over. Instead, you now realize that you will be spending the next hour carefully following the instruction as your kids repeatedly ask you, is it ready yet, is it ready yet?

Similarly, as Christians, we should never think that our work is over. That since Christ has purchased this great gift for us and paid for our sins, we can now simply coast through life reading, watching and listening to whatever we want. As Paul would say, certainly not. Instead, as we live out our faith from day to day, we should always heed the label: some discernment required. This means that we should be asking questions like is this good for me? Is this biblical? Is this helpful or harmful to my faith?

Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right.

C.H. Spurgeon

We all realize that there are lots of things in this world that are spiritually harmful and confusing that we need to try our best to avoid. But what compounds this problem of discernment is that some of it is found and promoted right at our local Christian book stores. Case in point "The Shack", the newest "life changing" best seller that has sold millions and reached the top ten in total sales, of all books, not just Christian, on Amazon.com. Even though it is a work of fiction, it conveys some very confusing theology to say the least. In fact, some have gone so far as to labeled it as heresy. As such, I would highly recommend that you access one, if not all of the following three resources to get an idea of what it's about and why there is so much concern about it's success.

First, you can read an excellent review of the book by Tim Challies at his blog.

Second, you can listen to Dr. Albert Mohler's radio program on "The Shack" here.

Or third, you can simply click on the video below to watch pastor Mark Driscoll share his concerns about it.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

Hebrews 13:8-9 (ESV)

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