Evolution vs. God's "Stories"?
In the wake of the recent media flurry regarding the Episcopal Church, The Panda's Thumb had an article regarding Katharine Jefferts Schori. While not surprised by the fawning over a pro-evolution church leader, what disturbed me was this citation from Schori's biography regarding the making of "faith" decisions:
On sources of authority and the theory of evolution
> August 2005 - Bishop Schori
I simply find it a rejection of the goodness of God's gifts to say that all of this evidence [for evolution] is to be refused because it does not seem to accord with a literal reading of one of the stories in Genesis. Making any kind of faith decision is based on accumulating the best evidence one can find -- what one's senses and reason indicate, what the rest of the community has believed over time, and what the community judges most accurate today.
That is not to say that the tradition or community understanding is always correct, as we might note in the aftermath of Galileo's discoveries. When the various sources of authority seem to be in tension, we must use all our rational and spiritual faculties to discern the direction in which a preponderance of the evidence points. To do otherwise is to repudiate the very gifts God has given us.
What appalled me is the obvious lack of ANY reference to scripture in making "faith" decisions or determining truth. This is especially surprising as she acknowledges the authority of scripture, tradition, and reason initially. However, when she actually outlines a criterion for determining truth of faith, she appeals only to reason and the community (tradition?). To ignore God's revelation, it seems to me, is the clearest repudiation of God's gifts imaginable.
The next day, I was further disturbed to find this on The Panda's Thumb, cited from the Episcopal "Affirm Creation and Evolution" Resolution:
Resolved, That the theory of evolution provides a fruitful and unifying scientific explanation for the emergence of life on earth, and that an acceptance of evolution in no way diminishes the centrality of Scripture in telling the stories of the love of God for the Creation and is entirely compatible with an authentic and living Christian faith...
It's no wonder Christians have become a laughing stock to many in the US when major denominations accept practical Naturalism and characterize God's Word as "stories" simply meant to convey God's love for Creation. Apparently, God's real actions in history were not compatable with the message of love He wanted us to hear, so He cooked up a some fairy tales to give us warm fuzzies inside...
On sources of authority and the theory of evolution
> August 2005 - Bishop Schori
I simply find it a rejection of the goodness of God's gifts to say that all of this evidence [for evolution] is to be refused because it does not seem to accord with a literal reading of one of the stories in Genesis. Making any kind of faith decision is based on accumulating the best evidence one can find -- what one's senses and reason indicate, what the rest of the community has believed over time, and what the community judges most accurate today.
That is not to say that the tradition or community understanding is always correct, as we might note in the aftermath of Galileo's discoveries. When the various sources of authority seem to be in tension, we must use all our rational and spiritual faculties to discern the direction in which a preponderance of the evidence points. To do otherwise is to repudiate the very gifts God has given us.
What appalled me is the obvious lack of ANY reference to scripture in making "faith" decisions or determining truth. This is especially surprising as she acknowledges the authority of scripture, tradition, and reason initially. However, when she actually outlines a criterion for determining truth of faith, she appeals only to reason and the community (tradition?). To ignore God's revelation, it seems to me, is the clearest repudiation of God's gifts imaginable.
The next day, I was further disturbed to find this on The Panda's Thumb, cited from the Episcopal "Affirm Creation and Evolution" Resolution:
Resolved, That the theory of evolution provides a fruitful and unifying scientific explanation for the emergence of life on earth, and that an acceptance of evolution in no way diminishes the centrality of Scripture in telling the stories of the love of God for the Creation and is entirely compatible with an authentic and living Christian faith...
It's no wonder Christians have become a laughing stock to many in the US when major denominations accept practical Naturalism and characterize God's Word as "stories" simply meant to convey God's love for Creation. Apparently, God's real actions in history were not compatable with the message of love He wanted us to hear, so He cooked up a some fairy tales to give us warm fuzzies inside...