Does evolution disprove God?

Since 2014-01-05

Evolution is a process just like countless other processes on earth. It is not an argument against God.

Evolution is a process just like countless other processes on earth. It is not an argument against God. There are many mechanisms found in the natural world such as the water cycle. But the water cycle does not disprove the existence of God. Any mechanism is by default a sign of an organiser or systemiser. Evolution is also a mechanism so it must also have an intelligence who set it into motion.

Charles Darwin even after his publication of ‘The Origin of Species’ believed in God. He is quoted as saying:

[Reason tells me of the] extreme difficulty or rather impossibility of conceiving this immense and wonderful universe, including man with his capability of looking far backwards and far into futurity, as the result of blind chance or necessity. When thus reflecting I feel compelled to look to a First Cause having an intelligent mind in some degree analogues to that of man; and I deserve to be called a theist.[1]. For most of his life Darwin believed in God,  although later in life the problem of evil lead him to have more serious doubts (please see the article on ‘Why is there Evil?’)

Imagine that we humans had created robots that eventually were able to reproduce and improve themselves according to their environment, humans died out and after millions of years the robots came up with a theory of their evolution based on bits of old machines they dug up. Their theory would not in any way disprove the existence of humans. Instead it would be a sign of a higher intelligence that bought them about. Dr Francis Collins who is one of the world’s leading experts on evolution believes that God bought about the human being via the process of evolution.

Whether someone believes in or rejects the theory of evolution as a means to how human beings came in to existence, it does not in any way conflict with belief in God.

[1] Charles Darwin, The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809-1882, ed. Nora Barlow (London: Collins 1958), 92-3.  

Source: One Reason

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