Creation Compromises

Framework Hypothesis, Gap Theory, Progressive Creation, Theistic Evolution

Editor’s note: Creation Ministries International (CMI) stands firmly on the authority of Scripture, which entails that Creation occurred in six normal-length days about 6000 years ago, and a planet-wide Flood followed about 1600 years later. Many Christians who disbelieve the straightforward interpretation of Genesis admit that they are motivated mainly by ‘science’, or rather the uniformitarian interpretations of science. This page deals with only conservative compromisers; outright liberals are addressed in Q&A: Countering the Critics: Alleged contradictions

Days of Creation

• See Q&A: Genesis — How long were the days mentioned in the biblical creation account?

Framework Hypothesis

What is the Framework Hypothesis? Is it biblical?

• Is Genesis poetry / figurative, a theological argument (polemic) and thus not history?
• Problems in methods of interpretation—Genesis 1–11: Part 2
• An understanding of Genesis 2:5 (technical, PDF: a key passage in Framework eisegesis; does it teach that only normal providence was operating?)
• From Chaos to Cosmos: A Critique of the Framework Hypothesis (technical, by Joseph Pipa, President of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, SC; refuting this scriptural compromise advocated by Meredith Kline and Henri Blocher)
• Critique of the Framework Interpretation of the Creation account (technical, by Robert McCabe, Professor of Old Testament at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary in Allen Park, MI, Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal); Part one 10:19–67, 2005; part two 11:63–133, 2006
• A critique of the literary framework view of the days of Creation (technical, PDF, by Andrew Kulikovsky)
• Christians in the public square: How far should Evangelicals go in the Creation-Evolution debate? (Defence of straightforward Genesis, critique of compromise views (mainly Framework), rebukes appeasement of uniformitarian ‘science’, by Todd Beall, Professor of Old Testament, Capital Bible Seminary, Lanham, MD; Evangelical Theological Society meeting)

Gap Theory

How is the Gap Theory refuted by the Bible?

• From the beginning of Creation: Does Genesis have a gap?
• Can evolution’s long ages be squeezed into Genesis?
• Gap Theory — An idea with holes?
• Morning has broken … but when? (Was Creation’s first day the beginning?)
• What does ‘Replenish the Earth’ mean?
• Genesis unbound (critique of John Sailhamer’s sophistic version of the gap theory)
• What about the ‘gap’ and ‘ruin-reconstruction’ theories?
• ‘Soft gap’ sophistry
• Gap Theory brochure

What about the soft gap theory?

• ‘Soft gap’ sophistry

Progressive Creationism

Hugh Ross and ‘progressive creationism’: why is it wrong to add billions of years to the Bible?

• Refuting Compromise: A biblical and scientific refutation of ‘progressive creationism’ (billions of years) as popularized by astronomer Hugh Ross (right)
• Refuting Compromise: (book introduction plus some reviews)
• Some questions for theistic evolutionists and ‘progressive creationists’
• The dubious apologetics of Hugh Ross (semi-technical)
• Exposé of NavPress’s new Hugh Ross Book (semi-technical)
• Cosmic breakthrough
• Critique of the introductory chapter of Hugh Ross’ new book A Matter of Days: Resolving a Creation Controversy (semi-technical)
• Hugh Ross lays down the gauntlet! (semi-technical)
• Answering some Hugh Ross supporters
• What’s wrong with Progressive Creationism?
• Analysis of the Ross–Hovind Debate, John Ankerberg Show
• Pre-Adamic man: were there human beings on earth before Adam?
• Hugh Ross Exposé (Refutation of his article on the Christian Leadership Ministry website)
• Jason Lisle vs. Hugh Ross debate: annotated transcript
• Ten major differences and similarities between Calendar-Day and Day-Age Creationists — According to Dr Hugh Ross
• Trilobites on the Ark?
• Shame on Charisma! Leading Pentecostal magazine promotes Hugh Ross compromise and denigrates biblical creationists
• Is cruelty normal?
• Beaded ornaments challenge ‘progressive creationists’
• James Mellor Brown warned of dangers of long-age compromises in 1838!
• Strong case, but flawed by compromise: Review of The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel

Gerald Schroeder and his new variation on the ‘Day-Age’ theory

• Part 1
• Part 2

Did God rest on the seventh day for a literal 24 hour day, or for millions of years?

• Is the seventh day an eternal day?
• God’s rest in Hebrews 4:1–11

Theistic Evolution

Why is evolution so dangerous for Christians to believe?

• 10 Dangers of Theistic Evolution (Available in Finnish, German and Spanish)
• ‘A child may see the folly of it’
• Biblical problems for theistic evolution
• Why I rejected theistic evolution
• The big picture
• Bryan on theistic evolution
• Curse and Catastrophe
• Do I have to believe in a literal creation to be a Christian?
• The future: some issues for ‘long age’ Christians
• God and evolution: do they mix?
• Is it possible to be a Christian and an evolutionist?
• Theistic evolution: future shock
• Theistic evolution: what difference does it make?
• What should a Christian think about evolution?
• Taking firm hold on an illusion (review of Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology, by Darrel Falk)
• Harmony and discord (review of The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins)
• Dr Broughton Knox, former principal of Moore College, denounced evolution
• Viva la Evolution?
• Paying homage to the stork
• A Circus of Clergy
• Churches celebrating the ‘Year of Darwin’

Did God use evolution to create the world?

• The atheists know … Why Christianity has to fight evolution
• Did the Creator use evolution?
• Some questions for theistic evolutionists and ‘progressive creationists’
• Evolution incompatible with Christianity
• The god of an old Earth
• Jacques Monod vs Theistic Evolution (Available in French)
• Is evolution ‘anti-religion’?
• The Skeptics and their churchian allies
• Some questions for theistic evolutionists (and progressive creationists)
• The horse and the tractor — Why God and evolution don’t mix
• Evangelical compromise misses the essentials
  (Semi-technical, review of The Essence of Darwinism by Kirsten Birkett)

How has theistic evolution harmed the faith of scientists and others who professed Christianity?

• From (theistic) evolution to creation (article about Prof. John Rendle-Short)
• A testimony: ‘Joel Galvin’ (Faith shipwrecked by compromising ‘Christian’ colleges; restored by creation ministry)

The Genesis Flood: global or local

• See Q&A: Flood — Does the Bible really claim that Noah’s Flood was global?