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Evolutionists are wrong. Do we hate them?

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As biblical creationists, we know the vital importance a biblical view of origins has for a coherent worldview. However, it might surprise some to know that we receive attacks not just from atheists, but other believers who profess to believe the authority of Scripture as much as we do. We also recognize that their compromise makes it that much harder to convince others, because they say that it’s possible to have a high view of Scripture and also accept evolution and billions of years. What is the proper biblical response and attitude to have?

Just to be clear, this article is only speaking about professing Christians, and not atheistic evolutionists.

We love Christian evolutionists because God has saved them

Surprisingly, some people doubt that there is such a thing as a Christian evolutionist. Yet many of our staff were evolutionists for years after their conversion before they understood the truth of biblical creation. While creation is a very important doctrine, it is not a salvation doctrine—meaning one can be a genuine Christian and have the wrong doctrine of creation. This is because we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, not by 100% doctrinal accuracy—and we can all thank God for that!

But it is not enough to affirm that Christ can save people who remain evolutionists, and yet act like they aren’t our brothers and sisters in Christ. Rather, we should lovingly seek to correct them and help them understand creation.

We love Christian evolutionists because we used to be evolutionists, too

As mentioned above, most of us used to be evolutionists at some time because that’s all we were taught to believe. Schools start teaching evolution incredibly early, and movies, documentaries, and all sorts of media portray evolution and billions of years as fact. Since most churches are not equipped to teach their people to defend the biblical view, it’s no surprise that most Christians believe evolutionary concepts because that’s all they’ve ever been taught.

We love Christian evolutionists by being respectful and patient, but not compromising

So when we dialogue with evolutionists, we should keep all this in mind. Rather than defaulting to a polemic stance and assuming the evolutionist is actively disbelieving Scripture’s clear teaching regarding creation, you can work from the position that the evolutionist probably hasn’t heard a good creation presentation before. This is especially the case if the professing Christian is otherwise soundly biblical and agree with the biblical view of the Virginal Conception, Resurrection, and other supernatural claims of the Bible. Your goal should be to start a conversation and kindly and gently win them over.

One really good way to start a conversation is to ask questions. People don’t like to be lectured, but they love to talk about their own views. So ask good questions, like “What is the specific evidence that convinced you that millions of years is a fact?”. Use their answers to inspire more good questions! In other words, have an actual conversation. And after you’ve let them talk for a while, simple politeness will demand they allow you to talk for a while. So, one would hope, both of you come to a better understanding of what the other believes, and hopefully they are a bit closer to the truth and have some things to think about as a result. This type of discourse is something that’s increasingly rare in our world of polarized online interactions. So, if possible, it’s always best to do this face-to-face.

We love Christian evolutionists by strongly refuting their lead propagandists

Now, there are some Christian evolutionists who are not simply misinformed or lack access to information, but they are actively propagandizing churches and Christian colleges. BioLogos typifies this sort of evolutionist, and we’ve been pretty tough on them—for instance, we have demonstrated how they are a syncretistic organization and confirmed that what they present isn’t Christianity.

When someone publicly is propagating error that is intended to cause people to doubt the accuracy of God’s Word, it is appropriate to strongly refute them in public, since their false teaching is also public. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t seek to influence anyone in these positions, but rather a primary goal should be preventing them from influencing others.

So as you approach Christian evolutionists, do so in a loving manner, carefully remembering the biblical command found in 1 Peter 3:15, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”.

Helpful Resources

From Creation to Salvation
by Lita Cosner Sanders
US $14.00
Soft cover
The Genesis Account
by Jonathan Sarfati
US $39.00
Hard cover