Christian Response to “Unsaveable Evolutionists”

Cincinnati Post religion writer Kevin Eigelbach took issue with a recent Answers Update e-newsletter, alleging-among other things-that the e-newsletter implied evolutionists couldn't be Christians. Eigelbach sarcastically asks:

[W]ho am I to speak, since in AIG's view, the devil has blinded me to the truth and I refuse to submit to God?

Eigelbach is referring to the closing comments of the September 2nd Answers Update:

But the evidence from the rock layers fits with what the Bible tells us concerning the judgment of the Flood. It is obvious these layers were laid down catastrophically, not slowly. But evolutionists deliberately choose to ignore the obvious-why? They have been blinded by the god of this world and don't want to submit to the God of the Bible!

Answers in Genesis is merely pointing out that if the evidence clearly points to a global flood, and evolutionists ignore the obvious, then it must be because the evolutionists are being influenced by something unscientific (after all, scientists are “supposed to” accept whatever the evidence points to, right?). What reason would there be for a scientist to reject something that the evidence points to? The answer is that a different worldview is influencing these scientists-one that does not honor God and whose root is a deception.

Furthermore, Mr. Eigelbach states that the passage the e-newsletter concerned, in 2 Peter 3, “refers to the Second Coming of Jesus,” and “doesn't concern evolution at all.” Now, it is certainly true that the passage does deal with the Second Coming. But read verses 4-7:

“Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:4-7)

Quite obviously, that passage is discussing eschatology. But does this mean it has nothing to do with creation or the Flood? The passage clearly states that people willingly forget two things-“that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water,” and that “the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.” In other words, people “deliberately choose to ignore the obvious” when it comes to creation and the Flood and “are blinded,” as we stated in the September 2nd Answers Update (see also Ephesians 4:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4).

Does Answers in Genesis believe evolutionists can’t be Christians. No, but we do clearly state in our Statement of Faith that:

The doctrines of Creator and Creation cannot ultimately be divorced from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thus, in short, our stance on the issue is that a Christian can believe in evolution, but that such a belief contradicts the foundation of the faith and can quickly lead to compromising on the rest of God's Word. For more details, see “Why Does Creation Matter?”