Natural Conflict

Spirituality Column #43
September 4, 2007
Current! In Carmel (IN) newspaper

Natural Conflict
By Bob Walters

Charles Darwin may have failed to accurately explain how we all got here, but his theories succeeded in creating a secular religion – Naturalism.

Naturalism is the accurate “ism” to describe the opposite of “Creationism,” where the Bible tells us God created the world, man, morality and relationships. Naturalism tells us that the creation is all there is, and that, essentially, creation created creation. God isn’t there, morality is a figment of our imagination, and love is a collection of brain waves.

Not a Creator? Darwin’s “Origin of Species” left even the author unsure as to whether his theories were accurate (read Lee Stroebel’s Case for a Creator). Though Darwin’s science, true to his own suspicions, was dreadfully flawed, it was the best alternative yet to God’s story of Creation told in Genesis 1 and 2.

Darwin obviated a need for “God” in the grand scheme of things. Hence we become, if not Creators ourselves, masters of our own morality. We decide what is good and evil; and it doesn’t matter, because we are all just accidents of nature anyway.

I think there is way more mystery, drama, magnificence and truth in the Biblical story, but our secular world has arrived at a place in history where the Bible is largely dismissed, God is easily ignored, Christ is routinely ridiculed, and the Holy Spirit has been morphed into a spirit of man rather than God.

What is the difference? And what does it matter?

This:

Naturalism rejects a personal God, rejects absolutes, rejects morality and ridicules faith. It gives us nothing and explains nothing of our spirit. Instead of faith, hope and charity, the natural order is survival of the fittest.

We have a great gift in God’s love and the transforming grace of Jesus.

Why, in God’s name, would anyone give that up?

PS – You don’t really think we crawled out of the slime and started thinking, by ourselves, do you? God created science, too.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) has made plenty of mistakes, but knows God doesn’t look at him as a mistake. That’s true of everyone. God wants us all.