If you were to read all of the posts on this blog, you would indeed find that the preponderance of evidence establishes the fact that the bible/scripture is the redemptive narrative. Further, its main function is the story of redemption. It is not a law book. It is not a manual for correct living. It is not a science book. Rather, it is a love story that explains God's love for humanity and all that He created.
I have never been comfortable believing that all of life on this planet just evolved. Certainly, there is an element of evolution within all living things but not to the degree that all life evolved from one primordial cell. But by the same token, I am not comfortable with the six day creation. I believe it to be a metaphor or an allegory. For this reason, I think that the theory of ID or intelligent design makes a lot of sense to me.
I do not have a scientific mind or a scientific bent. I am intuitive. I think it could be best described as a mystic. I would like to use the definition from the Oxford Dictionary; "a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect." I think that the second clause in this defining sentence best describes how I see myself as a mystic. I want to focus on the idea of one who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect. This supports my sentiment in the above paragraph.
When one looks up Intelligent Design (ID,) one soon finds that there is a fierce debate going on among those who claim to be ID scientists and Darwinists. It seems that the Darwinists try to lump ID scientists with creationists. They do it to discount the science of ID, but I have read enough to see that the Darwinists are as Shakespeare once wrote, "protesting" a tad too much. ID scientists do not demand that one follow the explanation of the Bible. They merely claim to prove what to me is obvious; that is, that the theory of irreducible complexity flies in the face of the entire biological world evolving from one primordial cell. I don't suggest that I understand it in the least, but I have given enough key words so that you can look it up for yourself. Rather, the mystic in me tells me that it is correct.
Those evangelicals that demand a literal reading of Genesis are completely wrong in my view. This is not a plea for creationism over evolution. I do KNOW however that the bible does not lose its inspirational authority if the first part of Genesis is allegorical. In fact, it does not lose its inspirational authority if the story of Adam and Eve is allegorical. Thinking that it does merely shows a limitation of understanding and provides the ammunition to Darwinists to show that creationism is anti-intellectual.
By the same token, it has never made sense to me that "beings" as complex as those living on this earth, especially humans, but the entire animal kingdom included as well just evolved from cosmic accidents. Rather, for me it shows a highly complex, and very orderly existence that demands a creative force, a designer if you will allow the term. I believe that force is the God of the universe, and that in fact, Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the incarnation of God in human flesh to bring redemption by proving that we are eternal beings, and that there is life and existence beyond this earthly dimension.
When one takes a wooden literal interpretation of all scripture one creates a false image of God's purpose for humanity. Ephesians chapter one establishes that God's purpose in creation, before the foundation of the world, which is before creation, was to bring about the praise of his glorious grace. The gospel explains that God reconciled humanity to himself for this very purpose. I can assure you that to keep the intent of the scripture, as stated by Jesus, recorded in the above scripture passage from John, it is not necessary to view the bible as a science book, or a rule book. It is in fact a book that explains the gospel of Jesus Christ and the reconciliation bought by his life, death, and resurrection.
We will be exploring more about the essence of Jesus earthly ministry and what God had clearly intended when he sent Jesus to earth. It will be liberating and it will eliminate so much of the schizophrenic teaching that is replete in orthodox Christian doctrine. Most especially that of the evangelical variety of Christianity.
