BY WILLIAM G. JOHNSSON
uring the past three years the Seventh-day Adventist Church
has convened a series of unique conferences as scientists, theologians, and
administrators came together to discuss the biblical teaching of creation. You
would not find the Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, or Roman
Catholics devoting time to this topic: they long since abandoned any attempt
at a literal understanding of Genesis in favor of evolution. Nor would fundamentalist
groups that denigrate science involve themselves in such an enterprise.
Adventists stand apart. On one hand, we take the Bible seriously:
we affirm the primacy of Scripture in our understanding of who we are and how
life originated. On the other, we value God's revelation through nature—His
second book—and encourage the pursuit of rigorous scientific investigation.
In the modern world Adventists often find themselves out of
resonance with ideas common in the culture and propagated in the classroom.
The great majority of our young people around the globe get their education
in a secular environment, and face strong pressure from teachers and peers who
regard evolution as fact rather than theory.
These considerations led the 2001 Annual Council to authorize
a series of conferences to review the contributions and limitations that both
faith and science bring to our understanding of origins. The conferences were
not called to change the church's long-held position on creation—that was
never within their purview.
The first conference, international in scope, convened in Ogden,
Utah, in 2002. During the next year seven regional conferences were held by
various divisions of the world church. This year a second and concluding international
conference met in Denver, Colorado. It summarized the work of the previous two
years and made suggestions for a report of the conferences. This report, drafted
by the organizing committee, was sent to the 2004 Annual Council through General
Conference president Jan Paulsen.
The committee's report covers background, general observations,
findings, affirmations, and recommendations in a comprehensive manner. It will
appear in print in the November 11 issue of the Adventist Review.
I participated in both international conferences and found them
interesting, stimulating—and stretching. Here are some reflections from
the many impressions I took away from those packed days together:
1. Evolution isn't an option for the Seventh-day Adventist
Church. Far more than one's interpretation of Genesis 1 is involved: the
biblical doctrine of creation interlocks with those of the Fall, sin, death,
Jesus, salvation, the Second Coming, and the restoration of all that was lost.
2. In their work scientists encounter much data that appears
to contradict a short time for life on earth. Some of this evidence can
be explained; much cannot. We need to be honest in facing this situation; to
simply dismiss it betrays ignorance. But evolution also faces its own set of
problems.
3. All other models of the Creation story face major difficulties.
Attempts to understand the "days" of Genesis as long periods, or to
posit a large gap in time between the days, for instance, bring conflict with
the biblical text, theological considerations, or the data from nature. The
conference looked at various other models and rejected them.
4. Science as a method needs to be distinguished from science
as a philosophy. The scientific method has proved itself over and over,
but asserting that everything originated by wholly natural causes brings one
into the realm of philosophy. Origins cannot be replicated in the laboratory.
5. We have limited understanding of the past. Strange
and terrifying creatures once roamed our planet, and vast forces have convulsed
it. Humility is in order when we discuss earth history.
6. We can be proud of Adventist scholarship. The quality
of papers and discussion by theologians, scientists, ethicists, and educators
dazzled me. But there was more: these scholars coupled their learning with conviction—a
deep love of the Lord, the Bible, and the church.
7. We live by faith. In facing questions about origins,
we have to learn to live with tensions. We do not have all the answers, but
we have enough answers.
This is true, of course, for the entire Christian life. Above
all, we have the Answer—Jesus.
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William G. Johnsson is the editor of the Adventist Review.
