What is Theistic Evolution?

Darwinism says that we evolved from unicellular organisms. It also says that the process was complex, and took thousand of years to evolve us from a unicellular organism like amoeba to an intelligent human. However, if we eventually evolved from unicellular organisms, where did these organisms come from?

This is a question that we often neglect as being unnecessary. But, if you are a believer of this concept, you will find that this is the exact question that would form the beginning of the explanation. The concept is on the basis of God, being an omnipotent part of evolution.

It can be mathematically explained by, 'Theistic evolution = matter + evolutionary factors (chance and necessity + mutation + selection + isolation + death) + very long time periods + God' (atheists calculate evolution by, 'Evolution = matter + evolutionary factors (chance and necessity + mutation + selection + isolation + death) + very long time periods.').

This formula makes it clear that such evolutionists believe that evolution is incomplete without God's divine hand. This concept is easy to understand; to follow it is even easier. In simple words, such evolutionists believe that evolution is a mixture of Darwinism and 'the seven days'. They believe that God first created the universe.

As a causation to that, evolution took place. Hence, God played the initial lead that was vital for not only evolution, but for the creation of the universe too. They believe in a synthesis of science and religion. People of many faiths now see logic in propounding this evolutionary system, as all faiths believe that 'in the beginning there was the creator.'

There are a lot of arguments about this evolutionary system. Many people differ with it on many grounds. In fact, in his book Tactics, Greg Koukl has mentioned the concept briefly and his take on it.

"Some people suggest that God used evolution to design the world. They are motivated, by two impulses. The first is a desire to affirm the Bible. The second is a suspicion Darwinism may have merit. Thus, they declare both true.

These two notions however, seem incompatible. It may sound reasonable for God to use evolution, but if you look closer, you can see the problem.

Suppose, a person wanted a straight flush for a hand of poker. He could either pull the cards out of the deck individually and design the hand or could shuffle the cards randomly and see if the flush is dealt to him. It would not make any sense, though, to design the hand by shuffling the deck and dealing. There's no way to ensure the results.

In the same way, either God designs the details of the biological world, or nature shuffles the deck, and natural selection chooses the winning hand. The mechanism is either conscious and intentional (design), or unconscious and unintentional (natural selection). 

Evolution is accidental like a straight flush dealt to a poker rookie. The idea that something is designed by chance is contradictory. Like trying to put a square peg in a round hole, this just doesn't fit."

Many Christians strongly disagree with the concept on the grounds of 10 points:

• The nature of God in misinterpreted.
• God occupies the spaces that evolution can't explain. (He is a filler.)
• Several central biblical teachings are denied.
• Sin is made meaningless, and hence, nonexistent.
• Undermining of the doctrine of God's incarnation.

• Jesus' work of redemption is made to seem as a myth.
• Biblical chronology is negated.
• The concepts of creation are negated.
• The concept of reality is misinterpreted.
• The Purpose of God is lost.

From this entire episode, you can notice that the logic of faith is visible to one who truly believes in it. No matter which faith you belong to (Atheism is a faith too), you will be able to see truth in it only if you believe in it. They say, 'Even God is nothing without the faith of his Followers.'