I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      In hundreds of churches, February 14 and 15, 2009, are being celebrated as “Evolution Weekend.”

B.      This lesson is presented as a critical analysis of this bizarre union of churches and Darwinian evolution.

                                                             1.      How could any churches claim to adhere to the Bible and yet celebrate the unbiblical doctrine of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution?  This is what The Clergy Letter Project seeks to resolve.

                                                             2.      Note: The information reported below concerning Evolution Weekend and The Clergy Letter Project is taken directly from the organization’s website.

II.      A BRIEF HISTORY OF EVOLUTION WEEKEND

A.      The Clergy Letter Project was started by an evolutionary biologist named Michael Zimmerman.

                                                             1.      Zimmerman (presently Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Butler University) began the organization in 2004 in response to a Wisconsin school board that passed anti-evolution policies.  After convincing the school board to reverse their decisions, he turned nationwide with his efforts.

                                                             2.      The Clergy Letter Project consists of two main activities:

a.       The Clergy Letter – a letter that affirms harmony between the Bible and Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution (signed by 11,827 members of the “American Christian clergy” as of 2/10/09);

b.       Evolution Sunday (now Evolution Weekend) – more on this below.

                                                             3.      The stated goals of The Clergy Letter Project are (quoted directly from the Project’s website):

a.       “To demonstrate that religion and evolutionary biology are compatible;”

b.       “To demonstrate that Fundamentalist ministers who demand that people choose between religion and modern science are not speaking for all Christian leaders.”

B.      The Clergy Letter Project sponsors an annual nationwide event, which is called “Evolution Weekend.”

                                                             1.      Evolution Sunday began in 2006 (became Evolution Weekend in 2008 to be more inclusive).

                                                             2.      Evolution Weekend is observed on the weekend that is closest to the anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth (2/12/1809 – 2009 is the 200 year anniversary).

                                                             3.      The stated goals of Evolution Weekend are (quoted directly from the Project’s website):

a.       “To demonstrate that religion and modern science are compatible;”

b.       “To reach out to thousands of parishioners across the country;”

c.        “To elevate the national dialogue on the topic of religion and evolution;”

d.       “To increase the awareness of The Clergy Letter.”

III.   BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

A.      Presently, let us consider Evolution Weekend and the issue of biblical interpretation.

                                                             1.      Considerable and convincing scientific evidence that favors the Bible’s account of creation (often described as “intelligent design”) and contradicts Darwin’s theory of evolution can be presented, but there is a more important need for this lesson.

a.       Christians should be informed about the evidence, but the question of scientific evidence is never the most important issue for Christians.

b.       We who are Christians must keep in mind that scientific discoveries are not the basis of our faith (see Heb. 11:1).  Such discoveries are only expressions of man’s current understanding of the world and do not necessarily reveal the ultimate truth of God.  It is the Bible which is the basis of our religion and which reveals the ultimate truth of God.

                                                             2.      Therefore, the purpose of this lesson is to consider whether interpreting the Bible to be compatible with Darwinian evolution is consistent with the how the Bible interprets itself.

B.      First, let us understand the primary goal of Evolution Weekend, which is “to demonstrate that religion and modern science are compatible” according to The Clergy Letter Project.

                                                             1.      We will focus on this primary goal because the other goals are simply extensions of this one.

                                                             2.      For our purposes, we will interpret “religion” to be Christianity and “modern science” to be a biased term to indicate Darwinian evolution.

a.       Our concern is not whether other religions are compatible with Darwinian evolution.  We are only concerned with Christianity.

b.       Because Christianity has such a broad and ambiguous meaning in the world today, let us focus upon the founding text of Christianity, which is the Bible.

c.        Regarding the term “modern science,” there is much modern science that supports the Bible’s creation account, but the inventor of Evolution Weekend implies that those who reject Darwinian evolution are out of touch with modern science.

                                                             3.      Therefore, as it relates to Christians, the purpose of Evolution Weekend is to demonstrate that the Bible and Darwinian evolution are compatible.

C.      Now, let us address the issue directly by answering this question directly: Are the Bible and Darwinian evolution compatible?

                                                             1.      A simple investigation of the Bible and the theory of Darwinian evolution indicates that these two accounts of the origin of life are not compatible.

a.       The Bible’s account in the first two chapters of Genesis records six days of creation for the entire world, whereas the modern theory of evolution requires billions of years.

b.       The Bible’s account records that God spoke everything into existence instantaneously, whereas Darwin’s theory requires a slow, natural process of change and development.

c.        The Bible’s account records that life begat life after its own kind, whereas Darwin’s theory requires life to beget life of a different kind (via beneficial mutations).

                                                             2.      However, the thousands of clergy members who signed The Clergy Letter give an alternative interpretation of the Genesis account to make it compatible with Darwinian evolution.

a.       The Clergy Letter asserts that the Bible’s account of creation is figurative and allegorical.

i.         The Letter says, “Many of the beloved stories found in the Bible…convey timeless truths… in the only form capable of transmitting these truths from generation to generation.”

ii.        Further, it says, “Religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth.”

iii.      According to the Letter, failure to exercise critical thought to see that these Bible stories are allegories is “a rejection of the will of our Creator.”

b.       The Clergy Letter Project website contains dozens of sermons and articles that explain the allegorical and figurative interpretation of the Bible’s creation account.

                                                             3.      Thus, the core issue is the matter of biblical interpretation.  Is it right to interpret the Bible’s creation account as an allegory rather than a literal record?

a.       No Bible student would deny that the Bible has many figurative passages, particularly in prophecies.  Typically, these passages are easily identified.

b.       However, there is nothing about the creation account to indicate that it is an allegory.

i.         The burden of proof is on those who interpret creation as an allegory.  Where is their biblical evidence for this interpretation?

ii.        The biblical evidence in favor of a literal interpretation is strong, for in addition to the Genesis account itself, there is also the testimony of the Law of Moses (Ex. 20:11; 31:17), the book of Job (Job 38-41), the Psalms (Ps. 33:6, 9; 148:5), Isaiah (Isa. 40:21-31; 45:18), John (John 1:1-3), Paul (Col. 1:15-16; 1Tim. 2:13; Heb. 11:3), Peter (2Pet. 3:4-6), and even Jesus Himself (Matt. 19:4).

c.        Therefore, it is not reasonable to interpret the creation account as a figurative allegory.

D.      The Clergy Letter Project leans heavily upon what it considers to be majority opinion, but this reasoning is irrelevant to biblical truth.

                                                             1.      The Letter makes the unproven assumption of Christians, “…the overwhelming majority do not read the Bible literally, as they would a science textbook.”

                                                             2.      The Project has been successful in acquiring thousands of signatures from clergy members, but these have no bearing on biblical truth

                                                             3.      Popular opinion matters for the purposes of The Clergy Letter Project, but it is irrelevant to the subject of biblical interpretation.

a.       Consider 2Peter 1:20-21 – “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

b.       Even if all of mankind decides to misinterpret the Bible’s account of creation, their misinterpretation will still be wrong.  “Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar” (Rom. 3:4).

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      The collaborators of The Clergy Letter Project and Evolution Weekend are attempting to influence others and justify themselves rather than honestly appealing to biblical truth.

B.      Are we to honestly believe that belief in a literal creation according to Genesis is “a rejection of the will of our Creator”?  How they fit the description of Isaiah 5:20 by calling good evil and evil good!