My story
In childhood I was an atheist. I was taught evolution theory as an unquestionable truth.
It’s worth to note that that time I thought: “People need yet 100 million years of evolution to become really intelligent”. My modern opinion of this topic (whether people’s brains should be effective computers) is expressed in this and this chapters of my theological book.
Some time passed and I became a Christian. Yet I kept to believe in evolution theory. I was in a Baptist church and (with no reason, just to speak about something) said to a preacher from an other city: “It is great how evolution is described in the book of Genesis.” He said me back some standard creationists’ arguments (probably it was that “days” are literal days and that the plants could not be able to grow if they would wait yet millions years for appearance of light, as grass was created on the third day but the lights (including Sun) in expanse of the sky appeared only at the fourth day, and that death entered the world only after the sin of Adam whilst evolution is impossible without death).
After hearing these arguments I momentarily converted into a creationist. I’ve said like this: If Bible says it it is true, not matter what science teaches.
I keep to think this way: Bible is more authoritative than science for me. I believe Bible says truth and truth only not only on morality issues but on all kinds of topics, including science and history.
New interpretation of Old Testament
Thus I should be a creationist, yep? My further study of Bible has shown that in Bible there are probably more arguments pro evolution rather than counter evolution.
I reveal you a secret: Initially Old Testament was written without vowels. The vowels were inserted later by Jewish scholars. We can insert other vowels and get an other meaning of the text. And that other meanings may be equally credible as the usual translation of Bible. Again: The meaning of Bible was restricted by Jewish tradition, and there are more meanings of the text. You can study Old Testament without vowels at this wiki site. (Don’t only read but also add your own translations! At that site it is explained how to interpret Hebrew text without vowels and you don’t need to become an expert linguist for that. The grammar of Hebrew without vowels is quite easy to learn.)
I have explored first few chapters of Genesis. And I was surprised that it witnesses pro evolution. I’ve setup a wiki page where anyone can read others and add his own arguments pro or counter evolution.
Next it follows my current opinion on evolution from literal biblical positions.
Arguments pro evolution in Bible
Here are some quotes from my alternative translation of Bible, which seem to support evolution:
(Gen. 1:11) “Earth will sprout green plants producing descendant, fruit tree making fruit for its kind making progress of his offspring in it on the Earth”.
(Gen. 1:25) “God has made relatives on the Earth by their kind” (if it is translated correctly, different kind of species are called relatives by Bible).
(Gen. 1:29) “grass offspring bearing seed making progress on the surface of the entire Earth, and all trees making progress in their seed of the tree, offspring bearing seed”.
(Gen. 1:31) “God saw his deal all (time) making advance” (becoming better).
(Gen. 2:4) says about “generations” during God’s creation what may imply existence of death and thus evolution.
Gen. 1:11 is especially strong: It says that trees are descendants of grass. It is what is commonly called macro-evolution.
It is also difficult for creationism to explain, how predators and parasites have appeared.
Jesus says that serpents and scorpions are created by Devil: (Luk. 10:19) “Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.” Thus it is a liable theory that the evolution on the Earth was going under effect of both God and Devil.
People and monkeys
Are people descendants of monkeys?
At first it could seem “NO!” for a believing reader of Bible:
(Gen. 2:7) “God Yahweh has formed Adam pulverized from soil and breath into his nose living spirit, and Adam became a living soul.”
Reading it looks like a case of direct (non-evolutionary) creation.
However I see no reason to assume that Gen. 2:7 describes a quick event. May the event described in Gen. 2:7 longs for millions years? Why not? If the evolution theory is true, humans were created from atoms of the soil breathing oxygen, exactly as described in Bible.
So, does anything in Bible contradict to the theory that people are monkeys’ descendents?
However, it is quite likely that some biotechnology of God (or an advanced civilization used by God) was used to transform monkeys into people. Why has God used a biotechnology, not direct creation? We do not know.
Bible disagrees with modern science about the time period (as investigated by radiocarbon dating) of existence of man. But this can be easily explained by the fact that before the Flood the atmosphere of the Earth was different (so producing different quantities of carbon isotopes) and thus radiocarbon dating produces wrong results when analyzing events before the Flood. (Yes, I believe in the Flood over the entire Earth. It is described in errorless Bible and can’t be false.)
In short: God created living creatures on the Earth, as described in errorless Bible, word of God. Evolution was God’s mean of creation.
See more at this page.
I agree with you and even wrote a book about an entirely new interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2 based upon a revelation I received. (I know, that sounds like I need to be wearing a straight jacket, but it is the truth.) Anyhow check out my book on Amazon. It will entirely change your view of the Genesis creation accounts.
http://www.amazon.com/Revelations-Glory-Passing-The-Genesis-ebook/dp/B008AABW2W