Why People Cannot Live by an Evolutionary Worldview

Two years ago, I wrote a post about whether those with a naturalistic worldview can live according to their belief in evolution. That post was based primarily on the emotional responses of evolutionary scientists to their own children, which contradict their beliefs. It also included the fact that, like it or not, we are responsible for our actions. You can read about that here: https://keithpetersenblog.com/2024/10/03/can-you-live-by-an-evolutionary-worldview/

There are other contradictions as well between evolutionary theory and the way that people actually live. One of these has to do with the effort to save endangered species. An obvious example is the northern spotted owl, found primarily in Washington, Oregon, and northern California; depending on your age, you may have heard stories about “tree-sitting:” people living on platforms in trees to prevent loggers from cutting them down. This practice continues today. In the late 1970s, government efforts began to limit logging in order to protect the northern spotted owl habitat, culminating in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially listing the northern spotted owl as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, heavily restricting logging across millions of acres. However, in the early 2000s, conservationists became aware of another threat, this time from the barred owl. This culminated in “culling” the barred owl to a degree–in other words, removing some of them from the habitat of the northern spotted owl. How were they removed? Either by shooting them or by capturing and then euthanizing them. This culling began in 2013 and continues to this day. It’s no surprise that there was an outcry from many who questioned whether it was “right” to kill a large number of owls from one species in order to save another species from extinction.

As every schoolkid knows, a fundamental tenet of Darwin’s evolutionary theory is survival of the fittest. What we see in the case of the northern spotted owl–especially in relation to the culling of the competing barred owl population–is anything but survival of the fittest. Instead, it is survival of the least fit because of intervention by human beings. There are other examples like this as well.

A second contradiction between evolutionary theory and the way that people actually live that I’ve noticed is our current tendency to tell children that they’re “special.” Since Darwin’s original formulation of evolution and for another 150 years afterward, we have been told that we are nothing more than animals–very intelligent ones, mind you, but animals nevertheless. In fact, biologically speaking, we are part of the animal kingdom. However, I’m sure that if you have kids, each one is indeed very special to you. And if you have a beloved pet, I’m sure that it is very special to you as well. My family had a pet rabbit who brought my daughter, my wife, and me great enjoyment for eight years, and yes, Cosmo was very special to us. From a biological standpoint, on the other hand, each living creature has unique physical traits–but nothing more, except intelligence, or the relative lack thereof. As I mentioned in the introductory paragraph, however, even many scientists who believe in evolutionary theory are incapable of thinking of their children as animals–or, in a more recent formulation of evolution (since 2007), as machines.

A third contradiction I have previously written about (in relation to God as being very personal) is people’s growing tendency to “personalize” the universe. For example, in Catherine Ryan Hyde’s book Life, Loss, and Puffins, one of the main characters talks about the universe arranging everything perfectly–for a while, anyway! This also flies in the face of evolutionary theory, which views the universe as cold, uncaring, and impersonal.

Evolution is a very flawed theory in and of itself, as I have written about elsewhere. In addition, it is very flawed because of the way that people actually live; how most people think, how they feel, how they act, and how they talk is not in step with evolutionary theory. In contrast, there are many passages in the Bible which speak of God, Who is very personal. One passage is Isaiah 43:1-7; the second part of verse 1 says: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” The Creator of the universe knows each of His people and has called each one by name. In the second part of verse 6 and on into verse 7, we read: “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth–everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” We are made in the image of God, and each person who has trusted Jesus Christ for salvation is a son or daughter of God. If that does not yet describe you, my prayer is that it will describe you someday.