Hosanna ! featuring the London Touring Cast – Risen! The Musical at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth

What More Could You Do Lord? featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Where Would I Be Without You” recorded and produced by Ross Gill

I have for some time been considering why there is suffering in the world. This is probably the most challenging question to ask of anyone- not just Christians. Is there a conflict between science and Christianity is another often asked question. In order to attempt to answer I will refer to three books which I have quoted in previous blogs: “It Makes Sense” by Stephen Gaukroger- “Searching Issues” by Nicky Gumbel and “The Case against Christ” by John Young.

I think I will grasp the needle right from the start and look at the issue of evolution- as Gaukroger states “Of all the issues which have caused concern about the relationship between science and faith, evolution is the most explosive.”

Gaukroger goes on to say that although the impression may be that the entire scientific world believes in the theory of evolution and only a few eccentrics and religious cranks would deny it, the fact is that there are a great number of notable scientists; Christians and non -Christians who do not believe that the commonly stated evolutionary theory is the best explanation of the facts we have. Creation is a perfectly reasonable alternative to evolution. He goes on to make it clear that evolution is not a fact but a theory and to teach it dogmatically as fact presents an erroneous view of science. Science he says “Is constantly on the move refining, correcting and reviewing its theories… in the past it has held views totally contrary to the views held today.” Indeed Gumbel states that to regard a scientific theory as more than provisional is bad science. He cites the example of Newtonian physics being regarded as virtually incontestable until Einstein and others showed that its laws break down when Quantum Mechanics and Relatively become relevant.

And if I may include a personal note here- I am angry that children are taught in schools that evolution is a fact and not a theory – like Gaukroger I fail to understand how such a dogmatic approach can be defended. It is not just Newtonian physics that shows that scientific theory is provisional – after all it was only months ago that we were told that nothing is faster than the speed of light but apparently there is now evidence that this is not the case.

I believe in evolution of the species, sometimes called “Micro -evolution and can see that the domestic dog has evolved from wolves but to believe that human kind has evolved from fish or apes (Macro- evolution ) is for me much less believable than that we were created as humans by God.