God Is No Weakling

How do modernist theologians deal with the theory of evolution? The usual view—
that they subscribe to a theory of theistic evolution, in which God uses evolution to
create the world—is not always true.

Theistic evolution, of course, cannot be acceptable to those who take the Bible
seriously. Even a figurative interpretation of Genesis will not correlate with
evolution. In Genesis, man was created holy, then fell into sin, and can be pulled
out of the depths only by a loving Savior God. In evolution, man was never a
perfect being but on his own is gradually making the climb toward perfection. Such
a person has no need for a Savior because he is not a fallen being.

The theistic evolution view at least gives God credit for creating the universe. A different and newer view goes
beyond that—not even giving God any credit at all for the creation of the cosmos.

In a new book titled God After Darwin: A Theology of the Future, John F. Haught, a professor at Georgetown
University, holds just such an opinion. According to a review of the book by Larry Witham in the February 20
Washington Times, Haught is no loner. He has been talking about Christianity and the natural sciences for more
than a decade and is a “pole star in the God and nature debate.”

What does Haught say? According to Witham, “Here is a God who never created ‘an original cosmic perfection’
and who has let evolution run free.

“This is not the God of most Sunday worship, where God is expected to be in charge...Instead, Mr. Haught
profiles a God of ‘divine pathos,’ or weakness and suffering. He calls this the true biblical God. And he hopes
that this God will deepen faith, for the old God envisioned as a dictator and rigid designer is both ‘uninteresting’
and ‘religiously pallid.’ ”

To be sure, Mr. Haught is the pathetic figure in all this—certainly not God. If he wishes to believe he is
completely at the mercy of the elements with no expectation of any help from God, he may do so. But, with the
Bible to support them, Christians would rather believe that God even knows the number of hairs on their heads
and with Him “nothing is impossible.” God is an almighty God offering comfort and hope, not a weakling god of
indifference and despair. LSI

—Warren Krug, editor