Oh what time a week brings. At the end of last week, I was working on my articles on why I am not OEC, in the vein of my discussions on what it would take me to convince me of Old Earth Creationism rather than Young Earth Creationism – despite claims that this makes me “anti-Science” a troglydite, comparisons to flat earthers or to those who are illiteriate.

At the end of last week I covered a marathon session on the recent supreme court decision, and then started the process of adapting to a swing change – the joys of working a secular job while doing apologetics at the same time.

To come back to my point on why I am not OEC, to convince me that the I should abandon that position, one would need to prove or demonstrate three things.

1. Evolution must be demonstrated scientifically rather than philosophically.
2. They must develop a viable interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2 within the confines of grammatical/historical interpretation.
3. They must present a viable answer to the questions raised for Biblical Theology and Systematic theology.

We are on the third issue, and frankly this is the most important. One might demonstrate evolution scientifically, but this would not make a comment on the past, it makes a comment on an ongoing process. Similarly developing a viable of Genesis 1 and 2 would not prove that it is the correct interpretation, it only provides a viable means of tying the discussions together. The third point is most crucial.

What I mean by the answers to the questions raised for Biblical Theology and systematic theology are the impacts this has on the larger issues of Christian thought.

The New Testament takes Genesis 1 through 3 very seriously, for example, it is now well known that Jesus dealt with the question of marriage by appealing to Genesis 1 and 2, the created order. Paul does the same thing in 1 Timothy 2, when he discusses why women should not be in the pastorate.

The biggest issue is the discussion of evil, and the curse. Paul discusses the curse[1] as the source of natural disasters.[2] If someone argues that God used evolution to bring men up from the dust of the ground, then we have a serious problem because death and disaster would predate the fall and creation of mankind. In so doing, we can no longer discuss evil in terms of man’s actions – God originally created nature red in tooth and claw.

There are other issues besides this illustrative one, but this to me is the central problem, Old Earth Creationists must alter Christian thought in too many ways, it puts Christian thought on decline.

[1] Genesis 3:17

[2] Romans 8:20-23.