The Relationship Between Theistic Evolutionism and Death

Theistic evolutionism attempts to integrate the theory of evolution with biblical faith. However, the concept of death, particularly the experience of dying, poses a significant challenge to this integration. Is it truly possible to reconcile these two fundamentally opposing perspectives on death?

The debate between the theory of evolution and biblical creation includes various perspectives that attempt to bridge the two. One of these is theistic evolution, a widely accepted view that suggests God created the world but did so through the evolutionary processes identified by modern science. At first glance, this approach may appear to offer a reasonable middle ground. However, fundamental differences between the evolutionary and biblical perspectives make such reconciliation a highly complex concept. One of the most significant points of contention is the nature of death, its origins, its purpose, and whether it will always be a part of human existence.

What is death?

Death is an inevitable aspect of life on Earth. It has been present since the earliest days of humanity, and even Neanderthals reflected on its significance, as seen in their burial practices.¹ Ancient civilizations also sought to understand death, with Egypt providing a well-known example through its elaborate tombs for rulers, including the pyramids. Similar structures were built in other parts of the world. Philosophers and religious figures across cultures have long considered the meaning of death, shaping beliefs in an afterlife and reinforcing the idea that death does not mark the end of existence.

Death in Darwin’s theory of evolution

Modern secular science holds that death, suffering, and bloodshed are essential to the process of evolution. According to evolutionary theory, death serves to eliminate individuals that are not well suited to their environment. In simple terms, species and individuals that are better adapted survive, while those that are weaker or less capable inevitably perish. This process, known as natural selection, ensures that life continues to develop and adapt. The late astronomer Carl Sagan also pointed out that death allows for the emergence of new species. From this perspective, death has been present since the very beginning of life and has remained a constant force for hundreds of millions, or even billions, of years.

Death in the Bible

The biblical view of death presents an entirely different understanding. According to the Book of Genesis, death entered the world as a result of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin.² This idea is reinforced by the Apostle Paul in Romans, where he refers to death affecting both humanity³ and all of creation (including animals).⁴ From a biblical perspective, death did not exist before the first humans turned away from God. Neither people nor animals experienced it until that moment. Only when humanity chose to act against God’s will did death and decay become part of the world. The Bible, therefore, presents death not as a natural and ongoing process but as a direct consequence of human disobedience.

Weak points of theistic evolutionism

Theistic evolution attempts to reconcile two fundamentally opposed viewpoints. To build their ‘conciliatory’ argument, supporters of this perspective claim that God used millions of years of evolution and the death of countless animals to bring about the world, including the perfect Garden of Eden. They often maintain that the curse of death was placed on humanity alone, while animals were supposedly dying long before.⁵ However, Scripture clearly states that God cursed not only humans but also the Earth.⁶ This indicates that the Earth was not subject to the curse of sin and death before that point. When God created the Earth, along with animals and humans, He declared everything to be ‘very good’.⁷ Upon imagining a ‘very good’ Earth, it is unlikely that animals experiencing violence from one another and dying comes to mind.

Were the first animals herbivores, carnivores, or predators?

Another objection to theistic evolution arises from the fact that, according to Genesis, God originally gave animals only plants to eat.^8,9 In contrast, the theory of evolution suggests that certain animal species hunted others from the outset. It is true that many fossilised remains reveal bones suited to a carnivorous diet, and some fossils show animals holding others in their mouths. While scientists remain uncertain whether these animals were hunting their prey or scavenging carrion,¹⁰ biblical creationists contend that these fossils are evidence of the curse that followed Adam and Eve’s fall and that they date from the time of the Flood.

Human origins: Evolution and death or creation for immortality?

The issue lies in the proposed evolution of humans. According to the Book of Genesis, God created Homo sapiens sapiens as a fully developed being. In contrast, the theory of evolution suggests that Homo sapiens sapiens gradually evolved from earlier species such as Homo erectus, which itself emerged from even more primitive ancestors. All the species thought to be the ancestors of modern humans are now regarded as extinct.

Proponents of theistic evolution, therefore, face the challenge of explaining why God would use thousands of generations of suffering and dying hominids to eventually create a perfect, immortal Adam, only for him to return to a world of natural selection and death as a result of sin. They must also clarify when and where this process took place, as it raises numerous contradictions. Finally, they need to reconcile this understanding of death with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise that God will eventually end all death.¹¹

The incompatibility of evolution and biblical creation

The arguments outlined above demonstrate the fundamental difference between the theory of evolution and the biblical account of creation in their treatment of death. According to the Bible, death entered the world as a result of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, affecting both humans and animals. Death, therefore, is seen as something deeply undesirable and sorrowful, which God promises to ultimately abolish. In contrast, the theory of evolution regards death as a natural, and even necessary, part of life, where less-adapted individuals die, allowing more adapted ones to thrive. These two views are incompatible. To be consistent, one must either accept the theory of evolution and a non-biblical conception of God (if one believes in God at all), or adhere to the Bible and its portrayal of God, along with the doctrine of biblical creation. Furthermore, evidence continues to accumulate that challenges the theory of evolution and supports the case for intelligent design.

By the way, we recommend reading the articles:

• True Femininity
• Panspermia Does Not Explain the Origin of Life
• The Evolutionary Roots of Racism
• The Quipu: Knotted Strings That Testify to Ancient Intelligence
• The Hittites and the Credibility of the Bible

Footnotes

1. Confirmed that Neanderthals buried their dead, 2013. Nauka w Polsce, 18 December. Available at: https://naukawpolsce.pl/aktualnosci/news%2C398476%2Cpotwierdzono-ze-neandertalczycy-chowali-zmarlych.html.
2. The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Genesis 3:17–19.
3. The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Romans 5:15, 17.
4. The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Romans 8:22.
5. The problem of evil: pre-Fall animal death?, 2011. Creation Ministries International, 29 March. Available at: https://creation.com/pre-fall-animal-death.
6. The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Genesis 3:17.
7. The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Genesis 1:31.
8. The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Genesis 1:30.
9. An objection may arise that even if animals did not die, plants must have died since God gave them to animals as food. However, Scripture states that “the life of the body is in the blood” (see The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Leviticus 17:10–14). Thus, the biblical definition of physical life applies only to creatures that have blood. Plants lack blood, so their “life” is not included in the biblical definition of life. Most animals (including vertebrates, which belong to chordates) possess a circulatory system, and thus this definition applies to them.
10. Black, R. 2012. ‘Stomach Contents Preserve Sinocalliopteryx Snack’, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 August. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/stomach-contents-preserve-sinocalliopteryx-snacks-23453368/.
11. Mortenson, T. 2012. ‘The Fall and the Problem of Millions of Years of Natural Evil’, Answers in Genesis, 18 July. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/theory-of-evolution/millions-of-years/the-fall-and-the-problem-of-millions-of-years-of-natural-evil/.

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Evolution of Thinking - Sebastian S.

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