Is “Literary Truth” Theologically OK?

Ancient Psalm 104:3 God’s “upper chambers”

Hebrew
Conception of Gen 1:6 “An expanse to separate
the Universe water above from water below”

Gen 7:11 “The floodgates of

heaven were opened”
Ps 104:2 “He stretches out the
heavens like a tent”
Rev 6:13 “Stars in the sky fell to
earth like late figs from a fig tree”

Matt. 24:2 “From the ends of

the earth”

Job 26:11 “The pillars of the

heavens quake”

Psalm 104:5 “He set the earth

on its foundations.”
Is “Literary Truth” Theologically OK?
Astronomy in
the 1500s

Ps 93:1; Ps 96:10; 1 Chron 16:30

“The world is firmly established it cannot be moved.”
Ecclesiastes 1:5
“The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where
it rises.”

Joshua 10:13
“So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation
avenged itself on its enemies… The sun stopped in the
middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.”
Is “Literary Truth” Theologically OK?
Creation Gen 1:25 “God made the wild

?
Doctrine in the animals according to their kinds.”
2000s

Gen 2:2 “And God blessed the

seventh day and made it holy,
because on it he rested from all the
work of creating that he had done.”
 Evolution Defined
Change in genetic traits over time
 Evolution Defined
Change in genetic traits over time
 How much time?
Darwin said at least 100 million yrs

Marie Curie (early 1900s) Lord Kelvin (1860’s)

 How much time?
Absolute age:
Earth: ~4.6 billion years old

Relative age:

er
n g
ou
Y
e r
ld
O
What can fossils tell us?
What can fossils tell us?

Glyptodont

Armadillo
What can fossils tell us?
What can Living Species Tell Us?
 Vestigial Traits
(useless, good for nothin’s)

Kiwi wings
 Vestigial Traits
(useless, good for nothin’s)
 Vestigial Traits
(useless, good for nothin’s)

Vestigial
eye socket
 Vestigial Traits
(useless, good for nothin’s)
 Vestigial Traits
(useless, good for nothin’s)

Knuckle hair doesn’t do a

whole heck of a lot
 Vestigial Traits
(useless, good for nothin’s)
Ear
Wiggling
Muscles
 Vestigial Traits
(useless, good for nothin’s)

“Goosebumps”
 Vestigial Traits
(useless, good for nothin’s)

Dr. Patrick Foye

, M.D., Associate Professor, and Director, Coccyx Pa
Similarity of Local Species
Structural Similarities
Structural Similarities
Developmental Similarities
Molecular Similarities
Similar Genetic Flaws

Chromosome 17

Charcot-Marie Tooth Disease

 What does this mean?
• Is the Bible untrue?
• Is God still creator? Is he still in
charge?
• Are we just chimps with less hair?
 Useful references
• The Language of God (F. Collins)
• Excellent, recent (2006), readable book on combining faith with science
• The Galileo Connection (C. Hummel)
• From a decidedly Christian perspective, addresses the “Galileo Affair” as
precedent for resolving conflict between science and scripture today
• Perspectives on an Evolving Creation (K. Miller)
• A bit more technical, this provides a series of essays (from both scientifc
and theological perspectives) on reconciling faith and evolution
D.Evolution vs. Naturalism (Alvin Plantinga)
• “Evolution and naturalism are not merely uneasy bedfellows; they are
more like belligerent combatants”
E.The Dawkins Delusion (Alvin Plantinga)
1. “You might say that some of [Dawkin’s] forays into philosophy are at best
sophomoric, but that would be unfair to sophomores”
• Talkorigins.org
1. One stop shop for scientific responses to common challenges to
evolution
Literary Truth?
I saw heaven standing open and
there before me was a white
horse, whose rider is called
Faithful and True…His eyes are
like blazing fire, and on his head
are many crowns…He is dressed
in a robe dipped in blood, and
his name is the Word of God. The
armies of heaven were following
him, riding on white horses and
dressed in fine linen, white and
clean…Out of his mouth comes a
sharp sword with which to strike
down the nations… 
(Rev. 19)
 3. Molecular Homology

C) Processed Pseudogenes
 3. Molecular Homology

B) Shared Genetic Flaws

• Some detrimental traits exist in the genome

PMP22
&

CMT1a
 Pressure palsy

Charcot-Marie Tooth
 3. Molecular Homology
B) Shared Genetic Flaws
• Some detrimental traits exist in the genome
• We share this flaw with chimps, and bonobos, but not with
gorillas and orangutans
 3. Molecular Homology

A) Processed Pseudogenes
• Following insertion, pseudogenes resemble
normal genes
• Non-functional, so mutations can run wild
• Because we have functional (un-mutated) gene
to compare, age of pseudogene can be
determined
 3. Molecular Homology

A) Processed Pseudogenes
Pseudogene Age (MYA) Human Chimp Gorilla Orangutan Rhesus Capuchin Hampster

A 11 • • •
B 16 • • •
C 19 • • • •
D 21 • • • • •
E 25 • • • • •
F 36 • • • • • •