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By Jeff Gang, November 5, 2010 8:00 am

Social Darwinism

There’s a debate raging in the Seventh-day Adventist Church about creation vs. evolution, particularly as its taught in higher education, e.g. La Sierra University.  I am not about to get into that issue here.

I am presenting a theology of justice tomorrow at CrossWalk U. titled, “Justice Isn’t a Four Letter Word”. In preparing, I came across an idea in N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. Wright points out an irony in the creation vs. evolution debate. Keep in mind Wright isn’t talking about Seventh-day Adventists specifically.

The irony is that those American churches that protest most vocally against the teaching of Darwinism in their schools are often, in their public policies, supporting a kind of economic Darwinism, the survival of the fittest in world markets and military power.

- N.T. Wright
Surprised by Hope, p. 219-220

So my question: If the church won’t “flinch” in our stand for creation, will we be consistent? If we stand against Darwinism, will we stand against it in all forms, even social Darwinism? If not, it seems to me our convictions about creation have little real world significance other than a house of cards, propping up our beliefs.

Comments (2)

By Jeff Gang, March 4, 2010 1:27 am

I enjoy Good Magazine’s infographics. This recent one is interesting, mapping income levels in the USA among different religious groups. You can check it out here at The Almighty Dollar: Mapping Distribution by Religious Belief. Is there any truth to stereotypes? Just asking. Wish my Seventh-day Adventists had made it on this one. My guess, our average income is fairly high (at least in the USA). It’s been awhile, but I think Malcolm Bull and Keith Lockhart (not SDA’s) touched on this issue in Seeking a Sanctuary: Seventh-day Adventists and the American Dream. Premise, becoming an SDA was a way to move up the socio-economic scale for many people. Any thoughts Sevies?