Savannah Wesley's Archive

I find it interesting that many people scorn and mock evolution as a theory.  I feel that the very idea of evolution is one of immense faith.  Believing that creatures, especially human beings continue to evolve from their former more primitive brothers and sisters suggests that there is someone out there pursuing us and against all odds, keeping our best interest at heart.  Evolutionary psychology is an area that I was at first wary of, hence the reason I decided to try and work out my fears via this log.  I immediately sought to put evolutionary psychology in creation however, in truly thinking about what that area studies, I decided that I thought the title of Redemption more fitting.  Granted, evolutionary psychology focuses mainly on things such as biological predisposition and genetic factors.  There is however a point overlooked by many when they attempt to categorize evolutionary psychology within Christian concepts such as the Fall, Creation and Redemption. My proposition is this; If Christ gave us a genetic system equipped to mutate and adapt so that we as a creation can live on, there must be something special about us.  Because we are able to recognize certain traits within ourselves, find the root, and either keep and hone the ability, or obliterate it, we are a dominating species. God has redeemed us and reminds us every day of that gift by allowing us to evolve and adapt.

Darwin was an amazing scientist who began to see the world in a way that was unconventional during his time.  He theorized that every species on the planet began to develop into something more complex and environmentally sturdy.  He called this theory evolution.  This is why I relate Darwin with Creation.  Although I believe that in certain areas Darwin’s views were taken to an extreme, I do understand and agree with the fact that every species on earth must evolve to survive, even human beings.  I see in this theory that when God created man, he gave us an underlying skill set in our genes that would allow us to grow and ultimately survive throughout the ages.  Many people see evolution as contradictory to Christianity; however, I encourage those who feel that way to see Darwin’s theory in a different light.  God loved us so much, that although we were unworthy of survival, God equipped us with the genetics necessary to continue on and become prosperous.  Everything in God’s kingdom was created to evolve and produce a world that is beautiful and ever changing.  As people we love to discover new things and search the world for new beauties, and I believe that to delight us, God created the world to change.  Therefore, I relate Darwin very strongly to creation.

Kant regards human experience as purely subjective, this however is not taught through the writing of those living in Christ, therefore we are able to rule out the concepts of Creation and Redemption.  This line of thought leads us to believe that Kant’s philosophy relates more closely to the Fall of humanity.  While explaining his categorical imperative he stated “I should never act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law”.  This idea that one man’s idea of right and wrong should become a staple in society shows the downfall of humanity.  For example, if an individual believed that it was right to rid the world of his perception of “evil men”, there would be world wide chaos.  This is evident in many cases of religious cleansing and genocide around the world.  One man’s experience can change the world for good or for evil.  However, it has been historically proven that the evil that resides in men due to the Fall overcomes the good within the soul.  It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intention.  So even if the maxim one man holds to, comes from a place of good intent, mass destruction and evil would prevail.  Therefore Kant’s utopian ideal of universal maxim’s prove to be ineffective and can even lead to the downfall of mankind, providing a link to the Fall of Humanity.

Freud and the Fall

The theories Freud pose clearly reveals our tendency to sin and therefore maintain a sinful structure throughout our lives.  When the Fall of Man occurred we were stripped of our right to a perfect existence, because of this Fall, Freud portrayed in his psychological theories that we as a people become sinful in nature at a young age.  This is only possible by Man’s inability to manage a complete and fulfilling lifestyle.  Freud suggests that as children, the stages that we cannot fully develop through cause our sin to manifest at a later age.  In a perfect world with no sin, our development would be unblemished.  For instance, people who struggle with developing self-awareness and self -confidence, were in Freud’s theory stuck in the phallic stage.  The Phallic stage occurs between the ages of 3 and 6 and if individuals are not allowed by some force to move on from this stage, occurrences such as promiscuity and women and overly aggression in men.  If we were a society of Godly creatures, these issues would not exist.  The evidence of the Fall of Man is clearly portrayed in Freud’s Psychoanalytic theories.

01 Respect