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Reply to "Does Darwinism Promote Racism?"

Hi SittinPurdy,

You say, "If I recall, it was certain Christian theologist who first put forth the idea that blacks were a result of "the mark of Cain." In other words, Christians at one point (and many still do) believed that blacks were a result of a curse."

The fact that all descendants of Cain were destroyed in the flood would negate any such thinking. Noah was a descendant of Seth; and the descendants of Noah's three sons did migrate to different parts of the known world: Japheth into the European nations; Shem into the Asian nations; and Ham into the African nations. No curse involved; only a wee bit of nudging and motivation from God; as I will discuss later.

Then, you ask, "Here's an interesting conundrum for you Christians: if this "mark of Cain" scenario is not true, then explain the difference in the phenotypes of the various "races" of humans. If we all descended from Adam and Eve, why do people on different continents exhibit noticeable physical differentiation? See where this is going?"

Our skin color comes from the amount of melanin in the skin; the more melanin, the darker the skin; the less melanin, the lighter the skin. Mid-range, or brown skin, is considered the normal amount of melanin -- and variations come from our ancestors adapting to their environments. So, I guess we can say that Adam and Eve were brown skinned; as were Noah and his sons. Japheth's descendants migrating to the cooler climates of the European nations would have eventually adapted by having less melanin; Ham's descendants migrating toward the hotter African nations would have had more melanin in their skin for protection from the sun's rays.

By the same token, body size, eye shape, hair type -- are all adaptations to environmental differences as described in the following excerpt from the web site: http://www.raceandhistory.com/historicalviews/rgh.htm

"The size and shape of the body are adapted to temperature and humidity. In hot and humid climates, like tropical forests, it is advantageous to be short since there is greater surface area for the evaporation of sweat compared to the body's volume. A smaller body also uses less energy and produces less heat. Frizzy hair allows sweat to remain on the scalp longer and results in greater cooling. With these adaptations, the risk of overheating in tropical climates is diminished. Populations living in tropical forests generally are short, Pygmies being the extreme example."

"The face and body of the Mongols, on the other hand, result from adaptations to the bitter cold of Siberia. The body, and particularly the head, tends to be round, increasing body volume. The evaporative surface area of the skin is thus reduced relative to body volume, and less heat is lost. The nose is small and less likely to freeze, and the nostrils are narrow, warming the air before it reaches the lungs. Eyes are protected from the cold Siberian air by fatty folds of skin. These eyes are often considered beautiful."

Finally, you say, "You can't have it both ways; you can't say we all came from Adam and Eve and then reject evolution at the same time. Either you accept that all humans derived from a single ancestral source and then evolved different characteristics based on environmental factors, OR you must say that God created numerous populations separately at the same time (which the Bible rejects). The Bible's story of creation does not reject evolution, it actually embraces it. There is no other explanation."

We are not rejecting evolution in the form of adaptation; for we know that over time people, animals, and plants do adapt to environmental changes.

What we, and the Bible, reject is the Darwinian form of evolution which states that some quadrillion years ago, there existed in a dark primordial swamp, somewhere in a dark jungle -- one simple little non-life cell; just a simple little fellow floating around, containing no life whatsoever. Then, suddenly the miracle occurred: viola! life appears from non-life! Of course, science tells us this cannot happen; that you cannot have life come from non-life; that you cannot have matter appear from non-matter. But, that small fact does not phase our Darwinian evolutionists. No sir! They will tell you that, given enough time, a quadrillion years give or take a few -- life did appear from that lifeless simple cell. You want a leap of faith; there you have it. And they claim that we Christians live on faith alone!

Now, to the next step. After life suddenly appeared in that lifeless simple cell -- then, it evolved into a lemur. Don't ask me why the lemur and not the toad frog. I have no idea. Actually, I would have thought the toad frog would have been the logical first live animal; since it loves the water and the swamps. It could have survived in the primordial swamp -- instead of having to live in trees like the lemur.

Have you ever wondered where that swamp and the trees came from -- if there was no Biblical creation?

However, this sweet little lemur hung around by himself for a few more million years -- then, whammo, he started evolving into monkeys, apes, and all sort of neat new animals.

And, eventually, one of those monkeys or apes decided, "I want to be a man. I believe I will just become a man so I can be smarter than all these other apes and monkeys." And, that is the Darwinian short story of how man evolved from that simple little lifeless cell floating in that dark old primordial swamp.

I am sorry; I guess I am just not smart enough or educated enough to have that much faith. Like the flow of a river; my faith takes the path of least resistance -- and I believe in the Genesis story of creation. It takes a lot less faith than the Darwinian theory -- and promises a much better eternal future.

So, to recap our Biblical story of the creation of man: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Jump forward a few days; and we have God deciding, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness. . ." (Genesis 1:26). Now all was well until a wee bit later, as Adam and his God created wife, Eve, were living in the paradise called Eden -- with all the animals living in peaceful coexistence, with all the fresh fruits and veggies they needed for good nutrition -- life was heavenly.

Then, the fallen angel, Satan, slithered into the garden in the form of a snake -- and began a conversation with Eve. Should Eve have been surprised at a talking snake? Why? Their whole existence was a miracle; why not a talking snake? So, old Satan tricked Eve with his fast talking and lies (shades of Darwinism?) and caused her and Adam to be disobedient to God. Man was then in a lot of hot water and was evicted from his garden home -- and had to start working for a living.

Now we fast forward about a thousand years to Noah and his infamous flood; where we are left with only Noah, his three sons, and their wives -- a new beginning.

Once again, we fast forward about three generations and we find an interesting fellow, Nimrod, a descendant of Ham. All the folks gathered together in the land of Shinar and Nimrod, their leader, decided to build a tower that will reach into heaven; not literally, but that was his thinking -- to build a very high tower, the Tower of Babel.

The main problem was that God had told Noah and his sons to, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1). And here they were all still clinging together in the land of Shinar. Maybe they were being fruitful and multiplying -- but, it was all in a cluster; not filling the earth as God had directed.

But, God always has a perfect plan -- and in His patient omniscience, knowing that the people needed motivation, He decided, "Let Us go down and there confuse their language; that they might not understand one another's speech" (Genesis 11:7). And, as a result, folks started to gather with those they could understand; and avoiding those whose language was different. Eventually, each group decided, "This neighborhood has gone to pot. We cannot understand what those foreign immigrants are saying. They refuse to speak our language; so, let's find a more upscale neighborhood where we will not have to tolerate those immigrants with their foreign languages." So, each group set out looking for their ideal neighborhood with no foreign speaking immigrants.

Consequently, Japheth's descendants migrated north into the European nations, where the cooler climates caused them to lose skin melanin and become white and pasty looking. Shem's descendants moved east into the tropical climates and maintained their normal skin melanin to stay with soft brown and yellow skin tones. And, Ham's descendants moved west into the hotter climates of the African nations, where they adapted by gaining more skin melanin, making them dark skinned.

But, notice one major point. The varying degree of skin melanin might change our outer skin color; the environment might change our facial and body features -- but, inside, we are still all the same human being that God created, with the same weaknesses, with the same flaws, with the same need for love and acceptance -- and with the same need to know our creator, God.

And, that, in a nutshell, is the story of man -- the true story.

The only curse upon mankind is the one brought upon man by the disobedience of Adam; the curse of being born with a sin nature and having that sin nature until we die or are raptured. Yes, all men have a sin nature; all men sin; it is just that we Christians are forgiven sinners.

I know, I know. I can hear our atheist and other non-believing Friends saying with a smirk, "So, you Christians can sin all you want and are forgiven; you have a free ticket to live like hell -- and still go to heaven!"

Well, yes and no. Yes, we Christians will always be sinners. Yes, we Christians can and will be forgiven for our sins -- when we repent, or turn from that sin, and ask His forgiveness.

So, what is the difference between the Christian believer and the non-believer? Well, the Christian believer has, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, asked for and been given His free gift of salvation; we are assured, eternally assured, that we will be with Him for eternity. We have the Holy Spirit residing within us; never to leave us -- and He will always teach us, guide us, and convict us when we are disobedient to God.

You see, that is one of the big differences between a believer and a non-believer: the non-believer can commit a sin and feel no guilt, no remorse, for that sin. To him, it means nothing. It is a matter of, "So, what's the big deal? Everyone does it!"

Yet, with the believer, we do feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit which tells us that we have strayed from the straight and narrow path and that we need to get back on course. That is a blessed conviction; sort of like the auto-pilot in an airplane, always working to correct any variation from the straight path.

Now, you might ask, "Okay, but what about those sins you do commit; aren't you just as guilty as a non-believer?"

Yes, but we have a huge spiritual umbrella which prevents God from seeing our sins -- it is called the righteousness of Jesus, the blood of Jesus. When God looks at Bill Gray; He does not see the righteousness, or lack thereof, of Bill Gray -- He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ -- and all is well.

Of course, in feeling the probing conviction of the Holy Spirit when we sin; we will, out of love for Jesus Christ, ask forgiveness for our sin and work hard to not repeat it.

This is how you can recognize a true Christian: that he will be convicted when he sins; that he will feel remorse; that he will strive to change whatever caused him to sin; and that he will strive to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

You might compare this to a person who professes to be a Christian; yet, will purposely live a Biblically sinful lifestyle; while trying to justify it by saying he/she was born this way. God made us all one way: a clean slate. What is written on that slate comes from life, it comes from our environment, it comes from many different external sources. Christians allow God to write upon their slate. Non-believers allow the world to write upon their slate. And, the difference is eternal.

A good example is the homosexual who claims to be a Christian, yet is living an active homosexual lifestyle. He is not living a Christian lifestyle. He might attend church, he might profess to be a Christian -- but, his chosen lifestyle denies his Christian profession.

I don't care if his church makes him a bishop -- he is snubbing his nose at God by continuing to live an active homosexual lifestyle -- and he is making matters even worse by claiming the cloak of a Christian clergy. He either does not have the Holy Spirit within him; or he is telling the Holy Spirit to take a walk when he should be convicted of his sinful lifestyle. Either way, his sin is not forgiven, for he will not repent and ask forgiveness. He only snubs his nose at God -- and, that, my Friend, ain't too cool.

To summarize, the only curse mankind is wearing is the sin nature brought upon us by Adam's disobedience of God. And, we can overcome that by sincerely accepting, by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray
billdory@pacbell.net

Alabama bred,
California fed,
Blessed by God to be a Christian American!

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