Has Evolution "Collapsed"?: A Symposium by Scientists

Many earnest Christians are afraid of evolution as something which will destroy their faith in God and Jesus Christ. Indeed, no thoughtful person can fail to perceive the dangers to religious faith implied in certain philosophies which are based upon evolution. But such apprehensions are sometimes expressed unfortunately. The public, for instance, has been widely assured that "evolution has collapsed." Such an affirmation involves a question of fact. If evolution has collapsed, scientists, particularly the astronomers, geologists, and biologists, would be the first to know. If it has not collapsed, the religious world must discover a way in which evolution can be utilized as one of the revelations of God's will. Accordingly, in order to get at the opinion of the scientific world, the Biblical World asked a number of the leaders of American science to give a brief answer not to exceed fifty or one hundred words to the question: "Does modern science still believe in evolution?" The answers from these gentlemen are given below. The unanimity of response makes it apparent that our theological thinking cannot ignore, much less deny, the place which evolution is holding in our modern world. For our own part we believe that, so far from being inconsistent with the gospel, evolution furnishes one of the means by which we may better understand the relations of God with his world.