Michael Dowd’s “Evolutionary Christianity” is a perfect example of unfaithfulness to God and his Word. His book is entitled Thank GOD for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World. Dowd is acknowledging that he is blending science and religion in a marriage. This is the language of love. He is being unfaithful to God! He has allowed another lover (science that conflicts with the scriptures) to be added to his relationship with God. Dowd, who preaches while wearing a white collar, has placed science above the authority of sacred scriptures. He calls the scriptures “Authority 2.o” and scientific evidence “Authority 3.0.”
He also says “Big History” marries science and religion. “Big History” is a project supported by Bill Gates which is basically a way for people to create a narrative to compete with the story revealed in the Word of God. Dowd says this synthesis between science and religion can be integrated or absorbed by each faith tradition and world view. In other words, it fits in well with the interfaith movement. The list of religious leaders who endorse his views is long.(http://michaeldowd.org/endorsements/religiousleaders/religiousleaders.html) Dowd’s views are also endorsed by 6 Nobel Laureates, Michael Shermer of Skeptic magazine, and numerous scientists and professors. If you enjoy Ted talks, Dowd has given at least two presentations at TedX.
Dowd has made an unusual alignment with the skeptics and atheists seem to love him. Arguing that we must look at “reality” rather than the written Word, his mantra is “reality is our god” and “evidence is our scriptures.” He laments “the idolatry of the written Word.”
As I’ve written in my book and on my blog (www.narrowwayapologetics.com), in the past when people have opted for science that isn’t tethered to the scriptures, the results have been horrific. Slavery is justified, the death of Jews is justified, eugenics is justified, abortion is justified, and now I just heard Michael Dowd justifying euthanasia in his last sermon.
I’m also always interested to find that those who abandon the teachings of the scriptures, yet want to hold on to some form of religious life, often turn to mysticism and contemplative activities as a substitute for relating to God. Dowd’s website, http://michaeldowd.org/, has a link to Richard Rohr’s Center for Contemplative Action.
One of the most frightening aspects of Michael Dowd’s view is that he is an environmentalist, ecologist, and climate change proponent who claims “fundamentalist beliefs will create hell on earth.”
http://michaeldowd.org/media/files/0c6f00a634a201d485d520eb94099abe-77.php
In light of a recent article, where scientists have requested that the RICO laws be applied to climate change skeptics, those who love the Word of God need to determine to be found faithful even when facing the possibility of jail time.
Here is a link to a video where Michael Dowd tells the Religious Right to repent. He says our unwillingness to do anything about climate change is evil and blasphemous. (He is also promoting euthanasia in this video.)
The thing that breaks my heart is that he is doing all of this in the name of God. He is not alone, BioLogos is another organization that is trying to marry science (knowledge) that conflicts with the scriptures to Christianity. I really wish that Michael Dowd would remember “micro-history” (as Big History proponents call the study of conventional history) and not be led astray by the claims of science–as those scientists in the past were led astray into polygenism, social Darwinism, eugenics, Aristotelian science, etc . . . Jesus said:
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)
Instead, see the glory of what was produced when the study of the material world tried to remain faithful to the Word of God. Here and here are two good columns I’ve written to help readers understand Christianity’s influence on science. It’s a wonderful history that needs to be known in order to counter the lies coming from Christians who aren’t being faithful to the Word of God.
THE FAITHFUL CHURCH 