1 One Problem, Six Answers

In the attempt to resolve the conflict between Torah and evolution, there are a number of answers that are usually suggested.

1. The first approach is to say that the Torah’s account in the first chapters of Genesis is true, and that all evidence otherwise was put there in order to allow for free choice, and to allow people to reject the Torah.

I should point out that this answer is not as bad as it seems at first glance. The main problem that people have with this answer is that it paints G-d as being very dishonest –  but the truth is that one can derive from a number of Midrashim, that for G-d to be honest, He doesn’t have to prevent people from coming to a mistaken conclusion, but rather, that it would suffice for Him to also provide the correct account if there is other evidence that may confuse people.

One Midrash that illustrates this point, is actually related about this very subject, the Torah’s account of creation. Based on the words: And G-d said, ‘Let us make man in our form and our image,’ (Genesis 1:26), the Midrash explains that Moses asked G-d why he should transcribe it that way if people could misunderstand its meaning, and G-d answered that this is the way that it has to be written, and that one who wishes to make a mistake, can make a mistake (see Genesis Rabbah 8:7).

In that sense, one might rephrase this answer by contending that the evidence opposing the Torah’s account was placed there by G-d, but not with the sole intent to confuse people. Rather, he placed them there for other reasons that He has not necessarily told us, and for G-d, this does not constitute as being dishonest, as He also provided the correct account of the world's creation in the Torah. But this remains a very weak answer.

2. A second approach is to reinterpret these verses as being allegorical, for example, explaining the description of “six days” as “six epochs”, each one being much longer than only 24 hours.

3. A third approach, often used in conjunction with the previous one, is to point to the explanation of Nachmanides, in his commentary on the Torah, where he mentions that the world was created from a tiny speck of matter, which is reminiscent of the idea of the Big Bang.

4. Another approach is to point to the Midrashim that speak about the 974 generations that existed before the world was created, and explain that to refer to the generations that lived before Adam's time.

5. Others present an argument that that there are different types of “truth”, and therefore, that the truth of the Torah isn’t necessarily the same as the truth of science. A common example given to illustrate this point is that if Adam would have cut down a tree on the sixth day, and found many rings already in it, according to the Torah’s truth, the tree would only be 3 days old, as it was only created on the third day, but according to the truth of science, the age of the tree would correspond to the number of rings that it possesses.

6. Finally, a perspective often adopted by those who are older in age (and probably wiser as well), is not so much of a logical approach but more of a practical one: even though they are not sure how to answer the questions they may have, they note that following a religious lifestyle is generally a very pleasant one, with a rich family life and many enjoyable traditions, and they are willing to “blink” when it comes to this specific question of evolution.

The problem remains, however, for the “extremist”, like myself.¹ On the one hand, although evolution doesn’t disprove G-d’s existence per se, that is the conclusion that one does reach if one is willing to take the theory to its natural conclusion, and for that reason, it is no accident that many of the people who are well versed in evolutionary theory, are atheistic, or at least agnostic.

On the other hand, there are serious problems with all of the six answers that have been mentioned above, which is why I cannot imagine myself trying to defend the Torah’s account by using any of these answers. And in that case, why should one believe that the Torah is true, when there is so much clear evidence to the contrary?  

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1. My intention here of being "extreme" is only in the sense that, at least at this stage of my life, it is very important to me to be intellectually honest and internally consistent with myself. There are deep inconsistencies present with accepting such answers, which leaves me very dissatisfied with them.  ^

2. Although there is a long list of challenges that can be posed against the theory of evolution, such as: problems stemming from the fossil record; inconsistencies between different methods of radiometric dating; the anthropic principle; problems stemming from statistical analysis; the lack of observance of the transmutation between species and another; the question of the origin of the first cause; the origin of life; the human conscious; and many other similar challenges, the scientific community has managed to provide sufficient answers to most of these problems. Not that these answers are certainly true, but overall, the provide enough of an assurance in the bigger picture to accept the premise of the 'G-d of the gaps' argument, where one says that the answers to the remaining questions will be discovered in due time.