Q&A: Evolution
Evolution
Question
Hello Rabbi, according to evolution, human beings developed from apes, which developed from an even earlier species, and there is evidence for these stages of development… How does this fit with the creation of man in the Book of Genesis?
Answer
Greetings.
First, according to the accepted view today, humans and apes are both developments of a common ancestor.
The description in the Book of Genesis does not address these processes. Therefore it can be explained in several ways: 1. On the sixth day, the animal was created from which, at the end of the evolutionary process, the human being emerged. 2. The description is that man was created on the sixth day, but in fact he was created through an evolutionary process from his common ancestor, which was created on the fourth day. 3. The whole description is metaphorical rather than historical, and its purpose is moral (to explain the value of the human being). And so on.
Of course, it is also possible that the theory describing human development is mistaken. It contains quite a few assumptions and logical leaps. To me it seems reasonable, but my confidence in it is not unlimited.