When you write: >>My question is “what if new evidence showed man developed rather than was created intact.” Could creationists keep their core faith?<<, you are stating a "what-if" rather than a "what-is". Science always deals with what can be proved repeatedly in the laboratory, not what consensus is.
Evolution is a comfortable way of believing in a system that would elevate man and nature up from its fallen or simpler state, which there is no proof in it. A belief in UFO's does make it so, irrespective of the fact that there is no physical proof to the contrary.
A similar way of stating your question would be to say that "if" there was new evidence to the contrary to bible teaching about the fallen nature of man and his need for a savior, would a christian need to rethink his/her belief system?
Proving that the world was round and not the center of the universe does not change the gospel. If we were visited by UFO's offering an end to world hunger, war and want, would this change the same gospel? Even Satin can appear as an angel of light, but his message is always the same; I'm okay and your okay. We are not okay, we are all sinners.
Is it possible to understand that what we currently do everyday as being injurious to another human being? Of course, and we should then change our actions. Is it possible that we need to change our lifestyles and how and when we view the creation of life? Absolutely.
But we can never vary our belief system of the need for being redeemed. Will man ever evolve past the need for being saved? Never. Will there come a time when there is no more war, want and need? When Christ comes back and ends all of it, it will all be changed, but, we and the earth will not evolve to that that state on our own.
To say that there is evolution for man is to say that there is evolution of God, and He changes not. Science can never offer a solution or answer for a condition of the soul.
Some would say that it is a sin for the USA to have 5% of the world's population and uses 95% of the world's natural resources. America produces and gives away the majority of the aid and technology to third-world and developing nations. Should the USA resort back to pre-industrial revolution standards of living so as to allow the rest of the world to catch up to us? Take a look at Africa after decolonialism, it has sunk back to the ways of petty banana-republic status.
The world hates us for two reasons; we are successful and we believe in spreading freedom and the gospel. The covet our success, while at the same time rejects our notion of freedom and the good news of the gospel.
Quoting from my grown son's earlier words he spoke to his high-school classmates about this same subject. They may have evolved from a monkey in central Africa, but his ancestors descended from humans that were created in the Middle East.
If evolution for the rest of the world could be traced back to a common ancestor of a lesser man-species, then that would mean that they were predestined to never being able to be saved; beasts of the field, and never needing to "hear" the gospel according to Romans. But because Paul commands us to preach to those that can and will be saved, then they can never evolve to the point of understanding, that is a condition of the heart.
Old Patriot
Thank you. I couldn’t quite figure out what was giving me trouble with the question that made it so difficult to answer. You nailed it.
>> A similar way of stating your question would be to say that “if” there was new evidence to the contrary to bible teaching about the fallen nature of man and his need for a savior, would a christian need to rethink his/her belief system?
<<
Yes I’m asking if creationists would consider evidence that man had developed as being the equivalent that there is no God or that He does not love us or that he did not send His Son.
I personally don’t feel it means any of those things - I a certain of God and God’s love. But I wanted to ask about how creationists view this.
The reason for my curiosity is that I don’t understand the vehemence with which many creationists insist that man was created as is. It it meant their entire faith would collapse then I can understand why they would be so opposed to entertaining any evidence.
My view of God is that He is large enough to have worked over a very long time and because I know he exists then the age of the earth or the development of man cannot threaten him.