Now, when you referred to 'evolution,' you didn't specify Darwinian evolution.
Before Darwin there were theories, but they generally accepted that God set the process in motion.
1. The brilliant Rene Descartes postulated that, rather than a rapid seven day timeline, the sequence that resulted in the formation of the earth was far more eventful. “1637. Rene Descartes: Discours de la Methode. Descartes constructed a history of the Earth which was quite influential; it was the starting point for many later cosmogonies. Some of the main points of his system were that the Earth formed as a fiery ball, that when it cooled a crust formed over the abyssal waters, and that this crust collapsed, releasing massive volumes of water.”
Changing Views of the History of the Earth
While it runs counter to the literal view of the Bible....it probably is consistent with the ideas accepted by most Christians....and Jews....today.
And here's why:
a. Interestingly, Descartes continues to see the hand of God in the creation. In chapter six of ‘Le Monde,’ he states that
at the first instant of creation, God provides the parts with different properties, and after that He does not intervene supernaturally to regulate same. http://assets.cambridge.org/97805218/08972/sample/9780521808972ws.pdf
2. The accepted mechanism of evolution is the mutation. There is a three letter code embedded in the DNA of each nucleus, and this DNA specifies which amino acid is to be added to a protein.
A segment of the DNA, a gene, dictates which the order, indirectly, via RNA.
UGU cystine, and GUG, valine.
If the code is ugu gug ugu, the protein would read cys val cys
But...if onoe base is lost, the code would now be gug ugu gug.
Easier to see like this: "the red dog ran.." .would change to "her edd ogr an....."
It no longer makes sense...which is why most mutations are lethal.
But some would produce new proteins, new enzymes....changes in an organism.
3. My point? As Descartes states, if "at the first instant of creation, God provides the parts with different properties, and after that He does not intervene supernaturally to regulate same," then the mutation process simply
provides for evolution.
And it fits natural selection because mutations provide for variation.
4. BTW....lots of things, such as drugs, and radiation, influence that base sequence of genes.
So....wadda ya' think?