In Middle-school Science class, You were taught the “Scientific Method”. It is stated differently in various textbooks, but it goes something like this:
1. An individual gets a hunch, and proposes an hypothesis.
2. He designs an experiment that would prove to himself the validity of his hypothesis.
3. He performs his experiment and convinces himself that his hypothesis is true.
4. He publishes his results in letters to colleagues or in a scientific journal.
5. Multiple colleagues perform similar experiments, convincing themselves that the hypothesis is true.
6. The hypothesis becomes an accepted scientific fact.
The lesson? We must be cautious with the phrase, “Science says...”. Sometimes, it is used loosely. How often have You watched a TV special that featured some of God’s intriguing creations and heard the narrator drone, repeatedly, “...Science says that this creature evolved from a pre-historic lizard, which is now extinct...”? Too often! And, it is bad “science”. You cannot apply the Scientific Method to something that took place a million years ago, allegedly. Such statements are simply Philosophy. Heavily entrenched Philosophy, I should add.
As You study the origin of mankind, for sure, You will note quite different answers to the question, “How old is planet Earth?” Evolutionists and many Geologists believe the planet is billions of years old. They base this notion on “dating systems”, which depend on rates of radio-active decay. We’ll discuss these methodologies later. Christians, since the early days of the nineteenth century, have vigorously discussed the age of the Earth and how that relates to a correct understanding of the Genesis account of Creation.
"Young-Earth Christians" believe the planet is about 10,000 years old. They believe that the first two verses of the Bible are to be seen as contemporaneous. "Old-Earth Christians" see a huge time-gap between the events of verses 1 and 2...
1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
(KJV Genesis 1:1-2)
"Old-Earth Christians" point to this Bible verse...
These are the generations of the heavens and of the Earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens... (KJV Genesis 2:4)
Here, the word “generations” is plural. This implies that more than one generation of life-forms has inhabited this planet.
Further, “Old-Earth Christians” note these words of the Apostle Peter...
...there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
(KJV II Peter 3:3-7)
“Old-Earth Christians” do not think Peter was referring, here, to the Flood of Noah’s time, because Peter speaks, first, of a “world that then was” that “perished” and, second, of “the heavens and the earth, which are now”. In Noah’s life-time, the heavens were not replaced. The Earth
was radically changed by the world-wide Flood, but not the heavens. Yet, Peter points to a time when the present heavens were created after an earlier “world” perished. So, if Peter’s words do not refer to the Flood, they must refer to the Creation. Genesis says “darkness was upon the face of the deep”. Then, God set the sun and moon and Earth in their current orbits. A new “heavens” system was established. This interpretation of Peter’s words demands an “old” use of our planet and a “new” use. Genesis says that prior to the six days of Creation the Earth was “void”, suggesting that it had been inhabited but was, at that moment, empty of life. Then, God filled the Earth with new life-forms.
“Young-Earth Christians” believe that all the flora and fauna that have ever lived on Earth were created in the six days described in Genesis. They believe that the bones and fossils are artifacts of ancient life-forms which were destroyed by a variety of events: volcanic explosions, Noah’s Flood, and, perhaps, some devastations caused by incoming comets. The dinosaurs may have been killed by the curse God placed on His creation after Adam and Eve sinned or by the Great Flood. “Young-Earth Christians” think the dating systems in use today are not reliable because they are predicated on spurious assumptions about the history of the Earth and the chemistry of its elements and compounds.
Who’s right? The question cannot be answered. No one was there to take notes. Let’s heed the words of the Lord, spoken to Job...
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.
(NLT Job 38:4)
We are left to ponder the Scriptures and indulge in fascinating discussions with each other. But, You can be certain that all Christians agree with these statements: “God made everything we can touch and taste and see. God made You!”
The quarrel between Christians and Evolutionists begins when we examine our planet. What should we make of those old human bones found in Africa? those dinosaur skeletons from China? those layers of rock found in the Midwest? No doubt these are relics of the past. But, piecing these evidences together into a compelling narrative is more like detective work than Science. More than one story may seem to fit the artifacts. This is like forensics. Put a plausible case together and see if the jury believes it.
We Christians believe in miracles. It’s easy for us to accept the creation narrative in Genesis. In a robust, flash of creativity, Almighty God made all the flora and fauna we see about us.
Evolutionists believe that life began when a proper chemical brew, pooled in some swamp, was actuated by a natural phenomenon, such as a lightening strike. They say that the primitive life formed in this event gradually mutated into higher life-forms. They spend enormous amounts of time arranging the fossils they uncover into a “tree of life”. The tree begins with simple, single-cell organisms and branches into plants and animals of every sort. If a new plant or animal is discovered on a South Pacific island, it is quickly analyzed and placed on some branch of the tree.
When Evolutionists collect fossil imprints that are similar to one of today’s animals, they conclude that the present-day creature evolved from the creatures that are depicted in their fossil collection. “But,” You say, “there are differences!” “That’s right,” they say. “As the fossil animals evolved, they improved!” You say, “Can you prove that?” They say, “No, but isn’t it obvious? Look, the changes took place over millions of years. No one saw them happen.” Finally, You say, “The fact that these fossils look like this present-day animal does not prove that the one came from the other!”
So, we are left with an unprovable “scientific” conclusion. Is this “Darwin’s miracle”? Can worms become snakes? Can snakes become birds? Christians say, “No.” Evolutionists say, “Yes. But, we cannot prove it.” Is this Science or Philosophy? The difference between Creationists and Evolutionists comes down to beliefs. You believe the Bible’s record or You believe the claims of the Evolutionists, who preface their assertions with their favorite phrase, “Science says...” Personally, I believe...
...the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is... (KJV Exodus 20:11)
The Evolutionists have a belief system, an orthodoxy, much like that of a religious cult. They want You to believe their teachings. They evangelize in our classrooms.
Evolutionists express various opinions. Some are atheists. Others claim to be Christians who cannot accept the whole Biblical narrative. Some are nominal “christians” who say, “Jesus was a nice fellow who said some nice things.” Others reject Jesus completely, but still believe there is a deity out there, somewhere. And, some believe in “Evolution guided by the hand of God”.
On the darkest side of this belief spectrum are those Evolutionists who oppose the Biblical explanation of how we came to be in order to eliminate God from their contemplations about the origin and meaning of life. They want to live a worldly life-style. They do not want to have any obligation to worship our Maker and follow His
commandments. They are the heathen portrayed in Psalm 2...
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
(KJV Psalm 2:1-4)
Evolutionists of this ilk want to sever all connections to a divine Maker, “break the bands asunder” and “cast away the cords”. They cling to any notion that eliminates the sovereignty of God over their lives. In a dreadful way, this rebellion against God is laughable from God’s
perspective. Look at it this way. Let’s suppose that You created a life-like robot. And, an awed admirer of Your creation asked it, “Who made You?” And, it answered, “No one. There was a big explosion and somehow I took shape.” Well, we would all laugh. But, that is the logic of those
who deny a divine Maker. I hope that You never embrace this Philosophy, because those who hold to it are headed for a rude awakening on Judgment Day. The Apostle Paul wrote...
...we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then [Paul reasoned] every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
(KJV Romans 14:10-12)
Let’s review other arguments put forth by Evolutionists and Christians as they debate.
Don’t the fossils prove Evolution? No, they prove that a massive, crushing force trapped living things in muck that has turned to rock over the years. Would not the Flood of Noah’s day have done this? The highest mountains were covered with water. Today, the highest mountain is Mount Everest. It rises about 6 miles above sea-level. If You have ever lugged a five-gallon bucket of water, You know that water 6 miles deep would have tremendous crushing force.
Keep this in mind. What is taught in high schools and colleges is usually “old news”. New theories are proposed and popularized and, belatedly, reach classrooms where they are taught as fact. Then, the popular theories are debunked, but teachers and professors continue teaching what they were taught when they were schooled. A gap of twenty to forty years separates the leading edge of investigation from what is being advocated in the classroom. So, it is with the “Big Bang” theory. It is commonly taught as fact in our schools, but recently, leading Cosmologists, Scientists who study the origin and nature of the Universe, have modified the theory. And, so it is with fossils. Numerous leading life-science professors, today, are questioning the commonly accepted meaning of the fossil record. It does not support the gradualism of species change that Evolution predicts. The notion that fossil “A” became fossil “B” which became fossil “C”, and so on, seems to exist only in the mind of the beholder, not in fact. But, teachers and professors are still teaching the old theme of the gradual Evolution of life-forms.
By the way, when Scientists began to advocate a beginning of the Universe, such as the “Big Bang” theory, they took a step in the direction of Biblical belief. The Bible says the Universe has a beginning. During the many centuries preceding the appearance of the “Big Bang” theory, many scholars argued that the Bible was wrong. They insisted that the Universe had always existed in its present form; it had no beginning. Now, at least, we all agree. The Universe had a beginning. I like to think of it this way: There was no Big Bang -- the Lord whispered and the Universe leapt into existence.
What the fossils do show is the amazing diversity of species created by God. Whatever else You might think of God, You must admit He is creative. In the fossil imprints we see many species that do not exist today. Did these species become extinct in an age that pre-dated Adam? or when the world was cursed after Adam sinned? Were they killed by the change in the environment of the Earth as it passed from the pre-Flood ecosystem to the post-Flood? We cannot say, but the fingerprints of God’s handiwork are inscribed in stones which are scattered all over the globe.
Evolution, some Mathematicians objected. They realized that if the theory was true, the world must have existed for a very long time. Here is why. The laws of probability tell us that if two events must occur to produce a satisfactory outcome, the likelihood that the outcome will be realized is the product of the probability that each event will occur. For example, the probability that a single coin toss will yield a “head” is 1 out of 2, or 1/2 or 50%. The probability that 2 consecutive coin tosses will both yield “heads” is 1/2 times 1/2, or 1 out of 4, or 1/4 or 25%.
Now, let’s consider the human eye, having thousands of parts. Evolutionists say that each of these parts developed by a series of chance mutations. Let’s focus on the iris. Basically, it is a beautiful muscle. Its duty is to control the amount of light entering the eye. Too much light is blinding. Too little, and visualization is difficult. The iris is composed of millions of cells that must work together. First, let’s concentrate on the muscle cells responsible for regulating the size of the pupil opening. When the incoming light is too strong, they must lengthen their shape to make the opening smaller. When the incoming light is weak, these same cells must compact their shape to dilate the opening. Second, other cells form a control system that judges the light intensity and sends a signal to the muscular cells, “Lengthen” or “Tighten.” Third, there are cells involved in supplying blood flow to the iris, to nourish each of the cells and to remove the waste products they excrete after they metabolize their nutrients. It is a very sophisticated system. All of the parts of the system must be in place for the system to be useful. And, the array of cells must be in a circular pattern to form a perfect opening in the iris.
How did all these components and systems come to be? Christians say, “God fashioned the eye with ease, placing each of the diverse cells of the iris in its proper place and training them to perform their functions.” Evolutionists say, “The iris was developed over hundreds of millions of years. Long ago, by chance, some organism was born with a light-sensitive cell. Being superior to his brothers and sisters, he survived longer and spread his good fortune to many offspring. One of them, by chance, was born with a transparent cell covering his light-sensitive cell. And, in turn, one of his offspring, by chance, was born with a cluster of light-sensitive cells, covered by a cluster of transparent cells. Gradually, the whole eyeball developed. Then, a creature was born with some tissues centered on the transparent surface of the eyeball. Over time, by chance, these morphed into the modern iris.”
The imagined chain of events leading to a workable iris is very long. The descriptive story of these events reminds us of an endless, children’s story, such as, “How the Leopard Got His Spots”. Each event on the chain has only a very slight chance of occurrence. A Mathematician attempting to calculate the probability that the evolutionary story is true must multiply each of millions of fractions, like 1/200000, times each of the other fractions. The result is that the likelihood that the iris was created by such a process is 1 in a “gazillion”. No wonder, Mathematicians were quick to object to Darwin’s theory of Evolution. The Mathematicians concluded that the theory was highly unlikely, and, if, indeed, it was true, the processes involved must have taken a very long time.
And, we must ask, “Why did these myriad changes take place, one at a time, in such a way that, finally, each human has a wonderful pair of eyes?” In and of themselves, most of these changes would not have improved the eye of the sub-human species that preceded modern mankind. Only when all the changes were in place could high-quality, three-dimensional vision have occurred. So, what prompted the first of the myriad changes? Who developed the master plan and set each improved cell in exactly the proper position? Evolutionists say it all happened by trial and error. Christians say, “God invented it and manufactured it in seconds.”
Curiously, most dating systems are calibrated by using a rate of radio-active decay. As radio-active elements expel their “loose” particles, they become a daughter element. For example, uranium decays to become lead. Evolutionists make the strange assumption that when the Earth was formed by God or the “Big Bang”, present-day uranium-lead mixtures were pure uranium. This is just a wrong-headed assumption! If enough uranium is found in a concentrated mass, a nuclear explosion erupts. So, the Lord did not form pure uranium rocks. Yet, Evolutionists calculate the age of our planet by projecting backward from a rock’s current uranium-lead mixture to when the rock contained only uranium and no lead, allegedly.
Also, please ponder why the Evolutionists arrange the various species in an ascending order. Do they believe that the “god of chance” is also a “god of purpose”? That would be contradictory. But, they believe the “god of chance” methodically produced higher and higher life-forms until it crowned its efforts with the creation of men and women.
Incidentally, though it may surprise You, I believe we should teach Evolution to Christian students. But, we should state that it is an unprovable theory. Life-scientists have used this theory to develop classifications for all life-forms. If one does not know the theory, it is impossible to understand many valuable books.
What about ancient bones? Remember this: bones can be re-shaped rather easily by applying water and heat. Probably, You have seen the process while watching a TV special on headhunters. Sometimes, the natives demonstrate how they shrink the skulls of their victims. That is why it is surprising to see well-educated men trying to draw “proof” from a few human bones found in some wilderness. How old are they? What chemical processes have they endured?
Recently, I read a speech by an anthropologist who had uncovered a few bones. From them, he created a story for his fellow Scientists. He was convinced that the creature stood about four feet tall and was a very good runner. Is this Science or science-fiction? In truth, the bones may not be as old as he claimed. Moisture and heat may have
shrunk them. The skull may have been distorted by pressures surrounding it.
We cannot rely on dating systems to tell how long this creature laid there. If we were to place several sets of bones on a table with no notes about where they were found or when, Evolutionists would be hard-pressed to assign an age to each set. Different teams of scholars would offer wildly differing age values. If You take an interest in life-science journals, You will note that the experts have vigorous debates about dating artifacts.
Recently, it has become fashionable for Evolutionists to argue, “Look! All living things have common components. Is it not clear that they all came from a common ancestor?” For instance, on August 6, 2010, the AFP, a world-wide news agency carried this story...
Mankind may be descended from apes but Australian scientists have found proof of links much closer to the sea floor, with a study revealing that sea sponges share almost 70 percent of human genes.
Well, this does not prove that sponges and humans evolved from a common ancestor! It proves that God used common components to make each of His creatures. We humans adopt the same strategy as we build houses. Tiny, inexpensive cottages are made from such things as plywood, lumber and nails. So are mansions.
It’s obvious that dogs and cats share more common components than do an elephant and a salmon. But, this just shows what the Almighty did with various collections of atoms and molecules and cells.
We cannot begin to enumerate the whole of it. Mankind has not yet plumbed the depths of many orders of creation. Deep in the sea, thousands of life-forms exist that we have never seen. Thousands of other life-forms have gone extinct. Depending on which botanist you ask, there are 25000 to 30000 different orchids in our rain forests. How many have You seen? Scientists studying ants estimate that there are 12000 to 20000 species of ants. How many have turned up at Your house? Those who study sea life estimate there are more than 20000 different life-forms in the oceans. Push a shovel into the soil in Your backyard, and lift out the dirt. In there are thousands of living creatures. Most have never been named or studied. Also, the Bible speaks of extra-terrestrial life; heavenly angels and trees and beautiful creatures unlike those on Earth. And, there may be some form of life elsewhere in the Universe. We know so little. We have only examined a minute portion of God’s handiwork.
However, logic and the Bible teach us that the most
impressive creatures on this planet are men and women, and that includes You. Have You ever considered how remarkable Adam and Eve were? They were the only perfect humans ever to exist on Earth. They were the most intelligent persons in history. They were the best looking man and woman in all the ages. They were athletic. Their bodies were designed to live forever. They were quite different from the dreary “cave men and women” hypothesized by our intelligentsia.
When Adam and Eve sinned, the perfection all about them was cursed by God. Every thing in creation was marred by the curse. Adam and Eve were cursed. Imperfections were introduced into their bodies. They, like You, were now on the way to death. Their children did not receive a perfect start in life. The DNA they inherited was flawed. And, so it was with every living thing on Earth. All the flora and fauna were damaged. Grasses died. Horses died. All the savage behavior we note on Earth was unleashed. Believers groan for the day when they shall enter the new Paradise that Jesus has created for His followers. (Romans 8:23)
God is a social being. The Godhead is three Persons in One. These three Personalities converse with each other. God has a history of creating living entities to share His magnificent presence. We read, in the Bible, of beautiful creatures that surround God’s throne.
Before God created man, He created the angels. Their history is complex. We shall not analyze it here, but we have noted some of the relevant Bible passages in this brief overview. Angels were created in Heaven. That is their natural estate. Unlike us, they do not procreate. (Matthew 22:30) Each angel was created by God. Like us, they are creatures of free-will. Even though they had always lived in the presence of the Godhead, some of the angels sinned. They became very prideful and chaffed at the idea that God had absolute authority over them. One of the most impressive angels was Lucifer. (Ezekiel 28:11-19) He organized an anti-God movement. He wanted the other angels to worship him instead of the true God. (Isaiah 14:12-17) One-third of the angels were drawn into his rebellion. (Revelation 12:4) God exiled these rebels to planet Earth. (Revelation 12:7-9) Here, Lucifer is known as “Satan” or the “Devil”, and the other wicked angels are called “evil spirits” or “demons”.
Sometime after He created the angels, God decided to make another kind of creature. God said ...
Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
(NIV Genesis 1:26-27)
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (NIV I John 3:2)
So, it seems that we are made like the “Son” Personality of the Godhead. The “Father” is a spirit, the “Spirit” is a spirit, so we must be like the “Son”. God decided that we humans should begin our existence on Earth with an option for Heaven. We were given a free-will to worship Him or to not worship Him. Alternatively, He could have made us robots that had no choice but to worship Him. Why did He not choose to do that? Think the idea through. If You had to choose between having a robotic child who would always
mind You and always give You a sweet hug as he traipsed off to bed at the precisely defined time or a child of free-will who would show You love when he was so inclined, which would You choose? The free-will child might not hug You and might not obey You on all occasions, but when he did, You would appreciate it, because the love would be voluntary, not pre-programmed.
God wants to Boost You into Heaven. In fact, He would be pleased if everyone chose Him, but He knew from the beginning that would not happen. He has done everything necessary for You to make it to Heaven. He has given You life. He has given You a way to shed Your sins and become qualified for a position in Heaven. He is Your Biggest Booster.