Exerpts from The Challenge of Evolution
Posted by pmyrant on September 4, 2009
CONTENT OUTLINE:
SECTION I – THE EXISTENCE OF A CREATOR
Is There a Creator?
The Challenge of Scientific Atheism
The Logic for a Creator
The Nature of Matter – Evidence of a Creator
The Cause and Design of Matter –Evidence of a Creator
Meaning and Value – Evidence of a Creator
Right and Wrong – Evidence of a Creator
There is a Creator
SECTION 2 –THE NATURE OF THE CREATOR
The Creator is Eternal
The Creator is Powerful and Intelligent
The Creator is a Just Person
The Creator is Good
The Creator is a Communicator
SECTION III – THE CREATOR AND EVOLUTION
The Bible versus Evolution
The History of Evolution
The Challenge of Time: The Age of the Universe
The Challenge of Time: Dating the Rocks
What Does it all Mean?
* * * * *
PREFACE:
Sam Harris a noted atheistic author wrote that he was inundated with hate mail by Christians, after he wrote his book on atheism. It is always difficult to be confronted with strong opposing points of view that challenge the very basis for one’s faith. However, the words of Jesus come to mind, “Love your enemies [and] to care for those who spitefully use us.”[i]
Even though this book is a response to many of the arguments raised by atheistic evolution, it is not written with animosity toward atheists or scientists. It is simply a response to the claims statements that they have made.
On a personal note I am disappointed with not only my behavior at times, but for the way Christians have behaved on many occasions in history. From the Crusades to racial bigotry many have been rightly offended by these actions. There is no excuse, we can only apologize and explain that these things were not done with the permission or approval of the Creator.
Our attitude and heart are as important as what we say. The Apostle Paul said; In gentleness instruct those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth[ii]. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men”.[iii]
As we discuss this topic, understand that my heart is to inform and challenge thoughts and beliefs that undermine a true knowledge of the Creator.
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION:
This book is a discussion about creationism, evolution and the apparent division between religion and science. We will attempt to answer the following: Is there a Creator? What is He like? Does He care about mankind? How did He create the universe?
The purpose is to strengthen and restore confidence in the believability of the Bible, in its historical record and its message to mankind. The intended audience is anyone who has ever questioned the existence of God, Christian and non-Christian alike. It is written to encourage those who believe, but doubt, and to help those who doubt, but want to believe. It is my hope that it will build a bridge to all seekers of truth.
From the beginning of human existence, mankind’s relationship with the Creator has been challenged. In the first test of Adam and Eve’s fidelity, the Creator’s instructions and motives were questioned and subsequently ignored. Abel, was murdered because his brother Cain, was unhappy with the Creator’s instructions. This is a consistent pattern throughout history, there are always voices which question the existence and nature of the Creator and His instructions to mankind.
The early church faced similar challenges. During the first several centuries being a Christian could cost you your life, property and place in Roman society. Many Roman Emperors sought to destroy the scriptures; they outlawed and burned every copy they could find. Others questioned the teachings and messages in the Bible.
Each subsequent era has faced unique difficulties; the age of enlightenment brought a new round of challenges aimed specifically at the teaching and historical accuracy of the Bible. The first of these challenges came through James Hutton and Charles Lyell’s theory of uniformity. This belief states that the geology of the earth is the result of millions of years of erosion and uplift.
Uniformity’s long ages of geological time opened the door for the theory of evolution. Hutton’s theory provided the theoretical time Darwin needed for evolution to take place. Both philosophies directly contradict a literal six day creation, what many believe that the biblical record is teaching.
A third challenge followed on Darwin’s heels, and questioned the authorship and dating of the biblical text. Specifically, this challenge focused on the first five books of the Bible. Theologians, who had already rejected the authority of the Bible, began to publicly question the historical accuracy of the recorded events.
Julius Wellhausen was directly influenced by the naturalism of uniformity and the advent of Darwin’s theory of evolution. Wellhausen popularized the “Documentary Hypothesis”[iv] which, along with similar theories, held an anti-supernatural view of the scriptures.
As this new theology and scientific worldview took hold in western civilization, evolution’s primary philosophy of naturalism replaced faith in the God of the Bible, the biblical record, miracles and belief in a supernatural realm.
In most mainline Christian churches, belief in the Bible digressed from being the very words of God and a reliable source of historical truth, to a collection of fables, myths, and abstract religious beliefs.
Though archeology and conservative Christian scholarship has repeatedly answered these criticisms, it has not been able to undo the progressive erosion of biblical authority in many parts of the Christian community.
In Europe, these challenges to biblical authority have had a devastating affect on historical Christianity; the Church is only a shell of its former self. In his book, “The Suicide of the West”, James Burnham eloquently states, “The West remembers enough about Christianity to feel guilty for its sins, but not enough to recall where forgiveness comes from.”[v]
The effect in America, while significant, was not as widespread. Fundamentalist religious groups in the United States were able to successfully respond and rebuff these attacks. Americans are surprisingly strong in their belief in a personal creator, the rejection of evolution and acceptance of the Genesis account of creation. A Gallup poll of 1,005 adults, taken in September 2005, showed that,
53 percent of adults believed “God created human beings in their present form exactly the way the Bible describes it.” Thirty-one percent believed humans “evolved over millions of years from other forms of life and God guided” the process, and 12 percent said humans “have evolved over millions of years from other forms of life, but God has no part.
By comparison,
Only 7 percent of those surveyed in Great Britain said they take the biblical creation account of Genesis 1 literally… Respondents in Germany, Norway, Russia and the Netherlands all ranked significantly lower than the United States in biblical literalism.[vi]
The battle is ongoing. Evolution is taught as a fact throughout the world’s public school systems. From elementary through college, evolution is drilled into the minds and hearts of young people. Many, once strong Christian colleges and universities, now teach various forms of Darwinism, the Documentary Hypothesis, and other criticisms of the biblical record.
“National Geographic” and the Discovery Channel continually tell us the earth is billions of years old. The History Channel speaks almost exclusively from an anti-supernatural view of the Bible; it continually questions biblical history and authority. The challenge for Christianity in both Europe and America is huge. Even though many in America confess faith in the Bible, the constant drumbeat has left many Christians and non-Christians alike genuinely confused about the existence of God and the reliability of the Bible.
These are significant challenges and must be honestly examined. We begin our examination with the basis for belief in a Creator. Before we can be certain about the authority of the Bible or any religion, we must first be certain about the existence and nature of a Creator.
Can we know for certain there is a Creator? The Bible teaches that God’s existence is an innate truth written on the soul of every person. The Apostle Paul declared,
That which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made.[vii]
The psalmist David wrote:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where there is voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world.[viii]
If these statements are true, then we should be able to examine the universe and through the process of deduction, demonstrate the existence and nature of the creator. This will in turn provide us with an objective source for belief in God, apart from the aid of religion. Obviously I believe that we can discover the truth about a Creator, my hope is that each of you will reason with me as we examine the evidence for a creator.
[i] Matthew 5: 43,44
[iv] The “Documentary Hypothesis” teaches that the Old Testament Scriptures were written several centuries later that has been held by both Jewish and Christian scholars. The view throughout history is that Moses wrote the Torah between 1500 and 1300 BC, using a variety of original sources. Wellhausen speculated that Judaism was originally polytheistic and eventually evolved into a monotheistic religion, but well after the time of Moses. This theory is based in part of four primary assumptions. First that evolution is true in religion as well as the natural world. Secondly, that there was no written language at the time of Moses, the Elba Tablets completely disproved this theory. Thirdly, it was also based on the belief that all of the supernatural events in the Bible were mythological and untrue. Finally it based on the usage of different names for God used in various sections of the Torah. All of the “scholarship” associated with the “Documentary Hypothesis” has been refuted and answered by conservative scholarship, and there is reason to believe any of the opinion it holds are historically accurate. There is no reason to doubt the conservative date for the writing of the Scripture.
[v] Burnham, James. “Suicide of the West”. The John Day Company, New York, NY. USA
[vi] http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/evol4.htm
[vii] Romans 1:19, 20. NASB
Comments
2 Responses to “Exerpts from The Challenge of Evolution”Leave a comment, and if you'd like your own picture to show up next to your comments, go get a gravatar!
This creationism is a tragedy for Christianity. The fact is that creationism is wrong. Adhering to it only damages the Christian religion. The reason evolution is taught is because it’s true. Hundreds of millions of Christians see no conflict between evolution and religion.
It is creationism that’s wrong. Learn to think.
September 19, 2009
Thanks for you opinion Bob, I appreciate you taking the time to write it.
If you had actually read my book it might make a difference in your opinion. The book is the result of 37 years of intense study and research into both creationism and evolution. My belief in a Creator is not based on blind faith, religion. It is based squarely on logic and the evidence of the universe and human interaction.
Personally it does not matter to me if most Christians believe in evolution, which they don’t, what matters is what the Bible teaches and what science can prove as fact. My best understanding of the Bible is that God made the unverse out of nothing in six days.
The beliefs of science are as follows: we live in a universe that had a beginning (i.e the big bang) the logical assertion of this is that the big bang had to be caused by something greater that itself, and something that was pre-existent to the event (i.e. and eternal creator).
Secondly, all living things appear to have the capacity to adapt to given environments making small changes within a given specie. White foxes and brown foxes adapt to their environments for survival. Is this evolution? Not at all,it is adaptation, or maybe better stated, gene selection based on the survivability of white or brown foxes due to their protection and visiblity to predators.
Third, what science can prove is that everything reproduces after its own kind. That is a scientific fact, not that everything came from one original life form and changed into succesive species over millions of years.
The belief in cross species mutation is based on assumptions and subjective interpretation of skulls and bone fragments of unknown beings from the past. Since, the goal of each of these scientists who interpret these artifacts is to prove their personal belief system is true, “evolution”, their opinions are not trustworthy, they are not objective.
A final issue is the age of the universe and the earth. This is really what science has placed their beliefs in. The facts of this are non-existent. If a Creator exists, (which logic tells us must) then how did this being create the universe, what was the process He used? It is impossible to prove, scientifically or philosophically how this took place, all we can possiblly do is try to discover how the universe is operating today. If the Creator created the universe, He did so by a supernatural activity, which cannot be duplicated and which makes all natural laws the result of a supernatural act. Which also means that everything created was created with apparent age, functional and complete.
If naturalism were true then it might take millions of years for life to move from simple to complex forms, but it cannot take place without something causing it to happen. If you can create anything why not create it complete and functional.
What is most critical is whether the universe is cause or uncaused. an uncaused universe is irrational to the highest degree, the existence of an eternal Creator is the only logical explanation for the universe.
I do not believe that Chrisitianity harms itself in any way because of our understanding and belief that God created the universe. Christianity is based entirely on the fact that God exists and created the universe out of nothing. That the Creator is the owner and judge of all human activity. That our actions are a result of our own choices. That God is good and loves mankind.
The message that God created and loves mankind is a message of hope and peace. It has been received by countless millions of people throughout the ages. Christianity continues to be the largest religion in the world, and no belief system other than Christianity provides real answers to the questions that people have. Why do I exist? What is the meaning of life? What happens after I die?