Many of you are heading back to school in the days ahead. We want to encourage you to already start thinking past back-to-school supplies and clothes and begin gearing up to choose God's truth this school year. That's why we're thrilled to feature this post on creation versus evolution from LYWB blogger phendricks' mom, April. Check it out.
As you head back to school this fall semester, no doubt you will encounter the subject of evolution in your science class. It can be frustrating to have discussions with those who do not believe in God or the Bible, and you may feel confused and intimidated. But this is a subject that we need to talk about. Why? Because when former believers are asked why they turned away from their faith, their number one answer is "evolution." The questions they are really wrestling with are "Can the Bible be trusted" and "Did a supernatural God create the heavens and the earth, or did everything come about by ‘Mother Nature'"? I took an online biology class this past spring, and I felt my blood pressure rise when my biology teacher said that evolution is a proven fact that is not disputed in the scientific community. The reality is that evolution is not a proven fact, but in order to stand up for what you believe in in your science classrooms this school year, you do need to know what the facts are.
FACT: Scientists are still trying to figure out how life began.
The first weakness in the evolutionist's claim that I came upon was right in my biology textbook: "Human beings are incapable of producing cells from scratch in the laboratory, and so far as we can tell, nature has fashioned cells from simple molecules only once—back when life on earth got started." (A Brief Guide to Biology with Physiology, David Krogh. p. 56). That's a fancy way of saying that although life cannot come from nothing, the one time it did happen was back when life on earth got started. And that's not scientific. A supernatural God can create life from nothing, but naturally, it cannot happen.
FACT: The fossil record supports the creation model.
In his book The Fossil Record, Dr. John Morris, (who has a Ph.D. in geological engineering—that means he's really, really smart!) points out that no one was there to observe creation but neither was anyone there to observe all that the evolutionist claims. The evolutionist hasn't figured out how life began, nor can he prove that millions and millions of years have passed as organisms have evolved from simplicity to complexity. In fact, the fossil record (that's a scientific term for the total number of fossils that have been discovered) shows otherwise—complexity from the beginning. And complexity from the beginning supports the creation model—God creating fish that already swam and birds that already flew, and man and woman fully developed and fully functioning.
FACT: Even Darwin recognized the need for Transitional Fossils.
For over 150 years people have been searching for "the missing link"—that fossil that shows the transition of evolution. A fish becoming a land animal would be an example. But that fossil has never been found, and there should be several such fossils. Darwin himself said, "Geology most assuredly does not reveal any such finely graduated organic chain; and this perhaps, is the most obvious and gravest objection which can be urged against my theory." The story that fossils tell is that there is variation and adaptation within species (microevolution), but not an evolving from one kind to another (macroevolution).
FACT: Both creation and evolution are faith-based.
Evolution takes enormous faith. Scientist Chet Raymo said that after "The Big Bang" there was only one chance in 1015 (that's a 10 with 15 zeros after it!) for our habitable universe to happen. If things had differed by only one part in 1015, it couldn't have happened. What luck that everything turned out so perfectly (wink)! God's power is clearly on display in the creation we see around us. I really like what Romans 1:19–20 says, "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, so that they are without excuse."
The Bottom Line: Know your Bible and know your facts.
What can you do to be strong in your faith? Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." This school year I want to encourage you to read God's Word every day. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Matt. 24:35).