Foundations of Faith
CREATION (VI)
Macroevolution. As noted in Nov01, Darwin and others observed only microevolution in action. They observed birds, plants, and micro-organisms showing minor adaptive changes in response to a changed environment as well as more substantial changes in response to breeding programs. These scientists then made a tremendous leap:they hypothesized that over the course of millions of years multitudes of small changes would accumulate so that new species and even new families, new orders, and new phyla of animals and plants would be formed. These large changes are called macroevolution.
There are many problems with macroevolution. One is that it is not supported by the fossil record. While evolutionists believe that birds evolved from reptiles, there are a great many fossils of fully formed reptiles and birds, but no fossils of the hundreds of intermediate forms required by Darwin’s theory.
A second problem with macro-evolution has to do with the nature of mutations. Sometimes when living cells are reproducing a gene may not get copied exactly right. This is called a mutation. If this occurs in reproductive cells, the offspring may have a characteristic that neither of the parents possessed due to the mutation. It has been observed by scientists that the vast majority of mutations are harmful (such as producing a disease). For macroevolution to work, however, in every step of the evolutionary pathway (say from a reptile to a bird) there must occur a helpful, beneficial mutation.
A third problem with macroevolution is that of understanding how the intermediate forms could have survived and prospered. Imagine the evolution of a lizard into a bird. The lizard’s forelegs would have to become much longer (to develop into wings), its bone density would have to decrease greatly (to make flight possible), its leathery skin would have to change into feathers, among many other major changes. Now try to picture a lizard that, over millions of years, has evolved half the way to becoming a bird. It is neither a lizard nor a bird. It is now lacking some of the features that made it possible to survive as a lizard, and doesn’t yet have the features that would make it possible to fly and survive as a bird. That such a creature would be able to survive and reproduce itself for millions of years while evolving into a bird sounds more like survival of the “misfits” than of the “fittest”!
These are not simply the mocking expressions of a creationist. Here is a quotation by the foremost evolutionist, Ernst Mayr, in his book Systematics and the Origin of Species:“It must be admitted that it is a considerable strain on one’s credulity to assume that finely balanced systems such as certain sense organs (the eye of vertebrates, or bird’s feathers) could be improved by random mutations…. However, the objectors to random mutations have so far been unable to advance any alternative explanation that was supported by substantial evidence.” Is this science, or is this faith in a different kind of creator, the god of Chance? (See Assignment 16)
Punctuated Equilibrium. In the past two or three decades, more and more evolutionists have been withdrawing their support of Darwinian evolution. A number of alternative theories have been proposed, the most popular being that of punctuated equilibrium. This theory does away with the hundreds of tiny changes proposed by Darwin and requires very large and sudden changes, such as a lizard giving birth to a bird. Of course there is not a shred of evidence supporting this. But it illustrates the lengths to which evolutionists will go to avoid acknowledging a Creator.
Intelligent Design. While many books still refer to evolution as “a fact,” there is movement among evolutionists today toward acknowledging that there must at least be an “intelligent designer” who has directed the evolution. (This is somewhat similar to “theistic evolution” mentioned in Nov01.) The following books might be helpful to read and share with the teachers of evolution at your school:(1) Darwin’s Black Box by Michael Behe, (2) Evolution:A Theory In Crisis and (3) Nature’s Destiny, both by Michael Denton, and (4) Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson.
It is important to understand that scientists have defined “scientific evidence” in such a way as to exclude anything that is supernatural, or cannot be explained by natural happenings. If the scientists were honestly to compare all of their scientific knowledge against two theories-the theory of evolution by time and chance and the theory of creation by a Supreme Being-I believe that the creation theory would fit much, much better with the evidence. But the scientists will not permit such a test to take place with the argument that Divine creation is “unscientific.”
Much, much more could be written about these matters, but it all boils down to this:Will you believe in eternal Matter and omnipotent, omniscient Chance, or in the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient Creator-God?
Running the Race
Assignment 16: Write out at least one verse in 1 Corinthians 15 that might be used as an argument from the Bible against macroevolution.
Assignment 17: The following is a review quiz based on the Year-2001 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.
1. (Jan.) What made Jesus angry? Write out some verses that describe His anger.
2. (Feb.) Write out verses to describe three examples of sinful anger.
3. (Mar.) Write out three verses that give us Biblical instruction concerning anger.
4. (Apr.) Briefly describe three ways that a Christian might deal with the problem of sinful anger.
5. (May) What do the following classes of Christians need: (a) babes in Christ; (b) young believers; and (c) spiritual fathers?
6. (June) What does it mean to “know Christ”?
7. (July) Write out verses that state (a) how and (b) why God created the universe.
8. (Aug.) On the second day God made the firmament or expanse; write down three ways in which this benefits mankind.
9. (Sept.) Write down three ways in which the fourth day of creation benefits mankind.
The remaining three parts will be given in Jan02 GROWING.