Evolution: Science Or Faith? Series

GENESIS 1 TO THE EVOLUTIONIST:

In the beginning there was nothing. And nothing said to itself, “Let us become something, explode, and become an ordered universe that is governed by laws of science, physics, and mathematics. Let us become a universe that is able to sustain life. And it happened. All of the universe was created. Nothing became something, exploded, and became everything. And this all took billions of years…

Then the earth said, “let us make life from the primordial soup.” And it was so; many chemical reactions happened over time. These chemical reactions became more and more complex, and became a living cell that could reproduce and grow. From this single cell came all of the different animals; the birds of the air, the fish in the sea, and the animals on the ground. All of this happened through chance, random processes and mutations. And this all took billions of years…

And there was a special group of animals, the primates. And they said, “Let us make man in our image,” and it was so. Over time, through chance mutations, the primate became a man. This man was special. He formed a much more complex brain than the primates before him. He could reason. He had a conscience that could tell right from wrong. He formed emotions, human dignity, and logic. And man was able to, through His intellect, find his purpose in life… Nothing. And this all took billions of years.

DEFINING EVOLUTION

What do you think about when you hear the word evolution? The word has many meanings. It can simply mean “change; a process of formation or growth.” Here are a couple common definitions:

“Evolution is the process by which a species changes or adapts to its environment through time… [7]

“the descent of different species from a common ancestor over many generations.”

My textbook does not even call it the “theory” of evolution. It introduces it as a fact that has been happening since the origin of life. It refers to it has a principle. Many atheists believe it is a fact. A leading atheist, Richard Dawkins, made this statement about evolution:

“One thing all real scientists agree upon is the fact of evolution itself. It is a fact that we are cousins of gorillas, kangaroos, starfish, and bacteria. Evolution is as much a fact as the heat of the sun. It is not a theory, and for pity’s sake, let’s stop confusing the philosophically naive by calling it so. Evolution is a fact.”[1]

Many scientists agree with Richard Dawkins (many disagree also) and go as far as saying that if you question evolution, you are questioning science. The debate usually turns to being in between science vs. faith, with most unbelievers saying that science is the winner by default. Then the next step is to call theists irrational and illogical because they believe we are contradicting known, observable science.

So is evolution a fact? The answer to this question is: YES and NO.

This whole debate hinges on the definition of evolution you want to use and what you want to group under this umbrella of ‘evolution.’ What evolutionists do not like to do is make a distinction between micro-evolution and macro-evolution. One is from God, and the other is not. They do not like to make this distinction because, if they do, it destroys the majority of the evidence for their beloved theory.

EVOLUTION IS SCIENTIFIC FACT: MICRO-EVOLUTION

Micro-Evolution is the observed reality of variation within a kind (Gen 1:21, 24). This might better be called variation, or adaptation. You and I have observed micro-evolution. For example, how many different types of dogs have you seen? You have the Great Dane and the Chihuahua. Both dogs, but clearly different. The differences in dogs can be explained by breeding over hundreds and thousands of generations. Micro-evolution has been observed. Examples are Darwin’s finches, fruit flies, peppered moths, and many others. This has been observed. No rational person can deny micro-evolution is true. Micro-evolution is from God. And the Bible allows for it. God created every animal after its kind. We should expect to see over thousands of years changes within the different kinds of animals, such as the dog example we just talked about.

We see changes within a kind in scripture, even something simple as what we see in Genesis 30:37-43 where Jacob gets Laban’s flocks to mate so they would bear flocks that were striped, speckled, and spotted. As simple as this is, it is an example of differences within a kind. It is an example of micro-evolution. Micro-evolution is from God. It is a fact.

EVOLUTION IS A FAITH: MACRO-EVOLUTION

Macro-evolution is a different story. Macro-evolution is the teaching that through small changes, organisms and animals can jump from one species to another, such as a primate becoming a human over long periods of time through natural selection and chance mutations. Scientists use micro-evolution to prove macro-evolution. There is a huge difference between adapting to your environment and becoming a whole different kind of animal. It is nothing more than speculation to say that many small changes within a species can lead to one animal becoming a completely different animal. To say it can happen is not science, but a statement of blind faith. Macro-evolution has never been observed in a laboratory.