Question on Creation

Becky: Wow, it's sure been a while! Life has been busy, and while questions have definitely come up, the time to think about and ponder the answers to them hasn't been materializing. :) But I just wanted to bring this to the table - not sure how much you'll have to say on it, but it's worth a shot. Today I was talking to a guy I've met here at school - he's a biology major, and is pre-med. We were sitting outside, and there were Asian ladybugs that kept landing on us. He said something about how incredible it was to him that animals had evolved so beautifully. . . and we got into a brief conversation about evolution and creation. He's Catholic, so I asked him how his belief in evolution meshed with his belief in the Bible. He mentioned the verse that states something about how a thousand years is like a day, and a day is like a thousand years to God, and said that he believes God set creation into motion, but didn't fully create things in 7 literal days - that it could have been millions of years as things evolved, since God is not bound by time and hours like we are. I asked if he thought God could have created the world in 7 literal days, and he said, yes, he did think that God definitely could. . . and basically admitted that, while he personally believes in a God-initiated evolution, he doesn't really know for sure that's how it was, and won't until he dies and can ask God himself. :) So my question is, what makes us sure that God meant 7 literal days? Why couldn't it have been God creating things and then having them evolve over time?

Dad: Sorry for the delay. Well, first of all, how you come down on this issue – seven literal days, old earth theory, some level of evolution, etc. – is not an absolute of the Christian faith. What is absolute in this category is that God created all that exists. For the finer points, one must consider the absolute of the authority of Scripture and explain what God meant when he said that He made each creature to reproduce after its kind. Also, in the scientific world, you can ask the question of those holding to evolution and old earth theory, “Do you consider a world-wide flood in your study?” Many non-Christian societies from places all over the world have flood stories that sound amazingly similar. Having a world-wide flood can explain many of the fossils, and evidence many use for old earth slow development. It is interesting how many Christian scientists have taken an objective approach to seek what is actually true, considering all possible explanations, listening to historical accounts, and examining as much evidence as possible, and yet secular scientists often refuse to consider certain possibilities off-hand. What then is science?

With the 7 literal days, if God can create it 7 days, but to fit theories we like each day lasting millions of years, we could also ask, “Couldn’t God create the universe as is in 7 seconds?” Why are we trying to fit the Bible’s account into a pre-determined theory?

There are many Christian scientists who have honestly done this work already, and if your friend is truly interested in finding the truth, he should be honest with himself and seek out sources from all perspectives. A good place to start is Ben Stein’s documentary, “Expelled.” It shows how the chief evolutionists are not honest scientists, and how higher education often discriminates against those who believe in, or are even willing to consider intelligent design. Ask your friend if he has heard of intelligent design. In a recent discussion I had, the others I was talking with had not even heard the term. I had heard of all of their theories ad nauseam, and they hadn’t even heard the name of the basic concept of the creation side. They started that particular conversation by claiming that Christians are close-minded when it comes to science. Ken Ham is another source – Answers in Genesis is his organization. The Institute of Creation Research is another excellent option. I suppose they all have websites, and books to no end.

There are so many fun questions that have no good answers such as, “What are the odds that mutations, or accidents have positive results? Do you actually believe that mutations and accidents made improvements in species to the point of developing new species?” The truth is that this process cannot be proven, and certainly cannot be repeated, so it cannot be science. You can ask if any equipment he has ever used has been the result of an accident, rather than the result of someone’s design. He certainly doesn’t need scientific proof to tell that his cell phone was designed by a creative, intelligent being. Ask him how he can tell. How much more complicated, and yet logical is the human body, and yet many believe it evolved by accident. Examining the complex systems of the body that we are only beginning to understand shows that someone much more intelligent than we are designed them.

The final thing to address here actually has nothing to do with science. I’d suggest you ask your friend what is his world-view. He may not have heard of that term, but everyone has one, and it is simple to discover through basic discussion. Ask how he knows what he knows, and let the conversation flow, by just continuing to ask, “Yeah, but how do you know?” You need to have the answer for yourself as well, and if you both believe in the authority of Scripture, then a thorough and continuous study of the Bible should help you shape your world-view, that is if you ignore popular, cultural opinion. I find that people with completely opposing world-views can argue ‘til the cows come home, and be missing each other because they just don’t agree on much more basic issues, such as the existence of God. Pray for your friend, and have a good discussion. Don’t let him get away with pat answers, and don’t you give any either. Just keep asking, “How do you know?”