Creation and Darwinian Evolution

1
Creation and Darwinian Evolution

• Can there be a balance?
• A Faith-Based, Scientific Opinion

2
How do we know something happened, and how it
happened?

• Observation is the first key to our understanding
  of the world around us
• For some, this is the only acceptable evidence
  Seeing is believing
• However, we cannot understand or interpret our
  whole world by what we currently see
• If we observe something with our own eyes, we
  think we can understand it but, what is magic,
  but the deception of our sight

3
Historical Methods

• History records events with writing, thus
• If it was not recorded, it did not happen.
• Historians have tests for determining the
  accuracy of recorded events Textual criticism.
• Textual criticism involves finding all witnesses
  (pictures, manuscripts, recordings, ) of the
  event, examining them, correlating them, , to
  find the truth of what happened, but
• Sometimes this fails because there can be more
  than one interpretation, Who shot JFK?

4
Historical Perspectives

• When there are more witnesses, the opportunity
  for finding the truth is more likely.
• So, when there are more than 24,000 manuscripts
  of the New Testament alone, many of them dating
  from the first century, that document is more
  reliable than Homers Iliad, for which there
  are less than 1,000, separated in time by more
  than 400 years
• Most cultures have Creation Myths, with
  remarkable similarity in the sequence of events

5
Historical Doubts

• Some do not consider the Bible a historical
  document, especially as it relates to creation
• It does not record the existence of dinosaurs
  (but no one knows what behemoths and leviathans
  are) but dinosaur fossils have only been found
  in parts of the world without written histories
• However, the order of creation recorded in
  Genesis 1-2 agrees with the order of the fossil
  record Earth, plants, fish, birds, mammals,

6
Scientific Method

• Observations lead to questions. Questions lead to
  hypotheses. Hypotheses lead to experiments.
  Experiments lead to data. Data lead to analyses.
  Analyses leads to interpretations.
  Interpretations lead to conclusions about the
  hypotheses.
• When several experiments validate the same
  hypothesis, it becomes a theory.
• When numerous experiments validate that theory,
  it becomes a law, e.g., the Law of Gravity

7
Two Important Laws

• Two laws are important to consider when talking
  about creation and evolution
• First Law of Thermodynamics In a closed system,
  matter and energy are neither created nor
  destroyed, only converted from one form to
  another. This is called the Law of Conservation.
• Second Law of Thermodynamics In a closed system,
  disorder increases. More simply, everything
  degrades, runs down, falls apart

8
Elements of Darwinism

• Darwinism has three fundamentals
• Natural Selection
• Survival of the Fittest
• Evolution of Species
• Applying historical and scientific methods to
  these, the first two have been, and can be,
  observed. Thus, these are not in conflict with
  history, science, or the Bible
• Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest
  leads to adaptation called microevolution

9
Microevolution

• Microevolution results in adaptation. Darwins
  famous voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle allowed him to
  observe finches with different beak structures on
  different islands. Populations evolved
  differently due to different selection pressures.
• Greenbugs, a type of aphid, have many biotypes,
  and develop new biotypes every few years, in
  response to crop varieties, resistances, and
  pesticides used
• Bacteria adapt within a few generations

10
Microevolution Within Species

• Bacteria are single-celled organisms, and have
  the most rapid microevolution. But even as they
  adapt and evolve, they are still bacteria
• Greenbugs (aphids) are insects, more complex
  organisms than bacteria. They go through multiple
  generations each year, and it takes a few years
  to develop a new biotype. But as they adapt and
  evolve, they are still greenbugs
• Finches are even more complex organisms, but all
  Darwin observed were still finches

11
Macroevolution New Species

• While microevolution has been observed
  historically in the fossil record, in
  agricultural production fields, and in biotech
  labs, the evolution of a new species has not been
  observed historically or scientifically
• Macroevolution is based on genetic mutations,
  major changes in the genetic pattern. The
  probabilities against this are extreme. Nearly
  all mutations currently known lower competitive
  advantage, and many are lethal (2nd Law)

12
Macroevolution New Species

• Most mutations are often sterile, as are most
  hybrids between species, e.g., mules
• To change species, multiple, simultaneous,
  similar, opposite gender, non-sterile, mutations
  would have to occur in the same location so they
  could propagate (Does not follow Genesis 1, (
  each according to its kind)
• The fossil record does not support this. New
  species appear suddenly and ubiquitously
  (wide-spread). Interspecies have not been found

13
Macroevolution New Species

• Most mutations are often sterile, as are most
  hybrids between species, e.g., mules
• Recently, a new ability has been discovered that
  allows organisms to restore previous, more viable
  genetic code, a built-in repair mechanism that
  defies Mendelian Inheritance Laws This supports
  the 2nd Law in that the highest and best form of
  an organism was the first

14
Black and White or Gray?

• The challenge The words, Creation and
  Evolution are emotionally charged.
• Humans tend to define their boundaries strictly.
• Conservatives want black or white no grays
• Liberals want only shades of gray no extremes
• Many scientists and educators fear that if
  creation is taught, the accepted facts of
  microevolution will be ignored
• Many Christians know that Creation has been
  ignored in the classroom

15
DNA and Aliens

• Watson and Crick, the Nobel Laureates who
  discovered the structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic
  acid), the basic structure of inheritance in all
  life cells, upon consideration of its complexity,
  determined that it was too complex to occur by
  chance through evolutionary processes, and so
  decided life must have been planted on earth by
  aliens

16
Intelligent Design

• Evolutionary events are based on random chance
  events
• Such events cannot account for purpose
• All things with a purpose in our man-made world
  were created with an intent
• Watches, laptops, houses, cars, , did not occur
  by random chance
• This suggests that in the larger world we
  observe, since things have a purpose, there must
  have been a Designer

17
Cause for Doubt or Reevaluation

• Standard ideas of Historical Geology and
  Interpretation have been challenged by the
  Eruption of Mt. St. Helens, 27 years ago
• A canyon, about ¼ mile wide, 1/8 mile deep, and
  more than a mile long was scoured in an afternoon
• The deposition had many strata of various
  particle sizes that might be interpreted to
  represent many deposition periods
• Coal has formed at the bottom of the lake

18
Issues of Faith

• There are significant gaps in the theory of
  evolution as it pertains to macroevolution of
  species to require a determined belief in order
  to accept it, or in other words, faith
• Hebrews 111 Now faith is being sure of what we
  hope for, and certain of what we do not see
• So, whether we choose to believe in an
  intelligent Designer/Creator, benevolent aliens,
  or random, beneficial macroevolution none of
  which we have seen faith is required

19
Foundations

• Genesis 1-2 In the beginning, God
• God spoke, and happened by His Powerful Word
• Proverbs 822-31 Wisdom is personified, and
  speaks its role in Creation
• John 11-5, 10-14 Jesus, the Word of God, was
  active in Creation, and is rejected by His
  Creation
• Romans 818-28 Creation longs to be redeemed,
  for not only Adam and Eve fell

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More Foundations

• Jeremiah 1012-13 God made the earth by His
  power
• Job 38-41 God questions Job about Jobs
  nonexistent role in Creation, and many specific
  details that God designed
• Psalm 104 God creates life, and provides for
  it, when He removes His spirit, even animals die
• Psalm 13913-16 God knew us before we were
  born, planned us, ... with a purpose

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Still More Foundations

• Jeremiah 15 Reminds us that God has a purpose
  for us, even before our conception
• Ephesians 210 For we are Gods workmanship,
  created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
  God prepared in advance for use to do.
• Romans 118-20 Psalm 191-2 All creation bears
  witness of God

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The Challenge

• Whatever choice you make requires faith
• Will you choose to believe that you are the
  result of
• A cosmic accident,
• Benevolent aliens, or
• An Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent,
  Transcendent, Gracious, Merciful, Loving God who
  created the earth and everything in it (including
  you) with a purpose?