It Does Matter How God Created
by Bruce Malone
"The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be."1 Thus the late Carl Sagan began his famous and influential book, COSMOS, with a statement which is more akin to religion than science. "The heavens declare the glory of God"2 Thus states the Bible which claims to be the inspired word of this God.
Here, then, is the sharp contrast between the two mutually exclusive worldviews which are currently locked in combat for preeminence of thought in the Western World. The winner will determine the course of world history. But why not just say, "God used evolution to create ...," and be done with the controversy?
First, Christians are always to look for the truth. Anything else would dishonor the very God in whom we profess to believe. Evolution and creation cannot both be true because they are mutually exclusive worldviews. One must be wrong if the other is right. How can we claim to be followers of the One who claimed to be "The Truth"3 if we aren’t willing to search for the truth.
Second, Jesus Christ said that we could tell a tree by its fruit.4 Have you ever heard anyone sincerely state, "I’m glad I have learned the evidence for evolution. It has led me to the reality of God’s personal love for me. Now that everything can be explained by random chance, I feel purpose and meaning in my life." On the other hand, many people confess that hearing the evidence for creation has strengthened their faith in God’s existence, in His personal involvement with His creation, and in the Bible as God’s revealed truth to mankind.
Third, the Bible is very clear that human behavior is tied closely to basic beliefs. Take time to read Romans 1:17-26. This passage states that because of the evidence of creation, no one has an excuse for disbelief in God. However, if God used evolution to bring everything about, then there is no evidence for God’s existence from observing his creation, and this Bible passage is contradicted. The verses in Romans go on to list the results of denying God’s existence: a society with widespread homosexuality, greed, envy, murder, hatred toward the God of Christianity, and many other consequences. Does this sound like America today? The primary tie of the physical world to a spiritual God is the reality of creation. This is why the Bible equates belief in God with the acknowledgment of Him as creator. As any society accepts evolution as reality, the relevance of God decreases, and the tie to an absolute source of right and wrong is broken. The result is a drift toward humanism and the devaluation of human life.
Fourth, the Bible is very clear concerning God’s method of creation and the history of our planet. Unlike the numerous creation stories from cultures all over the world, the Biblical creation account is precise, concise, and provides testable predictions concerning the world around us. For instance, the Bible describes a humanity with a tendency toward evil and decline. This appears to be the case, because every society in the history of the world has ended in tragedy and bloodshed. Not one has lasted more than a few centuries. The Bible describes a worldwide flood, and there is abundant evidence that this event happened. The Bible describes the creation of separate animal and plant "kinds". That is exactly what the fossil record shows.
In the face of this evidence, why not consider the possibility that the Bible is exactly what it claims to be - God’s inspired revelation to humans to be read and understood in a normal, straightforward manner? Jesus was more to the point in Luke 16:31, "If they hear not Moses [who passes down the creation account] ... neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Jesus is largely ignored today.
A physician does not treat just the symptoms when he is treating a dying patient. Our country shows many tragic symptoms of a society drifting away from God. The root causes of this are the denial of God’s existence and the Bible’s authority. This would be inconceivable had not several generations been taught that evolution is a fact.
1. Carl Sagan, Cosmos, Random House Publishers, 1980, p 4.
2. The Bible, Psalms 19:1
3. The Bible, John 14:6
4. The Bible, Matthew 12:33
A complete set of articles examining science and reality from a Christian perspective can be found at SearchfortheTruth.net and in the book Search for the Truth by Bruce Malone.
