Which is YOUR authority?

What is the fundamental problem with old-earth creationism (e.g. theistic evolution, progressive creationism, gap theory, literary framework hypothesis)? Quite frankly, there are many problems. Biblical Creationists have combatted these problems head-on and quite effectively for decades. These problems have been countered through both science and biblical interpretation. But, this is not the fundamental problem. Does a problem exist? Quite possibly, the "problem" could be nothing more than a difference of interpretation (such as different methods of baptism). But no, it is more serious than that.

The fundamental problem of old-earth creationism (OEC) is the indecision these individuals have concerning their choice of final authority. Many times, the OEC's will admit that a "cursory" reading of Genesis 1-11 obviously requires a literal reading and understanding. In other words, it demands to be interpreted as having occurred over a period of six days around 6,000 years ago. But then they make a mistake. They usually preface this mistake with a phrase like, "But the scientific data says..." Now, this might sound like a dumb question -- but, if the Bible makes it clear that the Earth is young, then does it really matter what the scientific data says, or seems to say? I suppose that, before we go any further, we should determine how science and scripture relate to each other.

Hugh Ross (founder of Reasons to Believe) is often known to refer to Nature and Science as the 67th Book of the Bible (added on to the other 66 books). Let us make a distinction here that Hugh Ross (and many others) refuse to make. Historically and traditionally, there have been two modes of revelation from God to man. The first involves Natural Revelation; this involves Nature and Science. In this sense, God is making His Existence known to us by the mere existence of the universe. By looking out at creation, God wanted us to know He existed. But, being omniscient as He is, He knew that man would intellectually rebel against Him and would seek to explain the existence of the universe completely naturalistically. He knew this (funny, how this has happened -- Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking, and others). To counter this, He gave us Special Revelation. This is His written Word that He gave us over the span of 3,500 years of human history. This Word is set down: inspired, preserved, and inerrant. His special revelation is to take precedence over His natural revelation. Of course, His creation will always be in harmony with his Word (if interpreted correctly). Unfortunately, many choose to ignore this harmony and instead compromise the naturalistic theories of man by molding, bending, and distorting God's revealed Word to us, thereby compromising its integrity.

This is the fundamental problem of OEC's. Biblical Creationists do not have this problem because they recognize the harmony that exists, but they place God's Word over scientific data because it is our Final Authority.

For more information:

www.icr.org
www.creation.com
www.answersingenesis.org
www.creationresearch.org

God of the Gaps

Many times, secularists accuse creation scientists and ID advocates of using the "God of the Gaps" concept. What is this concept? Essentially, it claims that anything we don't understand about science or nature can be supplemented by the fact that "God made it that way." While this is true, it does not serve as a legitimate scientific reason for explaining something in nature. And it is true as well that some creationists do use this argument. But, what many don't realize is that secularists use a "God of the Gaps" scenario as well. I call it the "Natural-Selection of the Gaps."

What is this? The primary axiom of evolution states that every living thing arose from a prior ancestral organism through a combined process of mutations coupled with natural selection. I will deal with mutations in a later post. Natural selection is a favorite catchword with evolutionists nowadays. What is natural selection? Natural selection states that as organisms evolve, environmental conditions affect the organim during its evolution so as to cause some of the organisms to die out and some to thrive. This is also referred to "survival of the fittest." It is true that unfit organisms in an environment will not survive. However, by stating this, they are actually imbuing nature with a certain power and ability that it does not possess. They claim that the environment chooses the creatures that are fit to survive, and those that are not. How can the environment (or nature in general) choose anything, for it is not a sentient being? Nature can no more choose the creatures that will fill its environment than a book can choose to be written.

While this is bad enough, whenever asked about how an organism can be so well designed to survive in a certain environment, they claim "Natural selection." Yet, they give no explanation as to how nature did this. They claim it as their default mechanism. And yet, they accuse creationists of using a default mechanism. But, let's think about this. Which is a more logical default mechanism? Believing in an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who is capable of doing all things, or believing in an impersonal natural, mystical force that somehow guided evolution? I think I will stick with a belief in God.

I do not espouse the "God of the Gaps" theory. I do not use it except in circumstances where I do not understand the concept fully, or if there is no explanation yet. In a future post, I will deal with natural selection and mutations. We'll see where they lead.

Great New Resource from ICR

I've been following creation science for about a decade now. I subscribe to Acts & Facts, ICR's monthly newsletter. I also keep up with new creationist literature coming out. Here's the latest from ICR:








Having a book completely devoted to a creationist perspective on microbiology is like having a breath of fresh air. For years, the creation science movement has published apologetics, general science, and biblical commentary books. Now, a new rush of semi technical science literature is being published.

This book is amazing. The graphics are stupendous, and the photos truly do show God's unique design in His creation. The primary author is Dr. Jeffrey Tomkins, but two main contributors are Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson and Dr. Brad Forlow. Their work is phenomenal. The information covered is somewhat technical, such as the terminology, but the authors do their best to explain everything. They take you step-by-step through the cell, showing the intricate structure and the incredible complexity found within the DNA molecule. Very interesting articles are interspersed throughout the book, covering areas as diverse as the "Complexity of the Brain" to "Human Reproduction." Most importantly of all though, are the overt biblical overtones contained in the book. The authors make no qualms about putting forth the biblical framework or adhering to a literal interpretation of the Genesis account. This, they insist, is what separates The Design and Complexity of the Cell apart from similar books found within the Intelligent Design community. An amazing book -- well worth the money spent. You can purchase it at http://www.icr.org  

Creation Science Journals on the Rise

Even though most secular scientists don't give a care about creation science, several organizations have published creation science peer-reviewed journals. In the past, the big two have been Creation Research Society Quarterly and Journal of Creation. But, these are subscriber-based, print magazines. A new, free, online journal is up called Answers Research Journal. I'll just give you the tid-bit. Go check it out for yourself.