by Jacob Ninan
From the time Darwin brought up his theory of how life might have evolved naturally from simple to complex forms to finally come to human beings over a period of billions of years, a confrontation has developed between scientific findings and theories, and the biblical account of creation. Secular scientists propose that all the formation of life and subsequent evolution were entirely through natural processes, which does not leave any place for God. On the other hand, Christians who believe that God was the One who created everything take different approaches with regards to scientific discoveries. Some Christians hold that God created everything according to how He has described in the Bible. Some other Christians hope to bring in a level of compatibility between the Bible and science by proposing various theories about how God may have used the process of evolution in His creation.
However, given the general hostility of the world towards God, over time the voice of the secular scientists seems to have managed to produce the impression that their discoveries have proved their theories beyond question. This, in turn, has turned public opinion towards ridiculing anyone who talks about believing in supernatural creation by God. As a result, the scientific theories of how the universe began with a Big Bang and how life formed and evolved through billions of years are being taught in schools and colleges in such a way that the students get the idea that they are proven facts. This is what Christian children learn from childhood, and they face ridicule if anyone mentions the creation story. Now the sad phenomenon that we observe is that as these children grow into teenage and beyond, many of them are leaving their Christian faith altogether, shaken by the thought that if this basic foundation of God creating the world is not true, they cannot take the other parts of the Bible seriously.
But actually many such young people have not had the opportunity to look at both sides of the debate in a proper, open manner. When renowned scientists speak with apparent confidence and authority, people believe them. So these young people form their conclusion merely from what they have been taught in school as unquestionable facts and also what they have seen in the mainstream media. Thankfully, more and more 'creation scientists' are rising up who investigate science along with their faith in God and who are questioning the secular theories and proposing viable alternatives. On the other side, most churches have shied away from looking at this subject, not being confident of being able to face the attack from 'experts', and also because they do not want to appear as being regressive or fanatical. And then peer pressure prevents young people from looking seriously at the Bible. In this article, which is (hopefully) written in a simple manner for everyone to be able to understand, I would like to bring up different sides that we need to be aware of with regards to this subject.
The limitations of science
Many people seem to generally have the idea that science will ultimately solve all their problems – solve all the mysteries of the world, make the world disease free, give people immortality, enable people to define their own destinies, etc. Even though science is far from this, the enormous progress it has made in the recent years gives people this kind of a hope for the future. But the way scientists have defined science has actually limited its scope, and, if we think of it fairly, blocked themselves from ever finding the full truth! Scientists have defined science as "the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained." We should be able to see immediately that this has restricted the scope of science to dealing with only natural matter and phenomena. But we know, that apart from matter and the natural laws concerning its functions, there is another major dimension called the spiritual realm. God is an invisible and immaterial Spirit without form, and so are angels and demons. We human beings also have a spiritual part in our being because of which we can experience spiritual things. These cannot be explained by scientists who have placed a restriction on themselves to look only at natural things.If the spiritual dimension of the world and life is ignored, how can anyone be able to understand fully how everything works? For example, human life has a physical aspect, but also a spiritual aspect. We know now that for a cell to 'live', it must have different types of chemicals present. But merely combining these chemicals does not produce life! If the heart stops pumping, we know that life will stop. We know that if the brain does not function properly, there can be mental disorders. But the mere presence of neurons in the brain and the biological processes going on inside it are not able to explain the mind and spiritual aspects such as love, sadness, the sense of right and wrong that we have from birth, etc. If we think about it, we will have to admit that our character is what gives us more value than our physical abilities. But such things are beyond the scope of a scientific laboratory.
So what is actually happening? There are actually huge gaps in the scientific understanding of the origin of the universe and life. Though different explanations are being brought forth, they are in the form of conjectures. But they are not fully convincing even from a scientific point of view, because they are merely imaginations and they cannot be demonstrated. For example, scientists are unable to show in a convincing manner where the matter and the energy involved in a Big Bang came from. Even though evolution is described as a slow, long and continuous process through which life forms transform into more advanced forms, we cannot see evidence of its continuity, neither from the fossil records nor from what can be observed as happening now. If you place all living things on a chronological line, you can immediately see big gaps all along the line. There seem to be big jumps in the process, and the intermediate 'links' are missing. The example that scientists use of layering of geological strata to say how each of them was formed over billions of years one over another becomes questionable when you see creatures that were not expected to exist at the same periods in time occur together as fossils in the same layer. The point I make is that scientific knowledge is far from being complete, and is totally insufficient to prove the theory of origins. You can see detailed discussions on many different issues with the theory of origin and evolution from 'creation scientists' who believe that it was God who created everything.
In spite of the impression being generated that scientists are absolutely clear about how the universe originated and evolved, the actual lack of understanding is astounding. Even though many scientists would seem to want to give an impression of overwhelming success, and once in a while someone comes up with fantastic claims, there are also some top ranking scientists who humbly acknowledge that things are not as rosy as others make them out to be. It is true that no one knows what exactly the situation was before the universe began to take shape, what made it to come into existence, how life came to exist, etc. Nobody is able to explain abiogenesis, how life got formed from inanimate chemicals. Scientists are not even able to define exactly what life is, to the extent that when a living cell dies, they are unable to explain what happened, even though all the required chemicals are still present, and what must be done to restore life. In such a situation, all that scientists are doing is to observe how things are now, and then extrapolate backwards to imagine what might have happened earlier. By the very nature of these things, these assumptions are constrained to remain as conjectures. But then, is it not preposterous to claim that scientists know these theories as absolute truths, proven and demonstrated? They make up theories, and then the media make them out to appear as if they are proven facts.
Evidence for God
One aspect of these limitations of science is that even though there is evidence for God in the universe, that is being ignored or put aside by the scientists using more theories! It is as if there is a strong desire among many scientists to somehow keep God out of the picture! I would like to bring up three lines of evidence that point to God, which can then provide a cleaner, simpler and more reasonable explanation for what the scientists observe than the many complicated theories that they bring out.Intelligent design
Look at the complex detail behind the millions of subsystems within the universe, whether they are the galaxies. the solar system, the earth, or the multiple systems within living creatures that work together in an amazing manner. Any honest scientist looking at the intricacies of the particular field of science he is studying has to tip his hat or bow down before the Intelligence that has designed and created such marvels. One outstanding example is the DNA. DNA molecules are present inside each cell and contain instructions that a living entity requires in order to grow, develop and reproduce. These instructions are inherited from the parents by their offspring. It is absurd to imagine that the huge, orderly and complex set of information which is within the DNA developed by itself through random processes. This kind of intelligence that is observed in all of creation certainly points to the intelligence of the Creator. He has designed the galaxies as well as the particles within an atom. Even secular scientists are beginning to wonder how such intelligence can exist without an Intelligent Designer behind its creation. Let us look at a few more examples which everyone can understand.When animals want oxygen to breathe, there are plants and trees producing oxygen after taking away the carbon dioxide which animals put out. There is a vast surface of water in the seas which evaporates, gets moved to the land by winds generated by variations in temperature, where it falls down as rain, and gets carried back to the sea through rivers that accomplish a lot of different things during their passage! Think of how mankind is dependent on the sea, the wind, the mountains, and the rivers! The tilt of the axis of the earth produces the cycle of seasons that not only promotes cultivation, but also produces an overall balance in the weather system. Recently it was brought out that the gravitational pull of Jupiter because of its large size diverts many asteroids from outer space from heading towards the earth. I suggest that you look up the large amount of writings that are available on this subject of intelligent design to recognise that chaos could not have produced such infinitesimally delicate and brilliant order in the creation of the universe and our life.
Fine tuning
What the Bible brings out is that man is God's ultimate creation, whom He created in His own image in order to have fellowship with him. Before the creation of man, everything else in the universe was created with great attention to details to be suitable for man living on earth. And that is what we see when astronomers study the stars, planets. moons, etc., and especially with respect to the place of the planet earth in the universe. For example, if the distance of the earth from the sun had been less or more, it would have been too cold or hot for life to survive on the earth. The value of the gravitational constant is another thing that has been precisely designed to work together with all other factors to produce equilibrium in the operation of the universe. So far, scientists have discovered fifteen different parameters that seem to have been so meticulously tuned in order to make man's life possible. If you think that everything in the universe that we see came randomly from the Big Bang, you will find it hard to account for these finely tuned parameters that all exist together to make life possible. Scientists are also being forced to acknowledge this as something that sharply questions their theories of the origin of the universe. Such conditions as those that exist on the earth are not known to occur in any other place in the universe. So we can understand the desperation of some scientists who then propose that there must be other universes unknown to us where different forms of life may exist.The veracity of the Bible
Unlike the many religious books that have been written by men to convey what they thought about God, the Bible is a book that God inspired certain people to write down in order to reveal Himself and His ways to us. That is why we call it the word of God. It is a collection of 66 books written by about 40 different authors from different places and different backgrounds, most of whom had never met one another, over a period of about 1500 years. Yet one of the surprising facts is that, in spite of this diversity of authors, what they they have brought out together conveys a description of the same God, the original plans He had made for man, how man went away from God and how God has brought about His plan of salvation for restoring man to the relationship with Him which he has lost. This description of God and man and their relationship to each other is the most comprehensive and coherent one we have from any source.How can we be sure that this Bible is really from God and reliable, so that we can lay our life on its line and follow it? If we can be convinced that the Bible is the word of God, then we can be sure that we can rely on what He tells us there. Let us look at the proof. 1. Many of the ancient places, people and events mentioned in the Bible have been discovered to be real through outside historical references and archaeological findings, giving us reason to believe that historical narratives in the Bible are authentic and not mythological. 2. Several of the books of the Bible were written when people living at that time were aware of the things mentioned there. These people could easily have disputed the writings if they knew the writings were incorrect. This is especially relevant about the four gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and the early writings of the apostle Paul. The biggest turning point of the Bible is around the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These events were the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies made centuries earlier, and they are the most important parts of God's plan of salvation. Their authentication by eye witnesses in turn authenticates the rest of the Bible. 3. Prophecies reported in the Bible centuries earlier about future events such as the rise and fall of kings and empires, and the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus have been fulfilled. 4. Many enemies of the Jews and Christians have tried to destroy the Bible, prevent its distribution and to malign it, but they have failed in the end. The word of God has been supernaturally preserved, and is now available in most of the languages of the world. The Bible holds the record for the most widely read book in history. 5. The moral values brought out in the Bible correspond to what our conscience tells us, showing that there is coherence there and that those values are not from man but from God. 6. Many hopeless criminals have been converted by the reading of portions of the Bible, and transformed in their lives by learning the truths from it. 7. Two thousand years from the time of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, millions of people living now find the Bible to be a 'living book' through which they can hear God, and experience God's comfort, encouragement, guidance, corrections and rebuke (2Tim.3:16,17). 8. Jesus Himself treated the Old Testament part of the Bible, which alone was available to Him at that time, as the word of God, and quoted from it many times. The apostles and the early church recognised the books of the New Testament also as scripture. 9. The Bible itself claims to be inspired and given by God.
The Bible is not like any other book which can be understood merely by reading or studying it. God had a special barrier placed into the writing so that only those who sincerely want to obey Him will be able to understand its spiritual value (Jn.7:17). It is a book that conveys spiritual truths, and so, only those who are spiritual minded will be able to receive those truths (1Cor.2:14). Even though ordinary people can see a lot of good things in it by reading the Bible, it is after someone is born again and his spiritual eyes are opened that people are able to get into the hidden treasures stored in the Bible by God.
God is almighty
We mentioned one mistake that scientists make by totally excluding the spiritual realm from their studies, and choosing to confine their studies only to material things and natural laws. A huge problem that results as a consequence is the they do not recognise supernatural acts of God. Many supernatural interventions of God in the lives of people and nations are recorded in the Bible, but many people refuse to believe that anything supernatural is possible at all. They cannot accept the supernatural creation of the universe and life. Continuing along the same line, they cannot accept the Flood, the parting of the Red Sea, manna falling from heaven, water coming out of rock, the earth stopping in its rotation to give Israel enough time to defeat their enemies, the three Hebrew men being rescued from midst of the fiery furnace, Daniel being preserved alive in the lions' den, etc. Coming to more recent times, they cannot recognise Jesus healing the sick, casting out demons, raising people from the dead, turning water into wine instantaneously, walking on water, stopping a storm, feeding thousands of people to their satisfaction with very little resources to start with, etc. The culmination was Jesus coming out of His grave alive three days after being crucified and buried. This illustrates the position that many people take, including liberal Christians, that they can only accept natural phenomena and explanations. But the God who created the whole universe from nothing is supernatural and almighty.Even though Jesus is not on the earth now, and miraculous occurrences are comparatively rare, there are miracles taking place even now, in the form of healing, casting out of demons, and occasionally someone being raised from the dead. But the greater miracle taking place now in much larger numbers is that lives of people who recognise themselves as sinners and go to Jesus are set free from the guilt of sin and their lives begin to be transformed. They are so convinced of the truth of Jesus and their personal experience with Him that they are willing to make sacrifices and face many challenges to take the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to every nook and corner of the earth.
Is it anything beyond possibility that this supernatural, almighty God could have created everything and people just as He has narrated in the Book of Genesis? Is it impossible for Him to have judged the world through a universal flood and started again with Noah? Granted that what someone has calculated as the time of Adam being four thousand years before Christ could be more, because enough information is not given in the Bible about such things, it will not still justify the need for billions of years as scientists imagine. Just to make a point, could not God have created the earth and the universe to begin from the point they are now? He has chosen to give us only limited information in His word about many things related to creation. But once we accept that He is almighty, He could have done anything He wanted to do. One of the things that limit the scientists is their confining themselves to the natural laws that they can observe now.
The problem of theistic evolution
Some Christians who have becomes convinced that scientific discoveries have demonstrated the validity of the theories of the origin of the universe and life, followed by the theory of evolution, have tried backwards from there to see how they can interpret the Bible to fit with science. But actually they have not managed to clarify science or the Bible to produce a unified understanding. They have only produced a theory that neither scientists nor theologians are happy with. They propose that while God is the One who has created everything, He must have done it using natural processes and evolution. Some have proposed a variation that He got things going, and then allowed the natural processes of evolution to take over, and whenever evolution came to a stop, He intervened to make jumps to clear the gaps. Some of these people suggest that Adam and Eve were not people whom God created from the dust of the earth, but two persons selected from the 'humanoids' that had evolved from the apes and endowed with His image to start a new genealogy. Some others claim that Adam and Eve were not real people at all but mythological names God used to teach people how He was responsible for the creation of man.But the theory of theistic evolution causes scientific as well as theological problems. The theory of evolution that scientists speak of says that the universe and life came into existence by accident without any external agency, and that every step of evolution was by natural selection of random variations. Bringing God into the gaps is not acceptable to this theory. On the side of theology, the whole story of salvation is hinged upon the fact that through one man's sin, sin entered into all his descendents and through one Man's death all of mankind's sins were paid for. Science and theology will both have to still deal with all the 'humanoids' apart from Adam and Eve, if they follow this mixed theory. Theistic evolution causes more problems to the scientific theories as well to faith in the Bible and does not satisfy any.
Conclusion
For Christians who truly believe in the Bible and have experienced the salvation of God, the theory of evolution does not make much sense, especially because there are many gaps, contradictions and anomalies. They also know that having rejected God, the scientists will never be able to arrive at the full truth. On the other hand, once we bring the almighty God into the picture, the Biblical narrative of creation, sin and salvation makes better sense in an overall way. If we start from the point of believing in God and experiencing a relationship with Him, then we can have a clearer and a more balanced approach to science. But if we try to exclude God from the picture and find explanations to everything apart from God, we are only likely to meet with one dead end after another (pun intended).At the same time we realise that God has not chosen to reveal to us now all the details of how exactly He did things. This is probably because His intention in giving us His word was to first of all lead us to salvation and to restore us to a relationship with Him. Once that is clear, we can afford to walk in faith, accepting God as having all the answers in His mind. We can also carry out scientific exploration in order to understand how things work and then to creatively use that knowledge to make our life better on earth. On the contrary, think of where it will lead us, to a life without God, if we choose to neglect the word of God and go after the conjectures of man.