Does evolutionary theory really conflict with Christianity? In order to answer this question, we must first clear up two commonly-held misconceptions about both evolution and Christianity.

First, Christianity, as founded upon a belief in the Bible as God’s Word, is not just about believing in things unseen. Yes, faith is crucial, but the faith that the Bible calls us to is one rooted in historical facts and realities, including the creation of man in God’s image, the fall of man, and the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. Christianity rises or falls on the historical reality of these facts and events. As Apostle Paul strongly states in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” [Emphasis added]

Second, evolution is not ‘just science.’ While changes in animals and plants (adaptation and variation) is scientifically observable and testable, the development of all of life from a primordial soup (molecules-to-man evolution) is not. So, in order to accept this second type of change, one must exercise faith.

Unlike Christianity however, faith in evolution is not rooted in historically documented events and facts (like the Resurrection), but in a belief in materialism, that matter is all that exists, and therefore, the material universe must have created itself (over a long period of time). This belief differs radically from what the Bible teaches, that God created the universe supernaturally in six days only a few thousand years ago, and that man was created separately “in the image of God.”

Obviously, both beliefs can’t be right, so a choice must be made between the two. Sadly, most students either choose to reject the Bible’s record of creation or try to make it fit with evolutionary beliefs without damaging the Bible’s spiritual message. However, if the Bible’s record of history cannot be trusted, why should its spiritual message rooted in that history be trusted? As Jesus said in John 3:12, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

Our mission as Genesis Apologetics, is to show students that the Bible’s “earthly things,” namely the creation and Flood accounts, can be trusted, so that students will also believe its spiritual message, that salvation from sin and its penalty, physical and eternal death (Hell) is available to who repent and believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). To get equipped, start exploring our website today!

Recommended Viewing and Reading:

What’s Wrong With Progressive Creation?

Could Evolution and Creation Be Telling the Same Story?

Couldn’t God Have Used Evolution?

Is Evolution Compatible with Christian Religion?

This summer, Genesis Apologetics, Inc. is developing a campaign to prepare thousands of Christian students for the evolution teaching they receive in public schools. We are developing 11 brief videos that provide a Biblical responses to the 11 “pillars of evolution” that are taught in junior- and senior-high schools in CA. Then we plan on sending thousands of cards (that direct students to the videos) to every youth pastor in mid- to large-sized churches in CA (4,135 total). Youth pastors will be encouraged to hand out the cards to their students so they can pass them out to classmates.

Our intention is only to solidify the Biblical beliefs and values of our students; not to start controversies or debates. Christian students in today’s schools are inundated with evolution teaching, receiving over 250 pages and 50 instruction hours of evolution theory before graduating high school. Our plan has been designed to reach students in the most effective way possible: students reaching students.

We are raising $60,000 over the summer to fund this plan. Please pray with us or support us financially. If you would like a complete copy of our strategic plan with details, please email us. Our executive team continues to personally invest in this mission, but we could sure use some help! If you feel led to contribute, please click the Paypal link on our home page! www.genesisapologetics.com.

Contributions are tax-deductible, as we are a 501(c)3 organization with tax-exempt status.

Sincerely,

Dan A. Biddle, Ph.D.

One of the most common responses that Bible-believing students give to evolutionary teaching at school is, “Evolution is just a theory, so why is it taught as a scientific fact?”

A theory is “A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations.” Does evolution fit this description?

In anticipation of this argument, some textbooks, including the 7th grade California Focus on Life Science textbook, have gone out of their way to define ‘theory’ in such a way as to remove students’ doubt about evolution.

“Some words, such as theory…, have different meanings in science and in everyday use.” The everyday meaning of theory given is, “A guess; an idea of how or why something might happen,” while the scientific meaning is defined as, “A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations.”¹ Defined in this way, it becomes clear that when dissenting students and textbook authors call evolution a ‘theory,’ they aren’t saying the same thing!

So, is evolution really “A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations,” among the same ranks with germ theory and gravity theory?

It depends what you mean by ‘evolution.’ Oftentimes, textbooks choose to define ‘evolution’ as merely “change in a species over time.”² However, this definition does not distinguish between the relatively minor types of variation observed in already existing features of an animal (for example, in the size of finch beaks or color of peppered moths) and the development of all living things, including humans, from a single-celled organism. The latter type of change (molecules-to-man evolution) is what is most-often meant by the word ‘evolution.’ However, this type of change, as admitted by leading evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins, “hasn’t been observed while it’s happening.”³

So, when science textbooks say that evolution is a testable scientific theory, they are using a ‘bait-and-switch’ tactic, by equating ‘change’ with ‘evolution,’ then giving examples of minor changes as supposed ‘proof’ that molecules-to-man evolution is true.

What about the many observations that evolution supposedly explains? The textbook lists several ‘examples,’ including similar patterns of design observed in different creatures, DNA similarities shared by a variety of organisms, and the fossil record.⁴

However, as we have pointed out in previous blog posts, many of these observations contradict evolution, and biblical creation can explain many of them just as well, often better, than the evolutionary model can. For example, similarity in design points to a Common Designer, similar DNA reflects the similar purposes for which it was programed, and the fossil record is best explained as a result of the Global Flood.

So, if evolution (in its plain sense) is neither testable nor does it exclusively explain features of the living world, what is evolution? According to evolution-defender Dr. Michael Ruse, “Evolution is promoted by its practitioners as more than mere science. Evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religion—a full-fledged alternative to Christianity, with meaning and morality. . . . Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today.”⁵

Free Resources for Further Learning:

Video: Evolution vs. God

Video: Evolution Refuted

Video: Is Natural Selection the Same Thing as Evolution?

Is Evolution an Observable Fact?

Evolution: Not Even a Theory

References:

¹Coolidge-Stoltz, Elizabeth. Focus on California Life Science. Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008. 220. Print.

²Ibid, 228.

³NOW with Bill Moyers. Transcript. December 3, 2004. http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript349_full.html#dawkins

⁴Coolidge-Stoltz, 234-240.

⁵Michael Ruse, “Saving Darwinism from the Darwinians,” National Post, May 13, 2000, p. B-3.

Is the amazing ‘code of life’ in each of our cells a result of random chance mistakes? According to your 10th grader’s biology textbook, yes!

According to 7th and 10th grade California textbooks, the human genome is a result of genetic mistakes.

“Where did the roughly 25,000 working genes in the human genome come from?,” the textbook Biology by Miller & Levine asks students. “Modern genes probably descended from a much smaller number of genes in the earliest life forms. But how could that have happened? One way in which new genes evolve is through the duplication, and then modification, of existing genes.”¹

The textbook then offers this illustration, “Think about using your computer to write an essay for English class. You then want to submit a new version of the essay to your school newspaper. So, you make an extra copy of the original file and edit it for the newspaper. Duplicate genes can work in similar ways. Sometimes extra copies undergo mutations that change their function. The original gene is still around, just like the original copy of your English essay. So, new genes can evolve without affecting the original gene function or product.”²

At this point, we need to stop reading and ask a few questions:

• Can this process explain where the original genes came from?
• Are any truly “new” genes actually being created?
• Can meaningful information, like what is coded for by genes, be created without an intelligent mind behind it?
• Can mutations really ‘re-program’ genes for new functions?
• Is it really reasonable to believe that the copy would be modified, but not the original?

The answer to all of these questions is a resounding “No!” First, this process begins with genes already in existence! It doesn’t explain the origin of the first genes. Second, the ultimate result of this process is copies of already-existing genes, not totally ‘new’ genes. Third, meaningful information always comes from an intelligent source, and has never been observed to come from matter, so the idea that totally new genes coding for entirely new structures came into existence by themselves is preposterous.³

Fourth, the truth about mutations, as stated in the textbook, is that, “Most of those mutations [that we inherit from our parents] are neutral [cause no significant change]. One or two are potentially harmful.” While only, “A few may be beneficial.”⁴ Yet, even those rare ‘beneficial’ mutations, like those which cause anti-biotic resistance in bacteria, are a result of the destruction or loss of already-existing information.⁵ Ultimately, mutations can only scramble, corrupt, and destroy genes that already exist; they cannot make the kinds of careful, purposeful changes like those made to an essay by an intelligent editor.

Lastly, if left to time and chance, mutations would most certainly corrupt the original genes in addition to the duplicates. Eventually, this would lead to ‘mutation meltdown,’ with the creature going extinct due to massive amounts of missing and broken information. The fact that genomes still exist at all is a testimony to a recent creation.⁶

So, is it really reasonable to believe that the thousands of genes used in the construction of a human being were created by chance mistakes? Absolutely not! Rather, the fact that information can only come from an intelligent source requires that our genome must have been the product of a thoughtful, brilliant Creator.

Free Resources for Further Learning:

The Language of DNA Video

Are Mutations Part of the “Engine” of Evolution?

Information: Evidence for a Creator?

Mutation Buildup Indicates Living Populations Are Young

References:

¹Miller, Kenneth R., and Joseph S. Levine. Miller & Levine Biology. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2006. 499. Print.

²Ibid, 500.

³Gitt, Werner W. In the Beginning Was Information: A Scientist Explains the Incredible Design in Nature.Green Forest, AR: Master, 2005. 106. Print.

⁴Miller & Levine, 484.

⁵Purdom, Georgia. “What about Beneficial Mutations?” The New Answers Book 4: Over 30 Questions on Creation/evolution and the Bible. By Ken Ham. Green Forest, AR: Master, 2013. 289-303. Print.

⁶Sanford, John C. Genetic Entropy & the Mystery of the Genome. Waterloo, NY: FMS Publications, 2008. Print.

If you have explored our website for any length of time, you know that our passion is to educate parents and students to understand and respond biblically to evolutionary teachings in public school textbooks. It is our goal to see young people strengthened in their faith in God’s Word, that they may know and love their Creator, and be prepared to respond to attacks on the truth and authority of the Bible.

Genesis Apologetics speaker Dave Bisbee presenting to a group of students on refuting evolution.

So, how are we working towards this goal? Here are six ways we are going about reaching parents and youth with biblical creation teaching:

1. Website – Our website provides hours of free training on creation apologetics, providing basic information to refute the main tenets of evolutionary teaching. The materials we use include short video clips, video presentations, regular blog posts, downloadable ‘fast facts’ sheets, and short points to rebut each of the major topics covered in 6th, 7th, and 10th grade California textbooks.
2. Facebook – Our Facebook page has reached thousands of people in Northern California, many who would otherwise never hear about the evidence for creation and the Flood. God has allowed many of our posts to ‘go viral,’ often reaching thousands of local users in only a few hours.
3. Distributing Materials – Since our ministry began last year, we have distributed thousands of books, booklets, and DVDs to parents, Christian teachers, students, pastors, and youth pastors in the Northern California area.
4. Trade-Show Booths – We have held booths at many Christian events around the state, where we have had the opportunity to minister to hundreds of people with the message of biblical creation and the importance of training students in the book of Genesis and in creation apologetics.
5. Seminars and Presentations at Churches and Schools – God has allowed the ministry of Genesis Apologetics to give presentations at some of the area’s largest Christian schools and churches on topics ranging from the evidence for Noah’s Flood to the fossils of so-called ‘ape men’ like Lucy and the Neanderthals.
6. We are currently raising money towards our $60,000 goal to fund our strategic plan for reaching every youth pastor in the state of California (mid- to large-sized churches). Your donations are appreciated!

What has been the effect of this ministry? We have received testimonies and feedback from many who have attended our seminars and read our materials, saying that God has used creation information to strengthen their faith and give them boldness and confidence in the Bible as the true history of the universe. However, we have also heard from pastors and church leaders who have told us how much this information is needed in churches and schools. We have also heard from concerned parents who have told us how much they wished that their ‘prodigal’ son or daughter had been exposed to this message before they left the home.

Will you partner with us to help spread the creation/Creator message with those in our area? Here are a few ways that you can help us out:

1. Pray – We recognize that we can do nothing without God’s empowering and opening doors to minister. Pray that God will continue to give us opportunities to minister, and that He will grant us victory. Pray also that God will continue to use our materials to reach those in our local area.
2. Share our Materials – Like our Facebook page, share our posts and materials, invite your friends and family to our upcoming events, or recommend our website to your pastors, youth pastors, Christian school teachers, or church leaders.
3. Host a Presentation – Visit our “Request a Presentation” page and sign up to host a free Genesis Apologetics seminar with one or more of our speakers. We will bring props to the presentation, along with free materials for distribution.

Thank you for reading, and be sure to check back regularly for new posts! Also, be sure to register for our upcoming 3-week training seminar in El Dorado Hills!

Did you know that plate tectonics and continental drift is used in 7th and 10th grade California science textbooks to back up evolution teaching?

“According to the theory of plate tectonics, Earth’s landmasses [continents] have changed position over time because they are part of plates that are slowly moving.…The movement of earth’s plates has affected the evolution of living things,”¹ according to the 7th grade textbook, Focus on Life Science. The 10th grade textbook, Biology by Miller & Levine, further reenforces this concept, stating that, “Over the long term, the process of continental drift has produced…dramatic changes in Earth’s biological landscape,”² driving the process of evolution forward.

The breakup of supercontinent Pangea in the Catastrophic Plate Tectonics model of the Flood. Notice the ‘fountains of the great deep’ in yellow. Image credit: www.answersingenesis.org.

Is this really true, though? We can certainly observe the effects of plate tectonics today. For example, we can measure the distance that earth’s plates travel per year (on average, 3-5 cm)^1,2, and we can see how the landmasses on either side of a fault are ‘offset’ by a large earthquake. We also find evidence that Earth’s continents were connected in the past. For example, the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa match each other perfectly, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Also, fossils of the same land animals are found on both continents, showing us that were once connected, enabling the creatures to walk across what is now a vast ocean.³

We can be fairly certain that Earth’s plates have moved in the past, based on observational science. However, in order to answer questions like, “When?,” and “How long did it take?,” we must step into the world of historical science, where assumptions must be made, because we weren’t there to observe what actually happened.

While most geologists assume that because earth’s plates are moving slowly today, they must have always moved slowly, the Bible seems to paint a different picture of Earth’s past. When God separated land and sea in Genesis 1:9, He commanded that “the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” This seems to indicate that the dry land was gathered into one place as well; i.e. a pre-Flood “supercontinent.” Later, in Genesis 7:11 and Psalm 104:6-8, we are told that the global Flood of Noah’s day began when “all the fountains of the great deep burst forth,” and ended when, “the mountains rose,” and “the valleys sank down.” The Bible is speaking of real, tectonic forces at work during the Flood cataclysm.

Beginning from these passages, creation scientists have put forward a new model of the motions of Earth’s plates, called Catastrophic Plate Tectonics. In this model, the ‘fountains of the great deep’ represent mid-ocean rifts (like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge), which broke open at the onset of the Flood, causing Earth’s plates to shift rapidly. The single land mass created during creation week (which creation geologists call ‘Rodinia’) was fractured, and the resulting landmasses were later brought back together during the Flood, forming Pangea, which then separated to become today’s continents. This model has been shown to work extremely well in explaining Earth’s surface features, including mountains and rock layers, as well as features of its interior structure.⁴

In summary, plate tectonics is an observable, testable process, but the models of how it worked in the past must be based on assumptions. So, we are left with the choice of either accepting the words of fallible men who weren’t there to observe the past, or to make the Bible, the Word of God who always was there (and who never lies), our starting point for understanding reality. Who will you choose to trust?

Free resources for further study:

Evolution Exposed: Plate Tectonics

Basics of Plate Tectonics

Continents Didn’t Drift, They Raced

Noah’s Lost World

Can Catastrophic Plate Tectonics Explain Flood Geology? 

Video – Global Tectonics and the Flood

Bibliography:

¹Coolidge-Stoltz, Elizabeth. Focus on California Life Science. Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008. 284. Print.

²Miller, Kenneth R., and Joseph S. Levine. Miller & Levine Biology. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2006. 554. Print.

³Tarbuck, Edward J., and Frederick K. Lutgens. Earth, an Introduction to Physical Geology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005. 37-73. Print.

⁴Snelling, Andrew A. Earth’s Catastrophic Past. Vol. 1. Dallas, TX: Institute for Creation Research, 2009. 683-711. Print.

“And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.” – John 19:2

One of the more familiar scenes from Christ’s passion, this mocking act by the Roman soldiers during Christ’s trial under Pontius Pilate is recorded in all four Gospels. Though, from context, the most immediate and straightforward understanding of these texts is that the crown of thorns was a symbol of disgrace, making light of Jesus’ claim to be the awaited, anointed King who would usher in the heavenly kingdom of God on earth. However, when viewed through the lens of the whole of Scripture, the crown of thorns also has another symbolic meaning, which has a special significance to the debate over the origins, history, and age of the universe.

The first mention of thorns in the Bible is in Genesis 3:17-19, which says, “Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.””

Fossil thorn ‘dated’ to 300 million years old. Image credit: creationresearch.net

In Romans 5, Apostle Paul argues that just as Adam sin plunged the whole world into sin and brought death upon all men as a result, so Christ’s death on the Cross which payed the penalty for sin has opened the doorway to eternal life for all who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As Isaiah 53:6 says in a prophecy of Christ’s suffering for sin, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Isn’t it significant that while bearing the sins of the whole world, Jesus wore on His head a crown of twisted thorns, a symbol of the Curse brought about because of man’s sin in Genesis 3? After all, while Christ’s suffering was for the sins of mankind, Romans 8:22 tells us that just as we await the restoration of our physical bodies, made possible by the atonement of Christ, so “the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together,” awaiting the restoration of the whole of creation when Christ returns to establish His earthly kingdom. Likewise, Revelation 22:3 describes the new heavens and new earth, saying, “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.”

Clearly, from Scripture, we see that thorns are result of the Curse brought about by Adam’s sin, which will be abolished when Christ restores His creation, but how does this apply to creation and evolution teaching?

Many Christians, in response to the confident claims of secular scientists that the earth has gone through millions and billions of years of history prior to man’s appearance, have developed alternative methods of interpreting Genesis 1-3. Some hold to a ‘time-gap’ of billions of years between God’s creation of “the heavens and the earth” in Genesis 1:1 and the earth’s state of being “formless and void” in Genesis 1:2, while others argue that the days of Genesis can be understood as time ‘periods’ longer than 24-hour days; the billions of years of astronomical and geologic time.

There are other viewpoints, but what all of these theories have in common is that they all attempt to relegate the supposed billions of years of the fossil record to a ‘prehistoric’ period before the creation of Adam, his fall into sin, the penalty of physical death, along with the Curse of Genesis 3, which spelled the entrance of hardship, pain, and thorns into God’s once ‘very good’ creation.

However, these scenarios create a serious theological paradox. Deep in the geologic record, before the supposed ‘first appearance’ of man, even before the supposed catastrophic ‘extinction’ of the dinosaurs at the end of the ‘Cretaceous period,’ fossils of thorns have been found, preserved in stone.¹ How can fossils of thorns pre-date the entrance of thorns into the world by hundreds of millions of years?

Moreover, what would such a situation do to the whole sweep of biblical history, which begins with the creation of a perfect world marred by sin, that awaits the restoration of all that was lost in Eden, which finds its fulfillment in the first and second comings of Christ? If thorns are not a result of Adam’s fall, then why did Jesus wear the crown of thorns while paying the penalty for man’s sin on the Cross?

There is only one way to avoid this contradiction: to trust in the Bible’s history from the very first verse instead of trying make it fit man’s fallible theories! Only when we accept the straightforward meaning of the creation account as a record of creation in six literal days can we be completely consistent in our understanding of God’s Word, from Genesis to Revelation.

Bibliography:

¹Stewart, Wilson N. Paleobotany and the Evolution of Plants. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1983. 109-10. Print.

Having four kids in the public school system has allowed me to acquire a good understanding of the evolution that’s taught at each grade level in CA schools, as well as how the theory is taught to kids in a successive, “building block” fashion.

In fourth grade, students are “warmed up” to the concept of evolution using the doctrine of uniformitarianism. This teaching holds that earth’s current landscape can be explained by long, slow processes—processes that include every mechanism possible except for a divine “Creation” and a grand “Catastrophe” (the Biblical Flood). This teaching introduces students to the “long ages” that underpins every single “pillar” of evolution they will be taught in subsequent years. Interestingly, we were warned about uniformitarianism when Peter penned 2 Peter 3: “…scoffers will come in the last days…saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’” Peter continues that these scoffers would “willfully forget” about the Biblical Creation account and the Catastrophe of the Flood. How do you “willfully forget” about something? You teach the opposite. This is exactly what’s being taught into today’s public schools.

In fifth grade, students continue learning about long ages in science class, and even take field trips to the Vernal Pools where they will be taught that small creatures take “millions of years to adapt to live in ecosystems.” They are also taught that creatures have co-evolved over millions of years and that such “evolution [and not God] has filled even the harshest habitats with life, including vernal pools.”

Sixth grade is the first year where the “big pitch” of evolution is unleashed, starting with the biggest battleground for origins—humans. Students in most CA schools receive about two weeks of teaching on human evolution. Most textbooks start the “march of man” line-up with Australopithecus afarensis (“Lucy”) (starting about 4-5 MYO), followed by Homo habilis (about 2.4 MYO), then Homo erectus (about 2 MYO), and finally Homo sapiens about 200,000 years ago. In one leading textbook, this line-up is even shown with “developing tools” that were not even found with the skulls displayed on the same page.

In seventh grade, students receive the full evolution download—88 pages in one leading CA textbook (typically two full chapters in most Life Science textbooks). And (sadly), most kids receive this teaching without filters or shielding from parents or youth pastors. The teaching typically sinks deep into their belief system for four reasons:

(1) It’s framed as “scientific fact.” Throughout the entire textbook, the lines between “historical” and “observational” science are blurred. In fact, the distinction between the two is not mentioned even once. This leads kids to believe that evolution occurred (a historical assertion that’s not observable or testable) with just as much certainty that balloons pop when poked with a needle (observational science).

(2) Evolution theory is typically taught using the same process and authority as other topics, and students are conditioned to learn and trust the information in the textbook. They are (of course) even graded based on how well they learn and understand the content. Earlier in the year (and in the same class) they are taught very believable (and factually accurate) scientific concepts about their world. Then evolution slips in with the same expectations.

(3) Life Science textbooks typically appeal to authority by making statements such as, “scientists believe” or “scientists have proven.” Seventh grade students don’t typically have enough discretion and discernment to wade through the complex theories of evolution.

(4) Finally, evolution theory is typically framed in the most believable way possible, with quality illustrations, graphics, and arguments.

Tenth grade students receive basically the same evolution arguments as seventh grade, but this time with more details. The books also typically add two new evolution topics: Whales evolution and vestigial structures (supposed body parts that are “left overs” from evolution).

What does this mean for Christian families who have kids in public school? It means that they will receive a total of 50 hours of evolution teaching. How do most students respond? Fortunately, some kids will receive the inoculation necessary, and their minds and hearts will be guarded. Unfortunately, however, most kids will not—they are walking head-long into teaching that will plant seeds of doubt that cause many to later leave the faith shortly after entering college (some estimates put this estimate as high as 70%).

So what can be done? God’s Word advises that parents should “train up” (Proverbs 22:6) their kids. Deuteronomy 6:7-9 exhorts, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Parents, we are responsible for our kid’s education—not the public school system. While many public schools (including the ones that our kids have attended) provide solid education in many subject areas, it is the responsibility of parents to educate their kids with biblically-based education that will counter the evolution teaching they receive in school. This is precisely why we started our website, www.genesisapologetics.com.

~Dr. Dan Biddle

Charles Darwin, the father of modern evolutionary theory, believed that the ‘seeds’ for his ‘tree of life’, the first living cells, originated by themselves in “a warm little pond.” Though the idea that life can come from non-life, or spontaneous generation, was discredited years earlier by Darwin’s contemporary, Louis Pasteur, many scientists were quick to accept this naturalistic (nature-only) explanation for life’s beginnings.

The 10th grade California textbook, Biology by Miller & Levine, follows this evolutionary tradition. In a discussion on the early earth, it asks the question, “Could organic molecules assemble under conditions on early Earth?”¹

Image credit: http://creation.com/origin-of-life

It then attempts to answer this question, first by examining the famous Miller-Urey Experiment, which produced amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) by ‘zapping’ a chemical mixture with an electric charge under conditions simulating the supposed atmosphere of the ‘early earth’. However, as the textbook later (correctly) points out, Miller and Urey’s ideas about the early earth are now believed to be incorrect, but is quick to add that, “new experiments based on current ideas of the early atmosphere have also produced organic compounds.”¹

As the textbook explains further, however, “A stew of organic molecules is a long way from a living cell, and the leap from non life to life is the greatest gap in scientific hypotheses of life’s early history.”¹ Indeed, living cells are extremely complicated structures, like nano-scopic cities, with their own transportation systems, computers, and factories. All of this complexity is coded for by the information on the DNA molecule, which is itself copied and transcribed by the complex machinery in the cell.

This presents several unsolvable problems for the evolutionary view of the origin of life, which are summarized in Biology, “…Another unanswered question is the origin of RNA and DNA. Remember that cells are controlled by information stored in DNA, which is transcribed into RNA and then translated into proteins. How could this complex biochemical machinery have evolved? Scientists haven’t solved this puzzle, but molecular biologists have generated intriguing hypotheses.”² [Emphasis added]

The first problem is that the cell’s complex machinery and the DNA are interdependent. The DNA needs the machinery to be useful, yet the cells’ machinery is itself coded by the DNA. This is a classic ‘chicken-and-egg’ dilemma; in order for life to evolve, both the DNA and cellular machinery would be needed at the same time, an impossible scenario for any naturalistic, chance-based ‘origin of life’ hypothesis.³

The second problem is that information cannot come about by natural processes. It requires an language system, which can only come from an intelligence. As Dr. Werner Gitt, a creationist information scientist, wrote, “There is no known law of nature, no known process, and no known sequence of events which can cause information to originate by itself in matter.”⁴

Without a source of information, the evolutionary origin of life is ‘dead in the water’, and the only viable explanation left is that life came from a Life-Giver: the Creator Jesus Christ, “the Way, the Truth, and the the Life.”

Free resources for further study:

Mike Riddle – The Origin of Life

Can Natural Processes Explain the Origin of Life?

Origin of Life Resources

Bibliography:

¹Miller, Kenneth R., and Joseph S. Levine. Miller & Levine Biology. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2006. 554. Print.

²Ibid, p. 554-555

³Wieland, Carl, Don Batten, Robert W. Carter, Jonathan D. Sarfati, Emil Silvestru, Tas Walker, James F. A. Mason, John Hartnett, David Catchpoole, and Mark Harwood. “Chapter 3: The Origin of Life.” Evolution’s Achilles’ Heels. Powder Springs, GA: Creation Book, 2014. 86-87. Print.

⁴Gitt, Werner W. In the Beginning Was Information: A Scientist Explains the Incredible Design in Nature. Green Forest, AR: Master, 2005. 106. Print.