Creation and Evolution

What About . . .
Creation and Evolution
Evolution:fact or theory? Many people assume it is sim- strangely silent when it comes to the question ofhow these
ply a fact. Christians who by faith accept the truth of
molecular structures, the basis of life, developed.How could
God’s Word about Creation, as it is recorded for us in
all this have evolved?
Genesis and elsewhere in the Scriptures, sometimes wonder
how they can help others consider the possibility that there
Has science accepted Intelligent Design?
is a Creator.The purpose of this pamphlet is to provide a start-
Proponents of Intelligent Design have made great headway
ing point from which to evaluate the claims made by advocates
in recent years. Their findings have added muscle to the
of Evolution.
long-held Creationist arguments on the Second Law of
Thermodynamics,which,simply put,says that the way of all
What is the point of Evolution?
things, both living and non-living, is to go from a state of
In 1859, Charles Darwin, in his book, On The Origin of
order to various states of increasing disorder, not the other
Species, proposed a theory that the various species of animals
way around.
resulted from a process of “natural selection,”with the “favored
Other arguments being put forward are based on dubious
races”being preserved in the “struggle for life.” Is this merely a
dating-methods used by evolutionists, and on the fossil
scientific theory,or is there more?
record—the latter still showing no conclusive transitional
“Darwin was fully aware that his idea was a frontal assault
stages in types or kinds (one would think every fossil would
on the very notion of an intelligent Designer behind the world.
show a transitional stage). Together, these evidences, along
In fact,he might very well have formulated it precisely for that
with many others, form a convincing case for the idea of
purpose.The idea of a spiritual realm apart from matter seems
Creation and Intelligent Design.
to have been anathema to him as a young man already. The
primary inspiration for his theory of natural selection did not
What stands in the way of Intelligent Design?
come from observation of nature. Perhaps not incidentally,his
Evolutionists appear unwilling to address the findings of
writings also reveal glimpses of specific antipathy to the God
biochemistry and other related fields. They are quick to say
of the Bible,especially concerning His right to judge unbeliev-
they are defending science, yet when confronted by an
ers in eternity.”(Wieland).
Intelligent Design paradigm that explains the data better than
their own (such as on the human eye, a bird’s wing or the
What challenge to Darwin is found in the details of life?
processes of blood-clotting),they offer no scientific defense at
Evolutionary theory proposes that life forms start out at a
all.Instead,they lash out,ridiculing the Intelligent Design par-
very simple level and then, by natural selection, eventually
adigm as nothing more than “religious.”
become more and more complex as changes occur.However,
biochemical and molecular biological research continues to
What is happening in the scientific community?
gather convincing evidence that the living cell is totally useless
Those who prefer the Creation and Intelligent Design
unless, and until, it reaches its final form, and then, having
explanation for life cannot be conveniently stereotyped as
reached that form, any change at all actually destroys, not
backward,ignorant,flat-earth fanatics.To the contrary,believ-
enhances, its function. Darwin’s greatest challenge comes
ers in special Creation and Intelligent Design are discerning,
from the question of how the individual cell developed.
rational people—tens of millions of them—who, upon
Scientists studying this issue have described the living cell as
weighing the evidence,have dismissed evolutionary theory as
“irreducibly complex.”
untenable.And these millions are being joined by growing
More and more scientists are reaching the conclusion
numbers of biologists,geologists,paleontologists,physicists,
that living organisms,even the most “simple,”show clear evi-
medical doctors, mathematicians and other professionals in
dence of a creator because of their incredible complexity at
the pure and applied sciences.
even the most fundamental levels.The scientific literature is
A molecular biologist explains that evolutionary theory

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What About Creation and Evolution?
has an influence “far removed from biology”and is one of the
Can we “baptize”evolutionary theory?
“most spectacular examples in history of how a highly specu-
It would be a mistake on our part to think that simply by
lative idea for which there is no really hard scientific evidence
presenting the evidence for Intelligent Design, a person will
can come to fashion the thinking of a whole society and dom-
become a Christian.Believing that God is our loving heavenly
inate the outlook of an age”(Denton,p.358).
Father who created the heavens and the earth is an article of
As one biochemist puts it,“To a person who does not feel
faith.Believing that there is an intelligent designer is a far cry
obligated to restrict his search to unintelligent causes, the
from believing that we are sinful human beings in need of a
straightforward conclusion is that many biochemical systems
Savior and then trusting in the Son of God,Jesus Christ,who is
were designed.They were designed not by the law of nature,
our Savior from sin,death and the power of Satan.Such a liv-
not by chance and necessity; rather,they were planned.Their
ing hope is a gift of God, given by the Holy Spirit. It is not a
designer knew what the systems would look like when
matter of scientific study or analysis.Faith is as miraculous an
they were completed, then took steps to bring the systems
event in our life as is God’s work of Creation in the world. In
about.Life on earth at its most fundamental level,in its most
fact, it is no accident that those who are in Christ are called
critical components, is the product of intelligent activity”
“new creations”(2 Cor.5:17).
(Behe,p.193).
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod believes,teaches
and confesses that Adam and Eve were real historic individu-
Is there room for Intelligent Design?
als and that the Genesis account of Creation is true and factual,
As much compelling evidence as there is for a young earth
not merely a “myth”or a “story”made up to explain the origin
and a worldwide hydraulic cataclysm (the Noahic Flood,
of all things.
which explains much about our planet’s geology and paleon-
We would also be making a very serious error simply to
tology), Intelligent Design, on its own merits, can be argued
accept the theories of science without question.Many aspects
effectively without a single reference to the Scriptures. This
of evolutionary theory are directly contradictory to God’s
natural knowledge of a Creator is not the same as advancing
Word.Evolution cannot be “baptized”to make it compatible
a set of specific theological and doctrinal beliefs about
with the Christian faith.Those who attempt inevitably wind
that Creator.
up watering down the teachings of the Bible.Christians have
If evolutionists persist in saying that creation cannot be
no need to fear the findings of science, nor do they have any
divorced from religion,then they themselves must be prepared
reason to give “science”more credence than they give the Word
to admit that their orthodoxy—that life in all its beauty,orga-
of God.
nization and complexity arose from random mutations and
As scientists continue to study and explore the wonders of
other Darwinian speculations—is just as dogmatic, just as
God’s creation we join the ancient Psalmist in saying,“I praise
you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works
much a religion,really,as what they scorn.If Creation is theis-
are wonderful,I know that full well”(Psalm 139:14).
tic, calling for an intelligent, purposeful Author of Life, then
naturalistic Evolution is atheistic,denying the existence of that
For Further Study:
Author and any supernatural acts wrought by His hand.
Michael Behe,Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution
For generations, Evolution, with all its weaknesses and
(New York: The Free Press,1996).
unexplained gaps, has reigned unchallenged in American
William Dembski,Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science and
public life in our zoos, science centers, museums and mass
Theology (Downer’s Grove,Ill.: InterVarsity Press,1999).
media, and yes, perhaps most clearly in our schools. The
Michael Denton,Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Chevy Chase,Md.:Adler &
theory of Evolution is simply handed down as fact. Only
Adler,1985).
now, finally, is Evolution being contested on its own terms:
Carl Wieland,“Darwin’s Real Message, Have You Missed It?”Creation Ex Nihilo
objective science.
(14(4):16-19,Sept.-Nov.1992).
On the blackboards of America’s public-school science
classrooms,and in the pages and on the screens of the media,
— Dr.A.L.Barry
the time has come for the words “Evolution,”“naturalism”and
President
“neo-Darwinism” to make room for “Intelligent Design.”
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Anything less,based on the evidence,would be intellectually
dishonest.

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