Creation vs. Evolution: Does God Exist?
From the Britannica.com/science/evolution-scientific-theory/ web page we read:
“Evolution is a scientific theory in biology that explains how various types of plants, animals and other living things on Earth have their origin in other preexisting types and that the differences are due to modifications in successive generations.”
“The virtually infinite variations on life are the fruit of the evolutionary process. All living creatures are related by descent from common ancestors. Humans and other mammals descend from shrew-like creatures that lived more than 150 million years ago; mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes share as ancestors aquatic worms that lived 600 million years ago; and all plants and animals derive from bacteria-like microorganisms that originated more than 3 billion years ago. Biological evolution is a process of descent with modification. Lineages of organisms change through generations; diversity arises because the lineages that descend from common ancestors diverge through time.”
Later in the article, it states, “Evolutionists no longer are concerned with obtaining evidence to support the fact of evolution but rather are concerned with what sorts of knowledge can be obtained from different sources of evidence.”
If desired, the reader can explore much more on the subject of Evolution.
On the other hand, there are those that believe in Creationism. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “a doctrine or theory holding that matter, the various forms of life, and the world were created by God out of nothing and usually in the way described in Genesis” in the Bible.
So, in essence, there are two camps – those that believe that humans descended from lower forms of life (Evolutionists) and those that do not (Creationists).
This has prompted many to ask, “Does God exist?”
In an article entitled, “5 Proofs for the Existence of God” by Andrew Corbett, we read the following:
“Are there reasonable proofs for God? In December 2004 it was announced that long time British Professor and Philosopher, Anthony Flew, regarded by many as “the world’s most acclaimed atheist”, had renounced his atheism in favour of theism…
This dramatic conversion has been likened by Astrophysicist and now one of the world’s leading Cosmologists, Dr. Hugh Ross, as having the same impact on the academic world as an announcement that Billy Graham had renounced Christianity would have on the Church!
One of the reasons cited by Prof. Flew was ‘the evidence.’ He admitted that for a long time the growing problem of Evolution’s inability to explain how life began, or for that matter, how anything began, led him to the inevitable conclusion that it was an inadequate answer in the face of the evidence. Then when the DNA Genome code was unraveled the evidence for Design became “undeniable.” These two pieces of evidence (1. the existence of life demanding a Life-Source, and 2. the scientific evidence of an extremely complex code in the make-up of that life- DNA) were enough for Professor Flew to renounce atheism.”
Similarly, in an article entitled, “Renowned Atheist-Turned-Deist Antony Flew Dies at 87,” April 15, 2010, Eric Young quotes Professor Flew stating that “the findings of more than 50 years of DNA research have provided materials for a new and enormously powerful argument to design.”
“Like proponents of Intelligent Design, Flew concluded that a super-intelligence is the only good explanation for the origin of life and the complexity of nature.”
So, Professor Flew, a very prestigious professor and philosopher, renounced his atheism is favor of theism. We should not necessarily assume that he started to believe in the God of the Bible, but only that he renounced his belief that there is no god (atheism).
In conclusion, then, Evolution’s inability to explain how life began led Professor Flew to denounce Atheism.
What, then, is the Christian viewpoint on Creation?
Consider these Bible verses:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1).
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:1,26-31)
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)
It seems to me that it takes less faith to believe that the creation of the universe and of man originated with God. We read, “In the beginning God… .” God is a Higher Being than us. I, and every Christian I know, believe that mankind was created directly by God as stated in Genesis and did not evolve from a lower form(s) of life.
Earlier, we made reference to Andrew Corbett’s article, “5 Proofs for the Existence of God.
He makes five major points for the existence of God, as follows:
1. Everything has a cause…
2. There is evidence for design…
3. There is intrinsic morality which needs a point of reference…
4. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ…
5. The claims of Christ can be experienced…
Item 4 is quite compelling. He states “Skeptics may dispute this historical claim that Jesus Christ rose again from the dead but they do so perilously. This is because there is enough evidence to validate it and it is the point at which all of the history of Christ and Christianity rests. This means that if anything of Christ and Christianity is true then the Physical Resurrection of Christ is also true. The opposite is also true. If Christ did not literally rise from the dead then none of his history or teachings have any credence.”
Perhaps you, or someone you know, is a skeptic like Thomas that needs to “see” to believe.
Here is the record in John’s Gospel (words in bold for emphasis):
“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29)
Dear reader, my prayer is that you would come to believe in the God of creation, and his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who died for you so that you can have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Know that wherever you are at this moment, God sees you. If you are serious, take a moment and simply bow your head and pray to God. Acknowledge to the God of Creation that He created you and that you want a relationship with Him through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “…the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37)
“…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31) “Saved from what?” you might ask. Saved from eternal damnation and ultimately “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25:41).
If you already are a believer, rejoice, for your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life!
If you are not, please, do not pass up this opportunity to believe what you just read. Do it today as it may be the day you take your last breath on earth! You do not want to go into eternity without having received Christ as your Saviour.
It is God’s desire for “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)
Will you accept God’s offer of salvation and eternal life?