Thursday, September 10, 2009

Why I believe God over Darwin

When asked to theorize in the absence of hard data Sherlock Holmes objected. "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." Does this sound familiar? What's the first thing that popped into your mind when you read that description of poor deduction? This is one of many reasons that we choose to homeschool our children.

Charles Darwin cannot be faulted for his careful field observations made prior to our knowledge of molecular biology. But, herein lies the problem with formulating theories in the absence of hard data. He could not have imagined the complexity of life that has been uncovered in recent years. Also, he assumed the existence of transitional forms. Again, rather than formulating a theory around data, he held to his theory and argued that these "missing links" just hadn't been found, yet. It's been over 100 years since his death, and there are still no transitional forms that have held up under scrutiny.

I love the end of Psalm 100, "His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations." The Bible has held up much better than Darwin's theory and it's been around for much longer! The Bible and Darwin's theory do have one thing in common, though. They have both spawned religions. That's right, Darwin's theory of macroevolution (the theory that gradual beneficial mutations are selected for and eventually result in a change across species), is a religion whose advocates cling to it in a blind faith, desperate to deny the existance of a God that requires submission and worship.

Richard Dawkins, one such "man of faith", in The Blind Watchmaker defines Biology as "the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose." He goes on to argue (again with no data) that it is natural selection that gives this illusion of design. Watching him deny God so vehemently in Ben Stein's No Intelligence Allowed betrayed the degree of emotion invested in his "belief system". I'm reminded of God's rhetorical questions to Job in ch 38. I wonder if God will ask Dr. Dawkins questions such as these one day in the not-so-distant future? (I have a feeling God will not interrogate Dr. Dawkins so tenderly as He did Job who was after all a righteous man.)

v4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me if you have understanding.
v5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
v6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
v7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
v8 Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
v9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
v10 When I fixed my limit for it, and set bars and doors;
v11 When I said, 'This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!'
v12 Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
v13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?

There's really no good place to stop until the end of the book, but I'll let you pick it up from here in your Bible.

We are truly blessed among God's people to live during a time of scientific discovery that shines light on the blemishes in Darwin's theory, but finds no fault with the Word of God (how could it?).


Stay tuned for some great book giveaways. I have one copy of Behe's Darwin's Black Box, one or two copies of Icons of Evolution by Jonathan Wells, and one or two copies of The Lie by Ken Ham. More on this great giveaway in an upcoming post.



6 comments:

  1. Good post.
    Hey, I tried to put your button on my blog, but got "5XMOM" instead.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks. I'm so glad to know you tried the button. I haven't been able to have anyone test it, yet. I'll go back to the drawing board!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think I fixed the button, Jen. I'll be anxious to know if it works now. Thanks!

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  4. I have this quote on the sidebar of my blog, and I think it sums my feelings up pretty well.

    "The fact of evolution is the backbone of biology, and biology is thus in the peculiar position of being a science founded on an unproved theory - is it then a science or a faith? Belief in the theory of evolution is thus exactly parallel to belief in special creation - both are concepts which believers know to be true but neither, up to the present, has been capable of proof."


    ( ~ L.Harrison, FRS, Professor of Physics, University of Manchester UK. Introduction to Darwin's The Origin of Species. 1971.)

    I enjoy reading the 'Creation' magazines published by Creation Ministries. I am forever trying to explain to my older children how the stuff they are learning in science at school is just a THEORY and should be treated as such, but instead is taught as FACT. I'd love to be entered in your giveaway if you are allowing overseas entries (we're in Australia). The "Icons" book interests me most, but I'd be happy to win either of the other 2.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome post! I am a big fan of Ken Ham! I also love the magazines. My son from an early age loves to learn about creation vs. evolution. At 10 yrs old he has a blog. haha
    Your boys might like it???
    www.awesomeautyboy.blogspot.com
    He likes to do video posts. We also love Johnathan Park. We plan to visit the Creation Museum next month:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mum-me,
    I liked your comment so much- you're entered, Australia or not.

    Bridget,
    I'll have to check out your son's blog, it sounds cool.

    ReplyDelete

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I'm an on-the-run mom to 6 kids who studied and taught exercise science in a previous life. I love all things running, nutrition, and health-related. I usually run at zero dark thirty in the morning and am often quite hungry before, during, and after my run, but I live a rich, full, blessed life with my children, family, and friends. My faith in God is my anchor, and looking to Him and His promises allows me to live fully even when life circumstances are difficult. While running gives me an appetite, my desire is to hunger and thirst for righteousness more than for physical food.