Examining Evolution – Part 3

What can we gain from examining evolution? The simple answer is A LOT! We separate fact from theory. We find out what does and doesn’t fit into the picture being painted. We find out what makes a statement probable or improbable, and what true scientific knowledge is versus what is merely assumed to be true. If we critically examine evolution we quickly discover that it is not scientific fact, merely a collection of theories.

You Shall Know the Truth

Many Christians state they accept the biblical account of creation (which is a good thing because it is highly probable, meaning it is true), but they can’t offer reasons for why they don’t believe in evolution. It’s at that point that unbelievers will often label a biblical worldview as ‘unscientific’ or illogical. They present a wide array of supposed facts which, they affirm, show the Word of God to be hopelessly out of date. Being unprepared for that challenge by not examining evolution has cost many Christians their faith – unnecessarily. It’s unnecessary because evolution doesn’t really stand up to intense scrutiny.

Examining evolution is the rational and logical study of what the theory of evolution claims based on scientific fact, reasonableness and logic. Once we understand the facts we know to be true then we can start at the beginning of the theory and work our way through the rest. If during our exam we find that the theory is unreasonable then the rest of the story is nothing but fantasy. It is no longer science but science fiction or guesswork.

Evolution’s Framework

So then, what are the basic ‘facts’ of the theory of evolution as people believe it? Let’s start examining evolution and list them.

• The Big Bang – The universe started as a small speck which contained all the matter in the known universe and exploded outward, scattering that matter.
• The Formation of Galaxies – After the Big Bang, matter that was spread across space began to organize into various clusters and eventually formed stars, planets, black holes and other celestial formations (including Earth).
• The Origin of Life – Just the right chemicals and circumstances happened on Earth which led to a primordial sea  (primordial soup) full of the building blocks of life (amino acids). This soup was the breeding ground of complex chemical processes which led to increasingly organized molecules, then proteins, then self-replicating proteins, then the first living cell.
• The Biodiversity of Life – From that one cell sprung all life that we know of on Earth, from simple single-cell organisms like bacteria to you and me.

Why do I call the steps I’ve just listed assumptions? I call them that because that is what they are – assumed. While they cannot be proven false, neither can they  be proven to be true. There are plenty of theories available, but theories are not facts. There is a difference between scientific theory and scientific fact!

If an event can be observed and repeated then it’s established as a fact. Bacteria reproduce, which is a fact. Water evaporates, which is a fact. Electricity flows if given a suitable pathway, which is a fact. I could go on, but you get the point. Now, let’s compare some facts with theories.

Examining Evolution

Has anyone ever observed or repeated the Big Bang? No, so it’s a theory and not a fact. In fact, the theory of the Big Bang has come under criticism lately.

http://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=9&article=1453

http://rense.com/general53/bbng.htm

https://phys.org/news/2015-02-big-quantum-equation-universe.html

http://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/astronomy-terms/big-bang-theory7.htm

Has anyone ever observed or repeated the original formation of galaxies? No, so it’s a theory and not a fact. Even if you read scientific papers such as this one from NASA, look for words like thought, assumed, and other built-in disclaimers.

Has anyone ever observed or reproduced the origin of life by natural means? No, so it’s a theory and not a fact. The term natural means is used to describe what happens in nature without any external manipulation – by either God or humankind.

https://answersingenesis.org/origin-of-life/can-natural-processes-explain-the-origin-of-life/

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Max_Planck

Has anyone ever observed or repeated the biodiversity of life by natural means? Yes. It may surprise you to hear that, but it’s true. We see the process of adaptation and speciation everywhere! Does that mean evolution is true? No, it does not.

The Big Picture

Let’s put it all together and see what we come up with, comparing the creation story of the Bible versus what we find out while examining evolution.

The biblical account states that God created everything, and even goes into certain details on when and how He did it. Evolutionists may refute that account but it can’t be proven false, therefore it is still acceptable as a theory.

In opposition we have the theory of evolution, which states;

• At an unknown time in the past, the Big Bang may – or may not – have scattered all matter throughout the universe.
  • They cannot account for the physics which make that highly unlikely.
  • There is debate about when it happened, or even if it happened.
  • In any case, they still can’t tell you where that matter came from.
• The random scattering of matter became organized into the celestial structures we currently know of.
  • Nobody knows how this process happened initially.
  • Nobody knows what structures and process have yet to be discovered.
  • Nobody can explain why the material substance of the universe is still expanding and accelerating.
• The basic elements of life assembled on Earth and, at the right time, in the right place, and under the right circumstances, coalesced to the point of abiogenesis.
  • Scientists don’t agree on the composition of such an ‘early Earth’ atmosphere
  • Scientists don’t agree on the composition of that ocean
  • Scientists don’t agree on the concentrations and types of elements themselves which were supposed to be present.
  • They can’t reproduced the necessary reactions they claim happened randomly – even under the most tightly controlled conditions.
  • In addition, they don’t see that process happening anywhere in the known universe, at any time, under any circumstances.
• Once abiogenesis occurred the speciation of life randomly produced the diversity we see all around us.
  • Nobody knows why certain fundamental differences exist between different forms of life which contradict a ‘parent cell’ theory.
  • Nobody knows how certain facets of cell composition (like the mitochondria) came into the picture.
  • Nobody knows how humans, among all the rest of life present on Earth, developed the capacity to express concepts such as morals, values, planning for the future, and appreciation for beauty.

Why do we believe the creation account given in Genesis? We believe it because it’s based on the authority of God’s Word and the truthfulness it contains. The Bible has shown itself as reliable. Evolutionists go out of their way to denigrate the biblical account, stating that it relies on magic, mysticism, and spirits. In place of the Bible, they offer the alternative of a meaningless past, a pointless present, and a hopeless future.

We base our faith on God and His Word. They base their faith on assumptions and theory. Which faith would you prefer to have?