Articles
Witnesses to God
In the professional and educational world of science, evolution is accepted and touted as the de facto theory and belief amongst "all scientists." That is, of course, a fallacious statement, but it is true that those in positions that hold sway over what is taught in the elementary-to-high school levels, and in higher education hold that view. It is just as true that any scientist who tries to point out the flaws in the accepted theory will be ridiculed and his credentials and credibility will be seriously and vehemently challenged and questioned.
Some who profess to be believers in God in Christ — including Pope John Paul II — have declared evolution is compatible with faith; others have tried to accommodate the current scientific theories by 'fudging' the Bible story of Creation, and have come up with some creative explanations and theories of their own about what certain Bible terms and stories "really" mean, all to make it seem these terms and events in the Bible are in full agreement with current scientific theories. According to some the "day" of Genesis 1 isn't really a 24-hour day as all men have understood for millennia, but really represent billions of years. Others have stuck with the 24-hour day, but then added multi-billion-year gaps in between those days — again, to try to make Bible stories somehow "fit" with current scientific theories.
I will say this as simply as I know how: We don't need "help" to make the Bible somehow more palatable to those who refuse to accept it for what it is: truth.
About two thousand years ago, the apostle Paul wrote by the inspiration of God, that “men…suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:18-20). Paul also told those in Lystra that God “did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). The fact is, God left testimony of His existence and even His attributes [power, compassion, wisdom, etc.] in the natural world.
Instead of being tempted to jump on the science bandwagon and swallow these flawed and Godless theories, it would be wiser to stop and consider some of the witnesses to God we can see, and what they say about Him. Since the wisdom of man cannot compare with the infinite wisdom of God (Rom. 11:33), it would be foolish to try to keep up with the ever-changing theories of mere men. Scientists not so long ago thought the Earth was the center of the universe, and everything revolved around it; no scientist today would openly admit believing that. So, if our human theories are still prone to making grievous and even laughable errors, why would we want to trust the "latest" theories?
So what in nature are witnesses to God?
The Water Cycle. It is amazing that water in the ocean evaporates as vapor into the air, and then rising air currents take the vapor up into the atmosphere and, in air where there are cooler temperatures, condenses into clouds. Air currents then move clouds around the earth and eventually fall in some form of precipitation back to the earth, on land or in the sea. Precipitation that falls on land may travel back down to the oceans by streams and rivers — and continues endlessly.
And this is supposed to have happened by mere chance? This cycle keeps the planet watered sufficiently, with periodic droughts or flooding in some areas, but it has done this since the beginning. God's word tells us He sent a mist from the ground to water the earth (Gen. 2:6), and after the flood, He has sent rain, as Paul noted to those in Lystra (Acts 14:17). Bernard Palissy [16th century] is credited with putting together the theories that comprise what is now known as our modern water cycle, but a man named Elihu spoke of it more than 4000 years ago: “Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; nor can the number of His years be discovered. For He draws up drops of water, which distill as rain from the mist, which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man” (Job 36:26-28). Sending rain for all living creatures and all plants and trees, and a water cycle to ensure it continues without fail, was a part of God's design.
The Atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen, but oxygen is a part of it, too, and a necessary part for all living creatures. The atmosphere is simply a layer of gases surrounding our planet, held in place by the gravity of this planet and which helps protect us from harmful ultraviolet radiation, solar wind, and other types of radiation. We may have heard of the ozone layer, the part that blocks out the harmful UV radiation.
Are we to believe that life migrated to his planet by mere chance, and that the atmosphere was already in place for its arrival? According to the popular evolutionary theory, that wouldn't make sense; the theory argues that life adapts to the environment, but science also tells us Earth's atmosphere is perfect for carbon-based life forms, so it seems the environment was meant for life, and that there was no "adaptation' necessary. God Himself said that this is not a result of chance and time, but a purposeful act of our Creator, who “formed the earth and made it,…has established it,…did not create it in vain,…[and] formed it to be inhabited” (Isa. 45:18). Indeed, we are a privileged planet, having all we need to live. The odds of all life on earth just coincidentally landing here on a planet perfect for their habitation is beyond the realm of possibility.
The Food Chain, or Food Web. The food chain is simply a representation of the succession of organisms that eat another organism and are, in turn, eaten themselves. It starts with the lowest forms of life [for example, grass], and rises to the herbivores, then predators, and then the higher level of carnivores. The food web is a way of describing those in the food chain who consume other creatures on their same level or below. What is so amazing is that this is all in place for all living creatures to either have a food source, or be a food source. Sort of like the water cycle, the plants are food for the animals and, in turn, the carcasses of dead animals provide nutrients for the plants to grow.
And, again, we see God's wisdom in this, for the psalmist writes of God, “He sends the springs into the valleys; they flow among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. By them the birds of the heavens have their home; they sing among the branches. He waters the hills from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth” (Psa. 104:10-14). No, it didn't happen by chance that it works this way [and has from the beginning]; this was designed and executed by our Creator, and it testifies to the wisdom and power of God.
The testimony is there, but as with any trial, it is now in the hands of the juror: you. What will be your verdict? And will it be the same on Judgment Day?
—— Steven Harper
