The Evolution Debate Continues

but The Truth of God's Word Will Prevail

Newsletter article for October 1999

© 1999 Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Perhaps you have heard about the Kansas State Board of Education ruling which decreed that Kansas schools are not required to teach the theory of evolution. Although Kansas schools may certainly continue to teach evolution, it is no longer required, and this ruling is seen as a great victory for Christians and others who believe God's word when He told us, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

I don't know about all the deliberations which led to this conclusion, but this continues the debate which began in earnest with the 1859 publication of The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. The idea that all advanced forms of life evolved from simple forms is based on the false premise that there is no God, and that there is no such things as miracles. Darwinism promotes the arrogant humanistic idea that everything that happens has a natural cause and humans can learn about the causes of everything.

Obviously, the theory of evolution is a matter of faith (or lack of it, as the case may be). All the evidence suggests that the creation is the work of an Omniscient God with a plan for His creation. David noted in Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." God's wisdom is seen in His creation. Even the fossil record supports the Biblical account because it suggests that in the past there was a much greater diversity of life on earth, but because the sin of man has corrupted God's handiwork, there is an ever declining diversity of life on earth. People have often observed species going extinct, but no one has ever observed one species evolving into another.

Darwin's followers also needed to explain the existence of everything once they convinced themselves that there was no God, so they came up with the ridiculous idea of the "Big Bang." I must confess that the proponents of this theory are much smarter than me, in fact they are too clever by half. They can look directly at the obvious, and then they convince themselves that it doesn't even exist. Well, I'm not nearly that "smart". For this blessing I will thank God for eternity.

To say that the universe was created in a single big explosion is about as believable as saying that when Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols blew up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City a few years ago they escaped when the rented Ryder truck filled with explosives blew up and then reassembled itself into a Ferrari 550 Maranello sports car, which they then drove away. There is a well-known scientific phenomenon called "entropy" which says that objects tend toward a state of disorder and chaos, rather than an orderly state. Explosions are like this, as are most things, but the Darwinists deny this.

Christians are Called "Ignorant"

For Christians, perhaps the most upsetting aspect of the news story about the Kansas Board of Education decision is the comments that the Darwinists have made about those who believe in God's eyewitness account of creation, rather than in their nonsense theory. Although the evolutionists claim to have descended from apes, they suggest that Christians who believe in God aren't too far removed from the dumb animals. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Darwinists vehemently maintain that only smart people believe in evolution and deny the existence of God, and only idiots believe in God.

As someone who takes great pride in the intellectual gifts God has given me, and my accomplishments in using those gifts, I feel hurt by such insinuations even when they aren't true. However I take comfort in the words of St. Paul who warned the young pastor, Timothy, "The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:3-5)

Evolution tells people "what their itching ears want to hear" because it puts them in the place of God, and it promotes idolatrous arrogance. Our sinful nature resents God and His authority over us, and it wants to have control over God. This is why many people are taken in by theories such as evolution, and the big bang even though they defy common sense. They would rather live their lives thinking that they are above God and suffer the eternal consequences, rather than humbly submit to God now and trust that His wisdom and salvation will prove true in the end.

Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man." (Luke 6:22) I don't know about you, but such blessings I would rather do without. But Jesus wants us to remain true to His Word, no matter what the consequences. Jesus wants us to stand up and tell the truth, even if no one believes what we say. In the end, when Jesus returns, He will let everyone know that what we said was true, as long as we remain true to His Word. And besides, when we tell others the truth of God's Word, someone may hear it, believe it, and be saved through it! Jesus "wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4) Jesus also said, "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Matthew 10:22)

Implications for Witnessing

You probably will not be all that successful in your witness if you call Darwinists stupid, although I have done as much above. This might preclude handing a copy of this article to your favorite neighborhood Darwinist and saying, "See there, you are wrong, wrong, wrong!" There may sometimes be wisdom in calling a spade a spade, but perhaps a better approach would be to avoid rancor and confrontation, and simply speak about the wisdom of trusting God's Word, rather than speaking about the foolishness of denying God. This accentuates the positive and gives the person a good reason to trust in God, rather than putting the person on the defensive. For without God there is only death, but through Christ there is forgiveness, life, and salvation.