Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.
Thoughts on Creation Issues: Part I
In the conflict over the age of the Earth and Universe, there is much idealism and reaction. Idealism largely reflects “What God could do!” and neglects the full biblical record of what He chose and did do! Idealism is too often what people want to believe rather than what the Bible spells out.
In the light of something difficult, especially seen in suffering, people often will say to themselves and others: “How could an all-loving and powerful God let such and such happen?” They set aside the facts that God created the earth as a perfect place and early in it revealed the existence of Satan as His and humanity's enemy. In the third chapter of Genesis, Satan seduced our first parents into believing his suggestion and lie that God's warning was not to be believed. Instead, he made them believe and embrace the lie that using misapplied knowledge could enable them to make a better future than trusting God as One who rewards those who would diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). In doing so, they would make themselves their own god(s) (Genesis 3:5). By this, they adopted Satan's self orientation.
In the biblical books of Isaiah and Ezekiel, God reveals what happened to Satan to transform him from a cherubim to being a rebellious, self conceited enemy of God1. When people adopt their own or culturally held views and make them authoritative over the exegetical teachings of the Bible, they assume the attitude of being their own god, which is the attitude of natural human nature2. To correct this reasoning, Paul characterizes his ministry as “…destroying speculations and every lofty thing…” (2 Corinthians 10:5). One danger of teaching is to speculate and teach lofty or idealistic things. Even in teaching or holding to accurate biblical doctrine there is danger of being harsh and prideful: “Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.” (1 Corinthians 8:1b NASU)
Almost all of “young earth” people have become angry when I have suggested that theory they hold is not accurate biblically. They ignored “…speaking the truth in love…” (Ephesians 4:15 NASU) My motive in correcting this erroneous theory is exactly what secular professors use this to discredit the inspiration of the Bible and so tear down many young people's faith.
In the doctrine of creation, the idealistic teaching is that creation and even the universe came into being in six successive twenty four hour days. While this school of teaching has some variation, the most emphatic of them will say that the universe is only about 6000 years old. It does not bother them that the father of this modern movement, Dr Henry M Morris in his book: “Studies in the Bible and Science” (1966) admits: “A date of about 15,000 B.C. for man's creation would probably represent the outer limit…” (30). Young earth is relatively new; it has not always been held by scholarly Bible believers. For many years C. I. Schofield (venerated by many Fundamental Christians) in his study Bible viewed the earth and universe as much older than 6000 years. Even in the reedited copy, this view is presented. The editorial committee listed nine of the most respected men from some of the most respected institutions and ministries. They held some of the highest biblical academic degrees available.
While Dr Morris and Dr Humphries have no academic degrees in the Bible, their promotion of the young creation teaching has prevailed in a great number of biblically Fundamentalist circles because of their strong allegations that any variance of their interpretation is denying the inspiration of the Scriptures. They shout that any “Old Earth/Universe” teaching open the door to the atheistic Darwinian theory of natural evolution. Even those who emphatically reject the validity of evolution are called “theistic evolutionists.” Why? Because evolution is built on the idea that natural selection and survival of the fittest require millions of years. By using a young earth position as their tool to dispute evolution, they unconsciously imply that the theory of evolution could be valid. However, even pure scientists reject macro evolution. Macro evolution theorizes that all life evolved from prehistoric slime to produce the multiplicity of species of life, climaxing in man. The numbers of these scientists are constantly growing. From astronomers to micro biologists, massive amounts of evidence support intelligent design. While many are not yet Christians, they are progressing towards faith.
Basically, only the secular academic community holds to evolution as a fact. To the secularist evolutionist, evolution has become their religion. Having chosen to reject the existence of God, they have replaced Him with the worship of evolutionary theory, even though as some have said, “It takes more blind faith to be an evolutionist, than to be a Bible believer!”
Related reading: The Science-Faith Question; Creation of the Universe: Examining the Evidence;
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