Page 61 - Genesis: Book of Beginnings and Science Behind it

survival (survival of the fittest). Over billions of years, millions of changes have multiplied to produce all
life forms today.

Creation or Evolution?

We are basically comparing alternative mechanisms of the beginning of life. One
is change. The other is design. BOTH require faith. Both define a religious
viewpoint. Both are OUTSIDE the realm of science (measurable, observable, and
repeatable).

Both views are based on assumptions, and both views are based on how they
interpret the observational data.

A person who is a creationist believes in the Genesis account regarding how the world came into being.
A creationist believes that God created the universe in six days and that all that exists today was created
potentially in every living creature. So basically, a Creationist believes in an alternate mechanism of the
beginning of life than an evolutionist. The evolutionist believes in constant CHANGE. The Creationists
believe in a Designer. Both require faith. Both are from a religious viewpoint, and both are OUTSIDE the
realm of science.

Science is defined as "the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and
theoretical explanation of phenomena." xxxvii Science is a method that mankind can use to gain a greater
understanding of the natural universe. It is a search for knowledge through observation. Advances in
science demonstrate the reach of human logic and imagination. However, a Christian's belief in science
should never be like our belief in God. A Christian can have faith in God and respect for science as long
as we remember which is perfect and which is not.

Our belief in God is a matter of faith. We have faith in His Son for salvation, faith in His Word for
instruction, and faith in His Holy Spirit for guidance. Our faith in God should be absolute since when we
put our faith in God, we depend on a perfect, omnipotent, omniscient Creator. Our belief in science
should be intellectual and nothing more. We can count on science to do many great things, but we can
also count on science to make mistakes. If we put faith in science, we depend on imperfect, sinful,
limited, mortal men. Science throughout history has been wrong about many things, such as the shape
of the earth, powered flight, vaccines, blood transfusions, and even reproduction. God is never wrong.

A person's belief in evolution is also a matter of faith. Since science is based on observation and
experimental investigation, the history of the world as we see it falls outside the realm of science. What
happened thousands of years ago is not observable today. All we can do is look at the evidence that
was left to perhaps glean an idea of what happened in the past. We find bones, pottery, inscriptions on
rocks, and other implements left in the ground by man. However, these historical artifacts are subject
to interpretation as to what happened in the past.

Evolutionists believe in Uniformitarianism. Uniformitarianism is a geological doctrine. It states that
current geologic processes, occurring at the same rates observed today, in the same manner, account
for all of the Earth's geological features. Thus, it assumes that geological processes are essentially
unchanged today from those of the unobservable past and that there have been no cataclysmic events

58