Finding God's hand in Evolution

Evolution constitutes the scientific explanation of the fossil record. Scientists from the Institute of Creation Research (ICR) are not disputing the fossil record. The fossil record shows that simple organism existed before more complex ones. The fossil record shows that complexity and variety of organisms and species kept building slowly over time. The fossil record shows that somehow some species ended while new ones resulted when the slightly similar ones disappeared.

They are not arguing this, because the fossil record is reality, it is fact. At one time, however, some creation scientists did argue for a young earth viewpoint. They lost their credibility, and I will also show they caused many to loose faith, so they had to re-invent themselves. And so along came Irreducible Complexity and Intelligent Design. They keep fine tuning their arguments while the real scientific community, if they wish to indulge themselves, continues to defeat their claims. A short history of how creation science has attempted to dismantle real science is next.

When creation science young earth theories didn't work, they came up with a new theory. A new theory that would give them more credibility, called Irreducible Complexity. This claim stated that certain systems are irreducible, like the mouse trap or motor used in the Flagellum bacteria. It didn't work either. Real scientist showed how a mouse trap is reducible and still functional as a mouse trap. They also identified another bacteria that contained a static sensor instead of a motor. It looks completely like the Flagellum bacteria, but the sensor/motor didn't rotate. The bacterium clearly shows how the Flagellum, the poster child for creation science, did in fact evolve.

Most people in the scientific community and people in general accept the most logical explanation for the behavior of the universe and for the fossil record. To look at the big picture and be told that some things cannot be done through natural causes alone makes a case against God, when science proves otherwise. Every time the church or creation science creates this drama between science and faith, people find reason to loose faith. Creation science wants us to worship a phony god, a god-of-the-gaps. Whenever something that science can't explain they say these gaps require God's intervention. When scientist defeat their claims, it causes some people to make a choice. To believe in something real or something phony. So now creation science wants us to believe that some amino acid need God's special intervention to come into existence.

A proper understanding of evolution should enhance our faith not destroy it. If creation science would stop trying to make a case against what they think "Natural Causes" means, it would help people gain a stronger faith in God. Instead creation science reinforces its stance with another argument, a statistical argument called Intelligent Design. Intelligent Design actually went on trial in 2005 and was struck down by the courts as part of the creation science movement. It was deemed not science and could not be taught in the classrooms as science. How many people lost faith due to this very public trial against god, i.e. creation science god-of the-gaps?

My faith, at one time, questioned the truths of evolution. My faith needed God to have a hand in creation. But while reading articles for creation science, I came to realize that creation science was making a silly argument and led to belief in a ridiculous god. A god who after forming the galaxies and stars and planets had to tweek here and there to keep things going.

Recently I've come to accept that evolution is God. The theory of evolution by natural causes has an active almighty God involve throughout it. Furthermore evolutionary scientists are discerning and discovering Gods truth every day. They do so in a public form, discerning His truth, in an open and painfully thorough way; allowing God to reveal himself to them, but only if they are open-minded and accept His world as it is.

The issue concerning amino acids and chirality is being discerned right now in laboratories across the world. Like all explanations through natural causes, these scientists will be blessed with a new truth as revealed by God himself. A truth that transcends man, a truth that will show that Easter Sunday always follows Good Friday; after death there is a resurrection. One species evolves into another in a on-going and endless story called the Epic of Evolution. One that we are all part of, one we are blessed to know. A story about a trusting and loving God in the center of it all, in the center of evolution.

A long time ago, the earth suffered a major biological catastrophe. Organisms that produced oxygen from CO2 used up all the CO2 in the air. They almost all died, until evolution (God) created an organism that used oxygen and exhaled CO2. He turned this catastrophe around. When the dinosaurs went extinct, 3 out of 4 species went with them. God turned this around with another Easter; allowing mammals to evolve into man.

This is the God I worship. Not some remote tinkerer, but one who is still creating and revealing Himself to us through science. Creation science resorts to a god-of-the-gaps argument. It leads nowhere and pits the faithful against God Himself.

We don't have all the answers on how species evolved into another. But evolution does not define a random, godless process that is left to chance alone. At one time one mammal decided to stay and fight while another fled. That choice resulted in the Rhinoceros and the Gazelle.

So how do we find common ground and live together in peace as God wants? Scientist who promote atheism must realize that faith in God is not going to go away, so they need to stop using science to prove He doesn't exist. Likewise people of faith must see reality much more clearly. We must agree on the evidence at hand and come together, realize that God is not done yet. His revelations will continue and the scientific community, Atheist, Muslim, and Christians can agree on the Whole Truth, that is God

We must also realize that private revelation will always be disputable. Did God reveal himself to the apostles 2000 years ago? Did God die on the cross? Did God really talk to Mohamed? We can't prove these things and we don't have to, to love God. It's a matter of faith. "God will not be put to the test." But God is revealing truth to us through science and evolution. You can't love God and distort His facts. Science is the explanation of the Ultimate Truth; i.e. God. Did God revealed all there is to know in the Bible, over 2000 years ago, and then go silent about his creation since then? Evolution enhances our love for God, it does not diminishes it. Many evolutionary scientist have tremendous love for God, and His creation. They worship Him and please Him by studying His creation. These ICR scientist do not have strong faith. By making this claim they're holding onto a reality that doesn't exist. In the end, it will corrupt their faith and many who are led by their arguments.

Suggested Further Reading:
Thank God for Evolution - Michael Dowd
Finding Darwins God - Kenneth Millar
The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins (Although Dawkins is an atheist, his explanation of evolution contains an excellent rebuttal to amino acids and chirality. This explanation involves natural scaffolds for forming complex chemical compounds.)