Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 761 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Creation vs. Evolution – Wisdom Wednesday

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 761 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. We continue this Wednesday to explore our trek of interpreting life through a Biblical worldview.

As a Christ follower, it is important to view all situations and events in life through the lens of the Bible. That is a view of the world that is aligned with what the Bible teaches us. We are exploring current issues that impact our world and society and comparing them through the lens of the Bible, instead of the lens of our society, culture, modern media, or social media.

I do not desire to tell you what to think but teach you how to think, so that you may be able to filter current issues and events through your Biblical worldview. I may explore opposing views and challenge you to think. You may not always agree with my view, and that is okay. I am open to any comments that you may have on the subjects that we explore.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. A Biblical worldview, at its core, is grounded in the fact that the Bible is God’s Word and contains all truth that God chose to reveal to us. Even with that understanding, there are many interpretations of parts of the Bible, and even the most learned Bible scholars will disagree. As finite humans living within the constraints of time and space, it is difficult for us to comprehend the mind of God. This gap was partially bridged when God came to earth as Jesus Christ, but not completely. As the Prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 55:9,“For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

 So today we will start with the creation of humans in Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.’ So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Even though we cannot understand fully all that God has done and is doing, there are three points that we want to consider today about…

Creation vs. Evolution

Creation vs. Evolution – A Question of Origins

The creation vs. evolution debate is a question of origins. How did we get here? Were we created or did we evolve randomly? Are we the product of purposeful intelligence or are we merely the end result of countless cosmic accidents? Does it even matter?

Creation vs. Evolution – Reason vs. Religion

The popular media often portrays the creation vs. evolution debate as science vs. religion, with creation being religious and evolution being scientific. Unfortunately if you don’t agree with this label, you too are labeled. Regardless of whether you’re a creationist or an evolutionist, if you disagree with the stereotype, you’re condemned and “exposed” as a religious fanatic who is secretly trying to pass religion off as science or, even worse, trying to disprove science in order to redeem a ridiculous, unscientific, religious worldview. The fact is neither model of origins has been established beyond a reasonable doubt (otherwise, the theory of evolution wouldn’t be called the “theory” of evolution). Whether we like to admit it or not, those of us who subscribe to the theory of evolution do so by faith. It is by faith that we interpret creation through a Biblical worldview. While the recognition of intelligent design in biology may have theological implications, it is not based upon religious premise. It’s based upon empirical observation and logic.

Creation vs. Evolution – Why Does It Matter?

Why do we even squabble over creation vs. evolution? Does it really matter what we believe about where we came from? Absolutely. Our views on morality, justice, purpose, self-worth, humanity, obligation, and destination are all closely tied to our views on human origins. For example, without affirming or denying the veracity of evolution theory, let’s take a moment to consider what the theory of evolution teaches about human origins and what impact this teaching has had upon human behavioral patterns.

Evolution teaches that as species evolve, they eventually reach ideal population levels. As species advance, superior species eliminate inferior species – “survival of the fittest.” Weak and inferior members of a species should be eliminated for the preservation of superior bloodlines and for the conservation of essential resources. “Nature” doesn’t desire “the mating of weaker with stronger individuals, even less does she desire the blending of a higher with a lower race, since if she did, her whole work of higher breeding, over perhaps hundreds of thousands of years, might be ruined with one blow. Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows.”

Following the evolution logic, since humans are merely a species of animal, we have no intrinsic value and are therefore by no means exempt from “the war of nature.”  Because of this logic we have Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) asking the rhetorical question, “Should I not also have the right to eliminate millions of an inferior race that multiplies like vermin?”  Hitler, of course, is remembered for murdering more than 6,000,000 individual human beings, all of whom he deemed to be inferior members of the species. Was Hitler wrong? Did he misinterpret and misrepresent the theory he claimed to cherish so much? Apparently not.

Renowned British evolutionary anthropologist and anatomist Sir Arthur Keith (1866-1955), who was knighted in 1921, came to Hitler’s defense. “Hitler is an uncompromising evolutionist, and we must seek for an evolutionary explanation if we are to understand his actions.” Keith reassured us, “The German leader, as I have consistently maintained, is an evolutionist; he has consciously sought to make the practice of Germany conform to the theory of evolution.”

Joseph Stalin (1879-1953), another ardent evolutionist, surpassed even Hitler in zeal, murdering at least ten times as many “inferiors” (estimates range from 60,000,000 to 100,000,000 people). Was Stalin wrong? What about the Khmer Rouge regime which is estimated to have killed 1.5 to 3 million Cambodians? Were these exterminations of population subsets wrong? Well, not if you subscribe to the evolutionary worldview. In fact, to the philosophically consistent, uncompromised evolutionist, Hitler and Stalin ought to be considered role models.

We see how a worldview can impact human behavior. Here, we see murder, a most disapproved human behavior, not only condoned, but encouraged. So, does it matter what we believe about where we came from? Absolutely. However, even more important than what we believe to be true is what actually is true according to God’s Word.

Someone might not believe in gravity, for example. Nevertheless, if that person were to step off a tall building, that person would splat on the ground below, regardless of what they believed. Once again, we have the question, “Are we the product of purposeful intelligence or are we merely the end result of countless cosmic accidents?” Don’t rely on hearsay. Investigate the evidence for yourself by studying God’s Word so that you can form a Biblical worldview in light of today’s social environments and events.

Next week for Wisdom Wednesday, we will continue to discuss the topic of creation and how we can have a Biblical worldview that will allow us to confidently reason with those who adamantly proclaim that humans are a product of random evolution. Each week we will choose hot topics that are prevalent today and explore them through a Biblical lens. If you have any topics that you would like us to cover, please email them to me at guthrie@wisdom-trek.com.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute wisdom nugget that will provide you with a bit of wisdom that, if followed will allow you to grow healthier, wealthier, and wiser each day. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. If you would like to listen to any of our past 760 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. You can also subscribe to iTunes or Google Play, so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!