Biblical CreationismCompany Name

Warm-up

• Turn to the next two pages in your interactive notebooks.

• Label the Left page: What does the Bible teach about Creation? And today’s date

• Label the Right page: What the Bible teaches about Creation and today’s date

• Using your Bible, make a list of what you know the Bible says about creation and how we came into existence. Make sure you list scripture references to support your ideas.

Worldviews…

• Biblical creationism – the belief that the physical universe was created by God– This view cannot be a part of science

because no human has observed, measured, or recorded observations of Creation

– BUT, this does not mean a Creationist cannot be a scientist!

Worldviews…

• Evolutionism – the belief that the physical universe happened by chance– Cannot be a part of science either! NO

ONE has witnessed the beginning of the universe

– This view also must be accepted by faith if this is what one believes

What the Bible teaches….

• The Creation, Fall, and Redemption (all tied together in the first three chapters of the Bible)

• These three ideas should shape our Christian worldview

What the Bible teaches….

• God created by direct acts (Gen 1-2, John 1:3

• God sustains His creation (Ps. 104:1, 5, 14, 21; Col. 1:17)

• God reveals His power through His creation (Ps. 19:1, Rom 1:20)

• God revealed the sequence of Creation in the Bible (Gen 1)

What the Bible teaches….• God specifically created man (Gen 2:7;

Gen 1:26)• God created man, and man is

responsible to God (Ps. 100:3; Col. 1:17)• God’s creation is degenerating (Gen

1:31; Gen 3:6-19; Rom 8:22; Isa 11:6-9; Rev 22:3; Ps. 104; Ps. 102:25-26; Eccles. 3:20; Isa 51:6; Rom 8:20-22; 1 Peter 1:24)

Warm-up

• In a paragraph, explain what you believe about how the world came to be and be sure to support your thoughts with scripture.

Creationist Views

• This refers to the interpretation of Biblical Creation

• A good creationist view starts with scripture and is supported with observations of the physical world.

Creationist Views

• The literal view of Creation– Creation week made up of 7, 24-hr days – Best supported by a careful reading of

the Hebrew manuscripts– There is danger in starting with

evidence and trying to make scripture support it.

Creationist Views

• Compromise views of Creation– Gap Theory – theory of what might

have happened between Gen 1:1 and 1:2• Claim that God created a complete « first

creation », that may have lasted billions of years• The idea that God re-created the earth in

Genesis 1• Problems with this idea though…

Creationist Views

• Compromise views of Creation– Progressive Creationism – people who

believe the earth to be billions of years old and at certain widely-spaced times God created new batches of creatures• It occurred over a long period• Problems too:

– Ignores literal reading of Genesis 1– Violates Romans 5:12

Creationist Views• Compromise views of Creation– Theistic Evolution: claims to accept

accuracy in scripture, it states God used evolution as a method of creating diversity• Supports the long-day theory• Major problems:

– Ignores literal reading of Genesis 1– Treats man as a product of evolution not intentional

design– Violates Romans 5:12– Limits God

Creationist Views

• The Age of Creation– Old-earth theory – the earth is millions

or billions of years ol (most evolutionists hold this belief)

– People have tried to determine age of the earth by using only geneaologies.• This leads to the belief that the earth is

only thousands, not billions of years old. (Young-earth Creationists)

Creationist Views

• Evidence of the Flood– Fossil - a trace or remnant of an

organism that has been preserved by natural means; believed to have formed by sedimentation.

– The Flood and fossils – Genesis Flood only known catastrophe large enough to form sedimentary fossils around the world

Warm-up

• Turn to the next two pages in your interactive notebooks.

• Label the Left page: How did Biological evolution take place?

• Label the Right page: How biological evolution supposedly took place

• Define the term « EVOLUTION « in your own words. (How would you describe this to a friend?)

Evolution• Evolution – has several meanings. – General term means: a gradual change that

causes something to improve or become more complex• In this context – okay to talk about evolution in

terms of a car or government (man-made changes)

– Theory of evolution: evolution that supposedly occurs by chance; the process of random changes; natural events that formed and changed the universe.

Evolution• Evolution – has several meanings. – Biological evolution: the change of one

kind of organism to another kind of organism (fish to mammal)

– Theory of evolution contradicts the Bible – but there are also scientific reasons to doubt evolution

How Biological Evolution Supposedly Took place• For biological evolution to take

place:– Offspring must first inherit new traits

that make them different from their parents

– These new traits must improve the offspring’s ability to survive

Lamarck’s Theories

• Inheritance of Acquired characteristics– Jean Baptiste Lamarck – French biologist, first

one to propose the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics as a method of biological evolution

– Used giraffe’s long necks as an example– Also stated that the loss of a feature through

lack of use or disease could be passed down– Example: pierced ears can be passed down?

Darwin’s Theories

• Natural Selection– Charles Darwin (England)– He tried to become a physician and preacher;

but left college and became a Naturalist (one who observes scientific things)

– Sailed on the HMS Beagle in 1831 (for 5 years)– Studied plants and animals on the Galapagos

islands– Wrote The origin of species by means of

natural selection

Darwin’s Theories

• Theory of Natural Selection:– In every species, more young are produced than

survive– Individuals in a species will compete with one another

for survival– Some of more effective to compete than others– Survival of the fittest– Individuals that reproduce will pass traits– Only organisms with the best suited traits for survival

will reproduce and pass on their traits

• He looked at tortoises and finches to help support his theories…

DeVrie’s Theories

• Evolution by Mutation– 1900s – Hugo De Vries (Dutch Botanist)– Believed that only mutations could produce the

necessary genetic changes for biological evolution– BUT, he did not know the role DNA and RNA

played– If biological evolution is to occur, mutations must

form NEW genes– Somatic vs germ mutations– BUT, how many needed to produce the change?

Its impossible…

DeVrie’s Theories

• Most gene mutations are harmful – so, how is it that mutations cause improvement according to biological evolution?

• Modern theories:– Most do not think natural selection by itself explains

how evolution took place– Mutation-selection theory (Neo-Darwinism) –

combines DeVries mutation theory with Darwin’s theory.

– BUT – still does not provide evidence for biological evolution!

DeVrie’s Theories

• Mutation-Selection theory:– Mutations supply new traits – Organisms produce more offspring than can

survive– Selection allows only those with the best traits

to survive– This theory is used to explain the supposed

evolution of a bat– In order for this to be true, it requires countless

numbers of favorable mutations in exactly the right sequence…..

A Record of Evolution

• If a complete record of the history of biological evolution could be observed, it would support their theory

• Evolutionary Family Tree – lining up groups of oragnisms into groups should show the path of biological evolution

• THE CLOSER the organisms are on the tree, the more « related » they are

• There is no real evidence to support the existence of most common ancestors

A Record of Evolution

• Missing Links– The « in between » organism – NO RECORD

OF MISSING LINKS!

• Homologous Structures– Similarities of structures of organisms

(comparing the anatomy of organisms)

Evolution and Fossils

• What most evolutionists have been hoping to find in the fossil records do not exist.

• What is found does not support evolution at all

• Wooly mammoth – extinct mammal• Trilobites – extinct arthropod

Evolution and Fossils

What does the Fossil record support?- Nowhere on earth is there a complete, uninterrupted fossil record- Missing links and common ancestors are not represented by fossils- Much evidence supports the idea of the layers of fossils being laid down over a short period of time

The Biblical flood does provide simple explanations of these things!