Was Darwin Wrong?

This was the question that appeared on the cover of the November 2004 issue of National Geographic (NG) and while NG answers this question with a resounding no, the fact that they are asking the question indicates the growing skepticism about Darwin's theory.

Then when President Bush responded to a reporter's question last month about Intelligent Design (ID) and indicated it to should be taught in public schools an ideological firestorm unlike anything since Copernicus challenged geocentricity ensued.

What followed has been nothing short of a scorched-earth campaign by those committed to Darwinian naturalism to utterly discredit the science of ID. Immediately, fundamental secularists labeled ID a religious notion, an issue of faith and certainly not science; merely a politically motivated effort of the "religious right."

For all of their talk of tolerance there is little for those who question the growing inadequacy of Darwin's theory to explain the origin of life and its apparent complexity, the knowledge of which is far greater today than in Darwin's time. Let's face it, all people are "religious" in the sense that they each subscribe to a system of belief that attempts to answer life's most fundamental questions about where we come from?, who are we?, what is our purpose?, and how are we to govern ourselves?

The pursuit of answers to these questions is not one between science and faith but one of truth. In other words, science and faith are not mutually exclusive categories for discovering truth as the secular humanist argues. The founders of modern science clearly understood this; Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Kepler, and Bacon were all men of faith who as such believed in a God of order who integrated this order into His creation. This understanding provided the basis for the scientific method as an orderly process by which one could apprehend an ordered universe. In essence, the origins of modern science are rooted in ID.

However, in the wake of the Enlightenment with its emphasis on human reason and science as instruments for human progress [and this includes moral improvement] and utopianism there arose an increased desire to separate these two categories. Truth, facts, and nature were placed in the category of science while values, beliefs, philosophy and opinions were relegated to the category of faith and religion and the two have remained separate ever since, until now.

The modern ID movement represents a growing number of scientists that have abandoned this distinction and choose to follow the evidence, regardless of its implications.

In 1993 a group of prominent scientists met in Pajaro Dunes, California to question the efficacy of Darwinism. These were noted scholars and scientists from major academic centers including Berkeley, Cambridge, Moscow and the University of Chicago among others. Among these was Dr. Dean H. Kenyon of San Francisco State University who co-authored the best-selling science textbook, Biochemical Predestination which has been the definitive view of chemical evolution since 1969.

These were first and foremost, men of science who like a growing number of scientists are beginning to question the viability of Darwinian natural selection as a mechanism capable of producing life. These questions arise from recent discoveries that reveal an increasingly complex system of information and structure down to and including the molecular level.

Many others prior to Darwin had put forth evolutionary explanations for the origin of life, however, what made Darwin's theory plausible and ultimately accepted was the identification of "natural selection" as the mechanism. Natural selection (micro-evolution) is, in fact, an observable phenomenon in nature. Darwin postulated that these variations within species that result from either selective breeding on the part of domestic animals or by environmental forces imposed upon animals in the wild could over long periods of time explain [in theory] the origin and diversity of all livings things from a common ancestor. (This is macro-evolution which has never actually been observed.)

For Charles Darwin and others, natural selection explained the appearance of design without a designer. As such, there was no longer a need to invoke an intelligent cause for the complexity of life. Natural selection became a designer substitute. However, the world known to Darwin was not nearly as complex as we now know. There was no knowledge of the molecular world in Darwin's day; in fact, scientists up until the mid-twentieth century believed that a living cell was nothing more than a simple blob of protoplasm. We now know that even the most minute single-cell bacteria is an extraordinarily complex biological machine which includes millions of bits of information and multiple individual parts for its own construction and mechanical function.

Darwin wrote in The Origin of the Species:

"If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down."

This is precisely what is occurring as a result of recent scientific discoveries. Darwin's theory is simply coming into insurmountable conflict with the ever emerging discoveries in reality and therefore the most ardent [but honest] evolutionists are being forced to reevaluate Darwinism.

My purpose herein is not to offer a scientific argument in defense of ID; there are many others far more qualified than I to do that. My purpose is to challenge all who read this to understand the facts and move beyond the philosophically biased rhetoric. For the Christian it is imperative that you be prepared to give an answer in defense of creation by God because upon this fact the whole of God's revelation rests. Christians have for too long ignored this challenge to God's truth and this ignorance and sloth have only further marginalized the Gospel in our generation. The time has come for all who claim the name of Christ to enter this discussion with sound minds and reasoned understanding of the facts so that they may "take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ" for the sake of those who are lost. We are foolish to think that the Church will advance in a world where we have either allowed or accepted the elimination of its Creator.

To the person who rejects the existence of God, for the sake of your eternal soul I challenge you to examine the evidence and be prepared to accept the possibility that there is a Creator God and if this is indeed the fact of reality then seek to know this God that has made Himself known through both His Word and creation.

There are some excellent resources that can help you understand this issue factually and thoroughly that I urge you to examine.

Illustra Media has produced three DVDs that are among the best and most objective scientific examinations of the ID issue that I have seen. Order these and watch them with your children, your family, your church and your friends.

Also visit the Discovery Institute, Institute for Creation Research and Answers in Genesis websites.

I also recommend Dr. Michael J. Behe's book, Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution which is possibly one of the most important books written in the 20th century.

Martin Luther wrote, "If we are correct and right in our Christian life at every point, but refuse to stand for the truth at a particular point where the battle rages- then we are traitors to Christ." This, my friends is where the battle rages, therefore, ready your minds.

Copyright 2005, National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families. All rights reserved.

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S. Michael Craven is the vice president for religion & culture at the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families and leads the work and ministry of Cultural Apologetics. The Cultural Apologetics ministry works to equip the Church to assert and defend biblical morality and ethics in a manner that is rational, relevant and persuasive in order to recapture the relevance of Christianity to all of life by demonstrating its complete correspondence to reality. For more information on Cultural Apologetics, additional resources and other works by S. Michael Craven visit: www.CulturalApologetics.org

Michael lives in the Dallas area with his wife Carol and their three children.

Send feedback to: mc@nationalcoalition.org