Truth And Consequences

What happens when an unproven theory is mistaken for scientific fact? The unproven theory suddenly becomes dogma that all must accept or risk being called ignorant, ill-informed or just plain stupid. No, this isn’t another rant about man-made global warming, although the similarities are astounding. This is about Darwinism, which has become its own weird sort of religion in our world today.

Former Arkansas governor and Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has come under fire recently for acknowledging that he doesn’t believe in evolution. Apparently, there are those who think that anyone who believes in creationism should be disqualified for the office of President. One blogger I read this week, referring to Huckabee, said:

What does it say about someone that they’ve managed to get to be 52 years old and be nearly completely ignorant of the foundations of biology?

Well, let’s see. First of all, the foundations of biology have nothing to do with Darwin’s theory that man evolved from the primeval slime into amino acids, then proteins, then a prehistoric virus, then a single-celled amoeba, then a shelled fish, then an invertebrate fish, then a vertebrate fish, then an amphibian, then a reptile, then a bird, then a mammal, and finally a man. To suggest that this line of succession has anything to do with biological fact is absurd. It makes for some pretty interesting diagrams, but it is far from scientific. Once again, the parallels with global warming are mind-boggling.

Secondly, since we’re discussing the foundations of science, let’s consider physics. The second law of thermodynamics says everything runs inexorably from a state of order to disorder. In other words, things left to random chance always become more scattered and disarrayed. If I had a brand new car that I could park in the wilderness for 50 years, do you think it would end up in better shape or worse after being left alone for half a century? Let's face it: that car's not going to be ready for the showroom floor and probably won't even crank. The point is that, left to natural processes, things don't magically improve on their own.

Third, let’s consider the argument from logic. One of the basic principles of logic is that intelligent design implies a designer. If you ever visit Stone Mountain in Georgia, you’ll see the world’s largest mass of exposed granite. It is an impressive sight to witness this gargantuan gray peak rising above the green forests that surround it. Even more impressive, however, is what you’ll find on one side of the mountain: the images of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson hewn into the rock. Now does anyone really believe for one moment that these three Confederate heroes wound up on that granite rock as a result of wind erosion and the forces of nature? You can’t look at that memorial without realizing that there had to be a designer, an artist who planned it all out and made it happen. If that is true of a carving on an oversized granite boulder, how much more is it true of you?

You see, I refuse to believe that my life appeared here on earth simply by chance. To believe in evolution would mean that we are all just accidents, biding our time until our bodies become food for worms. Evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould has summarized human life in this way:

We are because one odd group of fishes had a peculiar fin anatomy that could transform into legs for terrestrial creatures; because the earth never froze entirely during an ice age; because a small and tenuous species . . . has managed, so far, to survive by hook and by crook. We may yearn for a higher answer - but none exists.

That is one of the saddest things you'll ever read. If that’s true, then there is no God. And if there is no God, then there is no right or wrong. No wonder we’ve accepted things like moral relativism and abortion in our country. We’ve replaced morality with a “survival of the fittest” mindset. And why shouldn’t we. After all, if there’s no God, there’s obviously no heaven or hell. And isn’t that what most people are searching for in the new millennium? An anything goes mentality and a lifestyle that is free from consequences.

But if that’s the way you choose to live your life, you’d better make sure that you are 100% right. Eternity is long; so don’t be wrong.