Why Should I Believe in the Bible?

Evolution Accepted as Truth

The Theory of Evolution is accepted by many scientists and institutions.  The Creation Story in the Bible is accepted by the Christian Church.  How can both think they’re right?

In doing research, scientists use what is called the ‘scientific method’.  The main steps are:

Define a question

Gather information (Observe)

Form an explanatory hypothesis

Test the hypothesis by performing an experiment and collecting data

Analyze the data

Interpret the data and draw conclusions

When defining a question, scientists start with a pre-conceived notion which influences what the question will be.  That pre-conceived notion also influences what they look for and how they interpret the data.

In researching evolution, scientists discount the possibility of God, so they naturally look for other reasons to explain their data.  The problem is, often times their theories run counter to known scientific laws, so they come up with other theories to explain the conflict.

For example, evolution runs counter to the Law of Biogenesis (See previous article).  How do they explain it?  They would say that evolution happened over billions of years and conditions on earth were different then.  But there is no scientific proof of this.

Next: About Transitional Forms

A Scientific Law that Supports Creation

The Theory of Evolution says that life arose from nonliving matter and eventually evolved into higher forms, but – this is incompatible with a scientific law called the Law of Biogenesis.  The Law of Biogenesis, proven in experiments by Louis Pasteur, states that life arises only from pre-existing life, not from nonliving matter.

Biology-online.org says;  “Any living thing can only come from another living thing, and no cellular life has ever been observed to arise from non-living matter. For example, a spider lays eggs that will develop into spiders”.  The observable science is that animals only reproduce their own kind – fish reproduce only fish, dogs reproduce only dogs, humans reproduce only humans.

The Law of Biogenesis actually supports Biblical Creation.  Genesis 1:25 says “God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds”.

Animals reproducing their own kind is observable science, animals evolving into higher forms is not.  Some may say the evolution is too slow a process to be observable, but even if that’s so, it has not been proven conclusively.  Animals may evolve – for example, people get taller in successive generations, but that’s not the same as evolving into a higher life form.

Next: Evolution Accepted as Truth

What About Natural Selection?

A big part of the Theory of Evolution is the idea that certain organisms have traits that enable them to survive better than others.  This is called Natural Selection, or Survival of the Fittest.  Does Natural Selection exist?

Yes it does.  For example, an animal in a cold environment will more likely survive if it has a furry coat.  Also sometimes insects can become immune to pesticides.

I looked up ‘natural selection’ in Wikipedia.  Charles Darwin explained it this way, “Each slight variation of a trait, if useful, is preserved”.   Basically, it means that organisms best adapted to their environments are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Natural selection does exist, but it’s a longer stretch to say that it leads to higher life forms.  Actually, Darwin himself, in a letter written in 1860, regretted the use of the term ‘natural selection, preferring the term ‘natural preservation’.

People seem to believe that natural selection is the same as evolution, and that it proves evolution, but it’s not, and proving evolution would require more than animals adapting and surviving in their environment.

Next: A Scientific Law that Supports Creation

Evolution of Animals

The Theory of Evolution says that all life on earth started from single celled organisms, and over the course of billions of years, evolved to higher forms of life.  How do evolutionists explain this?

For one thing, the assumption is, that if it happened over the course of billions of years, anything is possible.  Evolutionists might say that “Conditions on Earth were different back then”.  But can they prove this scientifically?  I haven’t found any proof of this, but I encourage people to do their own research.  Without proof, evolutionists only have assumptions or theories.

Another way evolutionists may explain evolution is that mutations led to the formation of higher forms.  I looked up mutation in Wikipedia.org, and in simple terms, it said that a mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of a cell.  Most mutations are harmful, for example, causing cancer.  Some mutations are neutral or beneficial, but the beneficial mutations were about adaptation to the environment, a mutation that helped the organism survive.

A beneficial mutation may help an organism survive, but I couldn’t find any conclusive proof that a mutation created a higher life form.

Next:  What About Natural Selection?

Evolution of Apes to Man

What about that chart that shows a line of monkeys and apes evolving into man?  Isn’t that proof of evolution?

Well, not exactly.  That chart is an artist’s illustration, not proof.  I searched on the internet, and couldn’t find any articles claiming that the apes to man chart is definitive proof of evolution.

So what about all the bones that have been found through the years, like Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal Man?

I also did a little research on the web of different fossil finds.  As you can imagine, there is debate on both sides, but what about hard, conclusive proof?

There are some fossils that look like ape-men, but some scientists have determined that they fall into the range of either human or apes. Some have concluded that Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal were humans, and that Lucy (Australopithecus) was an ape.

Other famous finds, like Piltdown Man, were exposed as hoaxes.  Other claims, like Java Man, were made through sloppy science.   Nebraska Man was claimed to be a higher ape by a single tooth, but it was later determined to be a pig’s tooth.

Other evidence is fragmentary.  Peking Man was based on partial craniums and lower jaws, not complete skulls.  Other finds were human and animal bones mixed together, or spread out over a large area.

I encourage people to do their own research.  If you look at the evolution fossil claims closely, I think you’ll find they’re not conclusive.  The apes to man chart may look plausible, but the actual fossil evidence is weak and/or controversial at best.

Next: Evolution of Animals

A Closer Look at the Big Bang Theory

Do you believe in ‘smart’ science, or the unbelievable, ‘ignorant’ Bible?  Actually, scientific laws don’t support scientific theories about creation, but do support Biblical creation.

There are two scientific laws that make the Big Bang Theory impossible  – The First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics.

The idea behind the First Law of Thermodynamics is that energy and matter can be transformed, but not created or destroyed.

The idea behind the Second Law of Thermodynamics is that in a closed system, energy disperses and comes to a state of equilibrium.  Another way of thinking about it is, that over time, something that is ordered goes to a state of disorder or randomness, and not the other way around.

The idea behind the Big Bang Theory is that, from randomness, over billions of years, the universe expanded and formed orderly, orbiting stars, planets and galaxies,  The Big Bang Theory doesn’t explain how the matter and energy originated in the first place.

According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, things tend to become more random, not more orderly.  Disorder can be created into order only if you add information or design.  The only logical explanation for this design is a creator, or God.

Random lumps of metal can only be made into a building through the plans of an architect, and efforts of a construction crew.  Lumps of metal lying around can’t come together by themselves as a building, even after billions of years.

The Big Bang Theory or any other scientific theory about the origin of the universe is impossible, if they assume that randomness can turn into order by itself, or that matter or energy just created itself.

Next:  Evolution of Apes to Man

More About Creation vs. Science

There are two scientific theories which seem to disprove the story of Creation in the Bible – the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution.

Briefly, the Big Bang Theory states that the universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state that expanded rapidly.  It cooled and formed the stars and planets, and is continually expanding.

The Theory of Evolution states that life on earth began with bacteria that evolved over billions of years, becoming all plants and all animal life, and through apes, became man.

The Bible describes, in simple, non-scientific terms, the creation of life, the earth and the universe in six days.

The Big Bang Theory and Theory of Evolution are taught in most U.S. schools, colleges and universities, with the assumption that they are scientific fact.  This leads many people to believe that the Bible is outdated, untrue and written by ancient people who were ignorant or naive.  So, today, people who believe that the Bible is true must also be ignorant or naive, or in denial, right?

Next: A Closer Look at the Big Bang Theory

What About Creation?

The story of Creation is probably the one that most skeptics point to in trying to disprove the Bible.  According to scientific theories, the universe was formed by a ‘big bang’, then life on earth evolved over billions of years.

According to the Bible, God created the earth, animals and man in six days.  It went like this (Genesis 1):

1st day – God said, “Let there be light”, He separated light from darkness, and called them day and night.

2nd day – God separated water with an an expanse, and called the expanse ‘sky’.

3rd day – God gathered the water, and let dry ground appear.  Then God let the land produce vegetation.

4th day – God created the sun, moon and stars to light the sky.

5th day – God created birds and sea creatures.

6th day – God created land animals and man.

The Biblical explanation sounds simplistic and doesn’t explain much in detail, especially from a scientific standpoint.  In my opinion, it’s no wonder it’s such an easy target for skeptics.  But I want to point out a couple of things.

The scientific theories are just that, theories.  If you do some research, there is actually no conclusive scientific proof that the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution are true.  Also, these theories are based on the assumption that the universe and life were products of random combinations of energy and matter, over the course of billions of years.

The Biblical story of Creation assumes that the universe and life were products of intelligent design.  In my opinion, it’s easy to see intelligent design by just thinking about the complexity of the human body.  Also, the Bible emphasizes that God was the creative force, directing the events, and had feelings about it. “God saw that it was good”.

So even though the Bible describes creation in a basic, unscientific way, it was created by an intelligent designer who cared about his creation.

So the bottom line is this – would you rather believe that the world was created by random events, or by intelligent design?

Next:  More about Creation vs Science

The Disciples – A Bit Clueless But Real

The Twelve Disciples spent two to three years learning from Jesus.  The best known Disciple was Peter – Matthew and John wrote the Gospels.  They were hand picked by Jesus to teach and carry on His message.  But if you study about the Disciples, they were ordinary men who sometimes didn’t get what Jesus was teaching, and didn’t always have the strongest faith.

When Jesus taught about unclean things coming from a man’s mouth, Peter didn’t get it, so Jesus replied “Are you so dull?” (Matthew 15:15-16)

Jesus taught that He must die and be raised on the third day, to which Peter replied, “Never Lord, this shall never happen to you!”  Jesus answered, “Get behind me Satan, you are a stumbling block to me.” (Matthew 16:21-23)

Jesus told Peter that he will disown Him three times before the rooster crows, to which Peter replied, “I will never disown you”.  Of course, Jesus was right.  (Matthew 26:31-35)

When the other Disciples claimed Jesus arose, Thomas could not believe without proof. (John 20:24-29)

Some people doubt whether Jesus was the Son of God, and say He wasn’t really resurrected.  Some claim that He ‘swooned’ and just awoke later, and some think the Disciples hid Jesus’  body.

The Disciples were the leaders of the early Christian church.  Like any church leaders, I’m sure they were well respected and revered.  But the Gospels portray them as fallible, sometimes clueless and short of faith.  And two of the Gospel writers were Disciples themselves.

If Jesus’ death and resurrection were made up by the Disciples, I would think that they at least would have been portrayed better than they were.  But the fact is, they were very much like ordinary people.  To me that makes them more believable, people you can actually relate to.

Next: What About Creation?

Unlikely Members of Jesus’ Genealogy

The genealogies found in Matthew and Luke trace the line of ancestors to Jesus.  They were important in establishing Jesus as the Messiah.  You could almost say that they are like royal or holy lines to the revered Son of God.

One thing kind of struck me, though, when I read the genealogy found in Matthew 1. In Jesus’ line are a couple of unlikely members, both from enemy nations of Israel, and one a prostitute.  I’m talking about Rahab and Ruth.

Rahab was a prostitute who helped and hid the Israelite spies in Jericho before they conquered the city (Joshua 2).  She was the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth.  Ruth was from Moab, one of the hated idol-worshiping nations surrounding Israel, but she came to accept God.  She became the Great-Grandmother of King David.  (For more, read the Book of Ruth)

The Jews were God’s chosen people, so it’s interesting that people from enemy nations, one a prostitute, are included in David and Jesus’ line.  It certainly doesn’t sound ‘holy’.  Why would they be included unless it were true?

Christians believe that the Bible was all God’s perfect plan, why would He place enemies of His chosen people and a prostitute in such revered positions?  I think God is letting us know that salvation through Jesus is available to all.

Next:  The Disciples – A Bit Clueless But Real