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Where Did Life Come From? |
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There are two ways of explaining where life came from. Those who believe in the theory of evolution say that the first life came into existence 4 or 5 billion years ago as a result of billions of years of accidental, random atomic collisions. As we stated on the Creation Versus Evolution page, scientists call this development of the first living organisms from nonliving matter abiogenesis. A second explanation is the view of the Biblethat God created life. On this page we will offer a short introduction to this topic of lifes origins. The image we have here is an example of a tree of life or phylogenetic tree, similar to one you might find in a public school science or biology textbook. It is meant to show visually how simple life evolved (according to Darwins theory of natural selection) into the plants, animals, and humans we see today. For example, the variations we see today in horses could add up over time, allowing some of these horses to change to the point that they are no longer horses. Scientists call this process of developing new life forms from existing (but different) life forms macroevolution. This tree of life, like all the others, starts with some simple (cellular) life form as the base or root. It does not start from non life (such as some carbon atoms).
A great deal of time, effort, and money have been spent trying to learn how evolution brought about the existence of these first living organisms (single cells). Although some scientists can make their beliefs sound very logical, the only scientific proof that anyone has provided is merely a statement of theory, something like billions of years of random atomic collisions created life. That is, scientists have never demonstrated how this first life came into existence from non life by an evolutionary mechanism. People who believe in abiogenesis recognized this problem long ago. To explain this difficulty, scientists proposed that proteins and nucleic acids evolved first, and they later evolved into life. (That theory makes sense, since these two molecule groups are the primary building blocks of cellular and multicellular life.) However, as of this date, nobody has discovered any proof that proteins or nucleic acids could evolve from non life either. A review of the scientific literature makes this clear. Michael Behe sums it up well in his book Darwins Black Box.
Looking at this evidence, we can make two observations:
Therefore, since the theory of evolution has failed to explain where life came from, most people would agree that it is time to consider the second point of view. The obvious choice, for those who can accept it, is that life came into existence through a creatorthe God of the Bible. This fact, unlike the theory of evolution, is not in conflict with the scientific evidence. For more information, see our Creation Versus Evolution page. We also suggest reading Darwins Black Box by Michael J. Behe, a Professor of Biochemistry at Lehigh University. (Note: In our opinion, Behes book is written for an audience that has at least a high school science background. If you would like something that is a little less work to read, try The Collapse of Evolution by Scott M. Huse.) References[1] Bowden, Malcolm (1991) Science vs Evolution, Sovereign Publications, Kent, p. 31[2] Behe, Michael J. (1996) Darwins Black Box, Touchstone, New York, p. 185 |
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Page Copyright © 1998, 1999 by Clarifying Christianity (SM). All information contained in Clarifying Christianity is a resource for questions dealing with Christian issues. It is not to be taken as Christian counseling. Seek a qualified Christian counselor for help with all such issues. If you choose to work with a Christian counselor, it is your responsibility to ask pertinent questions before you begin, to assure yourself of their qualities and abilities. 4243 |