How did God come to be? Who made God? When did God begin?
God is eternal. He has no beginning or end. Along with creation, time was created. Prior to creation and time, God existed. For this reason, God identified Himself to Moses as ‘I AM’ (Ex 3:14). And Jesus said of Himself in John 8:58, “…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Everything in time is present tense to God. It is. Being the Creator of time, He is not subject to time. He is not bound to a linear progression of events—past, present, and future. And because He is always present tense, He is always the same past, present, and future. Change would require a past that is different from the future. However, this does not prevent God from interacting with His creation confined to the linear progression in time.
Is there a difference between atheists and evolutionists? Yes. Atheism is the belief that there is no God. Some would argue that disbelief is not a belief. But atheism is a position held by those who conclude that there is no God. They ‘believe’ they are correct. Those who are uncertain what to believe about God’s existence are agnostic. Evolution is the belief that the origin of species, life, and the universe resulted from an evolution (or change) in organized energy from preexisting conditions over time. Some claim the word, ‘evolution’ simply means ‘change’; but biology textbooks and dictionaries show that such a claim is false. While the word can be used to refer to change, it also refers to the general theory of evolution, which hypothesizes that all species have ultimately evolved from a single cell, which evolved from lifeless molecules, which evolved from the big bang of the universe. Most people think of the latter meaning when discussing evolution rather than simply ‘change.’ Evolution is a naturalistic position and appeals to atheists. However, some theists believe in evolution as well.
Would it be better to build Christian colleges than to attend secular colleges? It would be wonderful if Christian colleges provided the variety of excellent training that can be found in many secular colleges such as engineering, business, and nursing. However, few Christian colleges offer all the degrees that many Christians are interested in. It is important when attending any college to know what and why you believe rather than accept whatever you are told without thoughtfulness. Remember, the great ‘thinkers’ are given that status by those who ‘agree’ with them.
Was the land once a Pangaea? Evidence of Pangaea comes from the pattern of similar fossils distributed through the continents and from the observed movement of the tectonic plates in the earth’s crust. Geological models show that a Pangaea explains our current observations of the continents.
What is the difference between ‘adaptation’ and ‘evolution’? ‘Adaptation’ refers to the ability of an organism to adapt to its environment due to migration of the organism or due to a change in the environmental conditions. Creationists are very interested in studying the degree to which organisms can adapt in order to define the boundaries of change in each kind of organism and to compare which organisms have greater capacity to adapt than others. ‘Evolution’ is used, by some, synonymously with the word ‘adaptation’, however, it is most often associated with the unsubstantiated claim that organisms have unlimited potential for change and hence the general theory of evolution. It is, therefore, more accurate to refer to observed changes in organisms as adaptation rather than as evolution.
What is the most common and effective way Satan tempts us to sin? He lures us into sin by appealing to our own passions: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (James 1:4; 1John 2:16).
Did Jesus ever get sick? The Bible does not tell us whether He did or not. If He did get sick, it would be because He had a body of sin, the flesh of man, and subject to the same infirmities as we are (Hebrews 4:15). If He did not, it would be because, as God, He could heal Himself.
Should creation be taught in the classroom. Truth should be taught in the classroom. Some express concern over correct representation of creation in the classroom, but presenting it to students in their textbooks as an explanation for origins can only increase a positive representation from what is happening now. At the very least, discussion will be raised to cause students to think about creation and hopefully to investigate it. Popularity should never be the guiding factor to determine what is taught in classrooms.
What can I say to my peers who like to argue that evolution is a fact? Ask them for the evidence and facts that allow for energy to create and organize itself in contradiction to the laws of thermodynamics. Ask them for the evidence and facts that life can arise from lifeless molecules in contradiction to the law of biogenesis. Ask them for the evidence and facts that species have unlimited potential for change. Regardless of the answer, continue to press for the facts and evidence not excuses and theories.
Why are there different races in the human population? Races in the human population are no different than racial differences in other organisms. When populations of humans migrate, they take with them genes that the remaining population does not possess. As a result, those genes in the migrant population can become manifested in the phenotype. This occurs in populations of many kinds of organisms.
Why would God create man if He knew man would sin? God already made trees and rocks which do exactly what He wants them to do. In making man, God gave a segment of His creation the ability to exercise free will including the choice to sin. Then He told man how to enjoy the blessings of his design and be fulfilled. He desires that everyone should make the right choice, but He is not going to deny those who do make the right choices because others refuse to do likewise. To do so, would be to deny Himself the pleasure of fellowship with man and vice versa. God’s love will not deny blessings. But it will make it possible for everyone to enjoy them.
Is atheism a religion? Yes. It may deny the belief in God but it does have a belief about God. In 1961, the U.S. Supreme court ruled that atheism is a religion. In addition, whereas just having a belief about God is not enough to define a religion, atheistic organizations do exist with codes of conduct and mission statements.
Are the creation accounts recorded in Genesis 1 and 2 two different accounts of two different creations? No. Genesis 1 describes creation chronologically, and chapter 2 describes creation as it relates to man. This would be like two announcers describing the same football game but one gives commentary chronologically and the other gives commentary as the game relates to one of the players. Some have suggested that the word ‘replenish’ in Genesis 1:28 indicates that this is a second creation. However, the word ‘replenish’ can mean simply ‘fill’ for the first time not necessarily for the second time according to the Oxford’s English dictionary. This meaning fits the context of the creation story.
If everything created is good, as Genesis 2:9 says, then are marijuana and poison oak good? Yes. The implication here is why is marijuana illegal if it was created for good. The plant is good, but how it is used may not be good. For example, an oak tree is good for building material, etc. But if someone used one of the branches to hit others and hurt them, the tree is no less good. It is just being used for bad. In the case of poison ivy, over time, some people have developed an allergy to the oils in the plant. The unpleasant experience of poison ivy rash does not make the plant less good. It just means that some people’s immune system is overreacting to its presence. On the other hand, some animals like deer and rabbits eat poison ivy because it is good for food.
Is it a good idea to home school rather than to send children to a public school as salt and light in the world? This will depend on the schools, and more importantly, the teachers in the public schools. The goal is to provide a safe and spiritually encouraging environment for children. Many adult Christians are in public schools providing a ministry of salt and light to children. Some children also do well in their influence on their peers for Christ. But using children as bait for ministry is neither wise nor commendable.
What is a mutation? A mutation is change that occurs in the DNA molecule. Such a change results in a change of the programming of the cell and subsequent generations of cells which can lead to new phenotype characteristics. Mutations can be induced by exposure to radiation or chemicals or occur spontaneously due to gene copy errors.
Was death on earth prior to Adam and Eve’s sin possible? The principle here is that where there is no sin there is no death (Romans 5:12-13). Yes, death could have occurred on earth prior to Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden because Satan and his followers were in the world prior to tempting Eve in the garden. He and those who followed him were spiritually dead to Christ. So, sin was already in creation and in the earth and at least the fallen angels were dead. However, this does not argue in favor of the gap theory.
What is the gap theory? Some teach that there is a gap of undefined time and undescribed events between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Because this is undefined and undescribed, much liberty has been taken to invent what the Bible does not mention. At one time, and for some, even now, the gap resolved the conflict between an old earth and fossils with the Bible. However, with more scientific discoveries, the gap is no more necessary than accepting that the earth and fossils predate Adam and Eve by millions of years.
Do people believe in evolution because they do not want to believe in God? Sometimes this is the case. However, as with any false idea, people can be convinced to believe in untruths by the power of persuasion, lies, and fallacious arguments. Motive does not always determine the conclusion. Evidence of this includes examples of atheists who set out to disprove God and Jesus Christ and ended up becoming Christians. The evidence led them to a conclusion that was contrary to their motives.
If most mutations are harmful, then how can anyone believe that evolution is true? Many accept evolution as true because not all mutations are harmful. While most are harmful, enough are beneficial to explain evolution over long periods of time. However, such a claim for unlimited potential of change in organisms has not been substantiated. Creationists are very interested in defining the limitations of change associated with different kinds of organisms.
If man evolved from apes, why do apes still exist? Evolutionists would say that man and apes descend from a common ancestor rather than man from apes. The idea that new species displace the old was, at one time, accepted by some. But organisms manifesting new adaptation characteristics need only to survive and establish themselves as a population. Displacing a previous population is not necessary though it may happen sometimes. Creationists are interested in defining the competitive advantages that appear in populations.
If the fittest survive, then why do so many less fit organisms continue? The ‘survival of the fittest’ concept proposed by Darwin is no longer considered correct thinking. An organism does not have to be the ‘fittest’ to survive. It simply needs to be able to survive and reproduce.
Doesn’t the second law of thermodynamics prevent organisms from evolving into more complex organisms? The second law of thermodynamics applies to closed systems. Organisms are open systems with the ability to eat and refuel themselves with energy. Therefore, complexity is thermodynamically possible in living organisms. However, evidence for unlimited potential for change in organisms has not been established.
Does the Bible say anything about the extinction of dinosaurs? The extinction of dinosaurs is not mentioned in the Bible. However, most organisms that have ever lived are now extinct. The flood resulted in tremendous geologic, vegetative and atmospheric changes which means there would be a change in competitive advantage between organisms. For example, a diminished food supply and temperature cooling would be greatly disadvantageous for cold blooded organisms.
