In 1859, Charles Darwin wrote his treatise The Origin of Species, and ever since scholars and believers have debated the truth and value of Darwins assertion that species develop through a process of natural selection, or evolution. Currently, most people regard evolution as an accepted principle in the realm of science and fail to weigh the heavy negative impact which the theory of evolution has already had upon human life and society. Does it matter what we believe about the origin of man? Does it make a difference whether we believe an intelligent Creator designed and created man and the universe, or whether creation came about through natural or even random processes? We believe that it does matter and its a matter of life or death.
William Provine, a Cornell biologist and evolution supporter, plainly states what Darwinism means for human values, No life after death; No ultimate foundation for ethics; No ultimate meaning for life; No free will. If mankind was created by natural law or by chance then there can be no human choice, meaning, or purpose in mankinds destiny, nor could there be a reliable moral compass to govern the individual members of society. If Darwinism is followed to its logical social conclusion, any course of action taken by the strong against the weak can be justified as harmonious with the process of natural selection. Modern human history has clearly shown the devastating impact of the evolution theory upon mankind.
In his book, Out of Control, Zbigniew Brzezinski notes that the twentieth century began as the century of promise and progress, and yet it:
became mankinds most bloody and hateful century, a century of hallucinatory politics and monstrous killings. Cruelty was institutionalized to an unprecedented degree, lethality was organized on a mass production basis. The contract between the scientific potential for good and the political evil that was actually unleashed is shocking. Never before did it consume so many lives, never before was human annihilation pursued with such concentration of sustained effort on behalf of such arrogantly irrational goals.
Wars for world or regional domination and attempts to create totalitarian utopias caused the deaths of approximately 175 million people in this century of insanity. How is it that the course of human history was so tragically directed toward the devaluing of human life on such an immense scale?
Social Evolution
To understand the unthinkable, the destruction of so much of humanity, it is necessary to discover the philosophical underpinning of those who perpetrated such destruction and horror upon their fellow human beings. The roots of Nazism are well known to have their source in the writing of Friedrich Nietzsche and his theory of the Superman. Neitzsches philosophy in turn drew from the writings of Darwin and Herbert Spencer. While Darwins work and conclusions were confined to the field of biology; Spencer attempted to apply the principles underlying evolution to other fields of science, including the social sciences. Spencer coined the phrases struggle for existence, and survival of the fittest. Yet is was Nietzsche who most clearly articulated that evolution showed that strength is the most desired quality and weakness the only failing. Will Durant notes the connection in The Story of Philosophy:
The ethical philosophy of Spencer was not the most natural corollary of the theory of evolution. If life is a struggle for existence in which the fittest survive, then strength is the ultimate virtue, and weakness the only fault. Good is that which survives, and wins; bad is that which gave way and failsMen quickly perceived that in this battle we call life, what we need is not goodness but strength, not humility but pride, not altruism but resolute intelligence; that equality and democracy are against the grain of selection and survival; that not masses but geniuses are the goal of evolution; that not justice but power is the arbiter of all differences and all destinies. So it seemed to Friedrich Nietzsche.
Fascism and Communism
It is against this philosophical backdrop that the nations in the early 20th century justified the dividing of the world into colonies. The nonwhite people of the world became the burden of the Western nations, whose duty it was to extend their rule to a guardianship over the lesser, weaker nations. In the case of Germany, hegemony was sought over the entire world because all were considered inferior to the Aryan race. This idea influenced Kaiser Wilhelm before World War I as it later found full expression in Hitler during World War II. The total military and civilian deaths of just these two wars is more than 75 million, including the deliberate destruction of Jews and others in the holocaust, all this justified in the name of survival of the fittest, and the claimed genetic superiority of one people over all others.
However, this philosophical madness was not limited to the German nation but was the source of the majority of the multitude of wars in the 20th century. Almost as tragic as the world wars are the deaths of nearly 60 million people as Communist states sought to create and control perfect socialist societies. Lenin, Stalin, and Mao all believed that strength and power were essential to survival and should be used ruthlessly, even against their own people. It was the consolidation of Communist rule, rather than the civil war that created the Communist government, which brought the majority of these deaths through forced collectivization of society, elimination of opponents, and manufactured famines in areas of resistance. Again, survival of the fittest was appealed to for justification as the weakest of society were sacrificed to ensure the continued dominance of the strong.
Even today with the grim histories of Fascist and Communist regimes, the same story of mans inhumanity to man has been replayed in a smaller but no less inhuman fashion in Bosnia, Rwanda, Cambodia and other places. Even in the richest of nations, the United States, the principle of survival of the fittest can be found pervading in its institutions, particularly the financial, industrial and political segments of society. While a democracy ostensibly provides protection and opportunity to all of its citizens, in fact the rich and influential exercise a disproportionate influence to secure power and control to themselves.
Personal Amorality
Personal experience of many individuals also corroborate the sad influence of the evolution theory. For example, Provines state above about the meaning of Darwinism for human values was challenged by a young listener who said:
My background is murder and rape. I once thought that was okay, because who cared about life? But now he went on, he had come to realize that life does matter and there are absolutes. The mans words were a stunning reminder that the origins debate is not merely academic; it involves the most fundamental principles by which people live and die.
New challenges to the evolutionary theory are now surfacing in academia. A group of scholars, led by Philip Johnson, law professor at UC-Berkeley, and Michael Behe, biochemist at Lehigh University have formulated a theory know as intelligent design, This theory is consistent with the belief that an intelligent Creator is the source of life and order in the universe.
It Does Matter
Does it matter then whether we believe in creation or in evolution? Based on the overwhelming historical evidence alone we answer emphatically, YES! The theory of evolution has had an extraordinarily adverse impact on mankind and should be committed to the dust bin of history. Let us reexamine the scriptural testimony which the theory of evolution was meant to replace.
1. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Gen. 1:26. Man was created in the mental and moral likeness of God, with ability to reason and to exercise his free will to choose right or wrong. Man exists on a higher plane than the animals and a little lower than the angels. Man is responsible to the Creator for failing to observe his law.
2. For as all in Adam die, even so all in Christ shall be made alive. All that are in their graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth. I Cor. 15:22; John 5:28-29. Adams fall into sin affected the entire human race. It is through Adam that mankind inherited sin and death. Jesus tasted death for every man that all might have an opportunity for fullness of perfect life. Contrary to evolution man will have a return from death.
3. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Matt. 4:4; Micah 6:8. The Bible provides a firm foundation for moral behavior as it has been given by the creator through faithful prophets and teachers.
4. The times of restitution of all things. I will make man more precious than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. For thus saith the Lord who created the heavens, God himself who formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited. Acts 3:21; Isaiah 13:12, 45:18. Gods purpose in creating man was to have a perfect race of men living harmoniously with the rest of his creation in an Edenic paradise. Contrary to the evolution theory of man reaching an ever higher estate from an original low estate, the Bible promises a time of restoration of man to the position which Adam had in the garden. Every mans life will then be precious and full of meaning, no longer esteemed to be of little or no value.
5. God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his nameafter this I will return and build again the tabernacle of David that the residue of men might seek after the Lord. partakers of the heavenly calling them who are called according to his purpose he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. Acts 15:14-17; Heb. 3:1; Rom. 8:28-29. Man did not enter immediately into paradise restored after Jesus crucifixion and resurrection. God designed that Christ would have a bride, a helpmate to assist him in the work of reconciling man and God. The purpose of the Gospel Age is the calling of the church to be like her Lord and follow in his footsteps. It is after the church is completed and receives her heavenly reward that the remainder of mankind, those now living and those who will return from the grave, will be lifted up to perfection as human sons of God. Those of mankind who are shown to be incorrigible, who will not obey Christ and the church will be cut off from life in the second death.
6. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. And has made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Matt. 6:10, Rev. 5:10, 20:4,6. The faithful church is privileged to reign with Christ for the thousand years of judging and blessing mankind in the kingdom. The purpose of the Millennial Age is to teach every man the law of God that at its close the will of God will be done on the earth as fully as it is now done in heaven.
What a contrast is shown when the principles of life in the scriptures are compared with the effects of the theory of evolution on mankind! Evolution held out the hope of mankind ever rising to higher levels, but this dream turned out to be a nightmare. The scriptures have always exercised an uplifting influence upon man, whereas, evolution has degraded him. Belief in the intelligent Creator and Designer of all things is indeed a matter of life. As John 17:3 states And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, while belief in the evolution theory and denying the existence of the Supreme Creator, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hast sent, could ultimately be a matter of death.
We believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired word of God. It is the oldest book in existence and has outlived the storms of over 3000 years. The fact that this book has survived so many years despite unparalleled efforts to banish and destroy it, is strong evidence that not only is God the author, but also its preserver and protector.
For a more detailed examination of the thoughts presented here, other related Scriptures and additional discussion of the Bible as a divine revelation, please contact us for your copy of The Divine Plan of the Ages, a book which has brought much comfort and joy to many since its original publication over one hundred years ago. We recommend it to your attention.
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