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IS THE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS OUR TRUE CREATOR?
The New York Times recently published an article titled, "The Real Star Wars: Between Order
and Chaos." The article discusses a new scientific study which describes the existence of a certain
striking order among the galaxies. Since, as the new study suggests, "the galaxies were not arranged so
haphazardly after all," what should we conclude explains their arrangement? Should we expect such
scientific evidence of order and design to lead explorers to consider the possibility of an intelligent
cause. Don't hold your breath! The article instead exhibits an incredible example of the control that
naturalistic philosophy maintains over popular scientific investigation in matters of origins.
"In a report published in the Jan. 9 issue of Nature, an international team of astronomers led by
Jaan Einasto of the Tartu Observatory in Estonia, say they have found reason to believe that
superclusters - giant globs of galaxies - are arranged in a gargantuan 'three-dimensional chessboard'
extending throughout the heavens. The cells of this vast cosmic crystal would be almost 4OO million
light-years on each side. If true, this would be stunning news. There is little reason to believe that the
big bang, the explosion that began the universe, scattered its debris with more care than any other blast.
A universe so fastidiously and geometrically arrayed would require, as the authors of the Nature report
put it, 'some hitherto unknown process that produces regular structure at large scales' - in short, new
laws of physics."
New laws of physics? Unbelievable! Why not the possibility of an intelligent cause? To answer
this question we need to recognize that two types of science are involved in such conclusions. Phillip
Johnson, author of Darwin on Trial, refers to modern science as "consisting of two essentially
contradictory definitions. On the one hand, science is empirical research, following the evidence
wherever it leads. On the other hand, science is applied materialist philosophy, which starts with the
assumption that in the beginning were the particles, and impersonal natural laws, and nothing else.
This kind of science rules out of order any question of design or creation" (quoted from Christianity
Today, January 6, 1997).
As an example, Johnson refers to the work of Lehigh University biochemist Michael Behe,
author of Darwin's Black Box. Johnson says, "when a scientist such as Behe shows the existence of
irreducible complexity at the molecular level and infers design, the materialists do not challenge his
facts. They just dismiss the logical inference from the facts as philosophically unacceptable." One
would think that the scientific community (which has long considered itself a haven of objectivity in
the sea of cultural relativism), would detect biased investigation when such philosophy controls the
evidence. In large measure this has not been the case. Encouragingly though, many highly respected
scientists and philosophers are joining what has been called the "intelligent-design" movement. These
leaders have united in their belief that the evidence indicates that, "Darwinian evolutionary theory has
failed to solve the puzzle of life's origin and development." They further agree that "it is extremely
improbable that the level of complexity found in most life forms could have resulted from chance
occurrences."
The need of the hour, as Phillip Johnson indicates, is "a separation of the philosophy from the
real science, both in order to have an honest, unbiased scientific enterprise, and to protect the public
from getting the false impression that scientific evidence has shown that the evolutionary process is our
true creator." The ancient text of Genesis, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth" (Genesis 1:1), fits the evidence for those who have an open mind to consider it.
Steve Cornell, Senior Pastor Millersville Bible Church