We live in a fascinating world of awesome beauty and amazing order. Dazzling sunsets, cascading waterfalls, revolving planets, glittering stars, and other wonders have captivated man’s attention and triggered much curiosity. When did these marvels come into existence? How did it happen?
There are ultimately only two alternatives. Either all things have developed from nothing by natural, observable Darwinian processes operating in the world presently or they were initially created by an infinitely powerful and all-wise God. Let us examine one of the most important questions of our day. Does strong evidence exist for creation or for random chance evolution? If so, what is that evidence?
The universe gives powerful evidence for Creation.
The universe in which we live is a vast, orderly, majestic array of stars, planets, nebulae, and galaxies of incredible immensity! This earth, as well as the whole universe, is not in chaos; it operates in orderly patterns and is controlled and directed by natural laws.
Who made these laws? The fact of law requires a lawgiver. We know that every building must have a builder. Therefore we know that the universe, the greatest building of all, had to have an omnipotent Builder. “For every house is builded by some man; but he that hath built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4). “The worlds were framed by the word of God” (Hebrews 11:3). “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).
The marvelous world of living things gives powerful evidence for Creation.
Scattered all over the world are countless numbers of remarkable creatures that are extremely complex and well organized. These creatures are highly specialized and are able to adapt to their environments. All function well where they are and reveal no need or “desire” for macro evolution of any kind.
Consider the amazing bombardier beetle. This odd creature has a remarkable defense that enables it to escape from its enemies. With explosive force, it can eject a fluid from twin combustion tubes in its abdomen that turns into a hot poisonous smoke. A pop can actually be heard as gases shoot out! The bombardier beetle can repeat these explosions fifteen to twenty times in just a few minutes. He can swivel his twin “cannons” 360 degrees, and he never misses his target!
Consider also the woodpecker, who resembles a miniature jackhammer. How does he ram his bill into a tree over a thousand times a minute without breaking his beak and smashing his brains? How does he manage to reach inside the tree and pull out bugs for his lunch?
First of all, a woodpecker must have a special kind of bill. It must be strong and sharp enough to dig into a tree without folding up like an accordion. He also needs to have a firm grip on the tree into which he is drilling. He has very stiff tail feathers, which he uses to brace himself against the tree, and specially designed feet with four clawlike toes. Two toes point forward and two toes point backward—an arrangement that allows him to get a good, tight grip.
His head is equipped with shock absorbers! These shock absorbers cushion the blows so that the skull and brain of the woodpecker suffer no damage.
Another testimony to God’s marvelous creation is the amazing defense system of a little water beetle named Stenus Bipunctatus. When his enemy, the water strider, pursues him, he squirts out a charge of liquid detergent from a pair of abdominal glands. As the detergent breaks the surface tension of the water, a small wave is produced that propels the beetle forward at much above normal speed. The water strider, if he skids into the detergent-treated area, immediately sinks because of the broken surface tension.
To believe that such incredibly complex functions and traits of these creatures result from genetic accidents and gradual evolution is unbelievable. What good are partly developed beaks on woodpeckers or partially developed combustion tubes on bombardier beetles? Such abnormalities are nowhere found either in living creatures or in fossils. In order for them to serve their intended purpose, they had to be created perfectly and suddenly.
This is not to say that no minor adaptation ever takes place within species. This is one of the marvels of creation. Each species has designed within them the ability to adapt to changes in climate or other environmental changes. Breeders can develop the traits they want in a species by careful interbreeding. Because of this, you have many kinds of cattle within the same species. Clydesdales are very different from miniature horses.
The marvels of design and perfect adaptation in nature bears witness to the fact of Creation.
