In the previous two articles, we have examined the principle of natural selection – the observation that organisms better suited to their environment will tend to survive and reproduce more successfully than those organisms less suited. In this third installment we will contrast the claims of “continuous environmental tracking” with what the Bible teaches concerning adaptation.
Natural-selection-deniers make some claims that are directly contrary to the Bible. Furthermore, they tend to misunderstand the concept of biological adaptation, and make basic errors in logic. In this article, we will explore these errors, and how they might have been avoided if proper scientific protocol had been followed.
What exactly is natural selection? Is it the same as evolution? Does it really occur? And who came up with the idea? Unfortunately, a few creationists have greatly misunderstood natural selection, and have used faulty arguments to try to convince others of their misunderstanding. It is important that we understand this topic properly, both from a scientific perspective and from a biblical perspective, so that we do not inadvertently promote error.
Last week, I had the privilege of attending the eighth International Conference on Creationism (ICC). This conference is a “meeting of the minds” in which several hundred creation scientists, Bible scholars, and other creation advocates can present and critique their research in various fields, including biology, geology, astronomy, physics, archeology, and biblical studies.
Genetics is the science of heredity: the study of how traits are passed on from organisms to their descendants. It is perhaps the most relevant field of science to the issue of creation and evolution. Which position on origins is most consistent with our modern understanding of genetics? Do all organisms on earth share a common ancestor as Charles Darwin believed? Or do all organisms trace back to a large number of separately created kinds which are not biologically related to other kinds? Can the science of genetics shed light on these questions?