Episode 75. The first origins category is Young Earth Creation. This is the common understanding of the creationist position. It is also known as Creation Science. Please turn to page 24 in the class handouts, and let's go through this chart. Young Earth creationists accept, teleology and root this ultimate plan and purpose, in the God of the Bible. They also believed that nature reflects intelligent design, and points to this God, creation scientists believe, that the world is only 6,000 years old. They come to this number by adding up the ages in the genealogies in the Bible and young Earth creation, rejects the evolution of life. With regards to divine action, young Earth creationists believe that God created the universe and life directly through God-of-the-Gaps interventions, over six days. They also believe, in a personal God, who acts in both dramatic in subtle ways, in the lives of men and women. Young Earth creationists believe that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit. With regard to Genesis 1-3, they accept spiritual correspondence and scientific concordism. Young Earth creationists read, Genesis 1-3 using strict literalism. The creation days in Genesis one, are 24-hour periods, and this view of origins believes, that the world was created in just six literal days. With regard to humans spirituality, Young Earth creationists accept that men and women were created in the image of God, and that all humans sin. This view of origins, firmly rejects, human evolution. Young Earth creationists are wonderful conservative Christians. Just a couple comments regarding young Earth creation. First, here are two strengths of this position. Young Earth creation best describes the view of origins, of the biblical writers, and young earth creation is, the traditional view of origins held, by most Christians through most of history. Young Earth creation has, some weaknesses. First, there are some scientific issues. It conflicts with every evolutionary science. Cosmological evolution, geological evolution, and biological evolution. As we noted in the key thoughts, 98 percent of US scientists accept humans and other living things have evolved over time. This naturally raises the question, are 98 percent of scientists wrong? Every day we enjoy the fruits of sciences like medicine and engineering, but our scientists who study evolution, completely wrong? What do you think? Another scientific issue deals with the young Earth creationist, fossil pattern prediction as presented on page 25 of the handouts. According to this view of origins, God created all living organisms in six literal days, 6,000 years ago. On day three, the Creator made plans, on day five, fish, whales, and birds, and on day six, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and humans. The next major event for Young Earth Creation is, the sin of Adam. In judgment for Adam's sin, God launched death into the world. With this being the case, the bones of every creature should accumulate in the fossil record over time. If young Earth creation is true with God creating all plants and animals at the same time in only six days, then the bones of every living organism should be at the bottom of the fossil record. For example, fossils of humans and dinosaurs, which are reptiles should be together at the bottom of the fossil record. However, the actual fossil record, does not align, with the young Earth creationists prediction, as shown on page 25 of the handouts. In fact, it shows an evolutionary sequence, with the appearance of fish first, followed by amphibians, then reptiles, then mammals, and finally humans at the very top of the fossil record. To complete this pattern, birds evolved from reptiles, and whales evolved from land animals. young Earth creation also has some hermeneutical issues. It accepts strict and literal scientific concordism in Genesis 1-3. But as we've seen throughout this course, scientific concordism fails. The Bible is not a book of science. For example, we do not live in a three-tier universe. If young Earth creationists, are going to be consistent, strict literalists, and scientific concordists, then, they need to accept the three-tier universe. However, I dealt that many young Earth creationists believe that this is the structure of the world. Please turn to page 26, in the class handouts. This is a summary of passages in the Bible, that we've examined in this course, that deal with the natural world. With regards to statements about the heavens and the earth. Their structures, operations, and origins. They do not align with physical reality. Scientific Concordism fails because as we've seen many times in this course, the Bible is not a book of science. Similarly, statements in the Bible, about living organisms, and their structures, operations, and origins do not align with physical reality. Once again, scientific Concordism fails because the Bible is not a book of science. Our second origins category is progressive creation. This position is also known as the Day-Age Theory. This view of origins is often held by Christians, who first move away from young earth creation. Please turn again to the chart of origins on page 24, in the class handouts. Progressive Creationists, accept teleology and Intelligent Design. They also accept that the world is very old, about 14 billion years old. In this way, they accept cosmological and geological evolution. However, Progressive Creationists reject the evolution of life. Progressive Creationists believe that God created basic kinds of living organisms through Direct God of the gaps interventions at different times over billions of years. Of course, this concept of kinds comes from Genesis 1, where it states that God created plants and animals, according to their kinds. Progressive Creationists believe, that the creator made the inanimate universe indirectly, using his ordained and sustained natural processes to form; stars, planets, suns and moon's. Day age creationists also believe in a personal god who acts in both dramatic and subtle ways in the lives of people. Progressive Creationists, accept, that the Bible is the Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1-3, they accept spiritual correspondence and scientific concordism. Day age creationists, read Genesis 1-3, using general literalism. They contend that the creation days in Genesis 1, are geological ages, millions of years long. With regard to human spirituality, Progressive Creationists believe that humans have the image of God and that humans are sinful. Notably, Day Age theorists, firmly reject human evolution, and Progressive Creationists are marvelous conserve of Christians. Just a few comments about Progressive Creation. The main strength of this position is that, it is attractive to many Christians because it aligns the Bible and science. Day age creationists accept scriptures, the Word of God, and they accept the modern sciences of cosmology and geology. Of course, all Christians want their faith and their science to be in a healthy and fruitful relationship. Progressive creation does have some weaknesses. With regard to scientific issues. This view of origins rejects biological evolution, but it accepts cosmological and geological evolution. However, this strikes me as somewhat inconsistent. Do you agree? And again, we can ask the question, are 98 percent of American scientists wrong? In that they accept biological evolution? Please turn to page 25 in the handouts for the progressive creation fossil pattern prediction. This view of origins claims that living organisms appear on earth in the order they are created in Genesis 1. But it is obvious that the fossil record does not align with Genesis 1. To point out one significant example, in the Bible birds are created on day or age five and appear before land down animals which were created on day or ages six. But in the fossil record, birds appear millions of years, after land animals. There are also some hermeneutical issues with Day Age creation. It claims that the days of Genesis 1, are periods that are millions of years long. But each day ends with, there was evening and there was morning, the nth day. Therefore, it is clear that the days of Genesis 1, are 24-hour days. End of episode.
