Genesis and the National Academy of Sciences

I attended a lecture Friday night in Singapore by a young-earth creationist from Australia.

Anyone listening to his talk would realize that darwinian evolution and the Big Bang both have serious problems, not the least of which is that they -- especially darwinian evolution -- are incompatible with what the Bible teaches about creation, the entrance of sin due to disobedience, and the subsequent effects of death and the fall.

I googled creation and evolution and came to the National Academy of Sciences website. Clearly, they view themselves as battling against anyone who dares suppose that God might have had anything to do with this present universe.

Here's what they say about origins (in a book brazenly titled Genesis):

"Life on Earth arose nearly 4 billion years ago, bursting forth from air, water, and rock. Though the process obeyed all the rules of chemistry and physics, the details of that original event pose as deep a mystery as any facing science. How did non-living chemicals become alive? While the question is (deceivingly) simple, the answers are unquestionably complex. Genesis tells the tale of transforming scientific advances in our quest for life's origins. Written with grace, beauty, and authority, it goes directly to the heart of who we are and why we are here. Published by Joseph Henry Press, an imprint of the National Academies Press. The views expressed in this book are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Academies. [read FREE online]"

My question to them would be this: since you do not know, and cannot know, how life "burst forth", how can you possibly state that it "obeyed all the rules of chemistry and physics?

They can't. But they do. because to admit otherwise would be to admit to the possiblity of God. As it is, they are "in charge". The way they state it, they almost make it sound that the universe is subject to THEM, obeying the "rules" -- their rules -- of chemistry and physics.

In general it is true that Christian societies have promoted science as a legitimate enterprise of seeking to understand God's world through objective experiments. True science has thrived in Christian cultures.

But what passes for scientific objectivity today is really the philosophy of materialism -- that the material world is all there is -- dressed up in scientific garb.

And that's a shame.