Origin Models (Creation and evolution spectrum) Roth, Origins (Chapter 21) Models compilation by Roth 1. Creation 2. Gap Theory 3. Progressive Creation 4. Theistic Evolution 5. Deistic Evolution 6. Pantheistic Evolution 7. Space Ancestry 8. Evolution How to look at these various models? Development of life: Intelligent Design…...Naturalistic process Time: Long……Short Source of truth: Scripture……Science • Reflect the most direct reading of scripture. • God performed His creative acts in six literal days. • This event took place a few thousand years ago. • The fossiliferous sedimentary layers on earth’s surface formed with the Genesis flood. Fits well with: I. Lack of transitional fossils II. Evidences for design III. Rapid deposition of sedimentary layers. Variation: Soft-gap theory - God created the matter of earth eons ago before the creation of life forms a few thousand years ago. Genesis 1:1-2 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:3-5 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. What challenges do you see in this model? • God created life on earth in the distant past. • Gap of time between 1st creation (Genesis 1:1) and 2nd creation (Genesis 1:2-31). • Unknown number of years between first creation and second creation. Allows adherence to: I. The old age of the Earth. II. Fossils III. Ice cores, ice ages and geological formations. Genesis 1:1 refers to God's initial perfect creation. Everything that God made was beautiful, there was no sin anywhere. Verse two, on the other hand, assumes that a great catastrophe occurred that caused the earth to become in a chaotic state through the judgment of God. According to the Gap Theory, the formless and void state, as recorded in Genesis 1:2, is in direct contrast to the perfect initial creation. Something happened between the first two verses of Genesis to cause the earth to become desolate and uninhabitable after having been made perfect. Those holding the Gap Theory contend that this state of ruin could have possibly lasted millions of years. What Is the Gap Theory? (The Ruin and Reconstruction Theory?) (blueletterbible.org) What challenges do you see in this model? • God performed multiple creation events spread over long periods of time. • Progressive creation proposes that God has created various creatures at various times over hundreds of millions of years, with mankind appearing in a relatively recent creation. • Claims that fossil record reflect successive creative acts. • Day-Age and Revelation-Day concept. Fits well with: I. Missing links II. Long ages for life (geologic column) What challenges do you see in this model? • God directs in the continuous process of evolution. • Accepts the concept of the general theory of evolution. • A bridge to barriers that evolution face: I. Origin of life II. Development of complex, integrated, biological systems III. The origin of humanity’s higher mental faculties. What challenges do you see in this model? • Admits to some kind of God who created the universe and then did not interfere since. • The world we see today is a result of creation and naturalistic evolution development. What challenges do you see in this model? • Identifies God with the universe or regards the universe as a manifestation of God. • “God is all, and all is God” • Popular among New Age Movement (A metaphysical religious community). • The Gaia hypothesis proposes that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet. What challenges do you see in this model? • Variations: I. Extraterrestrial life planted life on earth. II. Simple life travelled in a meteorite. III. Hybridization between “superbeings” and earthly organisms. Mars meteorite with organic molecules holds clues to chances of ancient life | Space “Building Blocks of Life” Discovered in Meteorite That Crash Landed in England (scitechdaily.com) What challenges do you see in this model? • Limits reality to mechanistic causes. • No intelligent design. • Various lifeforms developed as a result of the operation of natural law. • Simple -> complex results from random mutations or mutations in combination with natural selection. What challenges do you see in this model? How do we evaluate sources of truth? What characteristics must truth have in order for truth to be substantial?
