Comment on Dr. Jason Rosenhouse “Among the Creationists” by Kenneth Christman, M.D..
Stepping stones to get around Lake Superior without getting your feet wet? What a unique idea? Not only would these stepping stones need to be perfectly spaced, but they would also need to be the right size and shape, and height!! Imagine, if these stones were not the right height, one might have to climb impossible heights, and/or sink beneath the water if they did not reach water surface. Furthermore, they would have to be stable enough to allow one to walk on them!! Impossible? Do you really need to be a mathematician to calculate the odds of this occurring?
Some of those featured are believers in Intelligent Design. There are really three groups: 1. Darwinian evolutionists 2. Intelligent Design 3. Creationists. Yes, unfortunately, there are some who mingle Creationism with Evolution. That doesn’t work and is an inconsistent belief system. Creationists believe the God of the Bible created the world as per the Genesis account. Intelligent Designers believe that ANY intelligent being created the world, not necessarily the God of the Bible. The Albigenses believed that Satan created the world. The Albigenses were NOT Christians, in spite of what some claim. If Intelligent Designers believe God created the world, they would call themselves Creationists. Many in the ID movement consistently deny that God created the world.
Is SETI a legitimate scientific endeavor? Absolutely not. Does one really believe God will respond through SETI mechanisms? Absolutely not. He has already spoken via the Bible. Would Satan respond via SETI? That is a troubling thought.
As far as computing probabilities, perhaps one could begin by computing the probability of all the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah, David, Daniel, etc. all predicting with amazing accuracy the minutest details of the life and death of Jesus. A sheer coincidence that they were all 100% correct in their predictions centuries in advance? In my book, this is 100% positive proof of a God who was Who He said He was, and also created just as He said He did.
Table of Contents
Recent Comments by Kenneth Christman, M.D.
Most Species the “Same Age” with No “In-Between” Species
Decay is perfectly natural in a sinful world. There was NO decay prior to the Fall. Non-decay does not require active maintenance on the part of God. His creation was perfect and did not require maintenance like human creations require. Model T’s require active maintenance as they are human creations. The human body God created would have lasted an eternity if sin (disobedience) had not interrupted such perfection. That is when decay started. That is when the genomic code started to deteriorate. It ultimately led to disease and death. God cannot be compared to a mechanic in heaven, as His perfect creation does not require repairs. While the price of sin (disobedience) has been fully paid for, the restoration to perfection has not happened yet. Once it occurs (which I believe will be soon), there will be a complete restoration that will not require a “mechanic” for active maintenance, as decay, degeneration, decay, death (all those ugly D’s) will no longer exist.
As for assuming that genetic mutations have occurred at a constant rate since the fall of Adam and Eve, we should consider the fallacies of assuming constant degradation of Carbon-14 and the problems such assumptions have created. As Creationists, we should exercise caution in making assertions we cannot prove.
As for God being bound by His own laws, let us consider Jesus bringing perfect peace and tranquility just by commanding the elements to be still during a raging storm. We cannot understand such divine power over EVERYTHING, including the power to breath life into a lump of clay which was instantly transformed into a perfectly fine human body with over 5 billion base pairs (the human genome) and able to perfectly replicate without decay or deterioration of the system. Satan also has supernatural power, but God’s power is infinitely greater. Whenever there is supernatural activity, it can come from only of two sources. We do know for a fact that postdiluvian human life spans rapidly contracted from ca. 900 years to circa 70 years in just a few generations. I’m sure most Creationists would agree that God had a hand in this, and that this was not “natural”. Whether He did this by altering the mutation rate, we have no way of knowing, as mutation rates were not measured at that time and there is no way for us to reconstruct those past mutation rates.
As for Einstein, Newton, and others, I would exercise restraint in following any of their religious or theological assumptions.
Most Species the “Same Age” with No “In-Between” Species
We may have observed mutation rates in the recent past, but how do we know what mutation rates were 100 years ago, 1,000 years ago, or 6,000 years ago? Prior to roughly 6,000 years ago, we can safely say mutation rates were ZERO, as God’s creation was perfect, and there was no sin, death, or deterioration in the genomic code!
Most Species the “Same Age” with No “In-Between” Species
While data suggesting the hand of the Creator God in the creation of all living things is always welcome, one should exercise great caution in assuming the constancy of mutation rates. After all, God shortened human lifespans from ca. 900 years to ca. 70 years in only a few generations. Do you suppose He might have done that by altering mutation rates? Do you suppose that a powerful God who breathed life into a lump of clay could easily tinker with mutation rates? Furthermore, mutation rates would have highly variable effects on life forms in different species based upon average lifespans. Let us hope and pray that more scientists will be troubled by uncovering data that will lead them to trust the Genesis creation account as the only scientifically logical explanation of how we got here.
The Sabbath and the Covenants (Old vs. New)
Your concern about mysticism within Adventism is well founded. Pastor Bill Loveless identified Ellen White in the pages of the Adventist Review as a “true mystic.” “Mysticism” is defined in the dictionary as a euphemism for the occult. Look it up.
The Sabbath and the Covenants (Old vs. New)
You are right. I am totally confused as to what distinguishes “Historical Old Covenant” from “Old Covenant Thinking”. You and Chris White maintain that Sabbath observance is not necessary for salvation. Ellen White clearly states that it is necessary. Chris and Ellen CANNOT both be correct.
