The Creation Debate in a Nutshell | Parchment and Pen

Here is a summary of what we taught at the Credo House for “Coffee and Theology” this past Tuesday night. I hope you enjoy.



1. Young Earth Creationism (YEC)

The Skinny:

Belief that the universe was created miraculously by God approximately ten thousand years ago (or less).

Explanation:

YECs often insist that their view is the only way to understand and remain faithful to the integrity of the Scriptures. For them, options which integrate evolution or an old earth paradigm compromise the clear teachings of Scripture and even the essence of the Gospel message.

MORE: The Creation Debate in a Nutshell | Parchment and Pen

The Adam & Eve Controversy

(Al Mohler) "EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first article that R. Albert Mohler Jr. plans to write on denials by some scholars of an historical Adam and Eve as the first parents of all humanity and as the solitary first human pair.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Each generation of Christians faces its own set of theological challenges. For this generation of evangelicals, the question of beginnings is taking on a new urgency.
In fact, this question is now a matter of Gospel urgency. How are we to understand the Bible's story, if we can have no confidence that we know how it even begins?
In terms of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the most urgent question related to beginnings has to do with the questions related to the existence of Adam and Eve as the first parents to all humanity and to the reality of the Fall as the explanation for human sinfulness and all that comes with sin."   More:

Is God An Egotistical Maniac? (C Michael Patton)

"There is a popular notion among Evangelicals that I think has become part of our folklore. Indeed, it is the shibboleth (secret pass code) of my fellow Calvinists. When I call this “folklore” I don’t necessarily mean “not true” (as we will see), I simply mean that it is uncritically accepted without much thought. Many would say that God’s sole purpose, intent, and motivation for creating humanity and all of creation was for His own self-glorification. If you were to ask this question to God: “God, why did you create us?” His answer, without hesitation, would be, “Easy, to glorify myself.”..."

The Christian Worldview as Master Narrative: Creation (Al Mohler)
One of the hallmarks of the postmodern age is, as one of its main theorists has explained, “incredulity toward metanarratives.” This reflects the postmodern suspicion of any master explanation of world reality and human experience. But, from beginning to end, biblical Christianity is a master narrative. Biblical Christianity is not only a faith that involves essential truths; it is the story of God’s purpose to redeem humanity and to bring glory to himself. This narrative is revealed to us as a comprehensive master story that is as vast as the cosmos and so detailed as to include every atom and molecule of creation...

Why Does the Universe Look So Old? (Dr. Al Mohler)  "For a response to Dr. Mohler from BioLogos, see our series of blogs, beginning here.
It is extremely assuring to see this room filled at this hour on a Saturday morning of people here to seek Biblical truth on any number of questions. This conference has hopefully drawn us to some of the most pressing questions that Christians face, the tough questions. It is an honor to be here as always with my dear friend Dr. R.C. Sproul, with so many others, all these speakers, and the dear colleagues in the fight of the faith in coming to understand the great truths of the Christian faith and how these might most helpfully be applied in the confrontation with the questions of contemporary life. For so many years Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul have demonstrated that you really can teach the deep things of the Christian faith to a church and to Christians in the late 20th and 21st centuries..."

Signature in the Cell: Information and Intelligence (Chuck Colson) "In recent years, there have been several important books about intelligent design that go to the debate about evolution and the origins of life. Bill Dembski’s The Design Inference was first. Then along came Darwin’s Black Box by Michael Behe, showing the irreducible complexity of the cell, which casts grave doubts on Darwinian evolution as an explanation for life and higher life forms..."

Deep Sea Slugs: God’s Creativity at the Bottom of the Sea.   "This spectacular looking creature is not an alien lifeform, but one of 3,000 varieties of sea slugs that live on ocean floors around the world. They are among the most visually stunning animals that you could ever hope to see, and while the name sea slug is somewhat yucky, the alternative, nudibranch, sounds rather sophisticated. These amazing mobile works of art can really make you gasp - they look that good! ..."