I’m a man of faith–I believe in the authority of Scripture. But I must confess, I used to have a little bit of trouble with the whole “Creation vs. Evolution” thing. I’ve always loved science, and most biology textbooks present Darwinian evolution as a fact–a foregone conclusion.
My high school biology textbook, for example, had one page about “creationism.” Just one page—that should give you some idea as to how seriously the authors took any other theories on the origins of life.
I’ve since realized just how much scientific evidence exists to challenge (if not completely debunk) Darwinian evolution.
Darwin’s theory came before modern microbiology, so he assumed cells were fairly unsophisticated. But nothing could be further from the truth. We need look no further than the humble bacterium to see what I’m talking about.
One of the microscopic wonders of the world is the bacterial flagellum. This structure propels the microorganism with incredible efficiency. It is a microscopic, organic propeller—a true marvel of nature.
Michael Behe, a biochemistry professor, developed the Irreducible Complexity theory based on such organic systems. Such intricate systems, he argued, are “composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning.” In other words, you can’t remove one small component without the entire system shutting down. This would make it impossible for such systems to evolve.
Behe’s theory, if accepted, deals a serious blow to the theory of evolution. Consider this quote from Darwin himself:
“If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case.”
Those who believe in Darwinian evolution have rejected Behe’s theory (no surprise there). But Irreducible Complexity expresses (in scientific terms) something I’ve always believed: life, even at the microscopic level, is just too marvelous to be an accident.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
-Psalm 19:1-4
Note: This post was inspired by The Case for a Creator
