HE YEAR 2009 MARKS THE BIRTH BICENTENNIAL OF CHARLES Darwin, the naturalist and scholar whose 1859 book, On the Origin of Species, set the stage for evolutionary theory.
Darwin’s writings, sadly, have steered many away from biblical faith, including some onetime Seventh-day Adventists. To me, Darwinism’s greatest tragedy is its attack on Creation, of which the weekly Sabbath is a memorial. From the 1920s “Scopes Monkey Trial” to conservative Ann Coulter’s multichapter defense of creation in her book Godless, Darwin remains a hot topic of debate in modern society.
What hath Darwin wrought? Well, generations of students have gone to public schools in this country and were steeped in evolution as the explanation for life’s origins. Instead of proposing both creation and evolution as possible theories, society’s march toward Darwinism as the answer has left millions, perhaps tens of millions, with what I believe is a flawed view of life’s Creator. If we’re the result of chance, from where does morality come, and to where shall we go after this life?
The tragedy of turning away from God is mitigated somewhat by an amazing fact: God doesn’t turn away from us! Redemption, reclamation, and salvation—all are available as we move toward the Father. In turn, He runs toward us, with open arms, saying, in effect, “Welcome home!”
Darwin is dead. And he can’t save anyone. Jesus, by whom the Bible says everything was made, lives!
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Mark A. Kellner is news editor of the Adventist Review.
