Afraid of the Facts

We should never be afraid of the facts when they are accurately presented. U.S. President John Adams said, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”

Last week, we looked at James Tour’s challenge to the leading origin-of-life scientists. None of them were willing to address even one of the five roadblocks to abiogenesis that he presented. The fact is that the study of abiogenesis, the origin of life from non-living matter, has progressed very little in the last 70 years. Science has found many barriers to abiogenesis since the Miller-Urey experiment of the early 1950s.

Quora is a social media question-and-answer website where people post questions and others respond with answers. A recent questioner asked, “Are scientists terrified of abiogenesis?” A person who said he was “45 years a physician” answered that he was not afraid of abiogenesis. Part of the response from the “physician” was:

“Abiogenesis is a process that occurred at least once in the history of the earth, and that single event (or handful of events) may have left no traces at all. The steps in abiogenesis were probably a series of unknown physical and chemical steps. So, the process may never be known.”

Saying that “unknown physical and chemical steps” in a “process may never be known” is a vague answer. He seems to be saying, “I’m not going to worry about that because it scares me.” As I said, people should never be afraid of the facts.

Genesis chapter one uses the Hebrew word “bara,” which is always used to describe something that only God can do. Verse one describes God creating the heavens and Earth out of nothing. Verse 21 uses that word again to describe the creation of the first animal life. Between those verses, the term “made” (Hebrew “asah”) or the words “let there be” describe God’s work.

Science has made significant progress in understanding the processes described by “made” and “let there be.” In some cases, scientists have even duplicated those processes in laboratories or particle accelerators. However, understanding how God created everything from nothing or life from non-living matter is beyond what science has accomplished or perhaps will ever understand. Christians should never be afraid of the facts because they point to a creator God.

— Roland Earnst © 2023