Life—How Did It Start?
Chapter 1
Life—How Did It Start?
1. How extensive is life on planet Earth?
LIFE is everywhere around us. It is evident in the humming of insects, the singing of birds, the rustlings of small animals in the underbrush. It exists in the icy polar regions and in parched deserts. It is present from the sea’s sunlit surface to its darkest depths. High in the atmosphere tiny creatures float about. Beneath our feet untold trillions of microorganisms are at work in the soil, making it fertile for the growing of green plants, which sustain other forms of life.
2. What questions have long occupied many people’s minds?
2 Earth is packed with life so abundant and varied as to stagger the imagination. How did it all start? This planet of ours and all its inhabitants—how did they come to be here? More particularly, how did humankind get started? Did we evolve from apelike animals? Or were we created? Just how did we get here? And what does the answer imply for the future? Questions like these have been around for a long time and they are still unanswered in the minds of many.
3. How do some feel about these questions, but why are they important to everyone?
3 Perhaps you feel that these questions do not really affect you. You may think: ‘It doesn’t matter how I got here—I’m here. And I’ll probably live for 60, 70 or maybe 80 years—who knows? But whether we were created or we evolved, it changes nothing for me now.’ On the contrary, it could change a great deal—how long you live, the way you live, the conditions under which you live. How so? Because our entire attitude toward life and the future is influenced by our viewpoint on the origin of life. And how life came to be here will definitely affect the future course of history and our place in it.
Differing Viewpoints
4. How do many feel about the prospects for life on earth?
4 In the view of many who accept the theory of evolution, life will always be made up of intense competition, with strife, hatred, wars and death. Some even feel that man may destroy himself in the near future. A prominent scientist stated: “We may have only another few decades until Doomsday. . . . the development of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems will, sooner or later, lead to global disaster.”1 Even if this did not happen soon, many believe that when a person’s life span runs out in death he is then nonexistent forever. Others feel that, in the future, all life on earth will end. They theorize that the sun will expand into a red giant star, and as it does, “the oceans will boil, the atmosphere will evaporate away to space and a catastrophe of the most immense proportions imaginable will overtake our planet.”2
5. (a) How do the “scientific creationists” view the earth? (b) What questions does this viewpoint raise?
5 Recoiling from these conclusions are the “scientific creationists.” But their interpretation of the Genesis creation account has led them to claim that the earth is only 6,000 years old and that the six “days” allowed in Genesis for creation were each only 24 hours long. But does such an idea accurately represent what the Bible is saying? Was the earth, and all its life forms, created in just six literal days? Or is there a reasonable alternative?
6. On what should we base our conclusions about the origin of life on earth, and how did Darwin leave the subject open?
6 In considering questions related to the origin of life, popular opinion or emotion sway many. To avoid this and to reach accurate conclusions, we need to consider the evidence with an open mind. It is interesting to note, too, that even evolution’s best-known advocate, Charles Darwin, indicated an awareness of his theory’s limitations. In his conclusion to The Origin of Species, he wrote of the grandeur of the “view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one,”3 thus making it evident that the subject of origins was open to further examination.
Science Not at Issue
7. What clarification is made about science and our respect for it?
7 Before proceeding further, a clarification may be helpful: Scientific achievement is not at issue here. Every informed person is aware of the amazing accomplishments of scientists in many fields. Scientific study has dramatically increased our knowledge of the universe and of the earth and of living things. Studies of the human body have opened up improved ways of treating illnesses and injuries. Rapid advances in electronics have ushered in the computer age, which is altering our lives. Scientists have performed astounding feats, even sending men to the moon and back. It is only right to respect the skills that have added so greatly to our knowledge of the world around us, from minutely small things to infinitely large ones.
8. How is the term evolution used in this book, and to what does creation refer?
8 It may also be useful to clarify definitions at this point: Evolution, as used in this book, refers to organic evolution—the theory that the first living organism developed from nonliving matter. Then, as it reproduced, it is said to have changed into different kinds of living things, producing ultimately all forms of life that have ever existed on earth, including humans. And all of this is believed to have been accomplished without intelligent direction or supernatural intervention. Creation, on the other hand, is the conclusion that the appearing of living things can only be explained by the existence of an Almighty God who designed and made the universe and all the basic kinds of life upon the earth.
Some Vital Questions
9. What do those who accept evolution contend about creation, but what questions may come to mind about both evolution and creation?
9 Obviously, there are profound differences between the theory of evolution and the Genesis creation account. Those who accept evolution contend that creation is not scientific. But in fairness, it could also be asked: Is evolution itself truly scientific? On the other hand, is Genesis just another ancient creation myth, as many contend? Or is it in harmony with the discoveries of modern science? And what about other questions that trouble so many: If there is an all-powerful Creator, why is there so much war, famine and disease that send millions to an early grave? Why would he permit so much suffering? Also, if there is a Creator, does he reveal what the future will hold?
10. (a) What is the aim of this book, and the publishers’ hope? (b) Why is it so important to consider these matters?
10 It is the aim of this book to examine such questions and related issues. The publishers hope that you will consider its contents with an open mind. Why is this so important? Because this information could prove to be of greater value to you than you may yet realize.
[Study Questions]
[Blurb on page 7]
Did life evolve or was it created?
[Blurb on page 8]
Our entire attitude toward life and the future is influenced by our viewpoint on its origin
[Blurb on page 10]
Those who accept evolution contend that creation is not scientific; but can it be fairly said that the theory of evolution itself is truly scientific?
[Box/Picture on page 12, 13]
Some Things to Think About
Our world is filled with so many marvelous things:
Big things: A setting sun that turns the western sky into a blaze of colors. A night sky, packed with stars. A forest of towering trees, run through by shafts of light. Jagged mountain ranges, their icy summits glistening in the sun. Surging, wind-tossed oceans. These things exhilarate us, fill us with awe.
Little things: A tiny bird, a warbler, flying high over the Atlantic, heading toward Africa on its way to South America. At some 20,000 feet it picks up a prevailing wind that turns it toward South America. Directed by its migrating instinct, it follows its course for several days and 2,400 miles—three quarters of an ounce of courage wrapped in feathers. We are filled with admiration and wonder.
Ingenious things: Bats that use sonar. Eels that make electricity. Gulls that desalt seawater. Wasps that make paper. Termites that install air conditioners. Octopuses that travel by jet propulsion. Birds that do weaving or build apartment houses. Ants that do gardening or sewing, or keep livestock. Fireflies with built-in flashlights. We marvel at such ingenuity.
Simple things: As life nears its end, it is the small things that we often focus upon, things that we had so often taken for granted: A smile. The touch of a hand. A kind word. A tiny flower. The singing of a bird. The warmth of the sun.
When we think about such big things that are breathtaking, little things that stir our admiration, ingenious things that fascinate us, simple things belatedly appreciated—to what do we attribute them? Just how can such things be explained? Where did they come from?
[Full-page picture on page 6]
[Picture on page 9]
Only 6,000 years old?
[Picture on page 11]
It is right to respect the scientific skills that have added so greatly to our knowledge
