Divine Design: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Natural Selection and Evolution in a Christian Context

Natural Selection ≠ Evolution

In the ongoing debate between creationists and evolutionists, one important equation that needs to be understood is that Natural Selection does not equal Evolution. This distinction is crucial for Christians to avoid being deceived and for evolutionists to recognize the gaps in their theory.

The Illusion of Selection

When we hear examples of natural selection being presented as evidence for evolution, they often involve changes in sizes, colors, skin patterns, and shapes. However, it is important to recognize that natural selection is merely a process of selecting from something pre-existing. To understand this concept, we can think of selecting cards from a pack. No matter how many times we select cards, we will only produce different groups of the same cards. We are not creating anything new, but rather rearranging, removing, or adding cards from another pack.

Similarly, when evolutionists claim to have pulled something "new" out of the pack through natural selection, it is important to recognize it as a sleight of hand. Selection always occurs within a pre-existing series or range and does not create anything new.

The Purpose of Selection

In a biological context, selection is not a random process but rather a result of the all-wise Creator's design. God programmed a variety of genetic information into each "kind" of creature, including features that would allow them to adapt to different environments. These variations enable individuals to survive in new habitats, and those with beneficial traits pass them on to their offspring. Over time, these variations may lead to the emergence of distinct "species." However, it is important to note that new information is never added through this process. It can be conserved or lost but never gained.

Natural Selection as Evidence for God's Design

The concept of natural selection was actually discussed by the creationist chemist/zoologist Edward Blyth before Charles Darwin popularized it in relation to evolution. Blyth recognized the remarkable phenomenon of natural selection as arising from the providence of an all-wise and ingenious Creator God.

God's love for beauty is evident in the spectacular array of birds, fish, dogs, and cats that humans have selectively bred for their aesthetic appeal rather than survival. This process, known as artificial selection, involves choosing specific traits from existing genetic information. However, whether selection occurs naturally or artificially, it remains a process of choosing from pre-existing genetic information and does not result in the creation of anything new.

The Need for Natural Invention

For evolution to be a viable theory, it requires new organs or body parts facilitated by new information in DNA. Just as patent law requires an "inventive step" for a product to be patented, evolution also requires novel features that arise through natural processes. Despite extensive research on evolution, natural selection has not been shown to bring about this type of inventive step.

Evolutionists often point to mutations as the mechanism that provides novelty for natural selection to act upon. However, when pressed for examples of novel genetic information or body organs created by mutation, they typically refer to instances such as wingless beetles on islands or flightless cormorants on the Galapagos Islands. These examples may confer a benefit in specific environments but do not involve the addition of new information. Instead, they often represent a loss or corruption of existing genetic information.

The Limitations of Natural Selection

In conclusion, natural selection alone cannot account for the complex and intricate design we observe in the natural world. Evolution desperately needs natural invention, novelty, and creation. Natural selection may provide insights into how organisms adapt to their environments and survive, but it falls short as evidence for the mechanism of evolution.

Why This Matters: Understanding the distinction between natural selection and evolution is crucial for Christians to avoid being deceived by misleading claims. It also highlights the gaps in the evolutionary theory that evolutionists still need to address.

Think About It: Consider the concept of natural selection as choosing from pre-existing genetic information. How does this perspective align with your understanding of God's creation? How does it challenge or reinforce your beliefs about evolution?