Creationist Levels of Belief and Agreement
| Author: Doug Sharp Subject: Theology Date: |
Background: The Creation-Evolution controversy is not just Christians debating with atheists. In our effort to determine what the truth is, we recognize that there are many different models for creation, even if it is based on a Biblical world-view. This is an simple outline of what these models are, and a statement of what our beliefs are.
Level 1. We are THEISTIC as opposed to atheistic or pagan.
Level 2. Being theistic, we are CHRISTIAN as opposed to any of a number of religions that reject Jesus Christ.
Level 3. Being Christian, we believe the BIBLE to be TRUSTWORTHY as opposed to theistic evolutionists who reject Genesis 1-11 as myth, or “higher critics” who pick apart the Bible for errors, the fruits of which lead to existentialism, modernism, liberalism, and so forth.
Level 4. Trusting the Bible, we believe in a 7 DAY CREATION WEEK and a WORLDWIDE FLOOD as opposed to the Day-Age theory, Progressive Creation, Local Flood theory, or other attempts to bend the scriptures to accommodate the millions of years assumed by evolution for the age of the earth. The cause for concern here is liberal use of scripture twisting to get the Bible to mean something it doesn’t say in a straightforward manner.
Level 5. Believing in a 7 day creation week, we either believe there was a Gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 or that the GAP WAS NONEXISTENT. Believers in the Gap may try to accommodate the long ages of evolution or believe in a pre-Adamic race or believe there was a LITTLE GAP, but insignificant in comparison to long ages of evolution. Many of those who believe in the pre-Adamic race use it to justify racist attitudes, believing that other races were not of the lineage of Adam.
In all of the above, compromise with evolution allows no opposition to the social problems belief in evolution causes. Darwin’s theory directly influenced Marx, Engles, Nietzsche, Hitler, and others who attempted to apply the idea of survival of the fittest as justification for their deeds.
Level 6. Believing that a gap doesn’t exist or does not accommodate evolution and long ages, the rest are issues where we can debate to our hearts content.
This includes the following:
- Ancient universe of indeterminate age, or a young universe.This includes debates on the decay of speed of light, expanding universe, and cosmologies.
- The meaning of the “firmament:” did this mean an atmospheric water vapor canopy, and if so did it provide most of the source of the waters of the flood?
- Did continental separation occur as a result of the flood,or at “Peleg’s division” after the flood? If we accept the hydroplate theory proposed by Walt Brown or catastrophic plate tectonics, were magnetic anomalies found at the Mid Atlantic Ridge caused by reversals, or not?
- Were deposits attributed to the Ice Age caused by a real post-flood Ice Age, or was there a quick freeze during the flood, or is there a diluvial explanation for these deposits without ice?
- Creationists disagree on whether many strata can be attributed to post-flood catastrophes (i.e. the European explanation).
If we get to Level 6, we have laid the foundation for our creationist beliefs. Ideas a. thru e. are interesting to debate but are less crucial to the overall effect upon our faith in Jesus Christ.