It Isn’t Stupid to Believe

When I was a freshman in college my biology professor stated directly to the class that you either have to be superstitious or just plain lacking in intelligence to believe in God. I truly believe that Satan uses secular universities to prevent faith among unbelieving students and derail the faith of college students who come to college believing in God. My understanding is that the church in general has done a miserable job in preparing their young people to survive such attacks. I must admit for about 20 minutes to a half hour my own mind was reeling after hearing this very intelligent and gifted speaker. He made it sound irresponsible to continue believing in God because it produced false hopes of divine help with our problems. His pitch is that we need to be as educated as possible to solve the world’s problems before we destruct ourselves as a society. By the time I reached college I was very well rooted and grounded in the Word of God. I cried out to God in a silent prayer for wisdom because I was outmatched by this mental Goliath. As I attended classes that still small voice would point out fallacies in what was being taught. Little facts that just didn’t fit would come to mind. I truly enjoyed learning science at the collegiate level because I filtered out that I knew to be false and marveled at the complexity of life around me. It actually increased my faith and made God that much more awesome. The more I learned the greater He became.
If you are a Christian student today you have probably encountered this attitude much earlier in your academic career than did I. Your teachers and your teachers’ teachers all probably were subjected to this life view. If you are an atheist or agnostic, trust me I understand. The educated leaders that you respect for their intelligence and look to as role models are all reinforcing a life view that has its appeal. If you are a Christian confused and wavering, I do not blame you. I would simply like to present an alternate life view for you to consider. I do not believe anyone can or should mandate faith. My understanding is that God granted us free will to decide for ourselves what to believe and a wonderful brain and heart for lack of a better word to consider our options.
Most Bible believing churches will tell you that God created the earth and all that is within it in six days according to the Scriptures approximately six thousand years ago. You will then be faced with mounds of scientific information that disputes this view proving the earth is much older. There is an explanation that you may wish to research called the young earth theory of creation. Many of their arguments will cause some serious thinking and consideration. I can’t say they are entirely wrong but personally I believe this view is proposed by scientists that know that God is real and who honor the Word of God. I personally believe their view is skewed by their religious beliefs. If the Bible is erroneous in the origins of the universe, then I too would join the ranks of the atheists and agnostics. I believe the young earth creationist scientists know the theory of evolution and the big bang theory of how the universe began must be false and they have attempted to answer the discrepancies between the date of 6000 years and the much longer evidence presented by science. The problem I see is not in conflicting scientific information but in the acceptance as fact that the Bible teaches that the earth is only 6000 years old. If you are a Christian young person or even a youth pastor please do not dismiss the information I am about to share with you because you may have never heard it. Please keep an open mind and prayerfully search the Scriptures with me for truth. I have full confidence that the Bible is inerrant and can successfully defend itself when studied with an open mind.
Let us now go to the Word and let it instruct us!
Genesis 1:1-31 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (3) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (4) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (5) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (6) And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. (7) And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. (8) And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. (9) And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. (10) And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. (11) And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. (12) And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (13) And the evening and the morning were the third day. (14) And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: (15) And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. (16) And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. (17) And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, (18) And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. (19) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. (20) And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. (21) And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (22) And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. (23) And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. (24) And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. (25) And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (28) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (29) And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. (30) And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. (31) And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (2) And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. (3) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

This is the Genesis account of creation upon which I rest my faith in God as my Creator. Now let us look at why Christians say the earth is only 6000 years old. The Bible does say in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genealogies are given in the Bible from Adam to Abraham and from Abraham to Jesus. The ages of each generation are given showing that it was about 4000 years from Adam to Jesus. Modern histories trace the time from Jesus to present. Another approximately 2000 years have elapsed from the birth of Christ to present. Roughly speaking 6000 years have elapsed since Adam came to life.
Now that we have read this account lets look back at what we read. Lets make a little chart to make matters easier to understand.
The second day of creation begins in verse 6 with the words “And God said, Let”… and ends in verse 8 with “And the evening and the morning were the second day.”
The third day of creation begins in verse 9 again with the words “And God said, Let” … and ends in verse 13 with “And the evening and the morning were the third day.”
The fourth day of creation begins in verse 14 again with the words “And God said, Let” … and ends in verse 19 with “And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”
The fifth day of creation begins in verse 20 again with the words “And God said, Let”… and ends in verse 23 with “And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”
The sixth day of creation begins in verse 24 again with the words “And God said, Let… and ends in verse 31 with “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

Let us now turn our attention to an absolutely critical question. This question could have eternal consequences. Where did the first day of creation begin and end and exactly what was made on that first day. Based on the lengthy and somewhat redundant portion of this study that you have just read, how would you guess that the first day of creation would begin and end? Is there a verse at the beginning of Genesis that starts with, “And God said, Let”? Is there also a verse telling that the evening and the morning were the first day? It just so happens there is but it might not be where you would expect to find it.

Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (4) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (5) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

It would be my belief that the Holy Spirit moved the writer of this portion of the Bible to use an unmistakable delineation of each day of creation. The first day of creation clearly begins in verse 3 not verse 1. The appearance of light and the making of day and night were the works of the first day of creation. The heaven and the earth were already created “in the beginning” “The beginning” is an undefined time frame predating the first day of creation. This is not inconsistent with those who believe the young earth theory nor for a matter of fact is it inconsistent with those who subscribe to an old earth theory. The Bible stands on it own merit. What is clearly false is that the dating of the earth at 6000 years. This assertion so commonly accepted without question is in fact predicated on a misunderstanding of the first three verses of the Bible. Let us use an honest approach to Bible study and agree that no Scripture is of any private interpretation. Are there other verses that support this controversial view?

Carefully read and consider the following Scripture.

Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

Zero in on the following words, “God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited:”

Clearly this Scripture teaches that when God created the earth he formed it to be a habitable planet.

Lets look again at Genesis 1:2
(2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Here the earth exists in total darkness with its surface covered with water.
At this point in time is this a habitable planet like the earth was originally created to be? Clearly the answer to this question is no. Does the Scripture give us any indication as to what might have happened?

Jeremiah 4:23-27 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. (24) I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. (25) I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. (26) I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. (27) For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

Consider this:
Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

First of all note the uncanny similarity of Jeremiah 4:23-27 to Genesis 1:2.
Second, at what point in history since the creation of Adam is it possible that the events of Jeremiah Chapter four could have taken place. When could God who sees every place not have seen a single man still alive? Not even Noah’s flood fits this situation as eight people survived on earth. Have you ever read that at the time of Noah or any other time since Adam that the heavens had “no light”. When could God have looked into the skies and not seen a single bird. The description here indicates the entire destruction of all life on earth. Note though the final words of verse 27. “Yet will I not make a full end.” Something came after this picture of earth.
Does the Bible ever tell us that God has become angry enough with man to destroy us all?
Genesis 6:5-8 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (6) And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (7) And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (8) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Exodus 32:9-10 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: (10) Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

Given these two verses is it so far removed from possibility that a past civilization of human-like beings angered God so thoroughly by their sin that they were totally destroyed by a flood on the earth sometime between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 and the description in Jeremiah Chapter 4 refers to this total destruction of the earth with the remaking of the earth into a once again habitable planet in six days as described starting with Genesis 1:3.

Note:

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

If this verse is an accurate translation which I believe it to be then why was the word replenish chosen. If you were at church and the weekly church program said that donations were needed to replenish the food pantry would you assume that they were just now starting a food pantry or would it mean they were re-supplying the food pantry? To replenish the earth would not simply mean to fill it with people but in fact to refill it with people. If there is a doubt about the meaning this is the same instruction given to Noah and his family after the world population had been reduced to eight people. They also had a world to refill and the exact same Hebrew words were used in both places.

Imagine if these pre-Adam people were slightly different in their skeletal structure what science would say if they found an ancient skeleton. Why just look how we have evolved from early man. There is no evolution here it was a slightly varied species of man from an earlier creation.



For more on my belief as to why this civilization was destroyed simply read my mini-book on the Insignificance of Satan. This reading is free and located as an earlier post on this site.

When it can be shown that the earth is not just 6000 years old per the Bible, then all of the scientific proof that is thrown at Christians in the classroom is a moot point. You as a Christian do not have to defend a false assumption based on a misunderstanding of Scripture. You simply believe that God created the earth and everything in the universe. You have the upper hand since creation assumes the unlimited power of an all knowing God used his intellect to design life. The evolutionists must then defend their theories that life arose by accident rather than intelligent design. Given the complexity of DNA alone, how likely is it that a strand of DNA just happened. If you want to really blow someone’s mind ask the question as to how sexual reproduction evolved. How did the first male and first female develop at exactly the same time and find themselves within the same territory so as to mate. What are the odds of that happening? Ask also about placental types. If memory serves me the type of placenta found in cows more closely resemble the placenta of a mouse than that of another large barnyard animal. One would not expect this departure if the animals truly followed an evolutionary chain. Perhaps the similarity of design doesn’t point to a common ancestor after all. Perhaps it points to the same architect.

If I disassembled my computer and took all the parts and placed them in a large bag and started shaking it, how long would it take before all the parts would come together perfectly by chance and my computer would start functioning? My logic tells me that at the end of one year I would have a bag of parts, at the end of ten years same difference, at the end of a hundred years I would be no closer to having a functioning computer. If it were possible to shake it for one hundred million years it would still be a non-functioning bag of parts because each random shake brings me no closer to my goal. Without intelligent design things tend to disorder not order. If you agree that intelligent design is a plausible idea considering the complexity of life, then you are very close to believing, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

In conclusion, it does matter the age that the Bible places on the earth. I have no desire to subject a Christian student to ridicule if he tries to defend a position that has no defense. The reason it has no defense is that the Bible doesn’t say it! The idea that there was a destruction of a civilization before Adam is not new. It is not a knee jerk reaction to the teaching of evolution in the schools as some claim. This teaching dates back hundreds of years. More recently the Scofield Reference Bible advocates this view in its second edition which came out approximately a decade before the Scopes trial in the 1920’s that popularized the teaching of evolution in schools.

Christian students take heart. You are not stupid for believing in God and creation. My dear atheist or agnostic friend, God loves you even when you are far away from him. Please don’t risk your eternal soul on the words of some science professor parroting a line he was taught to say. Be intelligent enough and brave enough to seek the truth. If you would like to believe that there is meaning to life, there is life after death, the maker of this universe wishes to adopt you as his son or daughter, and rid this world of poverty, death, and disease then share your thoughts with him. Be honest and share your doubt about Him as well. Simply ask for wisdom to understand and tell him you would like to get to know Him if in fact he exists. Ask that your eyes might be opened to the truth. Prayer is not some formal church ritual it is simply calling on God and talking to him like you would a parent or a teacher. Be respectful and be honest about your doubts and fears. He promises to respect a prayer for wisdom. If you would like to know more about approaching God please read my earlier blog on Finding Meaning in Life.

I hope this will help to strengthen my younger sisters and brothers in the Lord as they face adversity in higher education. I hope it will also give some food for thought to those who have considered God as just a myth or superstition. I trust him with the care of my eternal soul. I hope you will give some thought to eternal matters as well. If you follow your current path and are wrong then you have missed the whole point of living. My life has not always been easy because this in not heaven yet. I will tell you honestly I would not trade the knowledge I have of God for all the money of the richest man in the world. There is a peace in knowing Him that passes all understanding and satisfies in a way I cannot explain with words. I beg you to search for this peace in your life. Thanks for reading and please come back often.