One big question that I wanted answered while at L’Abri was this: How do science and the Bible fit together? The struggle between creation and evolution never seemed to arrive at a solution; it was either faith or science.
While at L’Abri, I read a book by Dr. A.E. Wilder-Smith, a Christian chemist. He was a brilliant man, holding three doctorates, and was a staunch defender of creation against the bastions of evolution. (see https://www.wildersmith.org/ for more info on this amazing man)
In his book Dr. Wilder-Smith quoted an evolutionist who said that in perfect conditions over a period of four billion years, the chance of one molecule of protein forming is ten to the minus 1380. That is, the chance is 1 in -10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000.000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!
That’s right, 1380 zeros on the minus side!
“But,” the evolutionist wrote, “we assume it happened anyway.”
Whoa! That turned on the lights! There was not only no evidence for pre-biological evolution, but the available evidence said it was impossible—absolutely, totally, completely impossible. And yet this scientist assumed it happened anyway?
I thought to myself, “Here’s a man who looked evidence in the face and chose not to believe it; he chose to reject the facts presented by his own research, and to believe the opposite. This was not science but blind faith!”
I realized from this that evolution might be a great sounding theory, but it had nothing to stand on. I thought of it being like an impressive skyscraper but it’s foundation was only a plastic yogurt cup at each corner! It could not stand up long under close, honest scrutiny.
Another thing that clicked for me in this search was the obvious but overlooked truth that evolution is a theory, not a proven fact. As I read more about it, it became clear that a number of the defenders and proponents of this theory wanted it to be true so there would be no God for them to confront. Some said this directly. (see https://creation.com /designed-by-aliens-crick-watson-atheism-panspermia).
I began to see clearly that the conflict was one-sided. For all its claims, without pre-biological evolution this theory didn’t have a leg to stand on. It was, in fact, not science at all, but only an unsupported idea that had become a religion to many.
The Bible, on the other hand, had huge amounts of evidence to support its claims. I laid out categories and began to collect evidence for each one: historical, archeological, prophetic, philosophical, scientific and experiential.
The amount of clear proof in each category was astounding. For me personally there was so much evidence in the area of the experiential. God had so obviously and intentionally reached down into my life to prepare me, to call me, to cleanse me and now to lead and protect me. There was no room to doubt His existence, His love and the veracity of His Word!
In the process of collecting evidence, God freed me from another set of imprisoning bars, those of doubt and uncertainty about how the Bible intersected with the world. The picture the Bible painted of people, events and truths was borne out completely in the six categories I explored.
A second important happening at L’Abri concerned my admin-istrator, the person who made sure that I listened to the assigned tapes. I had an immediate negative reaction to her, and was mystified by this emotion.
Then one day it struck me: she looked very much like my high school music teacher, the one who had called me “Stanley” for four years. In her mind I wasn’t worth the time it would have taken her to learn my name correctly.
This denigration of my significance had always bothered me, but I hadn’t been able to resolve it. I went to the counselor there at L’Abri and was helped to forgive and let go of this old hurt. Another step forward in freedom. The Lord was now ready to move me to the next level of growth.
Picture: A. E Wilder-Smith,brilliant scientist
