Clearview Baptist Church >> Our Faith

Are evolution and creation compatible teachings?

Answer:  No, they are not in any way compatible teachings.

The following chart compares the differences.

Copyright 2005.

	Creation	Evolution
Cause	God was the Cause For every effect, there is a cause (observable)	There was not cause – 15 billion years ago for no know reason, the universe exploded itself into existence.  Time, chance, and natural process created all things. The creation of the universe is an effect with no cause (not observable).
Origin	The universe was spoken into existence by God’s Word. Matter cannot be created or destroyed by natural processes (observable).	Began with ‘singularity’, a tiny infinitely hot and dense point Matter was created by a natural process (not observable).
Energy	We are devolving Energy goes from a state of usable energy to less usable energy (observable).	We are evolving Energy goes from a state of less usable energy to more usable energy (not observable).
Space	Earth created first (day 1) Stars came afterwards (day 4) with the sun and moon.	Stars formed first Earth formed afterwards
Earths Covering	Water	Fire
Time Constraints	6 Days – The creation of the World was FINISHED in six day and is no longer taking place (observable).	Infinite Time – 4.6 billion years ago the earth evolved by natural processes. The world is in a continuous process of creation evolution (not observable).
Quality	Very Good	Primitive, Violent
Planning of Life	By design	Accident
Origin of Life	God Life comes from life (observable), no known exceptions.	Forces of Nature It is possible for life to come from non-life (not observable).
Time needed for Life	2 Days (Faith based) – all animal/human life was created on day 5 and 6.	Millions of years (Faith based) – They don’t know how it happened but given enough time they BELIEVE it will.
Species	Kind begets kind (observable).	Kind begets some other kind (not observable).
Animal Life	Birds first, then Reptiles	Reptiles first, then Birds
Human Life	Man was created on day six Man is made in the image of God.	3.5 billion years ago life evolved Humans evolved from ape-like creatures.
Beginning of Death	After Adam sinned, not a process of creation – it is a product of man’s sin.	Always been present, part of the creation process – the means by which man evolves into a higher being.
Cause of Death	Sin, there was no death before Adam sinned (plant life not included), the breath of life was breathed into animals but not plants.	Natural process, existed from the beginning of life
Spiritual Death	Both physical and spiritual, you will give an account of your life after you die.	Physical only, no accountability after death.
Sediment Layers, Canyons	Form rapidly (liquefaction).  Witnessed during Mt. St. Helen (observable).	Form slowly.  No evidence witnessed (not observable).
Fossil Creation	Catastrophic event, rapid burial in water, (observable).	Buried by dust over long periods of time  (not observable).
Marine fossils on Mountains	Global flood, Genesis account Rapid 40 day/night event Springs of the deep broken up All creation perished All mountains covered by at least 20 ft. About 200 legends from cultures all over the world.	Local floods, earth sinking into the ocean and rising again. No written record or legend
Trees through layers	Fossilized trees spanning many layers indicates rapid burial by water, observable with Mt. St. Helen.  Can be created in one week (observable).	Over many years plant life died, sank into the earth, and coal formed (not observable).
Coal, Oil, Petrified Wood	Coal, Oil, Petrified Wood, can all be made in a matter of weeks, (observable).	Coal, Oil, Petrified Wood take millions of years to form (not observable).
Biblical Day	Recognize that the Biblical day means 24 hours and accept it as fact Hebrew word “Yom”, in all cases, means short period of time defined to be evening and morning days are distinguished between seasons and years (Genesis 1:14) God’s own word (Exodus 10:11) writing style of Genesis is narrative, not poetic genealogy of human race given	Some, recognize that the Biblical day means 24 hours but reject the account as a myth. Others, interpret the Biblical definition of day to mean millions of years.

Author: Joshua Turk