was Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God by eating from the
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17; 3:6). The
Bible teaches that the rebellious (sinful) nature is inherited;
it is passed from parents to descendants. Thus, all people
have in their nature a tendency to sin (a tendency to rebel
against God) because they are descendants of Adam and
Eve, who committed the first sin (Romans 5:12; Galatians
5:17). Adam’s sin resulted in the curse of all things, and all
creation has been suffering the effects of the curse since that
time (Romans 8:22–23). Thus, a literal Genesis can account
for why people are immoral in the first place as well as the
“natural evils” we see in the world.
A Christian worldview regarding Genesis as literal history
is necessary for understanding: (1) why there is a moral
code; (2) why everyone knows about it, and (3) why no one
can live up to it completely. This provides a rational, logi-
cal, and consistent foundation for morality that has led to
modern laws that prohibit and punish immorality.
"Words like should and ought only
make sense if there is an absolute
standard given by one who has
authority over everyone."
Inconsistency in the Evolutionary Worldview
Consider those evolutionists who are concerned about chil-
dren being taught creation. The well-known atheist Richard
Dawkins, professor at Oxford University, states concerning
teaching creation in schools, “Evolution is supported by
mountains of scientific evidence. These children are being
deliberately and wantonly misled (about the origins of living
things).” 7
It is commendable that Dawkins is concerned about the
welfare of children: that they should only be taught the truth.
But does such concern make sense if children are simply the
result of random evolutionary processes?
Dawkins argues that creation should not be taught since
he believes it is false. Now, this begs the question, since the
truth or falsity of creation is the issue: as biblical creationists
we are convinced that creation is true, and evolution is false.
But the truly absurd thing about such evolutionary argu-
ments is that they are contrary to evolution! That is, in an
evolutionary worldview why is it wrong to lie—particularly
if it benefits our survival value?
18
Now, certainly in a Christian worldview it is wrong to lie,
and the Christian has a reason for this. God has indicated
in His Word that lying is contrary to His nature (Numbers
23:19) and that people are not to engage in it (Exodus
20:16). But apart from the Christian worldview, why should
people tell the truth? For that matter, why should people
do anything at all? Words like should and ought only make
sense if there is an absolute standard given by one who has
authority over everyone.
If human beings are merely the inevitable result of the
laws of physics and chemistry acting over time, then how
can people have any genuine choice in what they do? If the
decisions people make are simply the deterministic outwork-
ing of electrochemical reactions in the brain—which is itself
allegedly the mindless outworking of billions of random
chance copying errors in our DNA—then how would it
make sense to hold people responsible for their “decisions?”
After all, we do not attempt to punish the planet Venus
for spinning backwards. And we do not get angry at baking
soda for reacting with vinegar. This is just what necessarily
happens in the universe given the laws of nature. So why
would an evolutionist be angry at anything one human being
does to another (such as creationists supposedly “lying” to
children), if we are all nothing more than complex chemical
reactions? If we are simply evolved animals, why should we
hold to a code of conduct in this “dog-eat-dog” world? After
all, what one animal does to another is morally irrelevant.
The Evolutionary Worldview Borrows from the
Christian Worldview
When evolutionists attempt to be moral, they are “borrow-
ing” from the Christian worldview.
The Christian worldview accounts not only for moral-
ity but also for why evolutionists behave the way they do.
Even those who have no basis for morality within their own
professed worldview nonetheless hold to a moral code; this
is because in their heart of hearts they really do know the
God of creation, despite their profession to the contrary.
Scripture tells us that everyone knows the biblical God but
that they suppress the truth about God (Romans 1:18–21).
Why would anyone do this?
We have an inherited sin nature from Adam (Romans
5:12) who rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden.
John 3:19 indicates that people would rather remain in
spiritual darkness than have their evil deeds exposed. Just
as Adam tried to hide from God’s presence (Genesis 3:8),