What is a creationist viewpoint on natural selection?

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TL;DR:

As used by atheists, natural selection fails to explain both the origin and history of life. As understood by creationists, natural selection is a divinely designed process that allows organisms to survive and thrive.

from the old testament

  • The phrase "according to its kind” appears ten times in Genesis chapter one (verses 11-12; 21; 24-25). The Hebrew word for “kind” is sometimes compared to the term “species,” but it was not written with that scientific definition in mind. We see variety in horses, but a horse is always a horse. It never becomes a mule or some new animal, without some intelligent and deliberate interference.

from the new testament

  • By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible (Hebrews 11:3). Not only did God create the galaxies, stars and planets, He also created each of the various types of life on earth as described in Genesis 1.

implications for today

Charles Darwin selectively bred pigeons; he based his argument for macroevolution on domestic breeding. Domestic breeding is seen in farm animals and pets; this is also called “artificial selection” because a human mind is making the selection. Yet in all the years of domestic breeding, no one has ever reported the origin of a new species, much less a new organ or body plan.

For example, water fleas (daphnia) are so sensitive to changes in environment that they are used to test water purity. A ten-year study of water fleas failed to find any evidence of Darwin's natural selection. Decades-long experiments with bacteria—involving some 75,000 generations (ten times the gap between “cavemen” and modern man)—have shown notable adaptations to environment, but no fundamental alterations in “kind.” Deliberate, artificially-accelerated breeding of dogs has created both teacup poodles and mastiffs, but both are still the same “kind.”

Contrary to widespread public impression, atheistic evolution cannot account for the initial origin of life. Naturalistic evolution presupposes the existence of something living which can mutate and change in the first place. No form of “evolution” can explain where the first “evolving” organism came from. Prebiological natural selection is a contradiction in terms. Natural selection does not account for the origin of life.

understand

  • Natural selection does not account for the origin of life.
  • Natural selection is seen in microevolution, but macroevolution is less observable.
  • God created species according to their kind, which some creationists interpret to mean that one kind cannot become another kind.

reflect

  • How do you understand natural selection to fit with God’s design of creation and the diversity within species?
  • How does the distinction between microevolution and macroevolution challenge and encourage you regarding God’s design?
  • How does acknowledging natural selection’s limitations in explaining the origin of life shape your perspective on science and faith?

engage

  • How can we explain the difference between microevolution (observable changes within species) and macroevolution (the origin of new species) and how it connects with a biblical understanding of God’s role in creation?
  • What are the implications of viewing natural selection as a mechanism within God’s creation rather than the way atheistic voices use it to explain away His involvement?
  • What are the limitations in understanding natural selection in seeking to explain the development of life?