Evolution

Upon what ground does a Christian evolutionist
stand?

Those who call themselves Christian evolutionists claim that the hypothesis of the evolution of man does not contradict Scripture. To the writer it seems in flat contradiction. It is a matter that should trouble no one for the simple reason that we cannot fairly be called upon to disprove an unproved theory. It is not a question of one missing link, but of hundreds, perhaps thousands of missing links. Natural selection, and the differentiation of species, if established by competent proof, do not go one step toward proving the evolutionary origin of man. That all varieties of palms — and more than one thousand varieties are known — were derived from one original palm does not raise the smallest presumption that a palm tree ever becomes an apple tree. To this day not a scintilla of evidence has been offered which tends to establish the pure hypothesis that higher species are developed out of lower.

But wholly apart from these considerations there is a consideration before which the hypothesis recoils. It is this: If the higher forms of life were evolved out of lower, then the processes must still be going on. We still have oysters, monkeys and men. If men were produced by evolution from oysters up through monkeys, there is no conceivable reason why men should not still be produced in that way — but no one pretends this.

Can you give me any help on the subject of evolution? My teachers all hold to it.

While evolution and rationalism have spread like wildfire through some of our schools, any one familiar with both sides of evolution knows that the whole thing is but a working hypothesis and that in most cases it doesn’t work, and is losing ground continually. The late Dr. Virchow, the great pathologist and discoverer of the germ theory, was an active opponent of evolution. Dr. Gregory, editor of the “Homiletic Review,’ and in a position to know the facts, vouches for the statement that “It is a strange fact that no great scientific authority in Great Britain in exact science, science that reduces its conclusions to mathematical formule, has endorsed evolution.”’ Sir J. William Dawson, the great geologist of Canada, utterly rejected it and says: “It is one of the strangest phenomena of humanity; it is utterly destitute of proof.” Thomas Carlyle called it “the gospel of dirt.” Ruskin said of it, “I have never yet heard one logical argument in its favor. I have heard and read many that are beneath contempt.” Prof. Zockler writes: “It must be stated that the supremacy of this philosophy has not been such as was predicted by its defenders at the outset. A mere glance at the history of the theory during the four decades that it has been before the public shows that the beginning of the end is at hand.”

Such utterances are now very common in the periodicals of Germany, it is said. It seems plain the reaction has commenced and that the pendulum that has swung so strongly in the direction of evolution, is now oscillating the other way. It required twenty years for evolution to reach us from abroad. Is it necessary for us to wait twenty years more to reverse our opinions? Why may we not pass upon facts for ourselves without awaiting the consensus of European scholarship, which is after all so subject to perplexing reversals?

The above statements have been quoted from a little book called “The Other Side of Evolution,’ by Alexander Patterson, D.D., and published by the Bible Institute Colportage Association of Chicago. It is a most interesting and valuable book — costing 60 cents. One could go on and on giving the strongest evidences on the other side.

If you are obliged to sit under rationalistic teachers, do so, but stand firmly by the Word — thousands upon thousands have had to defend it with their life blood — the enemy is growing more and more open in his attacks and more subtle in his methods, but God will soon vindicate Himself and then ‘“‘we shall not be ashamed before him at his coming.” We are truly in the last days and need to live very near the Lord (read 2 Pet. 2; 2 Tim. 3; 2 Tim. 4:1-4; Jude 3, 11).