Biblical Accuracy

1. Throughout history there have always been those who believe that life began on earth by supernatural creation and others who prefer to stick with the naturalistic explanation that life began spontaneously by chance events from non-living matter. The first view, the biblical view, is called biogenesis meaning that life can only come from pre-existing life. The second view is usually ascribed to Aristotle and is referred to as abiogenesis.

The history of the rise of humanism in Europe is the record of society's change in the way of thinking from being God-centered to human-centered. This change was a reaction against the authoritarian rule by theologians who used Scripture to interpret nature but relied upon the writings of Aristotle to make those interpretations. This change in thinking began in the 1600s and has continued into the present day; two names are recognized by historians as being more responsible than any others for initiating this humanist worldview. Those names are Francis Bacon and René Descartes.

1.  The three basic questions that have faced mankind  since the beginning of time are: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? Philosophers have attempted to provide answers based upon human wisdom but these answers vary from one philosopher to the next. On the other hand, a great many people believe that there is a God who created everything and gave mankind the Scriptures in which are found the correct answers to those three eternal questions.

To discuss this topic meaningfully, we necessarily must think in terms of a recent creation. If we are thinking in terms of five billion years of earth's history, about one or two billion years of life's history, and about one or two million years of human history, the study of the world before the flood would be more or less without meaning. One would then have to think in terms of a local flood, and the world before such a flood would be no different from the world after the flood.