Theology

[Publius]

Which is possibly more miraculous.
Creating fully formed beings from nothing.
Or designing and creating a molecular and biological system that can adopt and change to ever changing conditions.

Both are pretty miraculous.
There is micro and macro-evolution.
What evolution has never proven is the progression from a primordial ooze to the complex systems we are and interact with.

 

[Publius]

Which is possibly more miraculous.
Creating fully formed beings from nothing.
Or designing and creating a molecular and biological system that can adopt and change to ever changing conditions from nothing. One that has a cellular structure containing a four letter alphabet with millions of instructions. That guides and directs complex living organisms.

Yeah that pretty much qualifies as a miraculous creation.


There is micro and macro evolution.
What macro-evolution has never proven is the progression from a primordial ooze to the complex systems we are and interact with today.

What many take on faith, just as people of faith also do, is in believing that the theory of evolution answers the question of where life on earth came from. It’s very easy to prove that it doesn’t. Something in our material world, as our science understands it, cannot evolve from nothing.
To be fair most scientists and academics do not claim the theory of evolution answers the question on where life on earth came from. It only definitively proves or explains differences and changes within species. Not the biological sum of life on earth.

So molded from clay and had life breathed into it. Or a fascinating and complex biological system that also at some point along the way had to have life breathed into it.

 

[william]

Genetic variation, the basis of evolution and adaptation.

From a biblical creationist perspective, genetic variation is not the result of long-term evolutionary processes but of God’s initial design, the effects of the Fall, and the global Flood.

1. Creation with inherent diversity
Biblical theology teaches that God created humanity as a single pair—Adam and Eve—fashioned in His image (Genesis 1:27). Genesis 2:15–25 describes them as the first humans, with all the genetic potential for diversity already present in their created state. This means the variation we see today is not the product of gradual mutation over tens or hundreds of thousands of years, but of the original genetic blueprint God gave.

2. The Fall and genetic corruption
After the Fall, sin introduced “curse” into creation (Romans 8:19–21), leading to degradation and loss of genetic information. Creationists argue that this corruption explains why genomes show signs of decay rather than progressive complexity. The biblical account sees the world as originally “very good” (Genesis 1:31), but sin brought death, suffering, and imperfection, which also affected genetic integrity.

3. The Flood as a bottleneck and reshaping event
Genesis 6–9 describes a global flood that reduced humanity to eight survivors (Noah, his wife, and three of each kind of animal). All modern human populations descend from these survivors, meaning genetic diversity today is shaped by the variation God placed in Adam and Eve and the subsequent population growth after the Flood. This aligns with the biblical timeline of a few thousand years since creation.

4. Mutation and selection within creation
Biblical creationists accept that mutations and natural selection are real processes, but they do not see them as sources of new species or complex information. Instead, they explain variation as:

• Inherited mutations from Adam and Eve’s original genome.
• Genetic entropy—the accumulation of harmful mutations over generations, which, according to some models, would limit human lifespan and diversity to a few thousand years
• Post-Flood diversification within the created kinds, as God’s design allowed for adaptation and specialization after the Flood.

5. Scientific alignment

Some creationist genetic studies, such as those modeling mutation rates, suggest that the human genome would reach a critical degradation point within a few thousand years, consistent with a recent creation and Flood history. This “genetic entropy” model is used to reconcile observed genetic variation with a young Earth timeline.

In summary:
Biblical theology answers genetic variation by saying it comes from God’s original creation, is shaped by the Fall’s corruption, and is bounded by the Flood’s bottleneck. Variation is not the product of long-term evolutionary change but of the initial design, the effects of sin, and the post-Flood population expansion. This view sees genetics as evidence of a recent creation and a world under the curse of sin.

 

[william]

An Israeli archaeologist discovered a mysterious 3,300-year-old structure on Mount Ebal, believed to be Joshua’s Altar.

Around it were the bones of sheep, goats, and cattle, just as the Torah prescribed for sacrifice by the Cohanim, the Jewish priests. No bones of ritually impure animals, such as pigs or donkeys, were found. Nearby were Egyptian scarabs, seals, and jewelry dating to the biblical Exodus period. As the excavation continued, the mystery deepened.

Professor Adam Zertal, of blessed memory, had been surveying the hills of Samaria with a team of volunteers when they came across the ancient structure. It was unlike anything they had expected to find. The local rabbi of Shavei Shomron took an interest in the discovery. He opened a Mishnah containing a description of an ancient Israelite altar and asked Zertal whether it resembled the structure they had uncovered. “Exactly like it,” Zertal replied. The rabbi answered, “Then you’ve found Joshua’s Altar.”

The structure’s design closely matched the biblical description of an Israelite altar. The animal remains all came from species permitted for sacrifice, and radiocarbon dating placed the site in the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age, around 3,300 years ago.

Based on the archaeological evidence, Zertal concluded that the site was likely the altar built by Joshua after the Israelites entered the Land of Israel, as described in Joshua 8:30-35, where the nation gathered on Mount Ebal for the covenant ceremony.

Image credit: יונתן (שטובי) בלומנטל, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Nation of Israel Lives

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