I have long observed that some people are willing to believe almost any theory of origins as long as it doesn’t involve a sentient, omniscient, omnipotent divine creator. I once read of some scientists who had concluded that life on earth must have been started by aliens from other planets! While I appreciate their willingness to concede that life begets life, and that life does not begin from non-life, I disagree with their life-by-aliens theory of origins. If life on earth was brought or formed by aliens, then how did alien life begin? Were aliens formed by other aliens more wise and powerful than themselves? Are we to believe that this process of alien replication has repeated itself over and over for eons? (And some claim that belief in God is foolish!) Such “scientists” think it silly to believe in a divine creator, but have no problem believing that earth life was formed by aliens. They don’t believe in God, but they do believe in aliens. This makes me wonder… Would these folks start believing in God if we started calling Him an “alien?”
Another theory of origins recently captured my attention. The science correspondent for the UK Telegraph recently reported that NASA scientists had “replicated the impact of a comet and demonstrated that amino acids, the building block of life, could have survived the intense heat and shock waves given off in the collision.” He reports researchers to have said that, “the water, energy and amino acids – which bind together to form proteins – could have caused the first chemical reactions and created proteins.”
Unlike the previous theory, this one has no role for aliens to play in the formation of life upon the earth. In fact, this theory requires no sentient beings whatsoever! It alleges that life began from non-life. All that was required was a speeding comet and some water. This combination of ingredients and action allegedly slammed life into existence and kicked off the evolutionary process, which they claim continues today.
I did notice one little problem with this theory of origins: The researchers repeatedly spoke of what “could have” or “might have” happened. The brief article contained at least 5 instances of this speculative phraseology. In other words, these researchers have no real idea what actually happened, but they believe that life could have been produced on earth by a comet. These researchers reject the possibility of life being formed here by a sentient divine being, but they believe there was a very real possibility that it was formed here by an insentient, lifeless comet. Someone needs to be reminded of the definition of “science.”
When asked by the disciples “how to pray,” Jesus instructed them to begin their prayers with the words, “Our Father who art in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9). According to certain scientific researchers, we owe our existence, not to our Father in heaven, but to a comet from heaven! “The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). If no other evidence for God existed, the library of information contained in the human genome is sufficient to prove intelligent design. Those wishing to avoid the implications of belief in God will continue to attribute the cosmos to a variety of silly causes and events. Meanwhile, Bible believers will continue to take comfort in the fact that God “made the heavens and the earth and all that in them is.”
Tim Haile