The document discusses different views on the origin and development of life, including Young Earth Creationism, Intelligent Design, and a perspective of YHWH-led Evolution. It argues that while science has found evidence of evolution, God/YHWH still could have initiated and guided the process, as the ultimate designer, creator, and overseer of all life in the universe. Rejecting all scientific evidence in favor of only a literal biblical interpretation risks discrediting faith, so synthesizing both revelation in nature and scripture is preferable.

1. YHWH Author | Source | Designer | Overseer “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.”1Cor 10:26

2. Young Earth Creationism Interprets six days of creation (Gen 1) as literal 24-hr days and concludes that Earth must be less than 10,000 years old. All species were created by individual acts of divine creation, and Adam and Eve were historic figures created by God from the dust in the Garden of Eden and not descended from other creatures. Accept ‘microevolution’ but reject ‘macroevolution’ Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out evolution Radioactive dating of rocks and universe is wrong Theory of Evolution is a lie and threatens to dilute the power of the Bible and one’s firm faith in God.

3. Young Earth Creationism Interprets six days of creation (Gen 1) as literal 24-hr days and concludes that Earth must be less than 10,000 years old. All species were created by individual acts of divine creation, and Adam and Eve were historic figures created by God from the dust in the Garden of Eden and not descended from other creatures. Theory of Evolution is a lie and threatens to dilute the power of the Bible and one’s firm faith in God.

5. Intelligent Design (ID) ”Certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection.” Most ID proponents are “old-earth” creationists (OEC). Some are “young-earth” creationists (YECs). Some accept the common ancestry of humans and apes. Portrays itself as non-biblical and an alternative scientific theory Main Point: Complexity presumes an Intelligent Designer (TBNL)

6. Intelligent Design (ID) ”Certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection.” Portrays itself as non-biblical and an alternative scientific theory Main Point: Complexity presumes some kind of Intelligent Designer (TBNL)

7. So Why Do Men Have Nipples? Male Nipples – single developmental structure Male Uterus – hangs off the prostate Thirteenth Rib – 8% of humans have this, just like chimps and gorillas Coccyx – tailbone Wisdom Teeth – vegetarians Appendix – digesting cellulose Body Hair – left over from hairy ancestors Goose Bumps – puff up fur Extrinsic Ear Muscles – directionality Third Eyelid – remnant of nictating membrane

8. Why Would an Intelligent Designer Include These Useless Accessories? Male Nipples Male Uterus Thirteenth Rib Coccyx Wisdom Teeth Appendix Body Hair Goose Bumps Extrinsic Ear Muscles Third Eyelid

9. Why Most Scientists Reject ID It fails to qualify as a bona fide scientific theory. Viable scientific theories predict other findings and suggest approaches for further experimental verification. ID’s proposal of the intervention of supernatural forces to account for complex biological entities is a scientific dead end. It provides no mechanism by which the postulated supernatural interventions would give rise to complexity. Science today has found more answers to the question of the rise of complex organisms. ID appears to have confused the unknown with the unknowable or the unsolved with the unsolvable. Theologically, ID is a “God of the gaps” theory that runs a huge risk of discrediting faith in God in the wake of new scientific explanations.

10. Why Most Scientists Reject ID It fails to qualify as a bona fide scientific theory. It provides no mechanism by which the postulated supernatural interventions would give rise to complexity. Science today has found more answers to the question of the rise of complex organisms. But science can’t come up with Who did this or Why.

11. YHWH-led Evolution The universe began out of nothingness 13.7B years ago. YHWH was always there. Against all odds, the properties of the universe appear to have been precisely tuned eventually (10 billion year later) to produce life on Earth.YHWH tuned the universe to produce life. Even though we still don’t know how life here began, once it did, the process of evolution and natural selection permitted the development of biological diversity and complexity over extremely long periods of time.YHWH exists outside of time and designed and upholds this process.

12. The How, When, Who & Why Once evolution got going, no special supernatural intervention was necessary.YHWH still guides the process. Humans are part of this process, sharing a common ancestor with the great apes. Genetic evidence supports that YHWH did it this way. But humans are also unique in ways that defy evolutionary explanations and point to our spiritual nature. At some point, YHWH chose to ‘place’ a soul in us Moral Law and the common longing for meaning

13. Kyoto Kiyomizu Temple, Japan

14. Large Hadrian Collider, Switzerland

15. The Late Sam Maloof, Master Woodworker Designed furniture and used consistent methods and materials over years to create them. ID + Evolution? The analogy breaks down in the sense that man is always active in building the chair, etc., while God in a sense might design the laws of physics and biology but is perhaps not actively directing every step. Instead YHWH God is upholding the universe He created to follow those laws. We create other things more ‘passively,’ relying on the way the constant laws of the universe operate.

16. More Like Baking? Maybe it’s more like baking or planting a garden We envision, design, & prepare, but then let laws of "nature" take over The big difference between that process and God is that God is omniscient and there's no chance involved

17. Like How All Living Things Develop? Psa 139 13You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

18. The Bible and Scientific Truth By definition, God could create the universe and life in it any way He chooses The Bible and Nature are two of the primary ways that God has revealed His truth about Himself and creation Special Revelation (2Tim 3:16-17; Gen 1 & 2) Natural Revelation (Rom 1:18-20, Psa 19:1) Two responses to the convergence of scientific truth (Nature) that contradicts a literal reading of Gen 1 & 2: Reject scientific truth > stick to literal reading of the Bible >> Reject all scientific truth and only believe the Bible? Accept scientific truth > view Bible’s account as theological truth >> Synthesize scientific and biblical truth

19. Each Position Requires Faith YHWH-led Evolution God-led Creationism Young Earth Creationism Intelligent Design | OEC ‘god’-led Evolution God-less Evolution

20. The Author & Overseer of All Life “If God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.” Matthew 6:30