Blog

by Steve Risner

[This blog post is part of a series. The previous post is here, and the next post is here.]

Today we zoom in on question number 7 in our quest to answer “10 theological questions no young-earth creationist can answer.” We've been going through blogger Tyler Francke's writing point by point for the last several months. Today's question tells me Tyler's faith is built on... well, nothing really. He wants to reduce the Bible—the Genesis account of creation specifically—into a fable. Today's question: Can you name any other piece of literature in which the existence of a talking snake and trees with magical powers would suggest to you that it was meant to be taken literally?

To be sure, if you're a denier of the Word of God, this question may seem legitimate. However, as a follower of Jesus Christ, this seems like an attempt to mock the very written Word of God which he has claimed he loves and honors.

Tyler begins this critique of the Bible by mocking (which seems to be his mode of operation) a creationist organization that compared the word usage of “day” in Genesis with the other over 2000 uses in the Old Testament. He acts like this is absurd when, in reality, people like Tyler and others may make the claim that the word “day” in Genesis may mean something other than what the text obviously means. This is just a fact—I've engaged those who believe this way quite frequently and it's unfortunate, yes. But to mock someone for it seems a little immature. Many old earth creationists will say the word “day” can mean an indefinite period of time—which actually doesn't do anything for them. It just creates different issues. But the truth of the matter is that “day” in Genesis cannot mean anything other than a 24-hour period in the context. But he thinks that this somehow is connected to the serpent that tempted Eve, making the entire account fictional. The trouble with this, in the end, is that Jesus Christ must be fictional as well and our faith is for nothing—or our faith is in a fictional story of a man that died for our sins because fake people were duped by a fake snake that tempted them to sin, cursing all of creation.

He asks if talking animals or trees with magical powers are found in other literary works that are to be taken literally. The bottom line: I know of no other literary works that were inspired by direct revelation from God Almighty, so the question is pointless. I don't know of nonfictional works aside from the Bible that have angels slaying cities. I haven't read much about water drawing back and standing in a heap so an entire nation of people can walk through a sea on dry land. Are there nonfictional books written that tell about dead men coming back to life, thousands of people eating a small child's lunch and having tons left over, or men running faster than horses? I have yet to find a single authentic work that is to be taken literally that says the sky can open up, resulting in fire falling down to consume an alter of rock, water and animal carcass... or the earth opening up at random to swallow rebellious people. What about a man that could tear a lion in half with his hands, kill a thousand men with donkey's mandible, or bring down an entire temple with his strength? Yet all of these things happened in the Word of God. You cannot compare the Bible to any other work in such a way because, as I've stated already, it stands alone as the ONLY book breathed by God Himself. It's not a book written about God. It's a book written by God.

He mentions Balaam's donkey, oddly. He thinks this is excused because it says God opened the mouth of the donkey. So, in other words, even Tyler apparently believes the story of a talking animal is to be taken literally in the Bible. The irony is strong with this one.

Is salvation a myth? Was Jesus real? Did He die (physically) for a fake story?

The trees mentioned do not possess “magical powers.” What a shallow attempt at mocking the Word of God.

Finally, he attempts to say that making a figurative comparison to something means that that something must be imaginary. The Tree of Life, which he fails to understand at all—especially its place in heaven where it's mentioned according to John in Revelation, is mentioned in Proverbs. It's compared to wisdom and fulfilled desire. Since God holds a high value on wisdom, He compares it to the Tree of Life. To be sure, there are those who do not believe the reference to the Tree of Life here is accurately the tree found in the Garden of Eden or in heaven. It's “a tree of life,” “well or spring of life,” or “something that gives life.” Either way, it makes no difference. And who's not super happy when they finally get what they've so longingly desired? These mentions of the Tree of Life don't make the Tree of Life less real. In fact, they further solidify it as a real thing. Why would God compare wisdom to a fake tree that never existed? Is wisdom fake? Is wisdom something only to be talked about to make a point but isn't real?

This is the clearest representation we have thus far that theistic evolutionists (or this one at least) are hostile toward the Bible and will mock it to make their points. They don't stand on the Word of God but on the word of men. This cannot be stressed enough. Secular humanism is at the foundation or the core of theistic evolution. As such, it's quite an easy thing for the theistic evolutionist to abandon the core of Christianity and jeer at it as the scoffers do, as the God deniers and God haters do, and as the unbelievers do. When we decide we can insert whatever we like because we don't like what the Bible says, we're doomed (literally). If we decide we like this sin or that one, or if we decided we like this account more than the Biblical account, we will rewrite the Biblical account or hand wave it and claim it doesn't really mean what it clearly states. Don't be fooled! God will not be mocked. There is literally no reason to accept anything other than the Biblical account on origins. Remember, pray for the theistic evolutionists you know. They're trying to live in two worlds at the same time and, as Jesus said of serving two masters, they will likely cling to one and hate the other. I feel quite often they claim Christ while scoffing at much of His Word, so the one they cling to is obvious.

Next week we take a look at one of the most common criticisms by atheists for the Bible—especially Genesis. Stay tuned!

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.