CL Staff | February 26, 2020
Nature is a fascinating environment to study particularly, if we’re looking for answers or to further understand how this universe functions. One’s worldview to understanding this planet and its intricate networks will always matter because it could be the difference between improving life here on earth or taking detours that could prolong a solution. Creationism and Evolutionism are two very different worldviews that offer an explanation for what we see in nature. If we pick any topic: pollution, global warming, natural disasters, man-made disasters, overpopulation, etc., we can typically find different and, in some instances, extreme solutions to each depending on the worldviews that shape them.
The observable world is full of complex organisms, some of which we understand, and others we are only beginning to unravel. Take living organisms just by themselves like a human or animal cell, and the number of components and layers each one possesses is so striking it should be difficult even to conceive they came together by random processes to what we now see. Even if we initially do consider it indiscriminate, as research continues to demonstrate just how complex and finely tuned these mechanisms are, if we are truly open, we should be re-evaluating the initial stance.
And then we have incredible manifestations in nature. Some we already know of like how the liver can regenerate itself, or the marvel of adult stem cells. But then, we have other instances like what is happening in Chernobyl at the nuclear power plant. Back in 1991, scientists discovered a black fungus growing on the walls of the reactor. The reason this is significant is that radiation kills everything (or almost everything as it turns out). As researchers have studied this black fungus, they have discovered that its daily diet consists of none other than radiation itself! That’s right; this particular fungus feeds on radiation. While there are still some ways to go to unlocking what scientists can do with this information and how it can benefit humanity, it has the potential to be revolutionary. Some would like to study its behavior in outer space where the damages of radiation are significant. From a creationist’s point of view, it’s as if God knew mankind would experience or provoke disasters of considerable proportion, and he included the solution. Consider how plants and trees take carbon dioxide (toxic to humans) and convert it into oxygen (a vital element, literally).
As a side note, it would be so easy to dismiss something as insignificant-looking as fungus; after all, some can be quite toxic or deadly. However, as researchers are finding out, their role in our ecosystem can be the difference between leaving an area barren or restoring it to life, as demonstrated in a research paper published by Answers Research Journal titled Toward an Understanding of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi. It will give you a further understanding of this planet we live in and the part we can play just by understanding its inner workings.
Humanity is responsible for the administration not just of our own life but the world in which we live. This isn’t an earth-shattering revelation, after all, if we are not good stewards, we are creating our destruction. It matters what worldviews or philosophies of life we embrace. It could be the difference between using what’s in nature for all of mankind’s good or selectively benefitting some while harming others. In other words, it matters what morality or ethics we choose to embrace as people. We must not forget that though nature is breathtaking and full of finely-tuned mechanisms we must not make the mistake of glorifying it over mankind. As the farming community already experiences this between their farming practices versus the protection of whatever wildlife or vegetation environmentalists want to defend at that time. Environmental zeal can blind us to our detriment as well. We must always look for that balance that comes when we have the right priorities in line.
How further advanced would we be if we started from the premise that an intelligent being created the world we see, and it is up to us to discover how we can benefit from it? After all, it’s not an entirely crazy idea. Look at the fathers of modern science such as Johannes Kepler, Sir Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, or Carl Linnaeus, to name a few examples. We will find that although some were not entirely orthodox in their Christianity, they still believed that God had ordered the universe. The more technology advances, the more we can see how precise and exact every component in the universe and the natural world has to be to function. Let us genuinely move forward as a human race to perfect ourselves and the world around us. God is not at odds with science, and what’s even better, we don’t have to choose between one or the other. What we do have to do choose is how we apply that knowledge.