It's Only Natural...or Is It?

by Lawrence E. Ford, Sr. *

Each morning when I look out across our back deck at home with my cup of coffee, I see so many amazing sights—boats on a canal, a variety of trees, flowers, and grass, the diversity of local wildlife, clouds moving across an ever-changing sky, leaves blowing in the wind, and so much more. Everything outside appears so very alive. There’s movement, changing colors, and even sounds. So what do we call what we see outside? Nature.

But “nature” doesn’t convey the same meaning for everyone, especially when discussing science.

As a believer, I attribute all of the wonder of “nature” to God our Creator. He designed it all to function in very specific ways throughout the year and around the planet. Seasons change. Fruit grows. Ducks fly. Fish swim. Water flows. Everything exhibits a certain vitality, all according to God’s perfect plan. Genesis 1 describes His original creation when He engineered every form of life to live, multiply, and “fill” the earth according to His command.

But even though it appears that nature is alive, is it really? Is nature biologically alive in any sense? Does nature think or choose or do anything at all by itself? In popular science understanding, does nature actually “select” the fittest to survive?

Evolutionary scientists would have us believe that all of the beauty and order we observe, and even all of the biological functions in living creatures, are simply the result of natural selection, a term Charles Darwin popularized 150 years ago in his attempt to explain the world around him without the existence of God.

In other words, Darwin (and his successors) tried to attribute intelligence to nature.

Beginning this month in Acts & Facts, we will tackle this fundamental pillar of evolutionary thought in light of biblical truth and scientific evidence. Our feature article by ICR CEO Dr. Henry Morris III, “Naturalizing the Supernatural,” zeros in on the basic flaw of natural selection: It robs God of glory. Look for follow-up discussions from Dr. Randy Guliuzza and others on our science team who will take apart the whole idea of natural selection and help us understand how much God really designed into His creation.

Guest author Dr. Jerry Bergman has contributed an eye-opening look at one of the greats in science history, Louis Agassiz. Renowned for his work in paleontology at Harvard, Agassiz never could agree with Darwinian evolution. Dr. Bergman has again allowed us a peek inside the life of another shining star in the field of science who wasn’t afraid to oppose the evolutionary mindset of his day. Read this insightful profile on page 12.

Recently, ICR brought on board Dr. Rhonda Forlow as our new Education Specialist. An expert in K-12 education, Dr. Forlow will be involved in a number of education initiatives at ICR involving curriculum, seminars, school events, and much more. Read her interview on page 19.

As always, we are grateful to each of you for your interest in biblical creation science and rely upon your generous partnership with us each month to continue researching, teaching, and communicating the wonders of creation.

* Mr. Ford is Executive Editor at the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Ford, L. 2011. It’s Only Natural...or Is It? Acts & Facts. 40 (3): 3.