Evolution in Serious Trouble

Kevin Simington

In popular media, the impression is given that the theory of evolution has been unequivocally proven. Not only is this not the case, but scientific developments in recent decades have seriously undermined much of the evidence previously used to support the theory. The reality is that the theory of evolution is in serious trouble today, and there are a growing number of respected scientists who are abandoning the theory in favour of a more theistic explanation for the development of life and the origin of the universe. The average person on the street would not be aware of this trend, because the significant problems in the theory are not being discussed in popular media. At academic levels, however, the serious flaws in the theory are beginning to emerge.

In recent years, a number of academic papers and books have been published, discussing these flaws. One such work is “More than Myth” (Chartwell Press, 2014, Editors: Robert Stackpole and Paul Brown). Of particular significance is the chapter, “Top 10 Scientific Problems With Biological and Chemical Evolution” by Dr. Casey Luskin. Below is a brief summary of the 10 problems suggested by Luskin (in his own words):

1. Lack of a viable mechanism for producing high levels of complex and specified genetic information. Related to this are problems with the Darwinian mechanism producing irreducibly complex features, and the problems of non-functional or deleterious intermediate stages.
2. The failure of the fossil record to provide support for Darwinian evolution.
3. The failure of molecular biology to provide evidence for a grand “tree of life.”
4. Natural selection is an extremely inefficient method of spreading traits in populations unless a trait has an extremely high selection coefficient.
5. The problem that convergent evolution appears rampant — at both the genetic and morphological levels, even though under Darwinian theory this is highly unlikely.
6. The failure of chemistry to explain the origin of the genetic code.
7. The failure of developmental biology to explain why vertebrate embryos diverge from the beginning of development.
8. The failure of neo-Darwinian evolution to explain the bio-geographical distribution of many species.
9. A long history of inaccurate predictions inspired by Neo-Darwinism regarding vestigial organs or so-called “junk” DNA.
10. Humans show many behavioural and cognitive traits and abilities that offer no apparent survival advantage (e.g. music, art, religion, ability to ponder the nature of the universe).

These are just a few of the many significant problems now facing the theory of evolution. Similarly, in his recent book, “Evolution Impossible”, Dr John F Ashton suggests twelve reasons why evolution can’t explain the origin of life on earth. Some of those reasons are:

1. The Impossibility of a living cell arising by chance
2. Random mutations cannot produce new type of organisms
3. The failure of the evolutionary fossil record
4. The complete absence of evolutionary intermediaries
5. Geological evidence for a catastrophic global flood
6. Historic evidence for a worldwide flood
7. Erosion rates, sedimentation rates and other evidence for a young earth
8. Problems with radiometric dating

These and other significant problems are leading a growing number of the world’s leading scientists to either abandon or seriously question the theory of evolution. The book, “In Six Days”, edited by Dr John F Ashton, has 50 chapters, each written by a different scientist from around the world. Each of them provides extensive scientific arguments for their view that the theory of evolution is no longer scientifically tenable, and they explain the growing scientific evidence supporting theistic creation. The contributing scientists are highly regarded internationally, and come from a wide range of fields including biology, chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, physics, zoology, astronomy, meteorology, engineering and botany.

A large number of non-Christian scientists are now embracing the concept of “intelligent design” as the most likely explanation for the existence of our universe. This is primarily the result of the growing scientific understanding of the fine tuning of the universal constants which govern our universe, and which are mutually essential for life to exist.

Table of Universal Constants

The possibility of these universal constants all arriving at their precise values by sheer chance alone is so infinitesimally small as to be an impossibility. The 34 recognised universal constants are so finely tuned that altering one by even one thousandth of one percent would render life and, in the case of some of the constants, the existence of matter itself, impossible.

Dr. Robin Collins, Professor of Theoretical Physics, North Western University, states,

“The chance of just two of these cosmological constants developing by sheer chance, is one in 100 million trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion. That’s more than the number of atoms in the universe! And that’s just TWO of the constants!”.  

Dr Paul Davies, Professor of Theoretical Physics, Adelaide University, states, 

“The physical universe is put together with an ingenuity that is so astonishing, with physical constants that are so impossibly perfect, that I can no longer accept it as the product of brute chance”.

Dr. Fred Hoyle, astrophysicist and mathematician, Cambridge University, states,

“A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question.”

For more detailed information, see my book, “Finding God When He Seems To Be Hiding”, available from my website, SmartFaith.net.