Out of the
ffCounseling Problems aren’t impossible to understand” says — GRACE SLOAN OVERTON in h er latest h ook
Lab Donald S. Robertson, Ph.D. Chairman, Dept, of Science, Biola Bible College
Evolution (Part Three)
T his month we will begin a dis cussion of the evidence that is based upon the variability found among living things. It is obvious that if evolution is correct organisms must have the ability to change. Thus along with the conservative compo nent of evolution which is responsible for the retention of similarity the evolutionist has proposed a dynamic process that is responsible for pro ducing the variations needed for the formation of a new organism. Strictly speaking we are now get ting out of the realm of evidence into a consideration of the mechan ism of evolution. Although in reality if a plausible mechanism can be dem onstrated, it in itself would be one of the most convincing evidences for the theory. It was the suggestion of what seemed a plausible mechanism that was one of the reasons for the acceptance of Darwin’s theory when it was first produced. Briefly and in a somewhat simpli fied form, the mechanism is thought to involve an interaction of a popu lation of organism with its environ ment. Although all members of a given species have certain character istics in common, there is also found to be present a considerable amount of variation. In other words, every individual differs ever so slightly from his neighbor. The source of this variation we will consider later. Now the evolutionist suggests that if the environment changes in some segment of the range that a species occupies, there might possibly be present some variants which are bet ter adapted to the new environment than others. As a result the better adapted individuals will be most like ly to survive and produce offspring and if their differences are the re sult of changes in their hereditary mechanism they will then be passed on to their offspring. Ultimately all
the individuals living in this new environment will have the new trait. This type of thing is pictured as going on time after time until there are accumulated so many changes that the segment of the population undergoing this process will become so markedly different from the par ent that it must be called a new species. In order for the evolutionist to establish this theory as fact, two things need to be proven: 1) that living things have innate within them a system for producing the type of variations necessary for the needed changes and 2) that the en vironment and organism actually in teract in a maimer outlined above. These are the two most fundamental problems involved, but needless to say there are others. Before we consider these two prob lems, it should be pointed out that the fact of variation which is ob served in nature does not conflict with the Scriptures. The Christian expects variation within the created unit. If this were not so he would expect all of the men living today to show the same characteristics. Yet as we look at the present day descend- ents of Adam and Eve we find that there is considerable variation. Now the Christian must believe that the ability to produce the variations which differentiate the races of man today must have been present within Adam and Eve. Although the Chris tian recognizes the presence of varia tion he does not believe that by ma nipulating this variation entirely new creatures can be produced. In other words he believes that there are def inite limits to how much a form can vary. (N ext month we w ill consider the first problem mentioned above— the source of variation.) END.
LIVING WITH PARENTS
Teeners realize that they can’t be allowed to do everything they wish; and at the same time they learn how to get their parents to better under stand them. The parent or coun selor who reads Living with Parents will acquire a new understanding of the problems of growing-up young sters. This book takes a revealing look at the causes of personal conflicts and how they can be solved. Sub jects range from boy-girl situations to religion. It offers adults unusual insight into the views of youth . . . as the author uses actual experiences from talks with teen-agers and par ents to make this book doubly in teresting and helpful for you. Practical, direct, Christian. $ 1 .5 0 At all bookstores BROADMAN PRESS Nashville 3, Tennessee
Y ou r Editors have a Christmas gilt for you . See inside front cover.
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NOV EMB E R 1954
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