Statement of Position on Creation: Belhaven College Department of Biology 

Dr. Alfred P. Chestnut
Professor and Chair of the Biology Department
Belhaven College

The biology department at Belhaven College looks to the Holy Scriptures as the inerrant Word of God, the only rule in all matters of faith and practice.  We recognize that the created world is part of the revelation of God’s nature and that an understanding of God’s created world comes partly through the discipline of science.  Hence, science as a study of the natural world should not at any time contradict the written Word of God as recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

Science is a field of knowledge that deals with empirical methodology as a means of determining truth.  However, it is not the means of determining all truth, and it is limited by the requirements for empirical thought.  Empirical methodology allows for hypothesis based upon observation and theory formation based on interpretation of gathered data from experimentation.  While the benefits of science are many, our culture has been negatively influenced by some aspects of scientific theory formation.  Evolutionary theories concerning the origin of life and the origin of man, based on naturalistic presuppositions that deny the authority of Scripture, are often presented as fact in textbooks and classrooms.

One of the goals of the biology department at Belhaven College is to provide students with a basic understanding of the way in which scientific theories are formed and the underlying presuppositions that are used in the formation of those theories.  The ability to separate fact from theory is a basic part of scientific methodology and is critical for the evangelical Christian and for college students in general.

The Creationist position held by the biology department at Belhaven College is taken from an article by Davis Young in Eternity, May 1982.  While we do not agree with all of Young’s conclusions in this article, we do agree with the following statement:

Genuine biblical creationism is simply the belief that the biblical record of creation is true. The biblical creationist believes that the sovereign, triune God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, created the entire universe out of nothing, by the word of his power. He believes that the universe is not eternal but had a beginning.  He believes that the first chapter of Genesis describes real events.  He believes that the world underwent growth and development during its creation.  He believes that the human race is unique, the crown of creation.  All these beliefs are basic to the biblical doctrine of creation, and one who subscribes to them is a genuine creationist.  (p. 15)

We understand this to include a historical Adam and Eve and a historical fall.

The general theory of evolution (macroevolution) has permeated almost all scientific writing.  At Belhaven College, the subject of evolution is examined from the beginning of the general biology course.  An effort is made to analyze statements throughout course textbooks and from the scientific community that are unsupported generalizations concerning evolutionary theory.  The specific subject of evolution is dealt with as follows. 

The word evolution means “directional change.”  The problem in science is not so much with change, but with the extent of change that has taken place since the creation of the earth.  In biological science, evolution can be examined on three levels.

Individual variation, also known as genetics, involves changes that occur from generation to generation as a result of genetic recombination during sexual reproduction, i.e., gamete formation.  These kinds of changes are limited to the genes present in the parental individuals and are common throughout the sexually reproducing plant and animal kingdoms.

Second, population genetics or population ecology (microevolution) refers to changes in gene frequencies that occur in populations over time, for example, the results of dog or cattle breeding.  These types of changes can be brought about either naturally (e.g., plant varieties or species that form as the result of reproductive isolation caused by geographic barriers) or artificially (e.g. plant or animal varieties produced by specific breeding projects).  Both of these levels are referred to as evolutionary change in textbooks; they can be considered factual and should present no problems to the evangelical Christian except in areas of terminology.

The third level of change, macroevolution, refers to the formation of new species through the separation and divergence of populations and results in changes in the types of genetic material present.  This type of change can come about only with the influx of new genetic information, i.e., through mutations.  While it is based on the first two levels of change, this third level is theoretical and is not based on observable, repeatable facts.  It is this level of change (e.g., the development of amphibians from fish) that is of greatest concern.

For most evangelical Christians, the third level of change, macroevolution, is unacceptable as a theory because it is in direct conflict with God’s written Word.  It is important that students have a biological basis for understanding factual directional change (i.e., evolution on the genetic and population genetics levels) as well as theoretical directional change (i.e., macroevolution) and the problems with the theoretical level.  Because the term evolution is applied generally by scientists and even laypersons to all three levels, it can at times be confusing.

We recognize that all evangelical Christians do not hold to the position we have stated.  For example, the Belhaven College biology department strongly supports the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU); however, we do not agree with the basic tenets of theistic evolution, i.e., macroevolutionary changes directed by the hand of God, a belief held by many biologists within the CCCU.

At Belhaven College, the biology department makes a determined effort to integrate God’s Word with lecture material, not only in the study of origins but throughout biology courses.

The theme for general biology courses at Belhaven College is that humans are “fearfully and wonderfully made”  (Psalm 139:14, KJV).  This theme is stated throughout science courses: in discussions on anatomy, physiology, development, in vitro fertilization, abortion, genetics, genetic recombination, and so forth.

Our primary desire is to education students who are knowledgeable and articulate in the realm of biological science, yet discerning and faithful in areas of God’s nature and His creation.

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye, therefore, wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16, KJV)