Towards a Creation Model

As part of my attempt to learn more about the wonderfully designed creation God has made,  I spend as much time as I can reading scientific literature, both creationist and evolutionist. One of the terms I see periodically in creationist literature is the term “creation model”. It was a term I had heard before but never really researched into deeply.  I recently began to do so and decided to share some of what I learned. This article will be discussing what a creation model is, why it is important, and why it matters in light of origins.

A creation model is a very broad topic.  It covers a vast array of items such as how long the days of Genesis 1-3 are and whether there was a flood or not.  Essentially it is a cohesive theory about how origins occurred. Thus it is far too broad in scope and practice to be limited to just one article.  However, we can glean a general  overview of what a creation model would look like in a single article, which is the goal of this article. A coherent creation model is not scientific. No one observed creation and no one living observed the flood. However, it applies currently observed scientific principles to things the Bible describes to form conclusions about past events such as the flood. This may sound a lot like what evolutionists do and it is to an extent. The difference is, they will insist that what they are doing is scientific, when in fact, it is religious.

Having a creation model is important for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most obvious is the ability to have a foundation for discussion. It is quite difficult to discuss origins without a concrete set of beliefs as a foundation for that discussion.  Having a creation model to work from also allows creation scientists to make predictions based on that model.  For example, belief in a flood would dictate that their should be worldwide evidence for such a flood and, in fact, there is. Fossil graveyards are found throughout the world.  Geological structures show evidence of having been laid down rapidly by moving water. Fossils run through multiple layers of rock, proving they were laid down within short periods of time of each other.  A creation model also allows for scientific research to be conducted based on the model. For example, belief in creation requires belief in created kinds which can only vary so far from one another based on their genetics. Thus these limits should be knowable. It therefore should be possible to determine where one kind ends and another begins.  This is being done under the science of baraminology, a term coined by a scientist named Frank Marsh which essentially means study of the created kinds.

Probably the single most important takeaway from building a creation model is that there is a lot we do not know. The Bible tells us important historical details, but does not give scientific ones. It is not a science text.  That said, when it speaks about science, Christians believe it is accurate.  Thus while we can rely on it when it speaks, when it does not, creation scientists are forced into the use of inference and deduction. To determine what the earth was like before, during and just after the flood and what made it that way, creation scientists must reason using conditions and events of today and apply them to the past.

However, having a creation model is a wonderful thing, but having one with practical application is necessary in order for anything useful to come of it. We have discussed some applications of it above but consider for a moment the importance of having a foundation to build on. Every science experiment in one way or another reflects the underlying worldview of the experimenter. A creation model of some form is built into the creationist worldview by default.  Therefore, the model must be as close to accurate as possible for the experiments performed to be valid. Further, having a valid creation model will attract skeptics with knowledge of science who have rejected evolutionary theory. The model, however, is will not keep them. That must be done by their personal relationship with Christ. However, as we can see the model is important. I will be taking time to discuss aspects of Creation and the creation model over the next couple weeks or so to hopefully give my readers some background and foundation for their faith.