Why Evolutionists and Atheists Long for Certainty
In some ways, evolutionists and atheists are similar to those who believe in creationism and Christianity. Man longs for certainty. And if he is unsure about God, then he is prone to grasp for certainty in science.
But since science cannot prove evolution or atheism, man must resort to believing that human beings evolved from apes over billions of years. It's the only way man can convince himself he is not accountable to a Creator. And so we find plenty of evolutionists and atheists who project confidence and certainty when discussing the theory of evolution and the worldview of atheism.
Evolutionists and atheists don't want to be wrong, any more than you and I want to be wrong. Man finds great comfort in being right, or at least in assuming he is right. And so it comes back to absolutes. There is right and there is wrong. And then there is man's perception about whether he is right or wrong. You can feel right in your heart, but still be wrong when it comes to reality and truth.
Christians find certainty in God's Word and in the cross. We also find certainty in the fulfilled prophecies of the Bible, and in the fact that God grants eternal life in heaven to those who accept Christ as Savior.
So how does such certainty develop? Simply put, the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to believers through the Scriptures which He inspired to be written. "All Scripture is God-breathed." (2 Tim. 3:16) The power of God's Word confirms its truthfulness to those who trust Christ.
And while Christians agree on what happened at the cross, there is not full agreement among believers regarding the age of the earth. Norman Geisler helps us navigate this complex terrain in his Christian Post article entitled, "Does Believing in Inerrancy Require One to Believe in Young Earth Creationism?" (www.christianpost.com/news/does-believing-in-inerrancy-require-one-to-believe-in-young-earth-creationism-114464/)
It certainly requires the faith of a child to trust Christ as Savior, (see Matt. 18:3) and to believe the fantastic story that God created the world and man. Such faith leads to a certainty that these miracles did indeed happen by the power of Almighty God.
Evolutionists and atheists were all little children at some point. Unfortunately, many of them were not led by their parents into the arms of the Savior. You know, the way Jesus welcomed little children to come to Him when He walked on the earth. There are plenty of people who never progress beyond what they learned from their parents. They get stuck in the rut of unbelief.
Evolutionists and atheists, like all of us, are uncomfortable with uncertainty. It feels so unstable. We all prefer to know as much as possible about the universe around us, and the parameters of right and wrong. Without God and His Word, man is left to devise whatever parameters make sense in his mind. And these parameters vary greatly from one evolutionist to another, and from one atheist to another. But each one of them continues to strive for certainty in their interpretation of the scientific data, and in their subjective opinions regarding right and wrong.
Imagine a child walking into a university classroom and teaching the professor a few things about rocket science. It's probably not going to happen, right? But what if that same child were to teach the professor a few things about faith? What if that child were to articulate what it means to accept Jesus as your Savior?
What we learn in childhood often plays a huge role in what we believe later in life. Those who are led to Christ and given Scripture are the ones who tend to find their certainty there. And those who are not led to Christ or taught Scripture tend to search for certainty in evolution and atheism. Thankfully, some of these folks come to meet the Savior later in life in spite of never having been led to Christ by their parents.
In the university classroom, children are in way over their head when it comes to rocket science. And in matters of Christian faith, evolutionists and atheists are in way over their head. They seem mystified by those adults and children who exhibit childlike faith in the Son of God. As Christians, we are certain of God's Word. We are also certain about the cross, the empty tomb, and eternal paradise in heaven for all who know the Lord.
And people on both sides of the spectrum are left scratching their head at how the other side could ever believe such a thing.
It's easy for many unbelievers to place their faith in evolution and atheism. Likewise, it's easy for believers to place their faith in the Savior of the world. It comes back to what you have been taught, and what you choose to believe based upon the knowledge you have been given.
In some ways, men are not really that different from one another. We all just want to be certain of what we believe, and we want to be certain that what we are believing is the truth.