Creation Science Rebuttals -

Eve?

29 March 2006

     The 29 March 06 daily feature for the young earth creation science ministry Creation Moments talks about Eve.

     The author is talking about the evolutionary "theory" that we are all descended from a common ancestor, Eve, about 200,000 years ago.  If you will note the reference, as is common with Creation Moments, they are quoting old research.  Although you can still find the 200,000 year date in literature, there are many others out there with different dates.  The oldest is the 200,000, but it varies all the way down to 75,000 years. 

     The author says that the "scientific problems" were ignored.  He then makes the wild claim that their conclusions "stretch a tiny bit of assumed fact to cover 700,000 percent more ground than the original facts."  The Creation Moments author appears to pull this out of thin air, and he gives no references for this claim.  How do we know that this Creation Moments author (probably a theologian, and not a scientist) knows what he is talking about, especially considering this wild claim?

     As a Christian, I accept that we are all descended from Eve.  Does this mitochondrial DNA evidence mean our last common ancestor was 75,000 years ago?  Did Eve live that long ago?  Not necessarily.  We could have a genetic "Eve" that lived 75,000 years ago, and have the Eve of the Bible, who only lived 20,000-29,000 years ago.  How is this possible? 

     To give you a teaser, the dating is based on mutation rates, which is assumed to be 1 every 20,000 years.   Some researchers claim it is more often, therefore even the 75,000 date is in question.  Since my discussion on Biblical dating is lengthy, rather than reprint it here, you can check it out at this link.

      One thing is clear.  The Creation Moments author writing is typical of the young earth culture.   They present the creation/evolution debate as a choice...either you believe God (and a young earth) or you believe in evolution (and deny God).  It does not have to be this way.  You can accept the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, accept a literal translation of Genesis, and believe the earth is billions of years old (with or without evolution).  There is no conflict between conservative Christianity and long ages.    

     Want to learn more about creation science?  Are the claims of young earth creation science ministries truthful?  Visit the young earth creation science ministry rebuttal home page for more truth in creation science.