top of page
Writer's pictureBible Brian

Darwin, Demons, and the argument from reason


The argument from reason is such a powerful argument that, at least from a philosophical standpoint, it renders Evolution completely unworkable. Rather than bickering over which interpretation of the evidence fits best, it cuts right to the philosophical heart of the issue and shows that, if we really are just animals, we cannot know for sure that we can reason any better than them. Because of this, we could not even realistically expect that, if Evolution were true, we could know it.


Darwin himself recognised this dilemma when he wrote in a letter to William Graham "But then with me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man’s mind, which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy. Would any one trust in the convictions of a monkey’s mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?"


And indeed, would we? Look at the animal kingdom. Look at every single creature in the entire world. How many of them are intelligent? You could argue that some of them are. After all, they can be trained to understand some limited things. But can they reason? Of course not! Men answer questions animals would never even think to ask. Men invent technology animals can't figure out how to use. Animals adapt to suit their environment, men alter the environment to suit ourselves. There are no creatures on earth that are capable of this level of reasoning.


Except two.


The first, of course, is the human being. We're so reasonable that we can tell that other animals are incapable of reasoning. We obtained this ability not by coincidence, but because we were designed with that very purpose in mind. We can know we are more reasonable than animals because, contrary to popular myth, we are not mere animals. We can trust more in the convictions of a man's mind than a monkeys because we are not monkeys, neither are we related to them.


But there is a second species capable of reasoning. This is a species we can't normally see. A species that, more often than not, does not want to be seen, just as a tiger would not want to be seen while it is stalking its prey. I'm talking about angels.


Angels, much like human beings, were created with reasoning abilities. We are not told exactly when they were created, other than that they were created before the earth (Job 38:4-7), but we are told that many of them neglected their positions, sinning against God as we did (Jude 1:6). And their chief, known to us as Satan, is literally called the father of lies (John 8:44).


Satan and his forces are extremely intelligent, far beyond the intelligence of man. It was Satan who first deceived man into sin (Genesis 3:1-6; Ezekiel 28:13; Revelation 12:9). And they're not just intelligent, but they're also experienced. Lacking physical bodies, they are functionally immortal, meaning they have had 6,000 years to learn how to deceive us.

And wow do they succeed. Not only by their own craftiness, but by man's own will to be deceived. A demon need not drag a man to Hell, because we follow all too willingly. But Satan never stops repeating his favourite lies: "Did God really say", "you will not die", and "you shall be as God."


Evolution is one religion based on these three lies. First, we are taught to doubt that God's word really gives us the true origins of the heavens and the earth. When we doubt that word as it pertains to origins, why not doubt it as it pertains to consequences for sin? Especially since it tells us both the origins and consequences of sin. But if there is no God, and He will not hold us accountable for our sins, who's really in charge? We are. We are our own gods. We get to dictate our own moral values, we get to decide our own purpose in life.


But it's not just Evolution. These three lies have the power to build thousands of religions, as well as corruptions of Christianity itself. There really are only two religions: God's religion and Satan's. Unfortunately, following Satan leads to sharing his fate. He is not destined to rule Hell, as many suppose, but rather will be so pitiful there that people will gaze in shock and ask "Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?" (Isaiah 14:16-17).


But there is a way out. The same God who blessed us with our reasoning abilities did so in order to draw us to Him. And while we sinned and followed Satan instead, He loved us so much that He sent Jesus to take our punishment. If we repent and turn to Him in faith, confessing Him as Lord and believing in His death and resurrection, we will be saved.

24 views
bottom of page