IS EVOLUTION THE WORK OF THE DEVIL?
by Lenny Flank
(c) 1995
The basic argument of the creation "scientists" is that evolution is a Satanic viewpoint, placed on earth by the Devil in order to deceive good Christians and lead them away from God. Organized science, therefore, consists largely of atheists and anti-Christians who, whether through design or ignorance, are doing the work of Satan by spreading evolutionism and repressing the true Christian viewpoint of creationism.
The creationists are quite open in their belief that evolutionary theory, even theistic evolution, is, quite literally, the work of the Devil: "Behind both groups of evolutionists one can discern the malignant influence of 'that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world'." (Morris, 1963, p. 93) Indeed, one of the founders of the modern creationist movement, Dr. Henry Morris, has declared that evolutionary theory was given to Nimrod by Satan himself, at the Tower of Babel:
"Its top was a great temple shrine, emblazoned with zodiacal signs representing the hosts of heaven, Satan and his 'principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of the world' (Ephesians 6:12). These evil spirits there perhaps met with Nimrod and his priests, to plan their long-range strategy against God and his redemptive purposes for the post-diluvian world. This included especially the development of a non-theistic cosmology, one which could explain the origin and meaning of the universe and man without acknowledging the true God of creation. Denial of God's power and sovereignty in creation is of course foundational in the rejection of His authority in every other sphere. . . . If something like this really happened, early in post-diluvian history, then Satan himself is the originator of the concept of evolution.
"One question remains. Assuming Satan to be the real source of the evolutionary concept, how did it originate in his mind? . . . A possible answer to this mystery could be that Satan, the father of lies, has not only deceived the whole world and the angelic hosts who followed him--he has even deceived himself! The only way he could really know about creation (just as the only way we can know about creation) was for God to tell him! . . . . He refused to believe and accept the Word of God concerning his own creation and place in God's economy . . . He therefore deceived himself into supposing that all things, including himself and including God, had been evolved by natural processes out of the primordial stuff of the universe. . . ." (Morris, Troubled Waters of Evolution, 1974, pp 74-75).
Thus, concludes Morris, "The entire monstrous complex was revealed to Nimrod at Babel by demonic influences, perhaps by Satan himself . . . Satan himself is the originator of the concept of evolution." (Morris, Troubled Waters of Evolution, 1974, pp 74-75)
And why does the modern scientific community help to spread the teaching of evolution? Because, the creationists conclude, they are atheistic agents of the Devil. John Morris, of the ICR, flatly states that "Most scientists are non-regenerate if not anti-God." (Morris, Back to Genesis, May 1995, p. 4) Creationist Jerry Bergman writes that "The atheist belief structure is the norm in science . . . The fact is that the majority of leading evolutionists are atheists, or at best nontheists for whom God is irrelevant to their daily lives and their views about the natural world and the universe." (Bergman, ICR Impact, November 1994) Henry Morris asserts, "Modern evolutionary astronomers and cosmologists have thus ruled out the idea of a personal, omnipotent, omniscient God as Creator of the universe," (Morris, Back to Genesis, March 1995) and concludes that evolutionary theory can be accepted "only if one categorically dismisses the existence of an omnipotent God." (Morris, Scientific Creationism, 1974, p. 17) Creationists have referred to science writer Isaac Asimov as "the atheist Asimov" (Morris, Back to Genesis, March 1995), and to astronomer Carl Sagan as "blinded to the evidence that God exists" ("Please pray for Carl Sagan and others like him who, in their conceit declare, 'There is no God'."). (Vardiman, Back to Genesis, June 1995)
(In the fundamentalist creationist's mind, every area of modern society is permeated with this Satanic evolution conspiracy. Thus, after pointing out that the Book of Revelation refers to Satan as "the great dragon . . . that old serpent, called the Devil" (Revelation 12:9), Henry Morris goes on to conclude: "That old Dragon had invaded Paradise, and God had cast him out into the earth, where he continues to this day leading men and women to rebel against God and His Word . . . The New Testament word "paradise" is transliterated directly from the Greek, which in turn was taken over from the Hebrew 'pardec' (pronounced "par-dace"). It's basic meaning is 'park'. It may, therefore, be no coincidence that Hollywood's leading 'New Age' producer has chosen to fill his 'Jurassic Park' with a bestiary of revived dinosaurs. The great dragon once again symbolically is living in Paradise." (Morris, ICR Impact, "Dragons in Paradise", July 1993) Apparently, fundamentalist creationists view Steven Spielberg as a part of the international Satanic evolutionist conspiracy.
Thus, in the fundamentalist creationist's mind, the creation/evolution fight is literally a battle between cosmic Good and Evil. As creationist Paul Ellwanger puts it, "I view this whole battle as one between God and anti-God forces." (Attachment to Ellwanger Deposition, McLean v Arkansas, 1981, cited in Overton Opinion) Henry Morris concludes, "Evolution teaches that the Bible has errors and cannot be trusted. Christians need to have their questions answered and doubts removed. Churches, seminaries and denominations need to be called back under the authority of the Book that they have been taught to doubt. That is the real message of creationism." (Morris, Acts and Facts, June 1995) "With the rise of evolution and naturalism, 'science' has become the enemy of Christianity, but true science 'declares the glory of God' (Psalm 19:1). ICR desires to return science to its proper, God-glorifying, position." (Morris, Acts and Facts, June 1995). To most people, the creationist's rantings about the Satanic origins of scientific theory can be dismissed as incredible medieval silliness, with a huge dose of paranoia thrown in. But to the creationists, it is unassailable truth. They sincerely believe themselves to be holy warriors, fighting valiantly to turn back the scientific forces of Darkness and save us all from Satan's power.
The creationist notion that they are the victims of a vast Satanic conspiracy simply cannot be taken seriously. In all of their writings, the creationists attempt to paint their viewpoint as "the" Christian view, implying both that their theological interpretations are the only reasonable ones (and all others are the work of Satan), and also that their interpretations are representative of Christianity as a whole. Neither of these assertions are true. The fundamentalist creationists and their literal interpretations of Genesis are, in fact, a tiny minority within Christianity. Every mainstream religious denomination in the United States flatly dismisses Morris's "evolution is the work of the devil" thesis.
The depth of anti-creationist sentiment among mainstream Christians was perhaps best illustrated during the Arkansas "Balanced Treatment" trial. All but two of the plaintiffs who sued to have the creationist law thrown out were representatives of mainstream religious organizations and churches, including the American Jewish Congress, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and the American Jewish Committee, as well as the resident Bishops of the United Methodist, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic and African Methodist Episcopal churches, the Arkansas head of the Presbyterian Church, and individual clergy from the United Methodist, Southern Baptist and Presbyterian churches. Among the witnesses who testified against creation "science" was Francisco Ayala, a Catholic Priest who holds a doctorate in genetics as well as a doctorate in theology.
And how do creationists respond to the fact that every mainstream religious organization in the United States rejects their theological views concerning evolution? By asserting that these religious organizations are themselves a part of the Satanic conspiracy. Morris writes, "First, Christian leaders compromised on the literal Genesis in terms of the geological ages and a local Flood. Very quickly, this led them to theistic evolution. Next came an errant Bible, religious liberalism, and the social gospel. Finally, there was nothing left but humanism." (Morris 1984, p. 328)
The idea that scientists (presumably aided by the non-fundamentalist Christian religious denominations and by Steven Spielberg) are engaged in a vast conspiracy to silence the creationists is not based on reality. Instead, it is a product of the creationist's paranoid and conspiratorial world-view, which sees Satan lurking behind every tree. The creationist ravings that they are being unfairly picked on is a subject more fit for psychologists than for biologists.