Panel Discussion: Three Views of Creation

The European Scientists Network is committed to two main purposes: (1) increasing the praise of God the Creator-Saviour through what humans study and know about His creation (Col 1:16) and (2) putting scientific findings in the context of His Word so that what we know about His creation will not obfuscate our knowledge of Him (2 Cor 10:5).

In order to achieve its purposes, the European Scientists Network highlights demarcation lines between scientific facts and their interpretation by naturalistic vs. Christian worldviews. We do not shy away from sensitive subjects like the evolution debate and ethical implications but engage in constructive, respectful discussions.

In 2021, such a discussion took place between five Christians who hold and defend different views of creation while agreeing on the pre-eminence of the Bible in all matters, including creation. The discussion took place online; it was recorded and the recording transcribed. The names of the speakers will not be disclosed, for two reasons: (1) because of the sensitivity of this topic in both secular and Christian circles and (2) so that readers of the discussion will not be prejudiced. In fact, rather than assigning the speakers to “camps”, we have simply numbered them, although diligent readers will be able to find out which view each speaker holds. Some speakers prefer not to identify with any of the well-known "camps" – viz. young earth creation, old earth creation, and theistic evolution – considering these categories an oversimplification.

We pray this transcript will set the tone for discussions of this type and topic. All of the speakers have been thinking and speaking on creation for many years, so their discussion may presuppose many aspects and arguments. We still believe it will be helpful, even for Christians less familiar with the topic, to observe which aspects out of a vast field were put forward by experts.