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Where the Fight for Origins Begins
Every year, I like to read through the Bible, so naturally, I start with Genesis right away in January. Years ago, I heard Roger Schultz at Liberty University say that when they hire professors there, they always ask the interviewee to talk a little bit about the opening chapter of the Bible. Why? Schultz said, “If they can’t get that right, how are they going to get the rest of the Bible right?” I couldn’t agree more.
Now, for centuries, the opening chapter of the Bible has, in fact, been a lightning rod of debate, especially as Classical philosophers reshaped early Christian thought. Their influence appeared in the form of Gnosticism… a worldview that blended pagan Greek ideas with Christian teaching.
The “Cult Of Chaos” Reading Glasses
This re-interpretation often drew on notions of chaos and the idea of life arising through a grand process of evolution rather than by a single divine act. And so, throughout history, from the early church onward, there has been a continuous effort to read Genesis through an evolutionary or “cult of chaos” lens.
In the seventeenth century, skepticism about the biblical creation account became bolder. By the nineteenth century, especially after Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published in 1859, the assault on Genesis 1 reached unprecedented levels. Evolutionary thinking, however, did not begin with Darwin.
Philosophers like Hegel had already popularized a broader notion of chaos as it related to ongoing societal transformation over time. Karl Marx, inspired by Hegel, was delighted when Darwin applied this evolutionary concept to biology, believing that acceptance of Darwin’s theory would guarantee the triumph of revolution and, finally, worldwide socialism.
Darwin’s Non-Biological Presuppositions
Modern left-leaning ideologies place great importance on the theory of evolution. Yet, scientifically, evolution remains a hypothesis. It’s also a powerful cultural myth that various civilizations have “baked in” their own philosophies and ideologies.
Darwin’s approach did not emerge from a neutral study of nature. Nope. Nope. Nope. He was already influenced by the prevailing ideas on social development at the time, which he then applied to biology. In this sense, evolutionary theory functions as an essential religious principle rather than a purely empirical one.
People of faith hold to creation by faith. Scientists who advocate evolution do so by their own faith commitment because neither creationism nor evolution can be experimentally proved. Both are inherently religious positions built on faith. The biblical text in Genesis 1 describes creation as a series of discrete, divine acts. Evolution describes a long, undirected process. Underlying each viewpoint is a fundamental presupposition: God is the ultimate power who creates and governs, or… impersonal chaos and random “process” are the driving forces behind existence.
Chaos as The Source of Power
The truth is all non-biblical religions, ancient and modern, posit that the universe arose from some type of primeval chaos. This chaos, they believe, is the hidden wellspring of energy, regeneration, and ultimately… power. If all forms of life arose from chaotic accidents, then the key to renewal… whether for individuals or entire societies… must be found by returning to that chaos. In political terms, that often means revolution.
Historically, revolutions began to erupt in the Western world not long after the biblical doctrine of creation was diminished. The French Revolution was the first significant source of these ideas. From then on, chaos and revolt continued to tear Europe apart.
Marxists, for instance, insist that even a peaceful transfer of power must be followed by a forced upheaval of society, a “controlled revolution” in which large segments of the populace may be eliminated. This ritualized chaos, they believe, is the path to social rebirth.
Ancient Roots and Modern Branding
In the ancient pagan world, chaos rituals and cyclical revolutions were considered necessary for social renewal. Modern society has repeated this pattern by embracing ideologies that celebrate upheaval. Today, deep state operatives call this “The Great Reset.” This mindset is visible in many education theories that treat children as “blank slates,” an idea that demands erasing all past influences… family, heritage, religion… so something radically new can be built.
Those who believe in the biblical doctrine of creation reject this chaos-centered perspective. Creationism sees God, not chaos, as the ultimate source of power and renewal. God’s sovereignty infuses the world with order, structure, and moral law. If chaos is not the basis of life, then neither is revolution the key to bettering society. Instead, hope and transformation come from conforming to divine law and God’s grace.
Plato considered women “breeding stock” and property of the state.
A Closed Universe and the Rise of the Power State
Belief in a purely material, evolutionary universe leads to the conviction that nothing transcends the physical realm we live in. If there is no Creator beyond nature, then the cosmos is essentially “closed” and answerable only to itself. When that happens, the concept of God does not simply disappear. It migrates from heaven to earth… usually taking the form of the all-powerful state.
Hegel, who strongly influenced both Marx and Darwin, described the state as “God walking on the earth.” Bottom line: Once God is dismissed, the state takes on divine attributes, making ultimate decisions with respect to the ethics of law and life. Historically, this is what we see in ancient empires like Babylon, Greece, and Rome: the individual exists for the state, not the state for the individual. Think this is hyperbole? Read Plato’s Republic. You won’t find a more totalitarian tome.
Man in the Image of God
Scripture’s declaration that humans are made in the image of God contradicts any system that would reduce people to mere resources in a political machine. To be made in God’s image means that humanity is called to reflect divine righteousness and exercise stewardship under God’s authority. Individuals and societies flourish when they honor God’s sovereign law and redemptive grace.
Because creation is solely God’s act, history is guided by His purpose. It’s hard to sidestep the implications of God’s sovereignty. A reminder is in Deborah’s song, found in the Book of Judges, which declares that “the stars in their courses” fought against Sisera. God always fights against tyrants who oppose His order. Throughout history, nations that spurn divine law end up “hitting the wall” and collapsing of their own weight. Cultures that clash with the entire fabric of God’s creation will inevitably fail.
Rebuilding The Ruins
The present surge in evolutionary thinking and revolutionary fervor, both subtle and overt, from the top down and from the bottom up, continues to erode faith in God’s sovereignty and moral order. Yet, with every assault, a corresponding judgment and reckoning emerge. The reign of chaos and political terror, while horrific at times…is never permanent. At some point, chaos eats itself. The revolution always consumes its own children, as Lenin once said.
Believers in creation should be prepared to defend their worldview. Now more than ever. This means holding firmly to the truth that God rules over creation and redemption. It also means honoring the dignity of law, advocating for liberty under God, and preparing hearts and minds to rebuild society on biblical foundations.
For Christians actually committed to a biblical worldview, our essential task is both a confident declaration of God’s creative sovereignty as well as an active, faithful engagement in renewing ourselves first (Sphere Sovereignty) and then all cultural institutions according to His will. In this conviction lies the hope that genuine freedom and order will emerge, not from chaos and revolution, but from the sovereign hand of the God who made heaven and earth.
