Dear Aby #2 – The Question of Origin

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Dear Aby,

The Question of Origin asks, “How did life begin?” and “How did the universe and mankind come into existence? The Christian worldview holds the belief that every existing thing, including humans is the result of a personal God and Creator. A secular humanistic worldview rejects any thought of God and denies His existence. It says we are the product of random acts of nature with no real purpose. A Christian worldview, on the other hand says, we are God’s creation, designed to govern the world and fellowship with Him. ( Genesis 1:27-28; 2:15)

The issue of origin affects how a person understands identity and human value. The question of identity seeks to answer, “What does it mean to be human?” and “Are humans more important than animals?” The Christian worldview holds the belief that mankind is a special creation of God who has created the human race above the animal kingdom with the responsibility of ruling over the animals and taking care of them. In contrast, the Secular Humanism worldview does not consider humans greater in value than animals because they are viewed to come from the same species. Their belief is that only through evolution have humans become more sophisticated animals.

Secular Humanists believe that there is no God, that science and the scientific process have made God obsolete. Humanists believe that only matter – things we can touch, feel, prove, or study – exists and has always existed. A human being is only matter (no soul or spirit). No supernatural explanation is needed for the existence of this matter.

The Christian worldview affirms of the existence of an intelligent, powerful, loving, just, and awesome God who exists in the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From the Christian perspective, “In the beginning God” (Genesis 1:2) is the foundation for all meaning.

The Christian worldview sees every human being as intrinsically valuable because each person has been created in the likeness and image of God. Each person has been formed by God and is a unique, priceless “masterpiece.” God “breathed” into the first human the breath of life and created humans with a soul and spirit. Thus, as opposed to animals, humans have the capacity to have a relationship with God.

There is obviously much more that can be said about the question of origin, but I want to keep my message short, so that’s it for now.

Grandpa Larry

Note from Larry Ballard on these letters:
Dear friends,

Thank you for your interest in these letters I am sending to my granddaughter in preparation for college. You are welcome to use them in any way you wish. You can alter them by adding or deleting from the text. There is no need to give any credit to me. You can personalize them or forward them on as written. These letters were not written with a wider audience in mind. In one sense, I am letting you listen in on my communication with Aby. These messages will be brief and focused, rather than exhaustive. I do not claim to be an apologist. However, I do claim to be a caring grandfather with a desire to help my granddaughter be able to “defend” her faith as she transitions from home to college.
Most of what I have included in these letters comes from respected Christian apologists: Ravi Zacharias with RZIM, Greg Koukl with Stand To Reason, Josh McDowell, etc.  
Blessings, 

Larry