Evolution & The Age of the Earth
What does ACA believe and teach about the age of the universe and Evolution? Among Christians, these can be controversial topics, and it's important to have awareness about what ACA’s students are being taught.
Each year, a few of our grade levels study the creation account, as well as secular accounts of the origin of the universe. 3rd Grade, 7th Grade, and upper school science courses are some primary examples. Depending on the textbooks we use, some of which are secular, students will encounter a few different views of the origin of matter and of life.
So what does ACA believe, and what are ACA teachers saying to students about it?
The Age of the Universe
There are two primary views on the age of the universe: 1) A young-earth account, which holds that God created the world in six actual days about 6,000 years ago; 2) An old-earth account, which holds that God created the world in six long periods (non-literal "days"), as long as 14 billion years ago, with life created 3-4 billion years ago.
Because a large number of respected biblical scholars and scientists hold to either one view or the other, ACA does not take an official stance on the age of the earth. ACA believes that there is a right answer and a wrong answer between these two options, but that the answer (all else being equal) is not essential to salvation. In other words, if teachers and students believe that God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1), if they submit to the authority of scripture in all its parts as without error and sufficient for all things, and if they put their faith in Christ for the remission of sins, believing that he is the Son of God, then they will have eternal life (John 3:16). They will have eternal life whether they believe God created the earth 6,000 years ago or millions of years ago.
In the classroom, students will encounter both kinds of historical timelines -- a young-earth timeline and an old-earth timeline. Teachers will teach ACA's curriculum, but they will always emphasize the personal creative acts of God at the beginning of time, which continue to the present moment. They will teach, without exception or qualification, that God created the heavens and the earth. Finally, they will point students to their parents and pastors as their primary authority in issues of secondary doctrine, such as the age of the universe.
The Creation Account and Macro Evolution
There are three primary views of the origin of matter and of life in the universe: 1) That God created matter and life in six actual days or periods of time in a personal and intimate way, and that God continues to sustain all creation by the power of his hand. This is the traditional Genesis account of creation. 2) That God created matter and life according to macroevolution (Darwinian evolution), beginning the initial process of creation and subsequently allowing principles of macroevolution to indirectly create each successive life form. This is typically known as theistic evolution. 3) That there is no god or creator, that matter appeared spontaneously or is eternal, and that matter and life formed and evolved by processes of chance and natural selection.
ACA considers only the first view to be biblical and therefore rejects theistic evolution and standard macroevolution as error. While the Bible is not explicit on the age of the universe, it is explicit that God created all things, separately and lovingly, by the Word of his mouth (Gen. 1:1). "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3). ACA holds that theistic evolution and standard macroevolution require regular death (natural selection) as a means for the evolution of life, a contraction of God's life-giving nature. ACA does not deny the presence of microevolution, which are verifiable changes over time within a species, but only denies macroevolution, which are major evolutionary changes from one species to different species.
In the classroom, certain grades will (by design) learn about macroevolution for the sake of learning both sides of an issue, for strengthening faith, and for learning how to defend that faith, but they will primarily be taught that God created the heavens and the earth in a personal and specific way. They will be taught that macroevolution is a scientific theory (in the scientific sense of the word "theory"), that elements of that theory have scientific support, but that the theory overall is scientifically suspect, unverifiable, and unbiblical. Even though ACA does not consider the biblical creation account to be secondary doctrine, students will still often be encouraged to talk further with their parents and pastors. They will also be encouraged to be humble in their learning and in their opinions, and to thank God for his gift of reason, science, and scripture, all of which are compatible.
If you would like to discuss this further or be provided with additional related resources, or if you would like to explore ACA's views on other secondary or controversial topics, please reach out here. You can also review our statement of faith, which points to our ultimate authority in all issues, here. For information on our Controversial Subjects Policy, please see our Parent Handbook.
Above all, it is our desire to be faithful to the Word of God, submitting to its truth with all humility, thankful for God's gift of rigorous scientific inquiry, and always seeking the wisdom of God in all things.