Evolution's Finest?

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a debate between creationist Jay Wile (PhD nuclear chemistry) and evolutionist Robert A. Martin (PhD zoology).  I was absolutely amazed at the depth of evidence, or rather I should say lack thereof, presented by the evolutionist.  Allow me to impress you with an example.

Early in his talk, the evolutionist promised that we would get to “lots of evidence” for how we can know that certain rocks are 65 million years old.  Along with the rest of the audience, I waited in anticipation.

This Is It!

When he finally got to it, I was astounded.  Keep in mind that he had come prepared, with printed slides.  Are you ready for this?  Here is what was printed on one of his slides:

“We have put a rover on Mars;

how difficult do you think it is to date a rock?”

No kidding; that was it—the irrefutable evidence we had waited for—his brilliant “lots of evidence” technical explanation for the reliability of geologic column dates.

But he didn’t stop there.  No, he skillfully further reinforced his position with this dazzling zinger:

“These dates are basically right.

Sophisticated labs are doing this; it’s not hard.”

We waited all night for more substance, but he offered none.  In all honestly, he was genuinely pitiable; I’m not sure Dr. Martin even realized the audience was underwhelmed.

Evolution's Finest?

If that is all that the evolutionists have to offer, I’m not convinced we should dignify this sort of dialogue by calling it a debate at all.  Real debates feature logical arguments—backed by evidence—from both sides.  However, in this particular dialogue, the logical arguments and actual evidence were all on the side of the creationist Dr. Wile, who, in the case of the aforementioned topic, pointed out numerous examples of where dates assigned by various methods are not in agreement.

And so it went for the entire night.  The creationist gave example after example supporting his positions, and, unlike the evolutionist, the creationist included the citations for his evidence, which in several cases came straight from peer-reviewed articles authored by evolutionists.

The evolutionist, on the other hand, employed sarcasm, cartoons--yes, cartoons, and bullying insults to make his points, accusing audience members, including myself and other fellow college graduates from scientific fields, of never having read anything but our Bibles. He tried to bolster his position by insisting that educated people no longer question these things.  Throughout the entire evening, he conducted himself as though extreme confidence in his position completely negated the need for any evidence.

Honestly, I had actually expected some real clash in this match-up, but I was seriously disappointed; the evolutionist’s arrogant disregard for logic and evidence made a complete mockery of scientific inquiry.

Don't Be Intimidated

Fellow parents, even assuming that evolutionists exist who are more convincing than Dr. Martin (though my university biology professors were not), we have no reason whatsoever to shy away from the issue of origins.  And in fact, we should be addressing the issue of origins head on.  Dig in together with your children to examine the evidence.  Recognize and question the presuppositions.  Scrutinize and evaluate the bold claims.  Teach your children to think critically and logically by engaging in discussion with them.

If you’re looking for materials, Dr. Wile’s textbooks are one good place to start.

"Do you not know?  Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth

does not become weary or tired.

His understanding is inscrutable."
Isaiah 40:28

Not only that, but He never loses a debate.

A homeschool mom since 2001, Carol is a passionate encourager and loves using creative means to do it--including blogging, speaking, writing music, and singing. Her blog, called Unsmotherable Delight (udelight.blogspot.com), is where you'll find musings and music to encourage your faith and lift your spirit.  Her original 'theme song' titled Captain's Anthem can also be heard on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/30769152.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Stand for Truth

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life."  

--Jesus of Nazareth, God come in the flesh  

recorded in John 14:6

In today's postmodern world of relative truth, a strategy has emerged for dealing with uncomfortable ideas.  People just simply choose not to believe something and feel confident that they have sufficiently invalidated the idea by doing so.  They choose to deny whatever they don't like or whatever makes them uncomfortable.  If they view truth as relative (so nothing is absolute), they are able to let themselves off the hook when an idea has implications they don't wish to face.

Strategies like peacocks—fancy, but they don’t fly

The grim fact is that denial is only a delusion.*  It changes nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  If my house is on fire, no amount of denial will put the fire out and restore my burnt possessions.

*Delusion-- (from the Apple Dictionary) an idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality or rational argument.

Denial is often accompanied by a companion strategy that is equally delusional.  Denial's companion strategy is that of concocting one's own "truth."  Simply create a belief system that appeals to your personal whims and live by it.  However, no amount of dreaming will put money in the bank to cover my checks when my account is empty.  No merchant will accept my concocted delusion as payment. 

This is your world

The problem is that neither of these strategies acknowledges reality.  Yet the world we live in embraces and promotes these strategies.  Christian apologist Josh McDowell pointed out in 2011 that 91 percent of evangelical Christians said there is no absolute truth apart from themselves.  In today's world, both in our culture, and even in the Church at large, truth has been watered down, at the least, if not outrightly denied.  This is the kind of world we must prepare our children to live in, to survive in.

Truly, we want them to do even more than just survive; we want them to thrive.  We want them to shine the light of God's truth in the darkness.  We want them to be used by God to set others free from denial and delusion.

For twenty years, we have sought God's wisdom to prepare our children to stand unashamed and to speak boldly and winsomely for His truth.  While that may seem like a long time, it has literally flown, and our first daughter is now in her second week of college.

Now is the time

Parents, our time is truly limited.  We can't afford to think we'll get to deep discussions with our children some other day.  The time to model a hunger for God's truth in His Word is now.    By our daily example, we teach where we believe the answers to life's questions lie.

We must warn our young people ahead of time of the kinds of strategies they will face in the battle over truth.  We can't afford to let them walk blindly into an ambush.

We must help them understand that Truth is unchanging and that the only place to find it is in God's Word.  We must talk together and wrestle with ideas, continually comparing them to God's truth.  We can't afford to give our children less than a solid foundation.

This means war

There is a very real enemy of our souls, who prowls like a lion, seeking someone to devour, Peter tells us.  (I Peter 5:8) This battle over truth is very real and it's a battle for our children's hearts and minds.

This battle over truth is no surprise to God, however.  He inspired Peter to deliver a relevant warning long ago.

"But false teachers also arose among the people,

just as there will also be false teachers among you, 

who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, 

even denying the Master who bought them, 

bringing swift destruction upon themselves.


And many will follow their sensuality, 

and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;

and in their greed the will exploit you with false words; 

their judgement from long ago is not idle, 

and their destruction is not asleep."

II Peter 2:1-3

(excerpt from a letter from one of Jesus' original followers)





Don’t give up

We don’t have to be afraid or dismayed when truth is denied.  But neither can we assume that all will be well if we keep silent.  Our job is to earnestly contend for the faith, starting right at home.

"Beloved, while I was making every effort 

to write you about our common salvation, 

I felt the necessity to write to you appealing 

that you contend earnestly for the faith 

which was once for all delivered to the saints.  

Jude 1:3

Never be ashamed to hold fast to truth,

For no matter how hard denial tries to undo,

Unbelief will never make truth untrue!

Homeschooling with her husband, Scott, since 2001, Carol believes nothing is too difficult for God.  She is a passionate encourager and loves using creative means--including writing music, singing, speaking, and blogging--to encourage others to trust God through all the adventures He calls them to.  You can read more from her at her Unsmotherable Delight blog (udelight.blogspot.com), where you'll find faith-filled original songs, favorite scriptures, family stories, and even a little film about adoption, all designed to inspire and lift your spirit.  Her original 'theme song' titled Captain's Anthem can be heard on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/30769152.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, except where otherwise specified.




With No Apologies

Warning:  Exclusive claims ahead.

No, not about what curriculum or method of education to use, these claims are about something much more basic--more foundational--than that.  

I am about to make an exclusive claim about a foundation. Actually, I’m not personally making the claim.  Someone else did; I’m just committed to publicizing it.  

Allow me to digress for a moment.  I find the word “panoply” fascinating.  According to my Apple dictionary, panoply means a “complete or impressive collection of things; a splendid display”--especially, historically, in the context of a “complete set of arms or suit of armor,” and originally referring to “complete protection for spiritual warfare.”  

But what’s a panoply got to do with a foundation and exclusive claims?  Well, everything actually.  Many leaders, even some among those who claim to be part of Christendom, would have us believe that all the varied ideas and diverse religious philosophies promoted around the world today represent a panoply from which it is perfectly right and proper to choose our spiritual tools and practices.  People speak of drawing from the wells of various “wisdom traditions” (i.e. other religions) in order to enhance their relationship with God. (An example of one prominent practice drawn from non-Christian wells, yet white-washed and paraded through Christendom in an intricate deception, is what's commonly called "contemplative prayer.")  

And here I show my hand, with no apologies.  This highly touted, supposed panoply, brought to you courtesy of the world's religions, is an absolute fraud, an elaborate deception--highly billed, yes, but a hoax all the same.

All ideas, all philosophies, and all religions are not equally valid.  There, I said it. But the idea is not originally mine.

It was Jesus of Nazareth who made exclusive claims to truth. Listen to this from Luke 6:46-49.

“And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them,  I will show you whom he is like:

he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”  (italics mine)

Do you see?  Jesus didn’t say that the ones who don’t listen and act on His words didn’t build a house.   No, they built a house all right.  They invested the effort, the time, and the money to build.  But they did all that “without any foundation.” Interestingly, until the storm came, the house with no foundation may have looked to the casual observer to be just as solid as the house built on rock.  But, in fact, what they built on was loose and shifty.  Let’s face it; even wind can push sand around.

Further, He doesn’t even say they built on a wrong foundation. He says they built “without any foundation” at all.  And He says the only way to have a foundation that withstands the deluge is to listen to His words and act accordingly.  Nothing else but His teaching will do as a foundation.  Nothing else even is a foundation.

This is an exclusive claim.  It’s His way or nothing.  There aren’t any alternate foundations.  The options are 1) a solid foundation of obedience to Jesus’ words or 2) no foundation at all.

Jesus most certainly made exclusive claims.  He said if you’re not acting according to His teaching, you have no foundation.  No foundation.  That’s not just what I like to think.  It’s what He said, and a person who is true to the real Jesus will uphold those claims.  

Contrary to today’s popular thought, Jesus most certainly did not proclaim either the equality of all religions, or their neutrality.  In the Old Testament, God said, “I am the Lord, and there is no other.  Besides Me there is no God.”  (Isaiah 45:5)  In the New Testament, Jesus said (John 14:6), “No one comes to the Father, but through Me.” And, yes, in Luke 6, if you’re not putting "My" words into practice, you have "no foundation," and you are doomed to go down with a big crash one day.  A person who is true to the real Jesus will not contradict His exclusive claims by embracing the idea of “truth” in all religions.  In fact, Jesus said good fruit isn’t produced on a bad tree.  (See Luke 6:43)  It would be foolish to go looking for true spiritual fruit on a tree of false religion whose roots grow straight out of hell.

Consistent with this, in Acts 17, God’s messenger Paul didn’t tell the Athenians they were just fine for adding one more statue (“to an unknown god”) to their line-up of idols.  Rather, in verse 16, “...his spirit was being provoked within him as he was beholding the city full of idols.”  He boldly told the Athenians where they were theologically wrong, and that though the Creator had overlooked their prior ignorance, God was “now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man who He has appointed [Jesus], having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (verse 30, italics mine)

What has this got to do with education and parenting?  Just why should we care? Here’s why: our children’s spiritual destiny hangs in the balance.

If we believe our children’s spiritual life is the most important aspect of their lives, then intentionally teaching them the truth should be highest priority.  Warning them of false teachers and false teachings, as the New Testament writers did, should be highest priority.

I would grant that traditional subjects, like Math and English, are important, even necessary, but in the final analysis, they have no strong and direct link to our children’s spiritual destiny. While we make time for the necessary traditional subjects, and for sundry extra-curriculars, have we neglected to also devote sufficient time to giving them the only real foundation to build the rest of their education and lives upon?     

Right now, we still have an opportunity to teach our children the truth.  We can anchor them in God’s Word.  We still have the freedom to expose the lies and arguments of the “no absolute truth” and “truth in all religions” crowd.  But even as we do, the heralds of “no absolute truth” and “truth in all religions” are mobilized, strategizing, and boldly advancing. It could be that your family has already crossed paths with some of the most famous proponents of these ideas, though you may not have recognized them at the time.  They are even showing up in homeschool catalogs.

We still have freedom, and there is still time, but realistically, it may not last. Sometimes, carefully thinking through and spelling out the things we are going to regret not doing can help to clarify which things we are doing that aren’t really worthy of as much of our time.

The context of the original word “panoply” was spiritual warfare.  Interestingly, if all religions and all ideas are equally valid and good, then what is the point of spiritual warfare anyway?  Why would there be a war of ideas if all ideas are all equally good?

The fact is that there is a war of ideas over Jesus' exclusive claim that there is only one foundation.  The only real panoply--the complete set of armor for protection in spiritual warfare-- is found in Jesus and His Word.  The only foundation for building a life on is Jesus and His Word.

If we don’t want our children stepping out in fake armor, cherry-picked from the false religions of the world, building lives “without any foundation” that are destined for great ruin, then we must make a serious priority of making sure they understand and can choose to apply and defend the exclusive truth of God’s Word and the exclusive claims of His Son.  And that means we have got to be willing to dig in and do the hard work to understand, apply, and defend the truth ourselves, if we’ve any hope of properly arming them.  We dare not leave it to the church or to anyone else.  Though the choice to obey is ultimately theirs, the responsibility is squarely in our own laps to make them well-aquainted with the truth.

There is only one foundation. It's time to build on the Rock--while there's still time. The coming storm will reveal whose house stands and whose house falls.

May yours be one that stands.

Homeschooling with her husband, Scott, since 2001, Carol believes nothing is too difficult for God.  She is a passionate encourager and loves using creative means--including writing music, singing, speaking, and blogging--to encourage others to trust God through all the adventures He calls them to.  You can read more from her at her Unsmotherable Delight blog (udelight.blogspot.com), where you'll find faith-filled original songs, favorite scriptures, family stories, and even a little film about adoption, all designed to inspire and lift your spirit.  Her original 'theme song' titled Captain's Anthem can be heard on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/30769152.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, except where otherwise specified.