Biblical Creation vs. Evolution

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus Christ As Creator

“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).

Before one can really know Jesus Christ as Savior or Lord, he must acknowledge Him as offended and rejected Creator, because He was our Creator, first of all. This is such an important doctrine of the New Testament that it is remarkable how rarely it is emphasized in modern evangelicalism.

Creation by Jesus Christ is the doctrine with which John begins his great gospel of salvation: “In the beginning was the Word, . . . All things were made by Him; . . . and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not” (John 1:1,3,10). It is the foundational message of the Book of Hebrews: “God . . . Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1,2).

The Apostle Paul said that he had been called specifically to preach “the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:8,9). When a person becomes a believer in Christ, receiving His very life by the new birth, he is said to be “renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him” (Colossians 3:10).

In the final book of the Bible, Jesus Christ is called “the Alpha, . . . the beginning . . . the Almighty” (Revelation 1:, as well as “the beginning of the creation of God” (3:14).

But of all the Biblical passages identifying Jesus Christ as Creator, the most definitive of all is our text for today. Everything in heaven and earth was created by Him, and for Him! “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

[Garden of Glory]

I would like to hear more about Christ as Creator...this is a vital topic, greatly over-looked in Christian circles.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hi Garden of Glory,

Welcome to Christians Unite.

It is well known that Jesus Christ is very God. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit yet all are one. It stands to reason that Jesus Christ is also the Creator of all things. As the verses that are given in the prior post on this it is again evident that this is true.

[nChrist]

Hello Garden of Glory,

First, WELCOME!!

I look forward to reading your posts and having fellowship with you.

I have posted some very specific material on this topic somewhere, so I'll try to find it for you. There are also numerous beautiful portions of Scripture that specifically speak of each Member of the GODHEAD taking part in the creation.

Please let me have a little bit of time and I'll post the material here. In the meantime, I sincerely hope that you enjoy Christians Unite.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Ephesians 5:19-20 NASB  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

[nChrist]

GOD - The Creator - Part 1

Creator is a Heavenly and Majestic Title of GOD. HE spoke, called, and formed all things into being from nothing.

The ONE AND TRUE GOD is HE who is the CREATOR. All other gods are false and are to be denied. The ONE CREATOR is a GODHEAD of three HOLY DEITIES - YET ONE - IS ONE - AND IN ONE:  (1) God, The Father, (2) God, The Son, and (3) God, The Holy Spirit. These are ONE and this HOLY ONE is THE CREATOR.

Genesis 1:1-31  This is a beautiful portion of Scripture that deserves reading over and over again.

Creation is attributed to the GODHEAD.

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
__________

Creation is attributed to the FATHER.

1 Corinthians 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
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Creation is attributed to the SON.

John 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Colossians 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
__________

Creation is attributed to the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Job 26:13  By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

Psalms 104:30  Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
__________

Only THE CREATOR is GOD, and there is no other GOD. The glory of all creation is in HIM, by HIM, and for HIM. The GLORY seen in all CREATION is HIS.

Isaiah 37:16  O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

Isaiah 40:12  Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Isaiah 40:13  Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?

Isaiah 54:5  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Psalms 96:5  For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Jeremiah 10:11  Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
Jeremiah 10:12  He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

Colossians 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Revelation 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Romans 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Continued - See Part Two

[nChrist]

GOD - The Creator - Part 2

THE WORD ("Logos" from the Greek) is JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD - THE CREATOR.

John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
John 1:7  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
John 1:8  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John 1:9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 1:10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

1 John 1:1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

Revelation 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Psalms 33:6  By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Psalms 147:18  He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
__________

Here are a few beautiful portions of Scripture to enjoy:

Job 26:7  He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

Psalms 104:5  Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
Psalms 104:6  Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
Psalms 104:7  At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
Psalms 104:8  They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
Psalms 104:9  Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

Isaiah 45:18  For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

1 Samuel 2:8  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

Revelation 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

Isaiah 40:22  It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Isaiah 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Deuteronomy 32:8  When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

Nehemiah 9:6  Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Psalms 102:25  Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

Proverbs 8:22  The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
Proverbs 8:23  I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
Proverbs 8:24  When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Proverbs 8:25  Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
Proverbs 8:26  While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.

Jeremiah 10:12  He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

Jeremiah 32:17  Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Jeremiah 27:5  I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

John 17:24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

2 Peter 3:5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Revelation 10:6  And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Revelation 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Continued - See Part Three

[nChrist]

GOD - The Creator - Part 3

Our FATHER, THE CREATOR - WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME:

1 Kings 8:30  And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.

1 Kings 8:39  Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)

1 Kings 8:43  Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.

1 Chronicles 16:31  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.

2 Chronicles 2:6  But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

2 Chronicles 6:30  Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)

Job 22:12  Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

Psalms 33:13  The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.

Psalms 123:1  Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Ecclesiastes 5:2  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Isaiah 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Jeremiah 23:24  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

Daniel 4:35  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

Daniel 5:23  But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

Matthew 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 10:32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 10:33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 11:25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

Matthew 12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Matthew 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 18:14  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Mark 11:25  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Romans 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Revelation 21:22  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Revelation 21:23  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Revelation 21:24  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Revelation 21:25  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Revelation 21:26  And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
Revelation 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Revelation 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Revelation 22:4  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Revelation 22:5  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
__________

Love In Christ,
Tom

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

Here's a beautiful graphic that I felt led to post, and it's very appropriate for this thread.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen!

[Shammu]

Creationist Defends Bible-Based Science Against Vatican Astronomer's Criticism

by Jim Brown and Jenni Parker
May 19, 2006

(AgapePress) - - Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno recently told The Scotsman newspaper that believing God created the universe is a form of superstitious paganism, akin to the idea of "nature gods" that pagans believed were responsible for natural phenomena such as thunder and lightning. However, a leading creation scientist says the papal astronomer's contention that Six-Day Creationists are practicing paganism is "absolutely absurd."

Ken Ham, president of the apologetics ministry Answers in Genesis, contends that Consolmagno misunderstands the meaning of the word "science" as applied to the past and the present, just as many in contemporary culture do. "There's a big difference between observational science and historical science," Ham says, "and unfortunately today what's happened is that the secular scientists who have taken over the public educational system have basically arbitrarily defined science as naturalism."

In other words, secular scientists have arbitrarily defined science in such a way that one cannot use God to explain anything with regard to the universe, the creation scientist asserts. "And so God is 'out there' somewhere," he says, "and at the very best you can be a deist or something like that."

But paganism is the opposite of Christianity, Ham points out, noting that in Acts 17 the Apostle Paul preached against the paganism of the Greeks. Clearly, the Answers in Genesis spokesman notes, Consolmagno is confused when he makes comments comparing Christian creationists with pagans. "He doesn't understand that those of us who believe in six-day creation are taking the revelation that God has given us in His Word," Ham says, "and we're saying that explains what happened in the past so we can understand the present."

Answers in Genesis bases its work on the premise that scientific "facts" do not speak for themselves, but must be interpreted. That is, the competing theories of evolution and creation are not based on separate sets of evidence but are derived from the same evidence -- i.e., observable phenomena, the fossil record, animal biology, et cetera -- but the different conclusions about origins result from the different ways people interpret what they study.

Ham describes the Bible as the "history book of the universe," and he contends that scripture provides a reliable, eyewitness account of the beginning of all things, which can be trusted to reveal the truth in all areas it touches on. Therefore, he asserts, scientists are able to use the Bible to help them make sense of the world, the origins of the universe and life, and the natural history and age of the Earth.

When properly understood, the "evidence" confirms the biblical account, the head of Answers in Genesis says. "We can interpret the evidence in the present in relation to the past," he explains, "and so we can connect our origins to the present world."

The only explanation for Guy Consolmagno's "ridiculous" comments, Ham says, is that the Vatican astronomer must be unaware of the distinction between observational science and historical science. Nevertheless, the biblical apologeticist insists, what the six-day creationists at Answers in Genesis do is not based on superstition or paganism but on scientific inquiry that is informed by God's revealed Word in the Bible.

http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion04485.shtml

Additional information on ChristiansUnite.com is available on the Internet at http://www.christiansunite.com/
Copyright © 2003 ChristiansUnite.com. All rights reserved.

[Soldier4Christ]

Legal Consequences When Creation Is Forgotten

by Jeffery J. Ventrella

When one thinks about people who are passionate about the book of Genesis, the following topics usually surface: evolution, dinosaurs, fossils, Noah’s Flood, carbon-dating and so on. What are usually not discussed, however, are the topics of justice and the courtroom. Yes, the Scopes trial is sometimes referenced in relation to Genesis, and litigation about intelligent design certainly makes news; but what about less-than-obvious creation-related matters? Specifically, are there legal matters that arise because the public square has turned a deaf ear toward Genesis? The answer is a definite “Yes!”

Consider just the first few of the key doctrines taught in Genesis:

    * A cosmic “two-ism” is established. There is a pre-existent God who creates, from nothing, everything.1
    * God shaped what He created into various inanimate objects but then created living things like plants2 and animals, which reproduced “according to their kind.”3
    * God created man in His own image; thus, man—and only man—bears this designation.4
    * Man was created in two distinct complementary, yet equally dignified genders, male and female.5
    * From this arrangement God, as a creational ordinance for those created in His image, established marriage to be the union of one man and one woman.6

Doctrines of Genesis Brought to Court

Each of these areas is now the object of intense litigation across the USA and other western nations. Why?

Ideas have consequences; and when true ideas are rejected, negative consequences will arise. The Apostle Paul, when commenting on Genesis in Romans 1, indicated that a great exchange occurred after the Fall: the Truth exchanged for, literally, the Lie.7 The context of Romans 1 makes plain that the manifestations of this exchange will center on two areas: (1) issues dealing with suppressing the Creator’s existence; and (2) issues reflecting a rejection of creational norms regulating sexual activity.

    Genesis is more than T. rexes & trilobites. Genesis establishes the basic parameters of living on God’s Earth

Paul further notes that in conjunction with this suppression, there will be those who not only “practice” certain deeds but also those who “approve them” as well.8 Conduct in America is formally approved by its courts, classrooms and churches. Each is a battleground. And courtrooms across America now confirm Paul’s analysis. When the history of Genesis is rejected and its vital doctrines cast aside, the culture will litigate what has been abandoned.

For example, note the vigor with which the “scientific community” opposes the proposed teaching of intelligent design in public schools as an alternative means of drawing inferences from biological data. Although intelligent design is not “creation science” nor even theistic, it is another means of interpreting data. Yet opposition to it is unrelenting and fierce because intelligent design permits the inference that a design and/or designer exists.

Also, note today’s assault against marriage. God designed marriage with quantitative and qualitative components: one man and one woman. Today, litigation is directed at negating both components: demands for same-sex “marriage” clog many courts (“qualitative”) and some left-leaning advocacy groups and “scholarly academics” reveal a decided opposition to laws prohibiting polygamy (“quantitative”).9

Another recent phenomenon regards legal claims predicated upon “person theory.” Some animal rights activists are seeking fundamental rights for monkeys, dogs and even honeybees. At their root, these claims reflect a rejection of the image of God in man. Anything—except an unborn child, it seems—can be a “person” entitled to rights according to many of these advocates. Man is thus not unique.

Litigation is also arising over cloning and its cousin (no pun intended) hybrid transpersonalism. In the UK, the “creator” of Dolly the sheep, Ian Wilmut, is seeking a legal license to merge rabbits and humans at the cellular level. This action negates the biblical notion that animals are only to reproduce “after their kind.” And, of course, this sort of Frankenstein-like experimentation denies man’s uniqueness as being created in God’s image.

Much of litigation today is also designed to deny the creational notions of maleness and femaleness. This occurs in what are called “transgender” claims. Many businesses and local governments are now making discrimination based on “gender identity” unlawful. Again, the root of such claims derives from a rejection of creational norms. And these claims are particularly dangerous because they seek to extend the law beyond ethics—determining what is right and wrong—to metaphysics—determining something only God can do. Man is thus seeking with “translitigation” to become like God—just as Moses noted in (surprise) Genesis.10
Importance of Defending Genesis

The book of Genesis, because it sets forth the Creator’s design and instruction for all that is, including humanity, should be foundational to every human society. If those truths are ignored, distorted or rejected, consequences will occur—they will be litigated and, if successful, imposed upon society.

Genesis is about more than T. rexes and trilobites. Genesis establishes the basic parameters of living on God’s Earth according to His precepts in His Word. Ultimately, to reject Genesis is to reject life itself. That is why litigating the hot-button issues of our day is so crucial. Defending Genesis and the Creator God is foundational.

Jeffery J. Ventrella is the senior vice president of strategic training for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF). He has also lectured extensively on the relationships among civil law, tort liability and ecclesiastical jurisdiction with an eye toward equipping churches with more biblically based institutional bylaws.
References

   1. Genesis 1:1. Back
   2. People and animals are described in Genesis as having, or being, nephesh (Hebrew), where nephesh chayyah is translated “living creatures,” and in Genesis 2:7, where Adam became a “living soul” (nephesh chayyah). Nephesh conveys the basic idea of a “breathing creature.” Back
   3. Genesis 1:11, 21, 25. Back
   4. Genesis 1:26. Back
   5. Genesis 1:27. Back
   6. Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:26; Matthew 19:4–6. Back
   7. Romans 1:25. Back
   8. Romans 1:32. Back
   9. See, for example, Sears, Alan and Osten, Craig, The ACLU versus America, Nashville, Broadman & Holman, 2005, which notes that the ACLU has, as an official policy, favored polygamy since at least 1992. Back
  10. Genesis 3:5. Back

[Soldier4Christ]

Court keeps textbook 'theory' disclaimers alive
Vacates judge's ruling that stickers religious because Christians promoted them


A federal appeals court yesterday vacated a lower-court decision that declared unconstitutional a Georgia county's science textbook stickers calling evolution a theory

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit criticized the district court for issuing its ruling against the stickers despite insufficient evidence and remanded the case back to the district court for new proceedings.

The stickers in the Cobb County textbooks informed students "evolution is a theory, not a fact."

Joel Oster, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, argued "no school should be in trouble for simply stating the facts."

"That's what schools are supposed to do," he said. "Though we wish the appeals court would have ruled on the constitutional merits of the case without sending it back to the district court, we are pleased that the district court's ruling against the school district has been vacated."

The 11th Circuit wrote: "The problems presented by a record containing significant evidentiary gaps are compounded because at least some key findings of the district court are not supported by the evidence that is contained in the record."

The full text of the court's ruling can be read here [PDF file.

The lower court judge agreed the stickers were not applied to the textbooks for a religious purpose and had no religious content.

But he regarded the stickers a violation of the so-called "separation of church and state," arguing many people were aware Christians supported the stickers.

ADF, in its friend-of-the-court brief, said the district court's analysis will "lead to absurd results."

The First Amendment's Establishment Clause – "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" – was "never meant to prohibit the passage of a secular law, for a secular purpose, simply because Christians actively lobbied for the law," ADF contended.

The sticker applied to each textbook read:

    This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered."

The Cobb County school board placed the disclaimer on the books in 2002 after more than 2,000 parents complained the schools were not teaching about the controversy over evolution among scientists and not informing students of alternative theories.

After the 2004 trial, American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Michael Manely, representing parents who sued the suburban Atlanta school district over the textbook labeling, contended the school board was "doing more than accommodating religion. They are promoting religious dogma to all students."

A biology textbook author testified in the trial, asserting the school was wrongly bringing religion into its teaching by questioning evolution, which he regarded as the foundation for much of modern science.

However, a specialist on the legal aspects of teaching evolution maintained the ACLU was twisting the case, making it an issue of motives and not evidence.

"Perceived motives are irrelevant," said Seth Cooper, an attorney with the Seattle-based Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. "Whether a parent in the community might be religious certainly has no bearing on whether neo-Darwinian and chemical evolutionary theories are supported by scientific data. But such motives are also largely irrelevant to the issues being decided by the judge in this case."

The Discovery Institute has been the biggest promoter of "intelligent design," a theory that the complexity and order of the universe and mankind suggest the action of an intelligent cause rather than random chance, without attempting to identify that cause.

[Soldier4Christ]

The battle heats up

Secularists are strategizing about combating creationists

by Ken Ham, president, Answers in Genesis–USA

AiG’s Dr. David Menton, because of his scientific credentials, was able to sit in on some very revealing meetings in St. Louis. He told me, “Evolutionists have had it with biblical literalists, and they’re not going to take it anymore.”

Dr. Menton had just attended the annual conference of the world’s largest scientific society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). It featured a number of sessions on creation/evolution and how to combat creationists.

Dr. Menton told me, “What I heard is of great importance to all who are concerned about biblical Christianity and the future of education in America. Christians be warned—humanly speaking, it is not very encouraging.”

The following is a summary of the strategies to fight biblical creationists:

   1. They must enlist the “clergy” or “people of faith” to help promote evolution. In fact, they are seeking out pastors for media representation.
   2. They must introduce evolution earlier—as early as the first grade! They say junior high is simply too late to convince students about Darwin.
   3. Evolutionists will use “bait-and-switch” tactics, with redefinition of terms. They must use terms like “science” instead of “evolution.”

Overall, Dr. Menton said that “there was a strident and angry denunciation of Christian ‘fundamentalists’ who seek nothing less than the end of all science!” He added that evolutionists at AAAS were also very concerned that 50% of all students still reject evolution. They blame teachers for not teaching evolution strongly enough!

Well—that’s just a summary of some of the “goings on” at the AAAS conference. In all likelihood, conference attendees (there were 9,000) returned to their schools and newsrooms “fired up” to fight creation more aggressively.

It all sounds somewhat depressing, doesn’t it? But, I do see a glimmer of light.

Think about it: why are these secularists so worried? A major reason is because the Lord has raised up biblical creation ministries like AiG and ICR to widely disseminate information at a grassroots level—to overcome school/media censorship.

By educating people in the arguments against evolution/millions of years and re-establishing the Bible’s credibility, they increasingly know how to defend the faith.

You see, as secularists are strategizing about combating creationists, AiG

    * hosts an award-winning website (5,000 articles/1.3 million visits a month).
    * is sending Dr. David Crandall around the world to set up translation teams.
    * will open the Creation Museum in just 12 months.
    * continues to produce new curricula and DVDs for Christian schools.
    * creates 2–3 new DVDs per month.
    * produces a daily radio program, Answers (heard on about 1000 stations).
    * will host perhaps 500 teaching meetings this year.

Such a grassroots approach is having a powerful effect. Yes, it is evoking the “wrath” of those against God … but that’s a sign the method is working.

Please support the vital creation/gospel message—so more lives can be changed.

[Soldier4Christ]

WILD “GROLAR (or Pizzly?)” BEAR FOUND, according to reports in Canadian Press
11 May, 2006 BBC News Online 13 May 2006. In April 2006 an American hunter who
had a permit to shoot polar bears shot an unusually coloured bear on Banks
Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. The bear was white with brown patches
with long claws and a slightly humped back. Local hunter’s guide, Roger Kuptana,
thought it might be a hybrid offspring of a polar bear and a grizzly bear.
Canadian conservation officials have now tested the DNA of the bear and
confirmed it is a hybrid. Ian Stirling, a biologist at the Canadian Wildlife
Service in Edmonton commented: “It's something we've all known was theoretically
possible because their habitats overlap a little bit and their breeding seasons
overlap a little bit. It's the first time it's known to have happened in the
wild.” Grizzlies and polar bears have been bred together in zoos and produce
fertile offspring.


ED COM. The fact that grizzlies and polar bears can mate and produce fertile
offspring indicates these bears are of one kind and the differences between them
are similar to the differences between different human racial groups, and all of
Darwin's Finches. The fact that Grizzlies and Polar Bears don’t normally breed
is simply because they don’t often meet one another. This fits with Biblical
history. After Noah’s flood the climate and environment degenerated and became
more variable and as animals spread out over the earth, small groups established
themselves in different ecological niches and only bred with one another. This
led to the formation of separate populations with distinctive features, which
have now been classified as different species, which is then used by the
evolutionist as evidence that creatures do not produce their own kind, when they
clearly do. (Ref. breeding, hybridisation)

[Soldier4Christ]

MIRROR IMAGE MOLECULE TEST DEVELOPED, as described in ScienceNOW 12 May 2006.
Many organic molecules, such as amino acids exist in two forms that are
identical chemically but are mirror images of the one another in shape, just as
right and left hands are mirror images in shape. Because they behave the same
chemically they are very difficult to tell them apart, but for molecules that
are used in medicines it is important to know, because they can have different
affects on the body. A team of scientists led by Eric Anslyn of the University
of Texas, Austin, has invented a method for telling right and left handed
molecules apart by making copper containing compounds that amino acids can fit
into like a key in a lock. Some are designed for right handed amino acids to fit
into, and others for left handed amino acids. When an amino acid fits neatly
into one of these molecules they change colour. Some scientists have pointed out
that taste receptors on the tongue can also tell right and left handed molecules
apart. Instead of a colour change the left and right receptor molecules in the
taste buds cause an electrical signal to be sent to the brain, which interprets
the signals as different tastes, e.g. a right handed molecule may taste sweet
but the left handed one tastes bitter.

ED. COM. Designing molecules with the precision needed to fit the left and right
shaped molecules, and produce some measurable change in the receptor molecules,
took creative design by intelligent chemists with a good understanding of how
molecules work and who are outside the system. Therefore, it is absurd to claim
the molecules that form the taste receptors on the tongue made themselves,
rather than being designed and made by the Creator. (Ref. biomimmicry, chiral,
bio-engineering)