“Michael Shermer was raised in a fundamentalist Christian home. He presumably came home one day and told his parents something like this: ‘Mom and Dad, I've been studying biology in college and you know what you and Pastor Bob taught about how everything was created all at once? Well, as it turns out, there's a couple of centuries worth of evidence to show that it didn't happen that way.’ If you were in their place, what would you say to your kid?” (Michael Shermer is the publisher of Skeptic magazine).
Michael, I know that we encouraged you to give your heart to Jesus when you were a little boy. We were wrong to do that. That is the recipe for a false conversion. We should have instead taught you the Ten Commandments--that God considers lust to be adultery, and hatred to be murder; that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. Then the fact that Jesus paid your fine--by suffering for your sins to save you from Hell, would have made sense to you. You need to repent and trust the Savior to escape God’s eternal justice. When you do that, you will come to know God. Not know "about" Him, but you will know Him personally. He will transform your life and grant you the gift of everlasting life. John 14:21 is either true or it isn't: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." As you obey Him, His presence will become more real to you than the early morning sunlight. That’s the first thing you should know son.
The second, my boy, is that there is a theory out there that contradicts God’s Word. It says that man wasn’t made in God’s image, but that we evolved, over a long period of time, from primates. When you are told this, I want you to ask questions about it. I want you to be the ultimate skeptic. Don’t just believe it. The entire theory stands or falls on whether or not there is proof. So, ask for scientific proof.
They say that all the animals we have now were not as we see them. They were radically different. Dinosaurs, over millions of years, became birds, fish became lizards, dogs were something else, primates evolved into human beings, etc. So, when they tell you this, ask why there are no species-to-species transitional forms in the fossil record. Why is there no evidence anywhere (in the billions of bones of dead animals) of any species becoming another species?
When they maintain that there are masses of fossils that prove this, don’t take their word for it. Press the issue. Blind faith is another word for ignorance. Say you want facts. Ask for specific scientific evidence of species-to-species transitional forms in the fossil record. When they say that museums are full of them, don’t just believe it as they do. Press the issue again. They will talk about variation (evolution) between species. That's not Darwinian evolution. It's a rabbit trail. Ask again for just one example of species-to-species evolution.
They will try and sidetrack you by talking about moths being stuck to trees, vestigial organs, mutations, bipedalism and mitochondrial DNA. Or they will maintain that there is something called "observed speciation," or try and dazzle you with names like Sinosauropteryx and Ambulocetur and other pseudo-intellectualisms. Then they will say that they aren’t experts, and use words like “maybe, possibly, perhaps, probably.” When they say that science has the proof, somewhere, push it. Demand evidence like your life depended on it. Tell them that you want to use your God-given brain to make a rational decision regarding evolution. You want to know if it's true. Stay open-minded. If it is true, then embrace it. If it's not, reject it.
If they maintain that there’s just a “handful” of bones to prove it, don’t believe them. There are none. They don’t have any evidence anywhere for their theory. None. It’s all blind faith, conjecture and a wild imagination.
So Michael, you will have a choice between the two beliefs of the origin of mankind. There is no fence to sit on. Was it evolution or were we intelligently designed by God? You can either rest in the evidence of the God you know personally, or you can turn your back on Him (and His gift of everlasting life), and blindly have faith in an unscientific theory. And why would an intelligent person do that? However, the choice is yours son.
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I can find o reason to give any credence to a theory created by people whose purpose is to discredit their creator. They would have us think He dosen't exist and that they have the ultimate intelegence. In denying the truth, they have come to beleive a lie. Can anyone who who tries to change the creation story tell me where the seven day week came from? Can they tell me what the seventh day sabbath comemorates? Click here to reply to this post
GOD SAYS THE EARTH PRODUCED THE PLANTS
Posted On: 04/18/08 10:14:29 AM
Age 64, OH
Instead of justifying our beliefs we should humble ourselves and ask God to show us His truth. Any man can simply read what God has written in Genesis 1 and see that it seems that God has said that SOME KIND OF EVOLUTION DID TAKE PLACE. Look in the Book and see what God said. Gen 1:11 Then God said, "LET THE LAND PRODUCE VEGETATION: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, ACCORDING TO THEIR VARIOUS KINDS." And it was so. 12 THE LAND PRODUCED VEGETATION: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.-- If we read the whole account we know what God has spoken is true. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth - what does that include, it would seems to include ALL of the physical matter of the universe which would include the matter the sun, moon, plants, animals etc are made of. But then God says let the land produce plants according to their kinds. So God had created all of the atoms that the plants are made of but He than let the earth form those atoms into plants. God is light and there is no life without God. The sun is our source of physical light and there is no life without the light of the sun. For the Bible says the physical is a sign of the spiritual. What kind of plants do we have now. Do most plants grow in a earth day. No they grow over months of earth time. But a 1000 years is as a day to the Lord. The plants all formed in a "day". The 1st day was the dawning of light when the sun started producing light. The 3rd day was the dawning of plant life on earth. One could say the plants EVOLVED from the land. But God created all, because He created the earth and the sun and all that brought the plants forth. There would not be one plant without God, for there would be nothing without Him. We should believe God instead of justifying our traditions. Lou Click here to reply to this post
Wrong - NO Evolution Used
Posted On: 06/03/08 05:40:04 PM
Age 48, AL
With all due respect, it seems that you have confused evolution with natural selection which does not produce any molecules to man evolution. In fact, it seems you have not read Genesis 1 fully since it clearly says that God had "the earth produce vegetation", yet it took place in one day. This is not any form of evolution which takes place over millions of years. The translation seems to indicate that the earth produced the vegetation, yet the Hebrew "bara" is basically "from nothing comes something". Since the earth is incapable of creating anything, it is implicit that God did the creating. The fact that the plants reproduce after their kind reinforces God's initial design as well as the fossil record that reveals plants can easily be categorized, again implying various "kinds".
As usual, God told us quite plainly what He did in Scripture, but man allows other men's distorted interpretations to taint his thinking. This is what gives rise to non-Biblical ideas, even distorted attempts to merge science and Scripture. However, when you allow Scripture to reign supreme, the science quite easily conforms to what God's revelation says. Thus, when God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them, it actually means just what it says, including the part about 6 days, not millions or billions of years as evolution presupposes. Science does not require, nor is it consistent with observations, to mandate millions of years. 6,000 years, plus or minus a few, is more than enough time to accomplish all you see today, particularly in light of real scientific observations that are consistent with that time frame. To God be the glory, great things He has done! Click here to reply to this post
HOW MANY ENGISH MEANINGS ARE THERE FOR THE WORD DAY
Posted On: 06/04/08 04:25:08 PM
Age 64, OH
It seems to me that you are saying that only your interpretation is biblical and anyone who thinks different than you has a faith our lack of commitment to Christ. I do not accuse you of the same. Jesus created everything that exists but the word created is only used in Genesis 1 three times. Jesus said he created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. Does not the heavens and the earth include all physical matter and energy. Is not the sun part of the heavens. We look out into space today and see stars forming in this "day". Not meaning 24 hours or an earth day but the common english usage meaning in this age. So all the stars were not formed in the beginning, but all the matter and energy that the laws of nature, created by God, uses to form stars were created in the beginning. Even man is aware of this law of God. That matter or energy can not be created or destroyed. This law was created by God in the beginning and no matter or energy has been created since the beginning. God does not break His own laws. Jesus could not just forgive sin because of His law of justice. Jesus had to pay for the sin for us to be saved. So we know the law of conservation of matter and energy were created by God in the beginning. SO all the matter and energy had to be created in the beginning for He would not break His own law. If you want to deny that stars are being born and also dying yet today then you are simply burying your head in the sand, for this is true. God uses the word day in the scriptures in a lot of different ways. To deny this would only be alack of knowledge or understanding. No man can say that the word day in Genesis 1 is the 24 hour earth day, for God could also have meant it the way He uses the word in other places. How about when God said to Adam, "The day you eat of it you will surly die" DID ADAM DIE WITHIN 24 HOURS or did he live 930 years after that. Look in the scriptures and you will see, Jesus uses the word day in many different ways. The 1st day could not be 24 hours. For it says, " there was morning and there was evening". From morning to evening on this earth is 12 hours not 24. 24 hours is from morning to morning. The scriptures just do not bear out the tradition started by the pope that the creation days are 24 hour days. Many of the early church fathers thought the days were very long days. Lou Click here to reply to this post
FOSSIL RECORD SHOWS GOD WROTE GENESIS 1
Posted On: 04/18/08 09:44:21 AM
Age 64, OH
There does not seem to be any scientific evidence to support the atheists view of evolution. Lack of transition forms being one. But the Cambrian explosion of life forms is much stronger evidence. But the fossil record THAT GOD ALMIGHTY HAS LEFT US also shows us that man did not come upon the scene until after a long time after the first life forms appeared. If you are going to use the fossil record to disprove evolution is the creator than you can not have your cake and eat it too. The fossil record that was created by God is very convincing evidence that the Genesis is inspired by God. For the fossil record shows the creation happened in the same order as Genesis 1 says it did. Genesis says the order was plants, sea creatures, birds, land animals, and then man. The fossil record left by God of course agrees. The mathematical odds of Moses getting this correct by chance is 5!, which is 1x2x3x4x5 = 120. There is only one chance in 120 that Moses would get this correct by chance. That is strong evidence that God wrote Genesis 1 and not Moses. Lou Click here to reply to this post
NO MAN WILL FIND GOD WITHOUT HUMILITY
Posted On: 04/17/08 11:26:07 AM
Age 64, OH
When Joshua asked the Lord if he was for us or our enemies. The Lord answered, NEITHER, but as Commander of the Lords Armies I now come. The Lord is not for evolution that says there is no God and God is also not for the six earth day creationist. God is THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF and represents himself and no other group. For only God is righteous and ALL MEN ARE LIARS. So how could God be on the side of any man. In so many comments, it seems that they lack humility. No man will find God without humility. Are we seeking to be right, or are we seeking Jesus Christ. If a man believes the correct doctrine but does not know the Lord Jesus Christ and have Him living in his own heart, then he is lost and has nothing. But if a man believes many lies, including evolution, but has given his life to the Lord Jesus Christ and has the Holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus living in his heart, then that man has everything there is to possess and lacks not one thing. All truth is important, and we should seek truth in all things, but humility is even more important, because Jesus only inhabits a humble heart. And The Lord Jesus Christ is everything. Lou Click here to reply to this post
ray's prediction of professor responses is exact
Posted On: 04/16/08 07:10:56 PM
Age 19, LA
I am taking an honors biology class and I occasionally ask questions whenever he (the prof) mentions evolution. I usually don't say to much, I guess out of respect, but I have asked a few. He would usually say something about micro-evolution and stop it there or something like that. I guess I should start being more aggressive and prove to my classmates how stupid the fairy-tale is. But, my professor's reasoning and responses flow just as Ray says they do. man, ray, you've got a lot of experience preaching for 20 or 30 years or whatever it is. Click here to reply to this post
Let the wise become foolish and the foolish become wise
Posted On: 04/16/08 03:12:17 PM
Age 33, OK
I may not be a rocket scientist
a math genius
a college scholar
a historian
a literary professor
a mechanical whiz
but I heard,read, and saw an empty tomb on t.v. and as a young girl I believed.
I hear the holy spirit speak
I see with the Lord's help
sometimes I even speak wisdom he gives me.
They speak but they're dumb
They hear but they're deaf
They see but they're blind. Click here to reply to this post
Let the wise become foolish and the foolish become wise
Posted On: 04/16/08 03:11:25 PM
Age 33, OK
I may not be a rocket scientist
a math genius
a college scholar
a historian
a literary professor
a mechanical whiz
but I heard,read, and saw an empty tomb on t.v. and as a young girl I believed.
I hear the holy spirit speak
I see with the Lord's help
sometimes I even speak wisdom he gives me.
They speak but they're dumb
They hear but they're deaf
They see but they're blind. Click here to reply to this post
Ray, this is an excellent article. I am just surprised at some of the feedback comments. It is amazing at the lengths that some people will go to discredit what God has clearly communicated to us. If you really, honestly dig deep, you will find that creation as clearly stated in Genesis is correct. It makes sense. The fossil record backs it up. Death is the result of sin. Jesus did not come to save the single cell amoebas - He came to save us. I hope that people will go see the new Ben Stein movie "EXPELLED" coming out soon. Click here to reply to this post
Stop the bloodshed
Posted On: 04/16/08 10:47:31 AM
Age 38, GA
Evolution's bloody legacy should be enough to make one think there is a better way.To tell a small child that he came from a monkey is a lie.Why?Because it cannot physically happen.That experiment when down in flames,http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5198/
That should tell any rational mind that it cannot happen.Therefore telling people that is a lie.Evolution is unproved,and has never been observed,If evolution were true,there would be no question.We must teach our children not to be intimidated by their peers and to challenge them.The enemy wants robots.Not thinking minds. Click here to reply to this post