By Burton G. Lockwood
During a recent, highly publicized decision, the U.S. District Court of Arkansas, knocked down a law designed to give “scientific creationism” equal time with evolution to the public schools. In justifying his ruling, Judge Overton stated that a good solid fence must be erected and maintained between the domains of State and Church. He reasoned that since “scientific creationism” is an approach to origins based on the biblical account rather than on observing nature, it is religion, not science. To allow religion to be taught in the public schools would violate the freedom of religion of some students.
The impact of this ruling is that, in Arkansas, the State will not allow the Bible to be considered when pondering origins. The State will only allow study of the philosophy that matter somehow evolved into life through natural occurrence. This position ignores the possibility that mind created matter and it orients young minds away from giving even passing thought to their Creator.
Despite the unfavorable ruling dealt creationists in Arkansas, evolutionists are alarmed at the inroads made by the creationist lobby. Evolutionists are encouraging scientists to form groups and go on the offensive against the “unscientific notions” of creationists. Evolution propagandists warn scientists not to engage in debate (for they are often made to look foolish when they do) but to use every opportunity to ridicule and undermine creationist efforts. Emporia State University scientists formed such a group and circulated a demand that textbooks be altered to render 3.0 as God’s value for Pi. They are referring to the dimensions of a large molten sea laver described by the Bible (1 Kings 7:23) as being 10 cubits from brim to brim and 30 cubits round about. By their reasoning, their ratio is inaccurate – the circumference of a circle 10 cubits in diameter should be 31.4 cubits. In their eagerness to poke fun and ridicule, the ESU boys fail to take into account the possibility that 10 and 30 may be round numbers.
The sad side of all this furor is that a great many scientists and scholars are so dedicated to defending Darwin’s theory that they have closed their minds to a great mass of evidence. The young and naive are taught that evolution is a proven fact. The claim is made that evolutionary notions are scientific even though science allegedly deals only in observable, repeatable evidence. The simple truth is that the conjecture that life evolved on this planet from random interactions of matter over billions of years is beyond observation. Attempts to coax out life from matter have met only with failure. A theory that cannot be tested or proven through observation and repetition is beyond science. Evolution is as much religion as the biblical creation account.
Today evolutionists offer the fossil record as proof positive that Darwin’s theory is correct and yet, Darwin himself believed that it would require the discovery of transitional forms (fossil evidence of one kind of creature developing into another kind) in order to verify his speculations. After a hundred years of extensive search, transitional forms are yet to be uncovered. What a person can observe is that living creatures reproduce after their own kind. Fossils are best formed by rapid and impact burial, such as caused by a mudslide or flood, and every form of life now extant is found in the fossil record. It appears that life comes from life, not from random interactions of matter.
When creationists discover evidence damaging to evolutionary notions, their findings are generally ignored, down-played or rejected. Anyone interested in observing first hand a death blow to evolutionary thinking should visit Glen Rose, Texas, in late summer. Several miles out of town (local residents can tell you where to look) in the Paluxy River bed are footprints in stone. There are huge dinosaur tracks. Tracks of the great Brontosaurus and the terrible Tyrannus Rex abound. Mixed in with the~tracks of these monsters are the tracks of human beings. According to evolutionists, man was not on the scene when the giant lizards ruled the earth 70 to 200 million years ago. How then is the track of man found in the same rock strata as the track of dinosaur? One “scientific” explanation was that it must have been a dinosaur with a human foot! “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. . .” (Exodus 20:11).
Creationists are able to make evolutionists look ridiculous in debate because they have the truth and tangible evidence of the truth of their side. Do not be deceived into believing that science has proven anything contrary to the Word of God. As Paul wrote, “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen” (1 Tim. 6:20-21).
Guardian of Truth XXVII: 3, p. 82
February 3, 1983