In this presentation, Sean McDowell gives a brief overview of the intelligent design movement. He highlights some of the more persuasive evidences for its truth, and begins by discussing the pervasiveness of Darwinism as a worldview and its impact on everyday life. Darwinism ultimately teaches that we are accidental by-products of blind forces in nature and that all life is doomed to die as the universe cools. What a depressing way to look at the world!
El Puerquito y el Oink Accidental is hot off the presses! Thanks to translator, Carlos Pamplona (M.A. Christian Apologetics, Biola University 2014), Picture Book Apologetics’ Pig and the Accidental Oink! is now available to our Spanish speaking friends. Paperback copies are available on Amazon and a free PDF download of the full book is available from PictureBookApologetics.com.
For me, one of the most convincing evidences of our creator is found whenever I consider the expanse of stars over my head on a clear night. David was right on the mark when he wrote, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1)
Some people deny that the universe was created and believe that instead, it came about by natural means. These people hold to a form of naturalism, the view that our reality is only governed by natural law.
As Christians, we believe that God created the universe (Genesis 1:1). One of the best ways to help a naturalist come to the same conclusion is through the Kalām cosmological argument.
What is the Kalām, you ask? It is an old, simple argument that logically refutes the assertion that the universe began without cause. The beauty of the Kalām is that it forces atheists to argue against the evidence given by science.
1) Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence;
2) The universe had a beginning of its existence;
Therefore:
3) The universe had a cause of its existence.
Children can understand this concept pretty easily. Ask them if their dinner or their favorite toy just appeared out of nothing for no reason. No! These things had to be made by an outside force: people. In the same way the universe was made by an outside force: God.
The big bang theory is often regarded warily by Christians but it is actually useful evidence of creation! Study of our universe shows that it is expanding and this expansion strongly suggests that the universe had a point of origin and a cause; this fits well with the Genesis creation account. Such discoveries should not surprise us. The Bible consistently proves trustworthy under scrutiny, and science continually reveals what God’s people have known for so long; His creation declares His glory!
Bake some delicious chocolate chip cookies! While they are still warm, place them on a plate and sit around the plate with your family. Ask your children:
The Kalam cosmological argument for children, available on Amazon.
Where does the soul come from? In previous weeks we have talked about the ideas of Traducianism and pre-existence. The last theory to discuss is that of creationism. Creationism, sometimes referred to as special creationism, is the belief that every soul is created by God sometime at or after conception and is placed into the human fetus.
In an effort to avoid confusion between this idea and the more common definition of creationism – that God created the universe – we will refer to it as special creationism. Why should you care? What you believe about the origin of the soul impacts the way you look at social issues and defend the faith.
This is not an exhaustive list but merely a quick reference of others who have supported the idea of special creationism.
Since Scripture does not give enough clear information to make a perfect case for either special creationism or Traducianism, there are many who have decided not to take a stance on the issue either way.
Hugh of St. Victor (c. 1096 – 1141) (leaned toward creationism)
Alexander of Hales (c. 1185 – 1245) (leaned toward creationism)
Martin Luther (1483 – 1546)
Wayne Grudem (1948 – ) “Even if we say that God is the Father of spirits and the Creator of every human soul, just as he is the Maker and Creator of each of us, we must still also affirm that God carries out this creative activity through the amazing process of human procreation. Whether God involves the human mother and father to some degree in the process of the creation of a soul as well as of a physical body, is impossible for us to say. It is something that occurs in the invisible realm of the spirit, which we do not have information about except from Scripture. And on this point Scripture simply does not give us enough information to decide.”[1]
Now that you have a small introduction to these three ideas on the origin of the soul, you probably have more information than you thought you ever needed. No matter which of these ideas you hold, you should be able to confidently tell your children and those who ask, “God is the author of the human soul.”
[1] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1994), 484-485.
Our children love dinosaurs. I am sure that they are not alone in this fascination with these giant beasts of the past, but for some, this fascination is not to be encouraged. There are some well-meaning Christians that believe that dinosaurs are from Satan or that God put evidence of dinosaurs in the fossil record to test our faith. Behind these ideas are likely an effort to make a certain view of Scripture fit with the observations of modern scientists.
There is a pervasive perception in the modern era that matters of science and matters of faith are at odds; that there are complications between current scientific thought and biblical theology. Contradictions which include the age of the earth, the origin of the universe, the origin of mankind and even certain aspects of the fossil record, such as dinosaurs and hominids. These complications have served to foster an “us versus them” mentality between scientists and theologians.
However, if Christianity is correct and God is the author of both Scripture and the record of nature, one would expect that they will align to point to one truth and reality. Indeed, this seems to be what Scripture teaches; the natural world declares God’s glory and righteousness.
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,” (Psalm 19:1-4)[1]
Dual revelation is the idea that Scripture is God’s Special Revelation to mankind and the created universe is his General or Natural Revelation. It would therefore follow that natural revelation can help us to interpret special revelation. Some Christians (sometimes known as Biblicists) decry any use of science in the interpretation of Scripture due to their belief that the Bible is the only reliable source of knowledge. They believe that both mankind and nature are too fallen to garner reliable information from science. However, the Bible teaches that natural revelation provides evidence about God that even non-Christians are able to comprehend. (Romans 1:18-20; 2:14-15)
Perhaps a more balanced approach is found in the concordant model (sometimes referred to as the overlapping view/model) which contends that dual revelation serves as cooperative modes by which God communicates His truth. Hugh Ross, a prominent proponent of the concordant model states, “Today the entire spectrum of nature’s record—mathematics, astronomy, physics, geology, chemistry, paleontology, biochemistry, botany, zoology, anthropology, etc.—provides us with overwhelming evidence for the existence and identity of the Creator, the biblically revealed God.” Stated another way, “all truth is God’s truth,” we shouldn’t shy away from one or the other.
It is important to remember that both Science and Theology are merely interpretations of facts, and the seemingly irreconcilable differences between the two stem from faulty human interpretations.[2] It is therefore imperative that we strive to be accurate in both our interpretations of the natural world and Scripture without taking a given interpretation for granted. The apostle Paul warns Christians not be held captive by bad thinking for the sake of conformity but rather to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, thereby proving God’s perfect will. (Colossians 2:8, Romans 12:2) Each area of revelation should inform the other and we must be willing to be wrong about our interpretations and, when appropriate and within reason, open to adjusting our views in humility. (1 Peter 5:5)
So, encourage your children to be curious about creation, in it they will see God’s glory declared!
[1] See also Psalm 50:6 “And the heavens declare His righteousness…” Quoted from the New American Standard Bible.
[2] Deborah B. Haarsma and Loren D. Haarsma, Origins: Christian Perspectives on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design, revised ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2011), 74.
On the 28th of September, many museums observed Free Museum Day by offering (you guessed it) free admission. The Creation and Earth Museum in Santee, California, offers free admission all year long, but observed the day instead by hosting a free family event that featured a number of guest speakers, including Ray Comfort, and the rollout of several new “Kids Knee High Exhibits.”
The Institute for Creation Research (who launched and managed the Creation and Earth History Museum for 16 years), Krispy Kreme donuts, Chick-fil-A, and more had booths outside of the museum, along with a stage for musical performances and a tent for the guest speakers.
The museum features a wide array of exhibits, including nearly everything from the origin of the universe to irreducible complexity and from human body systems to the likelihood of an actual Noah’s ark. There is even a tabernacle reproduction with a 30 minute presentation.
The amount of text and images and displays borders on overwhelming, but it seems that this would make an ideal trip for families who have certain topics that they would like to explore in a hands on, 3D environment. One would be hard-pressed to really take in all of the information in one trip, especially on a crowded event day.
Throughout the museum, accompanying many of the exhibits are articles for adults that contain more in depth information on topics like “How Long Was the Seventh Day?” and “Pantheistic Evolution.” These articles are also available on their website. As we leafed through the articles, we were somewhat surprised to find that a few were from as far back as 1980 on topics that have certainly received more scholarly attention in the 30 years since.
Overall, we found the information contained in the exhibits to be accurate and the families filling the halls were engaged and entertained. Children ran about, interacting with exhibits and asking their parents questions, who in turn asked museum volunteers questions. The exhibit detailing the feasibility of Noah’s ark was a personal favorite, because it threw out stylized (ahem, misleading) renditions of the ark and presented instead a bare bones, solid depiction built on the description in Genesis. Calculations estimating necessary and provided room for animals as well as the ability of the ark to really float were posted alongside a scale model that would have made Johannes Buteo proud.
One point of contention that may arise for some was the institution’s bias toward a young earth model. This is not to say that it would be detrimental to subscribe to young earth over old earth or vice versa(surely we all have an opinion), but several exhibits plainly describe young earth as the biblical view and old earth as the opposite. Old earth is presented as inextricable from evolution, and the big bang is similarly dismissed as one and the same with a non-biblical explanation. At Youth Apologetics Network, we do not see young earth or old earth creation differences as matters worth dividing over, and we also do not see how either can be dismissed as lacking biblical basis. Good arguments abound for both but that admission seemed to be lacking at this particular museum, which may be worth noting ahead of time for some families.
If you are looking for a fun day of interactive exhibits that welcome important conversations, The Creation and Earth Museum in Santee is a great day trip idea. We would love to hear what your family enjoyed about this museum, or if there is another creation museum that you have particularly enjoyed.
