“Happy Darwin Day?”

Mondo Gonzales, Pastor

CrossRoads Community Church in New Lenox

www.ccc-nl.org

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

As I write this column, I learned that many were not just celebrating the birth of Abraham Lincoln on February 12, but also another influential person born on this date by the name of Charles Darwin. This reminded me of a series of articles that ran last month in the Chicago Tribune Magazine analyzing whether the Bible and Darwinian evolution could be married and actually get along. It was fascinating reading that also shed light on the famous Scope’s Trial of 1925. It is believed by many that this trial was the turning point in bringing the teaching of evolution firmly and finally into the public school system.

The basis of the trial was the opposition to a Tennessee law known as the Butler Act of 1925. This law forbade the teaching of evolution and any theory that denied the creation of mankind as found in the Bible. Keep in mind the very different historical and cultural background to this story. The theory of evolution being taught had received much resistance at being introduced into the public school systems. The ACLU offered to defend any teacher in court that was willing to break the law. That teacher was 24 year old John Scopes who eagerly and willingly began to teach evolution so that he could be indicted. Consequently, the matter would then find itself before the courts, which it did.

Why do I get into all this? Well… there was an interesting quote by the defense attorney Clarence Darrow that struck me as the epitome of irony. Darrow is quoted as saying, “Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.” His intent in saying this was that public school children were only being taught ONE viewpoint as it relates to the origins of life. The point he was making was not to immediately eliminate the teaching of Creation by God, but instead to allow an academic freedom to DOUBT what was being taught.

How ironic is this? It is amazing at how far we have come from this original line of thinking. Today we have hundreds of professors, teachers, and other educators seeking to create an environment where this doubt can still exist as it relates to modern theories of origins. Darwinian evolution as a theory is presented as absolute fact in the school systems and any form of dissent (even scientific) or doubt is branded as attempts to secretly reintroduce religious indoctrination. There is a new documentary coming out in the next couple months highlighting the ways in which educators are being suppressed, censored, and even fired for encouraging the exact thing that attorney Clarence Darrow sought to do in public schools in the 20s: allow the freedom to DOUBT that which is currently being taught about origins. I encourage everyone to check out the trailer at www.expelledthemovie.com. This documentary will go on a “quest to expose the suppression by science's anti-theist elite, and unveil new scientific facts that may suggest evidence of intelligent design in the universe.” I am taking the time to share this because I believe that so many of us who went to public schools and universities received only that which was given to us. The main point of the movie is not to return creation teaching in the schools, but instead to allow the freedom to present ALL information.

For those that celebrate the birthday of Darwin, I will leave a sobering quote from his book, The Descent of Man, page 241-242, “At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world. At the same time the anthropological apes… will no doubt be exterminated. The break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilized state…even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of now between the Negro or Australian and the gorilla.” I hope when people read these foundations of evolutionary thinking, they are horrified at these comments. God created the world and mankind in perfect harmony. After which, man rebelled and brought about the need for Jesus to die as our Savior. God does expect all mankind to acknowledge Him as creator. Those that don’t are willingly ignorant (2 Peter 3:5) and will be judged accordingly. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” Romans 1:20. Will you acknowledge Him as Creator and Savior? I pray that you will. Have a blessed week!

New Lenox Patriot, February 21, 2008, Page B-6.