In His Image

There are those who adhere to the theory of evolution that expect you believe that something came from nothing - that out of what has been termed a "primordial soup," complex forms of life, from plants to animals to human beings, have arisen.  And, many do not believe that a Creator God, as the Bible says, spoke creation into being.  In Romans chapter 4, we can read these words (ESV) regarding God's interaction with Abraham:
17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be. ”
19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.
20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

Over two decades ago, Christian apologists Frank Turek and the late Norman Geisler wrote a book called, I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be an Atheist. And, when you consider what evolutionists expect you to believe about origins, you can see how they are embracing a blind faith, a godless faith, regarding how we came to be.

Last month, the 100th Anniversary of the Scopes trial was commemorated.  A piece published at The Christian Post website, written by Jerry Newcombe of Coral Ridge Ministries, provides insight into the impact of the trial.   He states, "Some in our society seem to think that the Creator has somehow been disproved by science, that evolution is a proven fact, and that the Scopes Monkey Trial 100 years ago this month helped settle the matter. Case closed."

But, seems this "trial" was conducted for show, perhaps a publicity stunt, according to Jerry Newcombe's piece:

 Popular history tells us that science teacher John Thomas Scopes was put on trial for daring to teach evolution in his classroom in Dayton, Tennessee — an act prohibited by law in that predominantly Christian state.

In reality, Scopes was a football coach and only taught the science class as a substitute because the regular teacher did not want to violate the law.

In reality, the whole Scopes trial was a publicity event to try and put Dayton on the map.

That wasn't quite accomplished, as Newcombe writes: "What did materialize was an attempt to mock the Bible. Clarence Darrow did everything he could to belittle biblical fundamentalism, as personified in William Jennings Bryan. Skeptical newsman, H.L. Mencken, added fuel to the fire by commenting in a very slanted way against Bryan and the Bible." Newcombe adds: "When Bryan wanted to cross-examine Darrow, the latter had his client, Scopes, plead guilty, pay the $100 fine. This brought the trial to an abrupt end — not allowing Bryan to even deliver a closing argument."

He concludes by saying, "Rumors that God is dead — that the Creator was somehow killed off in the Scopes trial, which ended 100 years ago to the day that I write these words — are greatly exaggerated. "

Nathaniel Jeanson of Answers in Genesis notes that the Tennessee law wasn't repealed until 42 years after the Scopes trial, as the result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case out of Arkansas.   About that decision, he wrote recently, "Thus, the evolutionary counteroffensive, which began at the Scopes trial, was ultimately a success. Evolution returned to the public schools with a vengeance. Skillful use of mockery, followed by slow-and-gradual chipping away at the legal foundations, culminating in a final, decisive blow proved a winning strategy." He added, "This should be the end of the Scopes story. Except that, several years prior to Epperson v. Arkansas, the wheels of another battle cycle had already been set in motion. This time, however, roles would be reversed."

The catalyst, as Jeanson writes: "Seven years before Epperson v. Arkansas, PhD hydrologist Henry Morris and theologian John Whitcomb published the book, The Genesis Flood. Panned by the mainstream scientific community, it was received enthusiastically by the Christian community."  A decade later, the Institute for Creation Research was formed, leading the way to a movement to restore awareness and affirmation of the Biblical view of creation.

ICR made tremendous inroads in changing hearts and minds to the creationist point of view, He quoted from a 1976 narrative from the Institute for Creation Research:

One of the most exciting developments of the past few years has been the re-introduction of creationism to the nation’s college and university campuses. Less than a decade ago, a formal lecture or debate defending creationism as a scientific concept would have been impossible on a university campus. The doors were shut and, with rare exceptions, there were no creationist scientists who were willing and able to give such lectures anyhow. The situation today is altogether different. . . .

During 1975 alone, for example, Dr. Duane Gish and Dr. Henry Morris have spoken or debated on over 60 college and university campuses, not to mention numerous public schools, scientific organizations, and teachers’ associations. It is estimated that over 30,000 college students have heard one or more of these creationist messages during 1975. The majority of these students, of course, were non-Christians.

The tide turned on presenting scientific evidence that is consistent with what the Bible has to say.  Jeanson relates:

I suspect that, when the evolutionists argued their case in 1982 and 1987, they never expected the creationists to effectively strike back or progressively erode the legal foundation for their case. After all, evolutionists owned a monopoly on the billions of dollars of annual government research money. They owned the academic research facilities. They gatekept the technical journals where research findings were published. How could creationists make and fulfill testable predictions?

Yet moving the conflict away from the realm of mockery and into the dry academic realm of testable predictions was a gamble for the evolutionists. In theory, it was possible for the creationists to succeed. Creationists *could* eventually make and fulfill testable predictions.

So, ultimately, while Clarence Darrow attempted to mock William Jennings Bryan's faith in the 1925 Scopes trial, a century later, the winds seem to have shifted somewhat.  There is still much work to be done in this arena of origins, but by relying on the power of Biblical truth combined with confirming science, hearts and minds can be changed.

The Bible speaks in Galatians of not growing weary in well-doing. It can become discouraging when we see people embrace ideas that are patently unbiblical.  The hostility toward God and His teachings is palpable, yet, just as God did not give up on His people following the fall, and engaged in the long game throughout the Old Testament until the time had fully come, we can adopt His long-term mindset and continue to be faithful to the Lord and His Word day-by-day.

The Bible says the heavens declare His glory.  Creation testifies to the presence of a designer, a Creator who has provided a spectacular array for us to enjoy and from which to learn. Just look in the mirror: as Psalm 139, we are all "fearfully and wonderfully made."  We are made in His image, and in Genesis 1, He looked at His creation of a man and a woman and called them, "very good."