NEWS & VIEWS
Creation Update is our quarterly full-colour, 4-page magazine containing news and articles on creation/evolution issues. It is sent on a donation basis. On this page are some items from the latest issue.
"CREATIONISM HAS GONE GLOBAL" — New Scientist
For many years evolutionists tried to dismiss creationism as an “American phenomenon.” In 2000 the late Professor Stephen J Gould wrote, “I hope everyone realises the extent to which this is a local, indigenous, American bizarrity.” However the prestigious journal New Scientist (2nd. February 2008) has had to admit that “Gould could not have been more wrong.” In a leading article entitled “Let us celebrate Darwin”, Dr Michael Zimmerman, bemoaned the fact that “Not only is creationism still a troubling force in America, it has gone global.”

 

 

 CLERGY LETTER PROJECT
Dr Zimmerman is concerned that 45% of Americans believe “that God created human beings pretty much in their present form within the last 10,000 years or so.” He didn’t mention the 2006 BBC UK survey which revealed that only 48% of those surveyed accepted evolution, and that 39% identified themselves with either creationism or intelligent design. Dr Zimmerman, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University in Indianapolis, described how he has tried to stem the tide by founding the Clergy Letter Project — supported by 11,000, mainly US, clergy, and launching Evolution Sunday. (the nearest to Darwin’s birthday 12th February). This year it was expanded to Evolution Weekend “in an attempt to be more welcoming to members of all religions.” Only 4 UK clergy are listed, and three of these are Unitarian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WORRIED
The UK-based liberal Christian think-tank Ekklesia weighed in with a website article, claiming that proponents of “creationism and its cousin 'intelligent design'... base their rejection of all or part of evolutionary science on discredited biblical interpretation and a god-of-the-gaps idea that the divine is to be sought in the 'holes' or limits of the natural sciences.” The website, www.Geotimes.org (February 2008) is also worried: “The results are in, and they’re not pretty. The United States leads Western nations — all 30 of them — in ignorance about evolution. We have a higher percentage of citizens who don’t accept evolution than any other developed country does. Oh … except Turkey. The reason why these two countries are on top (or at the bottom, as the case may be) is that they have more fundamentalists than other countries. The only difference is that Turkey’s are Muslims and ours are Christians.”
COMMENT: Having moved from denial to grudging acceptance of the growth of creationism, some evolutionists are now turning to the churches for help! How sad that any Church leader would lend their support to those who misrepresent what creationists believe, and wish to set a Sunday aside to eulogize Darwin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We want churches and other Christian groups all over Britain to organise special meetings, seminars and even debates where people can be invited to consider the evidence. Even Darwin would have approved, since, in the introduction to his Origin he wrote that it was necessary to consider “the facts and arguments on both sides of each question.” CRT will be publishing a special leaflet later this year, and we have already helped to create an “alternative” website (www.darwinday.org.uk), We will also be working with other UK creation groups to recommend and provide experienced speakers. Can you help provide a venue? Please do get in touch, and we will give you all the help you need, including special publicity materials.
  February 12th 2009 is the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his Origin of Species. Although this will be given great prominence in the media, we are urging Christians to see this not as a threat, but a golden opportunity to expose the flaws in Darwin’s theory and encourage people to think critically about evolution.
DON'T MISS "DARWIN DAY"!

 

 

New documentary film will challenge Darwinism
In preparation for the Darwin bi-centennial, Creation Ministries International has begun a major international documentary film project to help challenge evolution in 2009. The professionally-made film will take a critical look at some of Darwin's key ideas and will interview historians and scientists from a variety of views, including evolutionists. Together with wildlife footage from South America and dramatic re-enactments, the programme will illustrate how the evolutionary viewpoint is far from the tried and tested science many believe it to be. It also will shed some light on the man Darwin, and seek to separate legend from historical fact.
(For information see www.darwinfilm.com)

 

 

 

CREATION TRUTH BEAMS OUT IN AFRICA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The message of creation is reaching many parts of southern Africa by radio. Joshua Gilbert of the Durban-based Creation Science Information Service* reports that he is now sending programmes to 13 radio stations in South Africa itself, as well as stations in Zambia, Chad, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria and Niger. The programmes include those produced by Answers in Genesis, The Institute for Creation Research and Josh McDowell Ministries, and are aired by the radio stations without any cost to CSIS. Joshua, who is assisted by his wife Indira, writes, “Our radio ministry is continuing to reach many hundreds of thousands of people all over Southern Africa and a few neighbouring countries each day. We are eternally grateful to our Lord for giving us this unique privilege.” There has been an encouraging response from listeners, and much free literature has been mailed to those who write in. CSIS also donates creationist books to public libraries, university libraries, and Bible colleges. Literature and Bible study materials are also sent to prisoners who write in. The latest venture is to show creation films on Christian satellite television channels and on the internet, thus reaching an even greater audience. *CSIS, P O Box 562066, Chatsworth 4030, Durban, South Africa.

 

 

Why do many people who believe in an almighty God have a problem with special creation?

 

Joshua and Indira Gilbert

 

 

 

Editorial by Geoff Chapman
Who is really
LIMITING GOD?

 

LOGICAL POINT OF VIEW
One often hears such comments as: “Of course I believe that God created everything, but we must not limit Him by insisting He created everything in a short space of time.” This usually means that the person who made this statement really believes that God created over thousands or millions of years, and may even have used an evolutionary process (which shows just how much many Christians have allowed their interpretation of Scripture to be influenced by non-biblical ideas). In this article we will not consider the fact that this approach undermines the Christian view of the origin of sin and death, but just consider it from a logical point of view. When we say we believe God is almighty, what do we really mean? Surely, that He can do anything? When the angel Gabriel announced to the astonished Mary that she would give birth to a son without a human father, the angel ended with the words, “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1: 37). Now, if “nothing is impossible with God”, and the Bible tells us that God only had to speak to create, where is the problem?

 

 

 

IT is easy to understand why people who don’t believe in an almighty Creator-God find it impossible to accept special creation as recorded in the book of Genesis. What is less easy to understand is why someone who believes in such a God would have a problem believing in special creation.

 

 

 

THE MIRACLES OF JESUS
It is helpful, and revealing in this respect, to consider the miracles of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospels. Since Christians believe that Jesus was God, the way He worked shows us how God works. For an example, let’s look at one of the “nature” miracles performed by Jesus, as recorded by Mark — the stilling of the storm. Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat when a sudden, violent storm blew up. The disciples, who were experienced fishermen, were terrified — evidence that the storm was exceptionally severe, Jesus was asleep, and was woken by the panic-stricken disciples, who feared they were about to drown. What did Jesus do? “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 5: 39). As Creator, Jesus had complete control over the forces of nature.

 

 

The Sea of Galilee, where Jesus stilled a storm with a word of command.

 

NONSENSICAL
Now, let’s apply the “don’t limit God” argument to this miracle: “We must not limit Jesus by insisting that the storm was stilled instantly as He spoke. It may have taken much longer to die down; storms usually do.” It’s easy to see how nonsensical this interpretation is. Had “nature taken it’s course”, the disciples would never have responded by saying, “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 5 41). This is how Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis answered someone who said they refused to limit God regarding creation: ‘I don’t limit God to six days, but I limit myself to letting God tell me what He did and not try to tell God what I think He did. And may I humbly suggest that you should stop telling God what He did and instead listen to what He is telling you?’(1) Amen to that!
(1) Creation magazine, Volume 27, No. 1, December 2004, p. 39

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CRT has produced an original nine-part “Powerpoint” Creation Course on a CD-ROM. Each session lasts 35-45 minutes, and is suitable for use in house groups or larger gatherings. Using good quality graphics and photographs, it has been produced with lay people in mind. An accompanying script in Word doc. format is included. The nine sessions are detailed below:

 

 

New resource — 9-part 'Powerpoint' Creation Course

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Also in Creation Update No.68:
Media Watch;
New Scientist in a fluff over Peppered Moths
David Attenborough's objection
to creation.

Resource News

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Interpreting Genesis Comparing and contrasting the different views, e.g. “day-age” theory, “gap” theory, etc..
2. What does Genesis teach? Biblical “kinds” and Darwin’s theories. Natural selection and variation.
3. Information and complexity
Evidence for intelligent design; explaining apparent “bad design”.
4. The message of the fossils
Missing links; the evolution and creation models compared.
5. Dinosaurs and dragons
What can we learn from fossils and historical records?
6. How old is the earth?
A critical look at the facts and fallacies of dating methods and the assumptions involved.
7. From Adam or ape? A look at popular “ape-man” theories. Why the Biblical view fits the facts.
8. Is there alien life?
How the search for E.T. is based on evolution. Why life can’t come from non-life.
9. The Bible and astronomy
What do we really know about the universe and its origin? What about the “big bang”?
CD-ROM £10 (free post and packing) Go to shop