While attending Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church for twenty years I was super involved in many ministries: the College Department, Chapel Choir, Recreation Ministry, Singles Department, Youth Ministry, Children’s Ministry, and Adult Choir. These were filled with many devoted, active Christians seeking to serve God. I felt like a part of a greater whole, literally attending whenever the church doors were open, including most Sunday and Wednesday evening services. In the mid 90’s when babies slowed us down we scaled back our involvement and finally joined an Adult Sunday School class. We didn’t fit in. Though in the same stage of life as us, many of these young professionals only attended on Sunday mornings. In earlier years some had avoided ministries like the Singles Department. Though we worshipped the same God, life in the Adult Department just wasn’t the same.
Back in my single days my SPdL friends and I took great pride in standing of the side of the moderates in the Southern Baptist Convention, often picking fun at our fundamentalist brothers-in-Christ at places like First Baptist Church of Atlanta. So imagine my trepidation in 1999 while walking in the doors of North Point Community Church for the first time to hear the son of past-SBC president Charles Stanley preach. Amazingly, I wasn’t struck down by lightning. Unlike most other churches we had recently visited that left me feeling quite uncomfortable, I actually felt at home at North Point. Instead of sticking to long-outmoded methods of Bible study and worship, here was a church that made sure everything was done with purpose and excellence, singly pointing people toward a growing relationship with Christ. One statement Andy made would continue to ring in my ears years later (though I probably have the quote wrong, and out of context). Simply put: If Jesus believed it, it’s good enough for me.
In addition to worshipping at North Point, for the next decade I became part of the community of my kid’s school. Several families we knew tried Living Science for a year or two and moved on, considering the teaching and involvement to be too demanding and strict. This may be true. The administrators may have asked too much, but when compared to so many schools that demanded far too little, we considered the sacrifice worthwhile. Will grew to love Jesus, learn discipline, and how to lead (and much more). I often wish Anna and Matthew had stuck it out at Living Science like Will had.
Living Science taught students to think critically. To not just accept the words of a teacher blindly, but to document whether the teaching is true and accurate. We learned from the resources of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, which detailed how specific events in nature (like floods or volcanic eruptions) could create in minutes what evolutionists claimed to take millions of years. We studied how Noah took various “kinds” of animals on the ark – not every specific animal, but two of every different kind. Today every living creature can be traced back to one of these kinds. While there have been new breeds, science has observed nothing to indicate mere molecules evolved into a simple creature, then into a more advanced air-breathing animal, then into a human being with a conscience. AIG taught this science and how it dovetailed and confirmed the Bible, with the main objective to make God known.
Many documented scientific studies detail how theories like evolution are based not on concrete evidence but assumptions built on shaky shreds of theory. This means that like Christians having faith that Jesus is the Risen Son of God, likewise evolutionists must have “faith” and “believe” that their theories are true. But unlike most Creationists that approach this disagreement with evolution with respect, most evolutionists angrily demand complete acceptance and belief that every aspect of evolution is documented fact. Anything short of complete adherence is ridiculed and attacked, often with abusive language – as opposed to responding scientifically, with facts. Most evolutionists will not address or even acknowledge specific studies detailing cracks in evolutionist theory. Question: why do these evolutionists so hate and attack those who oppose them? If their opponents are wrong, why even bother with them? Why are they so threatened?
Atheist evolutionists are not the only group that oppose Creationists. There are many in the church that separate themselves as well. Whereas I used to be a moderate, I now find myself on the side of the fundamentalists (I’m not even sure I have my terms right). Why? Is it something they learned in seminary? Are they aware of the science (or lack of science) on each side of the debate? Have they gone through the thought process of what is or isn’t Biblical? Some say the Bible has nothing to do with what is taught in science class. But if God created everything, why would science conflict with the Bible?
After the Bill Nye/Ken Ham debate, several Christian leaders took to the media. Ham was labeled a childish literalist by Joseph Phelps, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville. While Highland appears to be a church I’d like to attend, and Phelps has done much to further God’s kingdom locally and around the world, his opinion piece in the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper called for dialog, not debate – then proceeded to tear Ham apart. The pastor ridiculed his brother in Christ, missing the entire point of why Ham debated Nye. It’s one thing to disagree on theology and how to spread God’s Word, but another to call out a fellow follower of Christ in a public forum. Several Highland parishioners commented supportively in the paper and others via Facebook, including ministers I know. One post caught my attention, calling the account of Noah’s Ark a parable. It may have been one person’s opinion, but no one called him out on the claim.
I was shaken. A wake-up call to how things are in church circles. Though I am far from an expert on any of these topics, be it theology, creation, or evolution, are those with advanced theology degrees more concerned with keeping and furthering their positions in their professional marketplace than taking a more public stand? Should they not educate lay people as to why they take the positions they do? Have they studied these issues and come to the opinion that the Genesis creation story allegory? Or do they not want to make waves that could possibly threaten the secure positions they’ve carved out for themselves? I ask because I do not know.
Like Ham, I realize these issues are far from central. The main thing is to love and follow Jesus, to make Him known. To love others regardless of what they believe or how they treat me. For me that is hard enough.
