Another ‘Expelled’ Movie Review

This probably contains spoilers, but I don’t know how much that matters with a movie of this nature.

‘Expelled’ does what it sets out to do, that is, it raises awareness of the ‘blackballing’ of ID from the scientific community.  While Ben Stein’s own worldview does come through in his treatment of Darwinism, it is not the center of the movie.  The theme of the movie is that of Darwin’s detractors being ‘expelled’ from any forum in which some very important questions could be posed to Darwinian theory.

Ben Stein argues that the proponents of ID deserve a place at the table of Science based not upon the validity of their arguments, although he does not discount their arguments, but on the grounds of ‘Freedom of Inquiry’, which is one of the traits that has made our nation great.

He also points out the fact that while Evolutionists cite crystals, or aliens as the source of life on earth, they regard the theory of a ‘designer’ to be ridiculous.  But it is not simply the issue of a ‘designer’, as the alien theory suggests, since the alien would have been a ‘designer’ of life, but ‘who’ the designer would turn out to be.

The film is also disturbing as it shows the implications of a world based on Darwinian theory as found in history.

So, without giving away a whole lot of the movie, let me simply say that the movie is worth seeing, even if only from a ‘Freedom of Inquiry’ veiwpoint.

Going to see Expelled

I’m going with a friend to see the movie ‘Expelled’, tomorrow night.

You can express your displeasure at the movie, Ben Stein, Creationism, ID, my going to see the movie, or my having a friend in the comments.

Baseball Update

Steinbrenner treated Torre like his red-headed stepchild.  Torre signed with the Dodgers.  Mattingly went with Torre to L. A.  So…I’m a Dodgers fan now.  Sorry Riddleblogger.

The Post To End All Posts On Evolution

Not really, but for all intents and purposes of this blog, it is.

This whole creation vs. evolution debate started when I said I was glad Ben Stein made a movie/documentary about the fact that non-evolutionists are not very welcome in the scientific community.  Very quickly the emails and comments began telling me how stupid it is for Ben Stein (or myself) to even talk about this because, 1) ‘Creationists’ are welcome in the scientific community, there just aren’t that many ‘good’ creationists who actually understand science,  2) Creation requires faith in God, there is no need for faith in science since it cannot be empirically proven, and therefore Creationists are out of their element in scientific studies, and 3) Evolution is a proven fact, therefore to admit ‘Creationists’ to the scientific community would be a step backwards.  Of course, all evidence points to the contrary on these arguments.

There have also been many ‘facts’ stated in the comments, which in reality are only ‘facts’ if you accept the worldview that has produced them.  That’s not some postmodern mumbo-jumbo, but simply a statement of the truth that we all begin with presuppositions that determine how we view the world around us, and in this case the data collected from the various fields of science.  In truth, what has been called ‘fact’ many times is actually only a proposition or theory.  Now, evolution itself is only a theory.  And, as a theory, one must accept all propositions presented as evidence of the theory in order to arrive at the conclusion that the theory is in reality, fact.

Now I can take up all the time in the world pointing to the same scientific evidences (which themselves may end up being only theoretical in nature and therefore subject to the acceptance of all propositions which lead to it) as the evolutionists and show how it supports my view of Creation in six days, ex nihilo, but I’m not gonna do that.  I’m also not going to talk about micro-evolution vs macro-evolution.

Instead, I’ve got only this to say…looking at creation will inevitably point you to an ‘eternal power and divine nature’ that exists beyond us.  Looking in Scripture will introduce this ‘eternal power and divine nature’ to you as the Creator God to whom we owe our love and worship (Romans 1:16-2:11).  The God of creation is also the God of Scripture and He has a Son, Jesus.  All our eternal destinies depend on how we respond to God and His Son.  Will we trust Jesus, the Son of God, for the forgiveness of sin and inherit the righteousness required to enter Heaven?  Or will we reject God and His Son and be eternally damned?  Click here to know more about the choice we all face.

‘Creationism’ is a Christian Doctrine

This is not a ‘defend Ben Stein blog’.  This blog is dedicated to the glory of God as revealed in the face of His Son, Jesus Christ, with the intent that we worship the only true God to whom worship alone is due.

That being said, I am happy about Ben Stein’s newest project.  And I think that the response that he has received on his blog only serves to prove what his ‘documentary’ explains.  Theists are not welcome in the scientific community.  This is especially true if you go beyond the ‘Intelligent Design’ arguments and actually embrace ‘Creationism’.

Now here’s your news flash.  Ben Stein is not a Christian.  He’s a Jew.  He doesn’t believe what I believe about most things.  He may be a Creationist (I don’t know), but I do know that he doesn’t believe the same things that I believe about Creation.  I know what he should believe, because I’ve read the first book of the Bible, as I am sure he has.  And he may have read the New testament for all I know…but he rejects the New Testament.  That’s how I know that he doesn’t believe what I believe about Creation.

The New Testament teaches us that all things were created by and for Jesus Christ.

He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20 ESV)

You see, I believe that the world came into being, not out of anything that was or existed, but that an eternal God, who is self-sufficient, not needing any creator for Himself, by only His own Word created everything that is or ever will be.  Before there was Earth, Sun, Moon, stars, sky, air, water, asteroids, or any other thing, there was God who was by and with Himself, in the glory of the Trinity, complete and happy.  This God created the whole world.  He created physical beings as well as spiritual beings.  He created physical matter as well as spiritual realms.  And everything He created was for Himself.

This is the message of Genesis chapters 1 and 2.  God was (and is), God created, God was content with His Creation.  In chapter 3 of Genesis, something bad happens.  God good creation is tainted by sin.  Creation is no longer the way God had originally created it.  By the disobedience of Adam and Eve, humanity and the Earth have been cursed by separation from God.  This separation is depicted as death.  Adam and Eve began to die physically, as we all will, but more importantly, the experienced an immediate spiritual death.  Death is the ultimate reality for everyone.  No matter who you are, where you live, what you believe, or how long you live, one day you will die.  That’s not just a hasty generalization…it’s a fact of life.

But here’s the great thing about Christianity…God is not content to just let His creation devolve into ‘hell on earth’.  He does something about it.  He sends His only Son into the created world to become a creature, so that He can reconcile the created world to Himself.  The way this must be accomplished is by the death of His own Son.

God sent His Son to die in our place, as our substitute. He who never sinned died the death of a common criminal on a cross outside of Jerusalem.  That’s what the cross is.  An instrument of punishment for criminals.  Criminals are people whose sin is condemned by other sinners.  Jesus was no criminal.  He was the perfect man.  But He died a torturous death at the hands of sinners because we are criminals.  Me, you, your friends, and everybody else who have ever lived are criminals.  Our crimes are against the rightful ruler of all there is, God.  Jesus died because of our crimes against God.

But Jesus’ death was not just for us.  Jesus died to reconcile all of Creation to God.  That means that Jesus doesn’t merely save us out of this world, but that He has plans for the restoration of this world.  He has removed the curse by His cross.  And since God was so satisfied with Christ’s reconciliation of the world to Himself, he raised Jesus from the dead and exalted Him to the place of Lordship over all things.

Now, all that is left is for you to bow before Jesus as Lord and turn away from your sin as you ask for forgiveness and He will give you eternal life.

If you have questions, you are free to either comment publicly or email me privately.  (Warning!!! If your private email is hateful in tone it may be posted publicly!)

Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. (Luke 12:2-3 ESV)

Ben Stein is now officially one of the most hated people in America…

…and since he’s not a criminal, he has become one of my mostest favoritest people in America.

Evolution and Theology–part two

Theistic evolution takes two forms in general. One is basically deism, in that the materialistic philosophy of naturalism is assumed regarding the study of life on earth. God is viewed as starting the process and then not interfering at all with the development. In other words life develops in a totally random method with no purpose at all. Most theistic evolutionists would state that at some time in history past God chose a particular set of primates and ensouled them. The other view is progressive creationism in that God directed the process of species development through special creative acts in time. Progressive creationists would reject Darwinian macro-evolution as well as the materialistic philosophy of naturalism. They also would hold to God specially creating Adam and Eve.

With both of these my main objection is that theology is subjugated to a secondary type of truth. The “facts” of evolution take precedence over what the Word of God says and so the Bible must conform to the presuppositions of naturalism and the current theories of science. Please remember “science” doesn’t deal with “truth” that is philosophy. Whenever a new theory comes about then the previous set of “facts” are relegated to the back burner. However, the Bible states that what it teaches is truth itself (Ps. 119:160; John 1:14;17:17;Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:15; James 1:18). And that truth never changes. (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Ps 89:35; Hab 2:3; Mal. 3:6; Luke 21:33; Rom. 11:29; Tit 1:2; Heb. 6:18; Jam. 1:17)

So when I read :

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned–
(Rom 5:12 ESV)

Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
(Rom 5:14 ESV)

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
(Rom 5:19 ESV)

Am I to believe that what happened to Adam was just a pleasant story not a historical statement that just explains in a non-technical manner why humans die? If so then why did Christ come to the earth? Why did he die? Why does Paul say:

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
(Rom 5:9-11 ESV) {emphasis mine}

If Adam never actually lived or sinned then what is the point of Christ’s death? If humans dying isn’t because of sin but because of natural means then Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is meaningless. And if it is meaningless then truly we are of all people most to be pitied. (1Co 15:19 ESV).

So getting to the point, what should be preeminent when it comes to believing Theology or Evolution. I say Theology comes first and all other sciences are subjected to it from there we can obtain true knowledge.

Resources: Fred’s Bible Talk: What is Evolution, ID, and Creationism?

Theology for Doxology

Evolution and Theology– part one

By Peter Nelson

So Monday I awoke to the sound of my alarm going off and pain shooting down from my shoulder to the middle of my back. Crawling out of bed I made it to the phone and let work know I wouldn’t be in. Downing some OTC pain killers (as I type this the pain has settled in my shoulder/neck and so I am doing this one handed) I settled into my chair and picked up the copy of the interview of Francis Collins by Discover.

My friend Alan who is a big reader of Discover had happened to have the magazine lying on his desk and so I saw the article about Collins being a devout Christen and a believer in stem cell research so I decided to take a minute and read it.

Now let me state that I hold to what I would call a modified young earth creationist view. Something that the folks at Discover would probably refer to as a myth. So I was a bit surprised to see an article that would seem to be pro-Christian in this magazine. Well I needn’t worry, Francis Collins is Discover’s type of Christian. He believes in theistic evolution and the use of embryonic stem cells.

ABERNETHY: What do you say to your fellow Christians who say, “Evolution is just a theory, and I can’t put that together with my idea of a creator God”?

COLLINS: Well, evolution is a theory. It’s a very compelling one. As somebody who studies DNA, the fact that we are 98.4 percent identical at the DNA level to a chimpanzee, it’s pretty hard to ignore the fact that when I am studying a particular gene, I can go to the mouse and find it’s the similar gene, and it’s 90 percent the same. It’s certainly compatible with the theory of evolution, although it will always be a theory that we cannot actually prove. I’m a theistic evolutionist. I take the view that God, in His wisdom, used evolution as His creative scheme. I don’t see why that’s such a bad idea. That’s pretty amazingly creative on His part. And what is wrong with that as a way of putting together in a synthetic way the view of God who is interested in creating a group of individuals that He can have fellowship with — us? Why is evolution not an appropriate way to get to that goal? I don’t see a problem with that. The only problems that get put forward are by those who would interpret Genesis 1 in a very literal way. And that interpretation in many ways is a — is a modern one. Saint Augustine in 400 AD, without any reasons to try to be an apologist to Charles Darwin, agreed that that was not a particularly appropriate way to interpret the words that are written in that first chapter of the Bible. {Religion & Ethics}

Yet at the same time Collins says that he believes in Christ’s death and resurrection.

BOB ABERNETHY: Are you a mainline Protestant? An Evangelical Protestant? What are you?

DR. FRANCIS COLLINS: I guess I’d call myself a serious Christian. That is someone who believes in the reality of Christ’s death and resurrection, and who tries to integrate that into daily life and not just relegate it to something you talk about on Sunday morning. {Religion & Ethics}

Now what I have always been unable to reconcile are those two statements. Why do we need a Savior if Adam didn’t really exist?

Theology for Doxology