Debate of the Ages

Recently, AiG’s astrophysicist, Dr. Jason Lisle,  participated in an informal radio debate (on KKLA in southern California) with progressive  creationist Dr. Hugh Ross.

Dr. Lisle has written an extensive blog item on this informal debate (dubbed by the radio station as the “Debate of the Ages”), stating:

. . . I participated in an informal radio debate with old-earth proponent Hugh Ross. Hugh professes Christianity, but he simultaneously believes in the big bang (the most popular secular scenario for the origin of the universe) and the evolutionary timescale of billions of years for life on earth. Radio debates are always a bit frustrating because there is never enough time to say everything that needs to be said. I did not have the opportunity to refute all of Hugh’s claims due to time constraints, but the moderator was very fair, and I was able to hit the main issues, which are the following:

1. Biblical (“young-earth”) creation is the clear teaching of the Bible.
2. There was no death of any living creature before Adam sinned; death is the penalty for sin and was introduced as the right punishment for Adam’s sin.
3. The days of creation are necessarily ordinary days because of the context of Genesis 1.
4. The days of creation are the same as our work week according to Exodus 20:8-11.
5. The best old-earth “biblical” arguments do not stem from a correct, exegetical reading of Scripture.
6. All old-earth “scientific” arguments commit the fallacy of begging the question.

I was also able to clarify some critical misconceptions promoted by Hugh:

1. There are not two books from God as Hugh claims. Though God does reveal Himself through nature, His only book (objective, written revelation) is the Bible. The “two-book” view is simply a failed attempt to elevate secular opinion to the level of Scripture.
2. The Psalms, Proverbs, and Job are not “creation accounts” as Hugh claims. Though they occasionally reference creation, they are not primarily about creation and are not accounts. They are poetic sections of the Bible.
3. Psalm 104 in particular cannot be a creation account unless one believes that the ocean was created with ships sailing on it (Psalm 104:26). Obviously, this Psalm is praising God for His providence in the present world, with occasional references to past acts of God, such as the flood.
4. Hugh claimed that the issue of age has “nothing to do with salvation.” However, although it is not necessary for salvation, a correct understanding of origins is very relevant to the gospel. It is because Adam sinned (as recorded in Genesis) that we now live in a world of death and suffering and need to be reconciled to God through Christ. “Millions of years” contradicts the theology of the gospel and makes Christ’s work on the Cross logically meaningless.

Ministered to in Song

We have many special groups visiting the Creation Museum, but one group last month was extra-special – and that’s because they blessed us in a special way with their visit.

The Reflections Concert Choir is made up of homeschooled young people who live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas area—over 1,000 miles from our Creation Museum. On their March tour, they paid us a visit.  We thought we were just one stop on their tour, but it was more than that—as Candy Cooper (one of the group’s leaders) explained to us later:

Dear AiG,

On behalf of Reflections Concert Choir, I want to thank you both for arranging a time for our choir to sing at staff devotions and to tour your wonderful, AWESOME museum on March 16. God has truly blessed your organization, Answers in Genesis, by making provision for this inspiring and educational facility.

Our visit to the Creation Museum was the main focus of our Spring Choir Tour 2010. Our students and adults were quite impressed with the detail many of your exhibits displayed. My husband was personally affected by a particular exhibit. It was after the “Fall” exhibit [Genesis 3:15] and showed the destructive effects on the church and the culture when there is an abandonment of the Truth of Scripture. This thought-provoking scene should cause us all to be more vigilant in praying for the hearts and minds of all believers to stay steadfast in their faith and commitment to the Lord by remembering and LIVING the Truth found in His Word. We would be better witnesses for Christ and His Kingdom if we would not shrink back from proclaiming that truth to our families, our friends, our co-workers, community and world.

Another favorite activity for our group was the Planetarium, as I heard numerous comments on just how much everyone learned through your multi media presentation there. Only a Creator God could design such a complex and magnificent universe as ours.

Thank you once again for making this opportunity possible for Reflections Concert Choir. You did a wonderful job handling the needs of our group. If we are ever near the museum on future choir tours, we will definitely be back for a visit!

Sincerely, Candy Cooper Group Tour Coordinator 2010—for “Reflections Concert Choir”; www.reflectionschoir.com

Find out more about this unique choir (I was out of town when they sang to our staff and toured the museum, but I heard great reports about their singing). Ken