Ken Ham's Blog, page 361

Can We See God in Creation?

Recently staff members at Answers in Genesis, the Creation Museum, and the Ark Encounter had the opportunity to hear Dr. John Whitcomb, a founder of the modern biblical creation movement. Dr. Whitcomb was also a featured speaker at our recent Answers for Pastors conference.

Dr. Whitcomb is heard weekly as the Bible teacher on Encounter God’s Truth, a radio and Internet broadcast outreach of Whitcomb Ministries, Inc. He has been a professor of Old Testament and theology for more than 60 years and is widely recognized as a leading Bible scholar. The book he coauthored with the late Dr. Henry Morris in 1961, The Genesis Flood, has been credited as one of the major catalysts for the modern biblical creation movement. Dr. Whitcomb’s broadcasts, sermons, lectures, and writings are available at SermonAudio.com/Whitcomb. To receive the very latest on his ministry, like the Whitcomb Ministries Facebook page or go to myWorldviewpage.com/WhitcombMinistries.

Today, I wanted to share a special article by Dr. Whitcomb titled “Can We See God in Creation?”

Can We See God in Creation?

By Dr. John Whitcomb

This is a profound question—and the answer is both yes and no.

Yes

First—yes, we can see our glorious God in creation:

O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! (Psalm 8:1, NKJV)
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. (Psalm 19:1, 2; cf. Job 12:7–10)

No

But in a second sense—no, we cannot see God in creation. Consider the following Scripture passages:

“No one has seen God at any time” (John 1:18).
“You have neither heard His (the Father’s) voice at any time, nor seen His form” (John 5:37).
“The things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
“The Son of His love . . . is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:13, 15).
“The King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise” (1 Timothy 1:17).
“Whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16).
“Whom having not seen you love” (1 Peter 1:8).
“No one has seen God at any time” (1 John 4:12).
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

Yes and No

In his great statement on the depravity of the human race, the Apostle Paul writes:

Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

The answer to the question at hand, then, of whether we are able to see God in creation, depends on what we mean by “seeing.”

Having been created in the “image” and “likeness” of God (Genesis 1:26), human beings—not animals—have the amazing capacity to believe in Him! This happens by the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit in one’s mind and conscience, even though we do not and cannot see Him with our physical eyes.

Someday He will show us all the things about Him that we should have seen, might have seen, and could have seen in His created universe—if we had utilized our God-given capacities of spiritual discernment.

Where do these capacities come from?

The Bible, God’s unique, inerrant, inspired, infallible written revelation informs us that the world was not the product of some vague Designer (to say nothing of time through chance by mindless evolution), but was the creative work of the Second Person of the Triune God, Jesus Christ our Lord.

We thank God for the enormous avalanche of evidences of supernatural design in the universe above us, and the living world around and within us. Even more amazing are discoveries of the recent origin of our oceans and fossil-filled rock strata—and even radioactive elements—by creation scientists.

However, to truly understand the reflection of our God in His creation—and to know His will for our lives—we must know who the Creator Himself really is by placing our faith in His written revelation.

God’s Word is true from the beginning to the end!

May the Lord bless you and help you to see God in creation.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Six Days—A Challenge for the Church

I’m very happy to share with you that my newest book Six Days: The Age of the Earth and the Decline of the Church is now in stock and available for purchase through our web store. Now, this is a book that’s been described as unique and remarkable since there’s no other book available that covers creation and apologetics the way that this book does.

Six Days reveals how many evangelical leaders wittingly or unwittingly undermine the authority of God’s Word. They do this by compromising the clear meaning of the Bible in Genesis—particularly in regard to the issue of the age of the earth.

In Six Days, I challenge people that accepting the earth or universe is billions of years old unlocks a door of compromise. I also give a real wake-up call to the church to return to the authority of God’s Word, beginning in Genesis.

The book gives in-depth explanations of many of the current compromise positions on Genesis 1–11 and why they should be rejected in light of God’s Word. There are quotes from many well-known pastors and church leaders who admit to believing in these compromise positions. You’ll read in their own words why they adopted these positions over a literal reading of Genesis.

One of the most unique chapters details why the days of creation in Genesis 1 have to be taken as literal, 24-hour (ordinary) days. It examines the use of the word yôm in Scripture and considers the opinions of Hebrew scholars over the years.

In this day and age, more and more pastors, church leaders, and Bible scholars are choosing either not to take a stand on Genesis or to teach some form of evolution and millions of years. If God blesses, I believe Six Days could be another bestseller like The Lie. It will be a real challenge to Christians concerning what they believe about the age of the earth and the days of creation.

I urge you to order Six Days and share this new, eye-opening book with your church leaders and Christian university professors today! You can order it now at a special price through our web store.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

“Latin Day” Blesses Hundreds at the Creation Museum!

This past Saturday, the Creation Museum had its first-ever “Latin Day” for Spanish speakers. Catering to Hispanics throughout the region, the museum had close to 400 Spanish-speaking visitors enjoy the Creation Museum and hear AiG’s biblical authority message in their first language. Our Spanish-language ministry coordinator, Joe Owen, spent many hours preparing our volunteer translators to be effective in teaching the main messages of the museum; contacting pastors of Hispanic churches in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky; meeting with people of the wider Hispanic community; and working with our own museum team to ensure that there would be a great program for the day.

My brother Steve serves as senior director of Outreach for AiG. Here is a photo of Steve (to the far right, in a dark coat) greeting a group of Spanish-speakers next to the mastodon in our main hall, with a translator to his left:

Anyone who wants to minister to the Latin community must understand the centrality of the family unit in that culture. From the very beginning of the day, it was evident that the museum was going to be filled with families—many traveling from great distances—to enjoy Latin Day together. It was also a joy to see whole church congregations make the trip to the museum, led by their pastors. While most of the younger generation in the Hispanic community can speak English, they can also understand Spanish. Having a day committed to Spanish translation was a way to allow whole families and churches from the Hispanic community to enjoy the museum.

Throughout the day, we had multiple guided tours where our guests were able to hear instruction in Spanish. Here is a Spanish-speaking guide leading visitors in the Wonders of Creation room:

Many of the people in the tours had never heard answers to questions about the age of the earth, dinosaurs, fossils, evolution, and many other important topics. My brother Steve stated:

I was overwhelmed by the excitement I witnessed right in front of me. You could clearly see the “enlightened eyes” of our guests when they heard answers to seemingly difficult questions as biblical history was finally revealed to them. All day, people were making comments that they had never heard these answers before. They were fully engaged and were constantly making comments and asking questions. I was also very encouraged by their desire to learn and really understand how biblical history relates to the world we see today. They were not just receiving answers—you could see that they were also sincerely thankful for them. It was just excitement for the whole day, and it didn’t end until the doors were closed.

Here are our guests viewing the construction of Noah’s Ark:

Joe Owen also delivered our first-ever Spanish-language “Relevance of Genesis” talk. Out of almost 400 Hispanics who attended the museum specifically for Latin Day, 350 of them came to hear that presentation. What a joy it was, Steve told me, to see the whole room filled with all ages in their family groups hearing that the Bible can be defended and that we can be confident in its message both about history and about the hope of the gospel. After the message many people were able to obtain newly translated materials, including The New Answers Book in Spanish and witnessing booklets. Steve said that “it was truly satisfying to know that families were walking out of the museum with bags of translated materials to help them to defend the Christian faith and teach their children.”

With special planetarium presentations led by our astronomer Dr. Danny Faulkner and translated into Spanish, special food in the café, and the expected Creation Museum hospitality, our first Latin Day will go down as one of the major museum highlights for 2013. Please join me in praying for all who attended, our Spanish translation ministry in general, and our reach into the Hispanic community to help strengthen the church in this vital area of creation apologetics. (By the way, I will be speaking in Bolivia later this month, and in Mexico in a few months.) Thanks also to all of our volunteer translators for the day who were a real blessing to our Hispanic guests as well as our staff.

By the way, we had 1735 visitors at the museum on Saturday. So much for our critics who falsely claim the museum is struggling with attendance! They also claim that our future Ark Encounter can’t be sustained because the museum has supposedly not been successful. In fact, a representative for another ministry (and we won’t share its name) falsely claimed—for whatever reason—that the museum was “hemorrhaging” money! But each year we have exceeded our attendance and revenue projections. Critics, for whatever their reasons, don’t want to see the museum and Ark succeed, so they make up stories.

Here are museum guests entering the main hall on Saturday:

And here are visitors who were lining up to go inside the museum’s walk-through:

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Fast Track Bible

While we all know that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time, I think it’s also one of the least-read books on shelves today! Increasingly, Americans and people in other once-Christianized nations seem to be turning their backs on what God’s Word teaches—it’s as if the people who have Bibles in their home are not opening them.

Now, some people might think that a book that is made up of 66 books—with many biblical characters living over 4,000 years—can seem to be a challenge to get through all the way. To help such people receive an overview of the main biblical themes, my friend Pastor Chad Hovind has put together an eight-week program called the “Fast Track Bible.” Chad has taken eight major Bible lessons and simplified them—for children, teens, and adults. You can get a sample of how the program works by watching this one-minute video:

Chad told me that it has been the best-received Bible series he has ever done in his Cincinnati-area church. He said that over eight weeks, he used these lessons to show people how the entire Bible points to Jesus Christ.

Well, it’s now a DVD curriculum with a discussion guide for small groups. It includes information on how all kinds of teaching aids—including 5,000 ping pong balls—can be used in the series!

For the children, a part of their program involves actors recruited from the church who act out some of the Bible accounts. And just as we spray people with a mist of water in our Creation Museum’s Special Effects Theatre, this series has a section in which young people are sprayed with squirt guns when the subject of Noah’s Flood is presented.

Chad, who has been exposed to our apologetics teaching for many years, uses the series to answer some of the most-asked questions that we present inside our Creation Museum, like these questions: Why do bad things happen to good people, if there is a God? What is the case for creation? And much more.

Most of this eight-week series of the Fast Track Bible is evangelistic. For Christians, it will help them develop a closer, personal relationship with Christ and a deeper understanding of the Bible.

Find out more about this passionate Bible teacher—who equips as he entertains—at www.fasttrackbible.com.

Chad’s church website is www.horizoncc.com.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Richard Dawkins on Pres. Obama

Dr. Richard Dawkins, a well-known atheist from the UK and author of The God Delusion, recently appeared on the HBO-TV program Real Time with Bill Maher to promote his new autobiography. Now, Dawkins has spoken out of against Christianity and biblical creation over and over again, making outrageous statements with no support—and this recent interview was no exception.

In his first inflammatory statement on the Maher program, Dawkins twists the Word of God. Maher points out that Dawkins was religious as a child. But Dawkins speaks to his childhood religious interest and his embrace of atheism as an adult by making a mockery of Scripture, saying, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child. But when I became a man I put away childish things.” Unsurprisingly, Dawkins distorts the Word of God to spread his belief (his religion) that there is no God, that a belief in God is somehow childish.

Dawkins then ridicules young-earth creationists outright. Of course, his claim is incredibly flawed. He states, “Let me tell you the analogy I use for this. If you believe that the world is only 6,000 years old, as some of these people do, given that the true age of the earth is 4.6 billion years, it’s equivalent to believing that the width of North America is eight yards. That’s the equivalent. That’s the scale of the error.” Dawkins can’t disprove biblical creation, so instead he resorts to mocking creationists as people who make great scientific errors.

But what Dawkins doesn’t seem to realize is that there is a difference between observational (operational) science—which is testable and repeatable—and historical science—which can’t be proven. For instance, humans can use measuring tools in the present to measure the width of North America—they can then do it again and again—repeating the measurement in the present. That’s observational science.

But the same humans cannot go and measure the age of the earth in the same sort of way. One has to use a process that changes with time and assume many things about the past (and such assumptions could be very wrong) to try to attempt to age date the rock—that’s historical science.

Biblical creation falls into the category of historical science, and so does Dawkins’s belief in evolution! Neither can be proven. They’re both systems of interpreting the evidence in front of us. But the evidence confirms a biblical framework, not an evolutionary one. (For more on this, see our Answers magazine article, The 10 Best Evidences the Earth Is Young.)

But then Dr. Dawkins made a statement that was surprising. In the course of the interview, he claims that President Obama is an atheist: “Like many people, I’m sure Obama is an atheist . . . ” Now, President Obama professes to be a Christian. But he holds to numerous positions that are directly contrary to biblical teachings. For instance, he’s for abortion and same-sex “marriage,” and he has praised the Koran and shown a disdain the Bible. During a speech in 2006, President Obama took a number of Bible verses out of context:

Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount – a passage that is so radical that it’s doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, let’s read our bibles. Folks haven’t been reading their bibles. (See also Obama Praises the Koran & Disrespects the Bible on YouTube.)

The point here is that President Obama professes to be a Christian while simultaneously praising a false religion and mocking the truth. By the way, you can read articles about slavery and the Bible and stoning rebellious children on our website.

Now, only God knows the heart, but what would compel Dawkins to make such a statement about President Obama? Dawkins’s claim actually raises a good point. Scripture tells us how we can recognize fellow Christians: “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). If such an avid atheist believes a professing Christian is actually an atheist in disguise, perhaps President Obama needs to examine the fruits of his self-proclaimed faith. I urge you to pray for President Obama and his family.

Richard Dawkins is no friend to Christianity. Christ tells us that if we are not for Him, we’re against Him (Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23). We at Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum continue to pray that Dawkins will repent and believe the gospel of Christ, before it’s too late.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

A Biblical Intelligent Design Conference

Today, I want to tell you about a very special conference we’re holding at the Creation Museum next year. The “Design Conference,” to be held from April 10–12, 2014, will open your eyes to the wondrous ways in which the Creator God has revealed Himself in His creation.

Answers in Genesis is known for high-quality biblical-authority talks that teach people about science, theology, and history in a relevant and enjoyable way. Because we believe and teach that God’s Word is our authority in every area, we believe it is important to tackle the topic of design in creation—even in a fallen creation!

And at AiG, of course, we will never divorce who the Designer is from the design arguments. We recognize that man’s sinful heart is against God (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 8:7–8), and that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). If we were just to convince people there was an intelligence behind the universe, then that could cause people to go after a false god. After all, Romans 1–2 tells us that the knowledge of God and His law is evident in creation and also written on our hearts. We understand how vital it is to not just convince people there is an intelligence behind the universe but also to ensure people are directed to who that intelligence is—the God of the Bible. We also want to ensure people are directed to His Word that convicts.

Also, you could get the idea simply from observing all the present problems in the creation that the intelligence behind it was flawed. However, understanding the history revealed to us in Genesis enables us to understand the creation is now flawed because of our sin—it was once a perfect creation. But even in a sin-cursed (fallen) creation, we still see the marvelous design that our infinite Creator is responsible for.

So this unique Design Conference will dive into some specifics of design to highlight in new ways the work of the true Inventor, Designer, and Engineer. In the course of the conference attendees will look at the fascinating designs of animals, plants, systems, and features at which scientists around the world often marvel. I invite you to be on the front row of some of this latest research and learn that even in a sin-cursed and broken world, we see incredible design in the creation around us.

Scripture tells us that God’s handiwork is seen in His design throughout creation. The Apostle Paul states that we are “without excuse” if we don’t believe in the Creator God (Romans 1:20).

Come and be blessed by some easy-to-digest lectures and “hands-on” scientific principles and designs that give the honor and glory to only true God—the Creator God of the Bible. Here are some of the topics that will be covered:

Designs in nature
Human design
Wonder of DNA
Minerals: by God’s design
The Bible’s design and redemptive thread

For complete details, schedule, and to register, visit the Design Conference event page. I encourage you not to miss this special conference.

There is a special “early-bird” discount when you register before January 31, 2014.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Happy Reformation Day!

Today people across America are walking through their neighborhoods exclaiming, “Trick or treat!” and “Happy Halloween!” But we at Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum encourage you to think about Reformation Day instead.

Below is an insightful article by Dr. John Whitcomb on Reformation Day and the modern reformation of biblical creation. Dr. Whitcomb is heard weekly as the Bible teacher on Encounter God’s Truth, a radio and Internet broadcast outreach of Whitcomb Ministries, Inc. He has been a professor of Old Testament and theology for more than 60 years and is widely recognized as a leading biblical scholar. The book he coauthored with the late Dr. Henry Morris in 1961, The Genesis Flood, has been credited as one of the major catalysts for the modern biblical creation movement. Dr. Whitcomb’s broadcasts, sermons, lectures, and writings are available on SermonAudio.com/Whitcomb. To receive the very latest on his ministry, like the Whitcomb Ministries Facebook page or go to myWorldviewpage.com/WhitcombMinistries.

Dr. Whitcomb recently spoke to our staff at Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, and he was a speaker at our Answers for Pastors conference this year. Enjoy this excellent article by Dr. Whitcomb titled “The Creation Reformation.”

The Creation Reformation

By Dr. John Whitcomb

Why should we celebrate Oct. 31?

For hundreds of years, people of the western world have attributed spiritual significance to the last day of October and the first day of November.

But “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1, NKJV) governed the celebration of these days during the Dark Ages, until God brought light out of this darkness through the pen and voice of a humble monk and priest—Martin Luther.

Historians date the beginning of the Protestant Reformation at the day that Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany—October 31, 1517.

With the pounding of Luther’s hammer, the significance of All Hallows’ Eve was forever changed. A day dedicated to spirits, myths, superstition, and fear now reminds Bible-believing Christians of faith alone, grace alone, Scripture alone, Christ alone, and the glory of God.

With some similarities, many date the beginning of the modern creation-science reformation to 1961 and the publication of our 518-page volume, The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and Its Scientific Implications (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing) which I, a theologian, coauthored with Dr. Henry M. Morris, a hydraulic engineer. I thank our Lord for allowing me to have a part in this project!

In 100 Christian Books that Changed the Century (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 2000), William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen acknowledged the long-term impact of the book: “Creation science has been controversial within the evangelical community as well as in society at large, but there is no doubt of the impact of this book by Whitcomb and Morris . . . By the end of the century the book had gone into its forty-first printing [over 300,000 copies] . . . creation science became a major force . . . and has substantial presence in the fields of science and education, all stemming from the influential book by Whitcomb and Morris” (pp. 135, 136).

Thus, we ask the question: Why did creation-science need a reformation? The answer is quite obvious. The overwhelming majority of evangelical Christians before 1961 believed that millions of years must have elapsed between the original creation of the world and the creation of Adam and Eve. This was the popular gap theory that postulated a vast time lapse between the first two verses of Genesis 1. I taught that view during my first two years at a graduate school of theology.

Other Old Testament scholars believed in the day-age theory, namely, that millions of years separated the six days of Genesis 1. Adam and Eve, then, were walking on a cemetery of plants and animals that had died and been fossilized long before our first parents were created.

A major event in world history had been practically ignored—that is, the magnitude and hydrodynamic effects of the Flood in the days of Noah. Dr. Morris carefully explained what should have been obvious to all Christians: a mountain-covering, year-long deluge of water would have fossilized billions of creatures in layers or strata of mud all over the world!

When I heard Dr. Morris lecture on this topic in September of 1953, I saw the tremendous error of reading millions of years into Gen. 1:2. My reasons for abandoning the gap theory are set forth in The Early Earth (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2010), pp. 113-125.

Martin Luther posted 95 theses in opposition to the theological disasters in his church and, thus, under God, brought about a Reformation that continues to this day. Likewise, Dr. Henry Morris was used of God to post two theses: (1) the Genesis Flood was a catastrophe of stupendous magnitude and geological significance; and (2) we can therefore see more clearly why millions of years are not needed in Genesis l.

Happy Reformation Day! Let us celebrate by placing our trust in God’s Word, which is true from the beginning to the end.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

The Creation Museum and Operation Christmas Child

Over the next four weeks, workers with Operation Christmas Child (OCC) will be here at the Creation Museum twice to collect shoeboxes full of children’s items that have been donated by supporters and AiG staff. I want to remind visitors who might be coming to the museum over the next few weeks to fill a box or two (or more) with items for children who live overseas and drop the boxes off at the museum. The last day to drop them off is Wednesday, November 20.

So please start shopping to help make a difference in the life of a child. And pray that God will use your compassion to bless a needy child in a third world country.

As I have written before, for the past 20 years about 100 million children in over 130 countries have enjoyed getting shoebox gifts from OCC—an outreach of Samaritan’s Purse. These Christmas gifts—including the gospel message—are distributed to children throughout the world.

Special Museum/OCC Discount this Saturday

I wanted to remind you that this Saturday, November 2, when you bring a shoebox filled with small toys and other items to the museum, you will receive a $7 discount for one general admission ticket that day. Additional members in your party can also get a $7 museum discount for each additional box you bring.

Here is what Ronda of our staff shared with me about packing the shoeboxes:

Some tips for packing your boxes:

Do not pack any type of liquid, including lotions, hand sanitizers, and (sadly) bubbles.
If giving a bar of soap, put it in zip lock bag (if possible, double the bags). Do not put anything else in the bag that contains the soap.
Put candies and gum in zip lock bags.
Toys and non-edible items should be removed from their packaging to create more space (unless there are directions on the package). Most children will not be able to read the packaging in English anyway.
Toy guns, weapons, or army-type toys are not allowed.
Remember to include a pencil sharpener if you give pencils.

Think about what items you can give a child that will be fun, comforting, and maybe a teaching tool—plus necessities they may not be able to afford like shoes, socks, wash cloth, etc. I even go as far as to think about things parents might be able to use, like rubber bands, paper clips, small tools, a fishing kit, etc.

Consider putting a picture of you or your family with a note inside the box. If you put your address, sometimes the children will write to you, but don’t be disappointed if they don’t since buying stamps is not easy in many countries.

You can find out more about the entire OCC project on the Samaritan’s Purse website.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

A Biblical Look at Halloween

Each year on October 31, many in the U.S. celebrate Halloween. Children dressed up as everything from princes and princesses to goblins and ghouls knock on your door asking for tricks or treats. And many of those trick-or-treaters likely haven’t received the gift of salvation.

This year, Answers in Genesis is offering an informative new booklet on Halloween—A Biblical and Historical Look at Halloween by Bodie Hodge:

Today, we’ve posted this Halloween booklet as our lead article. This booklet gives a thorough history of Halloween and offers a biblical perspective on it. Because Halloween is traditionally associated with death, the booklet concludes with the gospel message, explaining to readers that it’s only through the power of Christ that they can be saved to eternal life.

Here are the introductory paragraphs:

In the United States (and other countries), Halloween has become one of the most popular unofficial holidays. On the up side, retail sales boost the economy around this holiday.

On the down side, the holiday has become a time of increased crime in many places (especially arson and other acts of violence) on Halloween night as well as the night before. Even the author’s house was robbed one Halloween by forced entry. So, although the retail industry loves Halloween, many police officers and insurance companies dread it! Of course, there is also a tremendous amount of occult activity associated with this holiday.

Kids and even many adults love getting dressed up for Halloween. And they love the candy, of course. It’s just innocent fun, isn’t it—or is it? But let’s think carefully and biblically about the history, nature, and impact of the holiday.

When did this holiday begin and why? Was it of pagan origins or is there something more behind Halloween history? How should Christians view this day in general? To understand these questions further, we need to go back to the roots of Halloween.

I encourage you to read the rest of this excellent article on our website. And next year, consider ordering Halloween booklets to hand out to those who come to your door. Candy and other treats are good, but there’s nothing that compares with the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

When Does Life Begin? What Do the Textbooks Say?

One of the major trends many of us have witnessed over the years has been the way God has basically been thrown out of the public education system, including secular colleges and universities. Students often have to contend with teaching that is contradictory to God’s Word—especially when it comes to the origin of the universe.

What about public education and the question of when human life starts? A biology textbook author recently wrote an article in which she discusses the variety of views secular biologists have on when human life begins. Dr. Ricki Lewis is one of the authors of McGraw-Hill’s biology textbook Life (as well as a number of other books) and is an adjunct professor of genetics at Albany Medical College.

Now, Dr. Lewis acknowledges that biology textbooks don’t usually take a strong stand on when human life begins:

Life science textbooks from traditional publishers . . . don’t explicitly state when life begins, because that is a question not only of biology, but of philosophy, politics, psychology, religion, technology, and emotions. Rather, textbooks list the characteristics of life, leaving interpretation to the reader.

That’s a lot of factors to consider in thinking about when life begins. But based primarily on biological factors, Dr. Lewis manages to narrow down the options to just 17 different points in time when a human might possibly be considered to have “life.” These range from points prior to fertilization all the way to puberty (and facetiously “acceptance into medical school”). And notice that while textbooks may not push any one definition, they certainly aren’t teaching the biblical definition of when life begins—at fertilization.

Why is this? Well, it’s likely that very few secular biology textbook authors hold the biblical view of when life begins. Dr. Lewis herself doesn’t. Of these many possible moments when she believes life begins, Dr. Lewis holds to point 14 in her list, saying that life begins at week 22 of pregnancy:

My answer? #14. The ability to survive outside the body of another sets a practical limit on defining when a sustainable human life begins.

Sadly, Dr. Lewis’s conclusion is false. She reaches it using human reasoning rather than the Word of God, and that’s likely how biology writers and teachers across the country are instructing their students to determine when life begins. No wonder so many think that abortion is not killing a human being—or really murdering a human being!

Our Western culture has abandoned biblical authority, and this is just another confirmation of that. We must get our definition of life from God’s Word. We can’t simply say arbitrarily that life begins at fertilization or that abortion is wrong. We have to start with God’s Word:

[The psalmist David says of God:] For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. (Psalm 139:13–14)

[God said to the prophet Jeremiah:] “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

Our God makes clear in these passages that every person—including an unborn baby—is known by Him and is human from the time of fertilization. You see, ultimately the only way to turn the tide in the abortion issue is to restore faith in God’s Word as the absolute authority in every area of life, including faith, history, and life science.

Yes, abortion is deliberately taking the life of a human being! And think about it—around 55 million children have been brutally murdered in the mother’s wombs since the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision (1973). That makes what Hitler did at the Holocaust pale in comparison! No wonder this nation is in big trouble!

Read more about this question in the chapter of The New Answers Book 2 titled “When Does Life Begin?” written by medical doctor and AiG speaker Dr. Tommy Mitchell.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Today’s blog post was written with the assistance of Steve Golden.