In the Beginning: Problems or Symptoms?

Recently, many Christians have expressed their dismay at what is happening in the culture morally. They are overwhelmed by the issues confronting them. Many have said, “There are so many problems, such as abortion, gay ‘marriage,’ gender issues, euthanasia, and racism. How do we deal with all these battles?”

Illustration by Viktor Miller-Gausa

Ken Ham, President/CEO
Answers in Genesis

They are usually surprised when I tell them that all these issues are actually the same problem, just different symptoms of that problem. We need to understand the problem and learn how to deal with it so we can then effectively address the symptoms.

So what is the problem? It’s important to understand that everyone has a worldview, a way of thinking that determines how they understand the universe and life. Ultimately, there are two foundations (or religions) for our worldview: God’s Word and man’s word. Those who build their worldview on God’s Word, beginning in Genesis, have a biblical (God-centered) worldview. Those who build their thinking on man’s word have a secular (man-centered) worldview.

For those who build their worldview on God’s Word, man is made in God’s image from fertilization, so abortion is murder (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139); all humans are descendants of Adam and Eve (Acts 17:26), so there’s only one biological race; God made humans male and female, so there are only two genders (Mark 10:6); marriage is a God-ordained institution between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24); and so on.

For those who build their thinking on man’s word, morality is relative (subjective), meaning anything goes. The culture’s clash over morality is a clash of worldviews between those who stand on the absolutes of Christianity and those who accept moral relativism. However, at a foundational level, it’s really a clash between those who build their thinking on God’s Word and those who build their thinking on man’s word.

The Christian understands that the problem is a rejection of God’s Word. Therefore, the ultimate solution for all those issues is to proclaim the truth of God’s Word and the saving gospel. Until people build their thinking on God’s Word (beginning with a literal Genesis), we will never solve the worldview clash.

Of course, this will involve challenging those who reject the biblical worldview by asking questions concerning their beliefs and their rejection of God’s Word and a literal Genesis. This will also require the Christian to be ready with biblical and scientific answers to the objections and questions these people will bring up (1 Peter 3:15). But in all of this, we must remember that it’s God who changes hearts and brings people to salvation in Christ.