And the Humanist of the Year Is . . .

Bill Nye the Science Guy. That’s right. The quirky and very likable host of a children’s TV show by the same name was awarded the 2010 Humanist of the Year award by the American Humanist Association. I listened to his acceptance speech, and below are a few memorable excerpts:

I believe that the way to do it [referring to the “problem” in the U.S. of people not believing in evolution] is by coming up with stories. People respond to stories. . . . What we got to do is come up with stories that explain why we believe what we believe and/or if you will, don’t believe in what we don’t believe.

But what we have to do is find a story that is more compelling, and I think we can plan that easily because instead of focusing on the truth we focus on the pursuit of it. We focus on the scientific method as a way to find the truth. And it’s those stories that I find so compelling.

So what is he implying here (and I say this having listened to the entire speech)? That the Bible tells stories and atheists tell stories—and the atheists need to make sure their stories are better; their stories are presented as fact, as truth even if the truth is really not known. I am reminded of a cartoon I recently watched with my daughter in which a scientist analyzing a dinosaur bone that one of the characters had discovered was named “Dr. Actual Factual.” Of course, he declared the bone to be millions of years old, and children are to conclude that this must be an “actual fact.”

This is why it is so crucially important to help our children understand that the Bible is not a storybook! It is a history book given to us by God. It gives us the truth. It is a record of actual facts, dates, locations, people, and events. And it records for us the most important event in all of history—the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible is “more compelling” because it is not a story based on man’s ideas about the past, but rather, the truth about the past according to God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Please check out our children’s resources for ways that you can help your little ones better understand the truth of God’s Word.