Evolutionist Christian College Professor Admits What He’s Doing to Students

A Christian college professor admits it—he’s out to convince his students that evolution is true and that they can’t trust God’s Word! And he’s confirmed it with an academic study!

In a recent informal series on his study, BioLogos contributor Mark Winslow, Dean of the College of Natural, Social, and Health Sciences at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, wrote that his articles “seek to tell a story from the participants’ perspectives to help the reader better understand their experiences in reconciling science and faith.” And what a story these articles tell! By the way, in most instances when these Christian academics use the phrase “science and faith,” they usually mean they are compromising and adding evolution/millions of years to the Bible.

Now, it’s important to note that of his 15 participants, 14 believed in either theistic evolution (“evolutionary creationism,” as he termed it) or old-earth creationism. Only one participant was described as a young-earth creationist.

Professor Winslow wrote, “Many participants reported that their strong creationist and anti-evolution beliefs were due to their parents’ influence during childhood. . . . Six participants perceived that their parents believed in creationism, but primarily because creationism was part of the participants’ upbringing in the church.”

One student told Professor Winslow, “My family was . . . very much of the Genesis is the golden rule. . . . If you asked questions, . . . you were thinking too hard about it.” Other participants gave similar answers—and that’s a problem. Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum exist to equip churches and parents with reasoned answers to why we can trust the Bible and why evolution/millions of years must be rejected. This is known as apologetics, which means to give a defense.

According to the research we presented in our book Already Gone, our children are not being taught apologetics very well or at all in the church or the home. As a result, when professors—who want to convince our kids that everything they know about the creation account in Genesis is wrong—confront them, these kids don’t know how to defend the authority of God’s Word. Simply teaching our children about creation is not enough; we have to equip them with ways to answer the challenges they will most certainly face, even in a so-called Christian college.

Professor Winslow determined that in order to help students reconcile what he calls “science and faith” (i.e., to embrace theistic evolution and an old earth), they have to consider four major factors:

• Relying on the evidence for evolution
• Negotiating Genesis as non-literal
• Recognizing evolution as a non-salvation issue
• Observing professors as role models of Christians who accept evolution

We’ve answered most of the above issues in articles on our website. The supposed “evidence” for evolution and millions of years is really the same “evidence” for creation as described by Genesis—it’s our worldview that affects how we interpret that evidence. You can read Dr. Jason Lisle’s article for more on this.

It’s sad to know that a Christian college professor is willing to teach students to treat Genesis as non-literal. Genesis is historical narrative, as Tim Chaffey demonstrates in his articles, “Principles for Understanding God’s Word” and “Is Genesis 1–11 Historical Narrative?”

And as we at Answers in Genesis have said many times before, creation is not a salvation issue, but it is an authority issue. Someone can accept millions of years and evolutionary ideas and be saved, since salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. It maybe not be a salvation issue per se, but it does affect how those people who are influenced by this professor (e.g., his students and others) will take Scripture itself.

But the fourth point—that students can be more easily persuaded to mesh evolution/millions of years with the Bible by having a “role model” who does—is very sad. Once again, this is an issue of equipping our children for challenges to their faith in the authority of Scripture. We have to teach them that the truth about creation comes from the Word of God, and that while role models are great to have, the only perfect role model is Christ—and He affirmed the truth of Genesis. We should never put people on a pedestal—our ultimate “hero” should always be God! Thus, God's Word should be used to judge man's word—not the other way around as this professor is sadly doing.

Professor Winslow’s repeated claims that evolutionary ideas do not undermine Scripture and his expression of concern that “Evangelicalism . . . remain relevant” are alarming, coming from a professor at a Christian university. If you have students who are preparing to attend college, including Christian colleges, I would encourage you to read my book Already Compromised and to explore the many other resources we have available to equip you and your students for encounters with people who would seek to undermine their faith in God and His Word. Also go to our special website at www.creationcolleges.org to consider a college that does take a stand on a literal Genesis.

I can't imagine what it would be like standing before the almighty God and being proud of having shattered generations of students’ faith in God's Word by exalting the word of fallible sinful man. These shepherds have much to answer for!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

(Steve Golden assisted in the research for this blog.)