Poll Shows Nazarene Scholars Embracing Evolution

Now, I’ve known for some time that the state of the Nazarene church on the issue of origins has not been very good. Sadly, more and more scholars at Nazarene colleges and universities have voiced their support of evolution and/or millions of years. A recent poll shows the extent of this compromise on God’s Word.

In results published last month on the BioLogos website, it was revealed that the majority of Nazarene college and university professors believe in an old earth and human evolution. The poll, which was shaped by Nazarene researchers and conducted by the Nazarenes Exploring Evolution project, was given to scholars at Nazarene educational institutions.

Scholars were asked to share their level of agreement with five statements:

• Statement 1: Genesis and other biblical texts require Christians to believe the earth was created less than 15 thousand years ago.
• Statement 2: The Bible can properly be interpreted as compatible with the theory of biological evolution.
• Statement 3: Geology, astronomy, and physics have established that the world is billions of years old.
• Statement 4: Humans likely became a species as God worked with the evolutionary process.
• Statement 5: The Church of the Nazarene should allow the theory that God creates through evolution as one acceptable view of creation among others.

The results of the poll given to scholars reveals that the compromise on Genesis is so rife today in so-called Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries. Overwhelmingly, scholars at Nazarene institutions believe that the Bible does not require a belief in a young earth (nearly 95%), that the Bible is compatible with evolutionary ideas (82%), that science has established that the world is billions of years old (nearly 86%), that human evolution is true (67%), and that the Nazarene church should consider theistic evolution as a valid alternative to biblical creation (87%).

But, as I demonstrated in my coauthored book Already Compromised, many Christian academics across the U.S. are teaching students that evolution can be used to reinterpret God’s Word in Genesis.

The majority opinion among Nazarene college and university faculty is that theistic evolution (i.e., God used evolution to bring life into being) is true. And we wonder why young people are leaving the church in droves? This is clear evidence that a major denomination is teaching young people that they can’t trust the Bible when it comes to Genesis 1–11 and that fallible man can reinterpret God's Word—thus man is the authority and not God. This is an issue I covered in depth in my coauthored book Already Gone.

There’s no doubt about it—the devil is out to capture our children’s hearts and minds to cause them to doubt and subsequently disbelieve the Word of God. In this day and age, the teaching of evolution and/or millions of years is a major tool being used to produce this doubt and unbelief.

Even though this poll was related to the Nazarene college and university professors, I would say that on the basis of 37 years in creation/apologetics ministry, and reading other polls, I contend that similar statistics probably apply to many denominations (including the Presbyterians, Lutherans, and so on).

What a sad state of the church today.

I urge you to equip yourself and your family with solid, biblical apologetics so that you’ll be able to defend against attacks such as these on the authority of Scripture.

In addition, bookmark the Answers in Genesis website and use it regularly to get answers to defend the Christian faith.

Also, consider visiting the faith-building Creation Museum soon.

And please consider obtaining some of the numerous resources for children and adults to enable this and future generations to be equipped with answers to combat the onslaught of secular evolutionary indoctrination that permeates the culture. Go to the AiG online store.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken