Creation Compromise at Baylor University

As we are in the final months of ministry for 2004, a year which we themed “Refuting Compromise” in our newsletter and website, I wanted to share a very sad, but real-life example of compromise at high levels in the church.

As I’m writing to you, AiG just ran a family conference at the Waco Convention Center in Waco, Texas. This city is the home of Baylor University—the largest Baptist university in the world, with 14,000 students enrolled in more than 200 programs. [See also Baptist School Afraid of Creation and Saddened by University’s Stance on Creation.]

Many Baylor students told me that most students who attend this university have to go through a “Christian Scriptures” course—sadly, from what I was told by students who have attended this class, it greatly undermines the authority of the Word. For example:

• Moses didn’t write Genesis

• authors “JEDP” (the discredited “documentary hypothesis”) wrote Genesis

• there were two contradictory accounts of creation

• the Jews borrowed their creation accounts from other cultures, etc., etc.

One young Baylor student told me she was really struggling and having a crisis of faith. After I answered (to the best of my ability) her (and other students’) questions about these various anti-biblical teachings, the young lady couldn’t thank me enough for answers.

On the one hand, I was so thrilled to see her so excited to know she can really trust God’s Word. On the other hand I was so burdened that she and so many thousands of others like her are being led astray by compromising Baylor professors.

After hearing a number of talks at the AiG seminar, one young Baylor student told me he has seen many students come from homes and churches where they were taught to trust the Word of God, but after taking the Christian Scriptures course, their faith was in shatters.

Two other Baylor students told me that they were so burdened for their professors, that they purchased 45 copies of AiG’s Refuting Compromise and Refuting Evolution to personally hand out to their science and religion professors.

I gave them a highly subsidized AiG price on many books as I knew they were sacrificially using their own finances to reach their faculty with the truth of God’s Word.

After returning to the AiG office, I received many emails concerning our outreach in Waco. Let me share just a few from Baylor students—and a concerned parent.

• “In the classroom, I have experienced science professors teaching evolution unapologetically. During class no one questions what is taught.

  “The religion department, in my experience, has taught that the Creation account in Genesis is not literal, there are two non-compatible Creation stories, and that the behemoth and leviathan in Job are only metaphorical.”

• Another student wrote: “In the past week I had a friend and a professor tell me that they have their opinions and do not want to hear mine. The professor did not accept the books I offered. Nothing would change her mind.”

• From another Baylor student: “You repeatedly mentioned wanting to get your materials into the hands of students and pastors and, as I told you last weekend, I am offering my hands to be filled with AiG materials.”

• Another person, who is involved in a Christian ministry that has an outreach to Baylor students, wrote: “I had a great time and learned a ton to help me! This conference helped me tremendously in my ministry …”

On the Saturday of the seminar, the Waco Tribune-Herald newspaper published an article about a Baylor professor who was going to give lectures at a local Unitarian church. The article clearly reveals one of the major problems in the church in this day and age.

As background, you should know that we are increasingly finding that church leaders and Bible/seminary professors (who train pastors and others) are being influenced by “postmodernism”—an increasingly pervasive thought pattern of not believing in absolutes.

In fact, George Barna found that only 9% of teens from churches believe in absolute truth—reflecting what is being taught at many Christian colleges/churches/seminaries.

Well, this is the excerpt from the Waco newspaper:

“In a world many people see in terms of black and white absolutes, Baylor University philosophy professor Robert Baird studies the shades of gray.

“‘Postmodernism: What’s all the fuss?’ a free adult education class, will be presented at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Waco.

“Baird said that the Bible can be viewed as the story of people on a journey, an example that spiritual life is a continual quest for truth and meaning, rather than a strict reading that it depicts the ‘arrival at an absolute certainty …’ [emphasis ours]

“Baird says he is more of the moderate path, one that recognizes the fallibility of humanity and that people therefore cannot claim certainty for one’s views.”

Notice that although Baird feels that people cannot claim certainty for one’s views, he is very certain that you can’t do this!

On the basis of Scripture (Rev. 3:15–16), I believe students would be better off being prepared with the right foundation in God’s Word and attend a pagan university, than go to a compromising (‘lukewarm’) “Christian” school, where every student takes a course that undermines biblical authority and leads them away from the Christian faith.

Sadly, there are only a few really great Christian colleges that stand uncompromisingly on the absolute authority of the Word of God, as they should.

In the same Waco newspaper, Baylor was described as a “great” university. But even if it produces great scientists, great nurses, great businessmen, great teachers and so on—all this becomes nothing compared to a person’s spiritual state, which determines their eternity!

Taking a consistent reading of Genesis as we do at AiG—and using observational science to defend our faith and oppose the wrong foundation of evolutionary ideas—proclaims a message of certainty to the youth and adults who live in this relativistic society.

Finally, from a homeschooling mom (and former science teacher) in Waco:

“I attended the AiG conference here in Waco. I was so encouraged and embolded about taking a stand for what the Bible states very plainly about creation, Noah, etc.

“I taught science to 4^th–6^th graders for five years after attending a “Christian” university. I felt a loss as to how to do it—I wish I’d known about AiG 20 years ago!

“What a valuable service. Thank God for your willingness to ‘take the heat’ from those who feel you are ‘nuts.’ Thanks for giving us the courage to be nuts along with you!”

Sadly, and ironically, much of the church itself is tearing down the foundation of Christianity in this nation by rejecting the literal history in Genesis 1–11—which is foundational to the gospel, Christian morality and the entire Christian worldview.

AiG and its website are engaging the church and culture to rebuild this foundation. We need to raise up students and adults who know they can believe God’s Word. As a part of this, we can sometimes look to “heroes of the faith” who have stood on God’s Word.

As a child, I remember Pilgrim’s Progress being read to me. Two things struck me. First, how I was like Pilgrim in that I needed to get the burden of sin off my back.

The second was that as I grew older and learned about the author, John Bunyan, I felt almost a burning in my soul because of the admiration I had for the man. No matter how much he was persecuted for preaching the Word of God, he would not stop. That was such an inspiration to me to stand on the Word of God.

Because of the effect that Bunyan and his classic book have had on my life, I really wanted to make available to you a unique set of five audio CDs, featuring a full-length dramatization in Bunyan’s original “old English” style. It’s been specially made for us by an extremely talented group of actors.

Because Bunyan is one of my heroes of the faith, I wanted to give you the opportunity to receive this professionally produced audio recording. It’s excellent. I believe you’ll love it for yourself, or will give it as a Christmas gift!

Please, help call the church and culture to return to the Word of God!