Secularists Can’t Handle AiG’s Cosmos Reviews

It seems they cannot stand the fact that we would even dare to question and expose their bias-filled conclusions for what they are.

The atheistic, evolutionary Cosmos TV series hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson recently concluded its 13-episode run. In response to this new series, Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell has written detailed reviews of each episode for AiG to expose their lies of evolution and millions of years. In the reviews Dr. Mitchell often cited scientists who believe in biblical creation, such as astronomer Dr. Danny Faulkner, chemist Dr. Alan White, and geologist Dr. Andrew Snelling.

The Cosmos series was marketed as a way to spark interest in science among people of all ages and to promote scientific literacy. Sadly, however, it is clear from the content of many of the episodes and statements of the Cosmos creators that they define science literacy as agreement with evolution in all its forms.

So, as our reviews are spreading around the world, the secularists are continuing to provide written critiques full of straw-man arguments, ad hominem attacks, and so on. It seems they cannot stand the fact that we would even dare to question and expose their bias-filled conclusions for what they are. One such article was published by Salon.com titled “13 ways Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ‘Cosmos’ sent the religious right off the deep end.” Author Dan Arel jubilantly states in the subtitle, “The series will be watched in classrooms around the world -- much to the chagrin of science-denying Evangelicals.”

Falsely Representing Our Beliefs

But from the title onward the article misrepresents us and our position. Arel claims we are “science-denying evangelicals,” but we have said numerous times that we do not deny science. What Arel really means is that we deny their belief in molecules-to-man evolution and millions of years. But these ideas fall in the category of historical science—views about the unobservable past. On the contrary, observational science—the science that builds our technology—is completely consistent with God’s Word. After all, God is the Creator of the entire universe and He wisely put the laws of science (the laws of nature) in place to govern the physical universe He made. This understanding motivated many Bible-believing scientists throughout history to search for the orderly natural laws that govern the universe, and it continues to motivate modern Bible-believing scientists in their pursuit of scientific truth. (Have a look at the Answers in Depth article by Dr. Jean Lightner just published today, titled “Chromosome Tales and the Importance of a Biblical Worldview.” Dr. Lightner reveals how it is not the evolutionary view but rather the biblical worldview denying human descent from ape-like ancestors that is consistent with the very latest discoveries about the question of human chromosome fusion.)

An Attempt to Discredit Our Reviews?

Articles like Salon’s seem to be an attempt to discredit our reviews so that people will not read them. We are certainly aware that these programs, which obscure the nature of observational science, will be used in classrooms. We therefore encourage people to read the reviews we have written as well as the many additional resources linked in the articles. We not only want to provide answers to the program’s many metaphysical evolutionary claims but to prepare viewers to deal with the evolutionary claims. We want to help them sort out the valid observational science contained in many of the programs from the many unjustifiable worldview-based evolutionary claims. And we want people to be aware of the claims that evolutionists make and be able therefore to prepare themselves to give answers to others.

Contrary to the article’s titles, we have not gone off the deep end nor even suggest people boycott the program.

Contrary to the article’s titles, we have not gone off the deep end nor even suggest people boycott the program. We simply encourage people who watch the Cosmos TV series or have children and friends who might watch the series to equip themselves to discern truth from error. Make sure you read each review, read the Bible, and find out about God’s creation and what God’s Word really says for yourself. We must “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). The secularists cannot tolerate the fact that we have answers for why we believe in the truth of God’s Word, as they are suppressing “the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

We are also in the process of developing study guides to the Cosmos series as a free resource for parents and teachers to use with their children. They not only refute the teaching of evolution and millions of years in the series but also highlight observational science where it relates to each episode.

Are Secularists Hijacking the Word Science?

In the Salon article, Arel states,

This episode really set off groups like Answers in Genesis, a creationist organization ran by Ken Ham, the owner of the Creationist Museum, most known for his debate with Bill Nye (the Science Guy) about evolution versus creationism. However, just as in the debate with Nye, Ham and his organization could not debunk the science of the episode and instead attempted to redefine evolution and claim that scientists have “hijacked” the word and are not using it properly. They turned to Bible scripture as their only rebuttal, something that became commonplace after subsequent episodes of the show.

Again, we encourage you to read our reviews and find out about the “science” for yourself, and make sure to watch the episodes so you can fully understand where the secularists are coming from.

Regarding the jab at our use of Scripture, we will gladly admit that we believe the Bible is our authority in every area of our lives and is the History Book of the universe. So of course we use the truth of God’s Word to answer skeptics, since “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Moreover, as we stated, we do not deny science. In fact, Ken Ham recently challenged Tyson, host of the Cosmos TV series, to answer the same question he asked Bill Nye during their February debate at the Creation Museum:

Can you name one piece of technology that could only have been developed starting with a belief in molecules-to-man evolution?

On the other hand, early in the series, Neil deGrasse Tyson issued a challenge claiming that no Bible-based predictions have ever led to real scientific predictions that ended up confirmed by the scientific method. We answered that challenge, quoting many scientists in our article “Can Bible-Based Predictions Lead to Scientific Discoveries?”

Why Do Secularists Care?

Throughout history we see the ever-changing, fallible opinions of mankind, but God’s Word does not change. Scientific models—those developed by both evolutionary scientists and creation scientists—constantly change as we make more observations. But we have the eyewitness account of creation in the Bible to govern our interpretation of that testimony when applied to questions about our origins. Evolutionary scientists, however, look at the present and interpret the evidence based upon their faulty starting point of naturalism. God’s Word reveals the truth about our origins and effectively excludes molecules-to-man evolution and billions-of-years cosmologies. The only origins models that can possibly be true are those that are consistent with Scripture.

Their naturalistic worldview is ultimately meaningless.

But when considering the secularists’ response to these reviews, why do they even care about what we have to say? Their naturalistic worldview is ultimately meaningless. According to their beliefs, we live and die and that is all there is. We cease to exist and will not ever be conscious to know that we ever existed in the first place. So why is it important to spread this message of hopelessness? Why do they suggest we have significance only in accepting our own insignificance within an evolutionary paradigm?

Part of their reasoning was highlighted in a recent interview with Tyson. He claimed that allowing “religious philosophy” (in context he referred specifically to biblical belief) to influence science would intellectually cripple would-be science innovators. Yet since observational science—not origins science—is the source of new technology, this claim makes no sense. Tyson’s passion for evolutionary belief—made clear during many of his Cosmos mini-speeches extolling the great feeling evolutionary belief gives him—clearly involves a “religious philosophy.”

Tyson says in the final episode of the series that understanding and accepting his evolutionary stories about our origins is important. He says that contemplating “the legacy of evolution” is “uplifting” and that he wants to know “that feeling is real” and to be remembered and emulated for his role in this “sacred searching.” Tyson, sadly, though claiming to want to know truth, is busy “suppressing the truth” (Romans 1:18) and by professing himself to be wise in his rejection of God’s truth he has become foolish (1:22). What can be more foolish than for an intelligent man who wishes to know truth to categorically reject the truth provided by the omniscient Creator of the universe? In fact, according to Jesus Christ (John 5:46-47; 14:6), some who reject Him do so because they stumble on the writings of Moses—including Genesis, where we find the truth about our origin and the origin of sin and death.

Conclusion

While we examine scientific evidence in light of a biblical worldview, we need to always remember that this is a spiritual battle: those who reject God’s Word do not want to submit to an almighty Creator. Instead, they want to be their own god and set their own rules. They have “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25). “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (1:21).

As Christians, we live to serve a risen Savior—the Lord Jesus Christ. Adam disobeyed the holy Creator God and the penalty was death, but praise be to God for His spiritual blessings through our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3–4). Christians have a message of hope in Christ and that is the ultimate purpose of these Cosmos reviews—to spread the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This Salon article is just one of several articles they have published that critiques our reviews, let alone articles from other secularists. There are many more things we could say about these articles and their attempt to refute the truth of God’s Word. If you want to learn more, please read our Cosmos reviews as well as checking out our Answers section on our website. Be sure to share these free resources with others so that they might know the truth of God’s Word and the hope we have in Christ.