RATE Strikes at the Heart of Evolution

Billions of years of time, one of the bedrocks of evolutionary thinking, is once again being called into question. This time it will be challenged by a team of scientists from (or associated with) the Institute for Creation Research, which has spent the last eight years conducting original research on dating methods and the age of the earth. Known as the RATE team (Radioisotope and the Age of The Earth), these scientists have discovered significant scientific evidence which contradicts the “old earth” model and supports a young earth-as one would expect from a plain reading of Bible.

"Thousands … Not Billions" is both the title and the theme of the upcoming national conference to be hosted by ICR at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon (near San Diego), California, November 5, 2005. Speakers for the event include Dr. John Morris (president of ICR), Dr. Larry Vardiman, Dr. Andrew Snelling (formerly of AiG-Australia), and Dr. John Baumgardner.1 (By the way, AiG-USA's astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle will be in attendance.)

This significant groundbreaking conference will be an opportunity to witness history in the making. Participants will discover the truth about conventional dating methods and why they do not prove an old earth. They will also learn why carbon-14 found in coal and diamonds offers convincing evidence confirming a young earth. These and other important recent discoveries will be introduced to the public at the conference, along with the premier showing of THOUSANDS … not BILLIONS, a new video documentary produced by ICR.

The research presented will once again demonstrate that the supposed “fact” of an old earth (i.e., billions of years) is not based on or supported by empirical science. “The results of this study are quite compelling,” states Mark Rasche, Director of Outreach and Resource Development at ICR.

Dr. Andrew Snelling, geologist and member of the RATE team, expressed his excitement about the results of the research.

God answered our prayers and gave us astounding results in our research investigations. All powerfully confirm what His Word plainly teaches, that the earth is young.

Why is this issue so important? For one, consider these verses:

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day (Exodus 20:11a).

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).

Most churches in America and around the world don't accept the literal reading of these verses. Many people in churches today, including church leaders, have accepted the word of secular scientists and have bought into the idea of billions of years of earth history. However, when questioned why they accept billions of years, it is almost always because of their belief that scientists have proven the earth old. As a result, the Bible then can't really mean what it obviously teaches-six literal days of creation and no death (disease or suffering) before sin. Because of this, many churches lack confidence in God's Word and thus are really teaching the next generation to trust man's opinions over God's Word.

What will the churches who have rejected the clear reading of the Bible do now that it can be clearly shown that the scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports a young earth? AiG and ICR hope that many will renew their trust in the authority of God's Word or at least reexamine what they have believed and how they've approached Scripture.

Sadly, the stronghold that evolutionary thinking (billions of years) has in many churches may cause some to continue to teach such erroneous doctrines as disease (e.g., cancer) and death before sin, a local flood versus a worldwide Flood and a long age for the earth, regardless of the latest findings by creation scientists.

The RATE team has confirmed the trustworthiness of Scripture, thus upholding its authority, and has shown that the battle is not between science and the Bible, but between man's fallible ideas about the past (such as man's fallible dating methods) and the Bible's history.

God, the Creator of all things (Col 1:16), also created the laws of science which govern how the universe operates. His Word and His creation (which is now “fallen”) are never in conflict. It is man's philosophical belief about his origins that is in conflict with God's Word and observational science.

Mark your calendar for this important event and learn to become better 1 Peter 3:15 Christians (being able to give answers for what you believe). Preregistration for this November 5^th conference is required and seating is limited. For more information on how to register, call ICR at (619) 448-0900 or go to the ICR website: http://www.icr.org/.