Creation: “A Threat to the Safety” of Prisoners

Rather than being "a threat to the safety" of prisoners, creation teaching (including through the web) is changing lives in prisons (and society).

My heart breaks whenever I hear of people who are denied access to life-changing teaching about our sin nature … need of salvation … and the truths of Genesis.

It’s even more distressing when it’s denied by a Christian leader!

In the words of one leader (a chaplain), the creation message is a “threat to the safety” of prisoners in jails. You see, he rejected a creation book an AiG supporter wanted to donate:

I have reviewed your request … I am approving the list, with the request that you drop from your syllabus When Christians Roamed the Earth.

This book and most of the conversation regarding Creationism, Intelligent Design, Evolution, etc. causes unnecessary division within the church and has led to arguments on the yard in the past. …

I do not believe that the average inmate with an educational level below the national average can properly process Christian apologetics and according to policy all programs must not be a “threat to the safety of persons involved in such activity or that the activity itself disrupts order in the institution” ACA Standards 3.4459 [emphasis added].

As one of our web visitors, you probably already know that we often say that some of the most ardent opposition to the creation message comes from Christian leaders.

Be encouraged, however. Read what another chaplain (at a different prison) said about AiG books that we donated to his prison ministry:

“I called on Monday requesting literature you suggested and it was at the jail on Friday. Wow, was I blessed. I [also] put the AiG DVDs on closed-circuit TV.”

AiG has a prison outreach where we donate thousands of resources to prison libraries (and sometimes directly to prisoners themselves) … including free Creation magazines.

So, rather than being “a threat to the safety” of prisoners, creation teaching (including through the web) is changing lives in prisons (and society). For example:

Lives saved-“I thank the Lord for your ministry … God has used the truths of creation to significantly impact a number of lives in a ministry in our county jail.”

“One man stated, ‘I’ve gone to church all my life but I’ve been an atheist. Since coming to Bible study, I now believe in God.’ In two weeks He placed his faith in Christ.”

Bible study in jail (California)-“All of the Christian brothers meet on the yard every night that we are allowed to have ‘night yard,’ and I brought a Bible study on the AiG book The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved. A very enlightening study. Some men just passing by were intrigued and stayed for the entire study. Praise God!!”

Booklets go like “hotcakes” (Florida)-“The booklets [witnessing booklets shipped by AiG] went like hotcakes. I think they stayed on the shelf only two days!”

Well, it doesn’t sound as if AiG materials are causing disruptive behavior or a safety threat! This is why we donate thousands of dollars’ worth of resources to jails each year.

I wanted to share something else with you for your further encouragement. Answers in Genesis has many facets to its ministry. This year, it will, for example:

see millions of web visitors
hold 325 events (reaching tens of thousands of children and adults)
produce about 270 radio programs
give away thousands of resources to missionaries … and public school teachers.

AiG is quietly ministering to thousands of people.

You are someone who has used (and, I trust, benefited from) the AiG website. Please consider the following and support our general fund this month. You see, Hurricane Katrina affected our outreach in two ways: 1.) a major AiG conference on the Gulf had to be cancelled and 2.) we have recently seen lower-than-expected donations (we suspect that some supporters gave generously to hurricane relief and did not give to AiG).

Thanks for using our website. Now, can I count on you to support AiG this month?