Reality Roils The Matrix

A friend of Answers in Genesis wants to use the hype about The Matrix films to direct attention to the reality behind the all-prevailing myth of our day—that life arose after millions of years of death and struggle. So last year he created a website with the domain name TheMatrix.co.uk.

But the project nearly dragged him into a costly legal battle with Warner Bros.

A Controversial Website

The eye-catching website, The Matrix of Life—Exposed, gives simple answers to common questions about apemen, radiocarbon dating, etc., to “expose the wrong assumptions and misunderstanding about the origins of life through the indoctrination of evolution.” The website borrows lengthy articles from several AiG resources, including Creation magazine and our “signature” book The New Answers Book.1

The creator of the website, Steev Jordan, believes that if the United Kingdom—like the rest of the West—is ever to turn back to its Christian roots, then the place to start is by upholding the truth of God’s Word where it has come under greatest attack—the history of life’s origin in Genesis.

“We wanted to produce a site that would accurately and effectively attack the very foundations of the evolutionary argument,” he told AiG in an email. “We also wanted it to be easy to use and at the same time, visually appealing and unlike any other educational web-based presentation.”

Putting It All on the Line

Steev shared the story about his website—and his scary run-in with Warner Bros.—when he came to hear AiG–US president Ken Ham during a speaking tour of the UK in March 2004. For nearly ten years now, Ken has visited the UK spreading zeal for the truth of God’s Word—and its scientific integrity—in “the land of Darwin.”

AiG has main offices in the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and we share speakers regularly. The UK office has two speakers—Dr Monty White (CEO) and Philip Bell.

Steev walked up to Ken after the talk to thank him for his inspiration over the past few years. “Having personally heard your talk about ‘the key to reclaiming a culture’ several times,” he told Ken, “it has never failed to stir and motivate me.” Then he proceeded to tell his story.

Steev said that he felt prompted one day to look up the availability of the web domain www.thematrix.co.uk, which he bought for about £5. He felt like a kid who had just discovered a secret treasure.

Within a few weeks, however, he got a call from Warner Bros., pressuring him to relinquish the name before the November release of the final episode of the Matrix trilogy—Matrix Revolutions.

“Everyone I spoke to about the domain wanted to know how much I was going to sell it for,” he explained. “It was like I was holding a winning lottery ticket and people were genuinely excited for me. I also had a number of legal representatives willing to take on the case for me on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.”2

But he didn’t share their enthusiasm. “At this stage, I did not know why I had registered the domain, only that God had prompted me to do so. I didn’t feel that selling it was in God’s plans, so I decided to wait and see what would develop.”

A solicitor for Warner Bros. finally sent him a letter threatening a costly legal battle.

“I must confess at this point I was a little nervous, but later that evening I felt prompted to look up the meaning of the word matrix. To my great excitement and elation, only now did it become clear why God had prompted me to register the domain.” Steev found that matrix is not only a mathematical term, but it also means “a situation within which something else originates, develops or is contained, the womb.” What a perfect opportunity for him to unveil the truth about “the matrix of life’!

He then sent a letter and assured Warner Bros. that he understood their concerns, he was a big fan of the Matrix films, and he would make sure that the website told visitors that it had no immediate connection with the films. “I expressed openly and honestly how I was going to use the website to publicly expose the deception of evolution by way of scientific evidence and logical reasoning.”

An Answer to Prayer

In the meantime, Steev’s media team worked “flat out” to create the website in less than five weeks. “Having spent several years researching the main issues and acquiring numerous scientific publications, many as a direct result of the AiG ministry,” he said, “it didn’t take long for the site to take shape.”

When he finally received a letter back from Warner Bros., to his relief, they decided to drop the challenge.

Steev notes the irony that “the website had now been launched well ahead of schedule, as a direct result of the threat,” and he hopes that the website itself will provoke far more controversy and interest than the original legal dispute.

What an encouraging story! TheMatrix.co.uk is just one more step in a swelling effort among Christians around the world to challenge the compromise of the church and slay the Goliaths of our day. See Our Rallying Cry.