Back to School—Time for Apologetics!

One particularly effective way to inoculate students against this ideological onslaught is to prepare them with a proper understanding of the difference between historical science and operational science. Invariably, students are intimidated into believing that secularist, naturalistic interpretations of geology, paleontology, etc., are “scientific fact” rather than stories crafted about the past being filtered through ideological lenses which exclude the Bible.

You can also point out where the evolutionary story is weakest. Teach them about design in the world and how natural selection fits within a creationist view as a mechanism to help creatures survive in a fallen world but has no power to create anything, for instance. Show them presentations from PhD biologists, geologists, chemists, and physicists who trust God’s Word. This will make it clear that it isn’t a “science versus religion” battle as is so often portrayed in the media.

If your students are homeschooled, don’t let down your guard.

If your students are homeschooled, don’t let down your guard. Public school or not, they will be exposed to these claims, as they are ubiquitous in popular media of all kinds, and of course, they will be interacting with others in their lives who are exposed to the indoctrination of secular culture. This is where good biblical training tools like the Answers Bible Curriculum come into play.

College or university students are going to get the strongest dose of all! Make sure they are well-grounded in the truth before sending them off to the wolves, as it were. Take, for example, the stunning admission made by Professor David Barash some years ago:

Every year around this time, with the college year starting, I give my students The Talk.  . . . It’s irresponsible to teach biology without evolution, and yet many students worry about reconciling their beliefs with evolutionary science. Just as many Americans don’t grasp the fact that evolution is not merely a “theory,” but the underpinning of all biological science [notice the brazen dishonesty here!], a substantial minority of my students are troubled to discover that their beliefs conflict with the course material. . . . The more we know of evolution, the more unavoidable is the conclusion that living things, including human beings, are produced by a natural, totally amoral process, with no indication of a benevolent, controlling creator.1

Far from being the “underpinning of all biological science,” the belief in millions of years of evolution has actually proven to be a stumbling block in medicine, for example, causing physicians to make poor decisions based upon wrong assumptions of vestigial organs. Barash clearly has a strong personal bias towards atheism that he is going to impart to his students, if given the chance. This is by no means an isolated example. Make sure you are warning your kids beforehand! Lots of resources exist out there to help students navigate the treacherous spiritual waters of academia.2

But make sure you aren’t just assuming your kids believe what you want them to believe. Talk to them yourself about these issues! See what questions they have, and if there are unanswered doubts they’re struggling with. Don’t assume they know they can talk to you about their questions; they may be worried about upsetting you if they express doubts about the faith. Just knowing that they can openly discuss any questions they have can make a huge difference.

If you are able to serve in your local church, see if there is availability to teach a class to the youth about creation and apologetics. I have personally just done this very thing at my own home church, and I was glad to see the kids’ interest start to kick in when I insisted that they open up about their own questions and ideas (yes, they will have to be prodded)! We are the church, and we all have a role to play as parents and mentors. Let’s work together to make sure we don’t lose another generation to the false teachings of modern culture.