Continuing the Momentum to Impact Society

While it was on the front page of a major U.S. newspaper (the Los Angeles Times), it was also making headlines in papers/websites around America and overseas.

The Times1 and the UK’s Guardian2 recently featured lengthy stories about an unusual phenomenon happening in more and more public schools: an increasing number of students are challenging their instructors when evolution is taught as fact.

Not surprisingly, many secular educators are up in arms about this!

The Times reported: “Sometimes disruptive, but often sophisticated questioning of evolution by students has educators increasingly on the defensive.”

The article wrote of a student who “considers it his Christian duty to expose his classmates to the truths he finds in the Bible, starting with the six days of creation.”

The student, the Times said, “studies DVDs distributed by Answers in Genesis, a ‘creation evangelism’ ministry devoted to training children to question evolution.”

I’ve been involved in creation ministry for 30 years. Ever since I left my teaching position (I taught science in public schools in Australia in the 1970s), the Lord has burdened me—and the organizations I’ve been involved with—to disseminate books, DVDs, radio programs, web articles, etc. on biblical authority … as widely as possible.

Our philosophy at AiG is that the more we make information available to the public, including via the web, the more we’ll see a grassroots change in the culture.

You see, trying to counter the teaching of molecules-to-man evolution as fact in public schools is, in reality, the same problem as trying to combat issues like abortion, “gay” marriage, removing “Christ” from Christmas, and so on. The culture, including America’s secular education system, has changed the foundation it was built upon (the Word of God) to a different foundation (that man determines truth).

Ultimately, the only way to effectively combat this phenomenon is for people to get back to the Bible’s authority … and then rebuild the culture/education system.

So what’s one result of such grassroots activism? Secular educators in America are now scrambling to counter the phenomenon of aggressive, questioning students.

For instance, the Times stated: “In response, the American Association for the Advancement of Science is distributing a 24-page guide to teaching the scientific principles behind evolution, starting in kindergarten” [emphasis added].

Now, let me tell you about one incredible, unusual opportunity (perhaps you’ve read about it on the web) we’ve had over the years to impact America’s public schools.

The largest group of public school educators in the world, the liberal National Education Association (NEA), conducts a huge convention each year.

For the 11^th year in a row, AiG (this July) will be passing out thousands of books, DVDs and booklets at the NEA convention. Last year, our staff and volunteers gave away about 2,500 DVDs, 2,000 books, 2,000 booklets and 500 CD-ROMs to public school teachers and administrators, and also pointed them to our website.

Our staff has also shared with me that over the years, the majority of NEA members have courteously accepted the resources. Many of them were surprised that such material even existed and have “loaded up” on our free books and DVDs.

I’ve also noticed something very interesting—and very encouraging. It fits with what the newspapers and websites are reporting. As we participate at the NEA conference year after year, it seems that there is an increasing proportion of educators who are supportive of our message, and fewer are openly hostile.

This NEA outreach is one of the highlights for us each year, not only as we pass out so many materials, but also as we witness one-to-one with visitors to our booth.

Exciting things are happening as AiG engages the culture on so many fronts in today’s culture wars. Your gift of any size will continue the momentum as we see society impacted with the powerful creation/gospel message.