Strengthening Families Through God’s Word

Given the importance of education in general—critical thinking and handling of complex information in a changing world—creation scientists cannot have a directly positive effect on folks’ understanding of science or their skill in handling and critiquing information and messages coming from various sources of authority, whether it’s the science lab or the pulpit.1

That’s a quote from a group called Scientists Promoting Evolution Education in Cincinnati (SPEEC), explaining why they’re going to step up evolution training in response to the Creation Museum (25 miles away).

We need to teach our children critical thinking—apparently as long as they don’t question evolution!

I certainly agree with them about the importance of critical thinking and how we handle complex information. But did you notice the logical discrepancy in the quote? We need to teach our children critical thinking—apparently as long as they don’t question evolution!

It makes you wonder how they define “critical thinking,” doesn’t it? These scientists are firm in their belief that only one viewpoint on the origins of our world and ourselves should be taught in school. So, if critical thinking isn’t the process of evaluating evidence in light of conflicting viewpoints . . . what is it?

In my years as a public school teacher, I always wanted my students to learn to think for themselves, instead of just being “spoon-fed” someone else’s opinions. But it seems that SPEEC doesn’t feel the same way.

Every year when school rolls around again I find myself pondering the strength of the opposition to teaching creationism in the public schools, and it makes me sad. In many cases, our opponents actually hate us—some have gone so far as to say that teaching creationism is a form of child abuse!

Their furious opposition is a symptom of their separation from God. I wish I could reach out to each one and show them how deeply God loves them and wants to draw them to Himself . . . but they don’t want to listen.

Every day a child you know and love walks into an atmosphere of hostility towards God’s Word. Your child, grandchild, niece, nephew—wouldn’t it be wonderful to equip them with the knowledge and the certainty that theBible is truly authoritative, and the tools to explain why to their non-believing peers and teachers?

Through your friendship with Answers in Genesis, you know about our curriculum materials, videos, books, Creation Museum, and other resources. Maybe you already subscribe to Answers magazine, our quarterly publication that gets the whole family involved in talking about God’s great creation.

Through your financial support for Answers in Genesis, you can invest in creating more books, more resources to help families educate and strengthen themselves against the attacks of our world—not only here, but overseas as well! (A lady in Argentina recently wrote to us, “We pray you people of the United States stand up and hold on, for we are counting on you to defend our freedom.” Amen!)

Ian’s story is a poignant example of the challenges Bible-believing children face in their public schools today:

The assignment in Ian’s English class was to write about their beliefs on human cloning and embryonic stem cell research. Then the class was told to stand on either side of the room to show whether they were for or against those issues.

Ian immediately headed for the “against” side . . . all by himself, until two of his friends joined him. Ian was the only one prepared to respond to the evolution-dominated thinking of his teacher and the rest of the class, because he’d been taught at home that he can trust the Bible’s authority, and why. His calm, reasoned answers were a powerful witness to his classmates.

If Ian hadn’t been there . . . if his parents hadn’t taught him from his childhood to put the Bible first and look to it for his answers . . . who would have stood in front of those other teenagers to help them learn critical thinking by showing them another side of the story?

What we believe about the beginnings of our world has such wide-reaching implications for how we treat other people and the standards we use to evaluate ourselves. But millions of young people are being denied the opportunity to exercise their critical thinking skills on this issue because there’s no one to help them question the “facts” of evolution.

There’s no one to show them an alternative explanation, one that honors God and leads to a saving relationship with Him. If their teachers won’t tell them, who will?

Maybe it will be a child you know and love. Maybe, like Ian, he or she will stand up in class and say, “Enough! These aren’t facts; they’re interpretations of the evidence, and there’s another way to look at the evidence!”

But they’ll only be able to do it if they have the tools . . . if we equip parents to teach their children, and provide excellent resources for family learning time and for our young people to share with their peers.

Over the past five months, the Creation Museum has been full of children and their families exploring God’s majesty together. When I watch them walk through the displays, pointing things out to each other and learning, I see our dream for the Creation Museum—and the larger movement back to biblical authority we want to promote—coming true before my eyes.

These kids (and their parents) go home inspired and motivated by what they’ve seen. As they head back to classes, we need to continue the learning experience all school year, to supplement and reinforce what they’ve learned.

We need to create materials for homeschooling families and to give families whose children are in the public school system plenty of resources. We need to focus on equipping more young people like Ian to withstand the evolutionist barrage they’ll face at school.

In short, I want to promote “critical thinking and handling of complex information in a changing world” by showing children the whole story on evolution, not just the parts evolutionists want them to see.

Will you help? Will you pray fervently for Bible-believing schoolchildren everywhere that God will protect them and give them the courage to stand up for what they believe? And will you support Answers in Genesis financially today, so we can create the resources they need to defend their faith effectively?

Your gift can help bolster the faith of a child, equip parents to pass creation knowledge to their children, and make children everywhere into witnesses of God’s awesome creating power. We truly appreciate your commitment to the Bible’s authority!

With public schools and colleges “sold out” to evolutionary thinking, it’s more important than ever to equip families to train their children up with confidence in the Bible. Thank you for your continuing partnership with Answers in Genesis to provide crucial resources to families everywhere!