“Young Earth Evolution”: A Call for Discernment

These articles have repeatedly demonstrated that the YEE ideas are needlessly and dangerously accommodating evolutionary assumptions, ideas, and language.

It is this passion for discernment, clarity, and conviction that led us to produce a series of articles on a group that some have titled “Young-Earth Evolutionists” (or YEEs). These articles have repeatedly demonstrated that the YEE ideas are needlessly and dangerously accommodating evolutionary assumptions, ideas, and language. The advocation of subtle ideas out of step with clear Scripture undermines biblical authority, sows confusion, and is a breeding ground for compromise.

Bear in mind that the proponents of YEE ideas are usually those who would be classified as young-earth creationists. Many of them are well-known in the young-earth community. Often, they are professors at schools and colleges that are known to stand on biblical authority, particularly on the issue of origins and creation.

This all leads to a final warning and appeal in this concluding article of the young-earth evolution series: a practical call for parents and young adults to practice discernment. Understanding that some of these YEE ideas have infiltrated even young-earth creationist schools, parents and young adults need to be extremely discerning about what schools teach and which colleges to attend. Here are a few practical steps toward this endeavor:

1. Become familiar with YEE ideas, claims, and jargon. By no means do you have to become an expert in all things YEE. But do at least get acquainted with the basics. It only takes a few hours to read our entire series on YEE, and it is well worth the time. With just a basic knowledge of “YEEism,” you will learn to identify YEE ideas and jargon that seem harmless or even biblical. For example, it is wise—even essential—to know and look for key buzzwords and phrases to identify woke-ism in culture and prospective schools: diversity, equity, inclusion, intersectionality, social justice, oppressors and oppressed, anti-racism, etc. In a similar way, looking out for key YEE buzzwords and phrases, such as “feathered dinosaurs,” “gobs of evidence for evolution,” “different species of humans,” “some whales have vestigial limbs,” “Lucy is an intermediate,” “the science is powerful and persuasive,” can go a long way toward identifying YEEism and making a wise decision in which college to attend.
2. Carefully examine a school’s statement of faith and other online documents. Inspect a school’s statement of faith, especially about creation, with YEE ideas and jargon in mind. But don’t stop there. Look for any public statements or articles from the school and its leadership on the issues of creation, evolution, age of the earth, rock layers and fossils, dinosaur evolution, human evolution, etc. Look carefully for any YEE ideas, and if you find one, take the time to investigate it thoroughly.
3. Take a good look at the school’s teachers. As mentioned earlier, many “YEEs” are well-known professing young-earth creationists who teach at Christian colleges. When investigating schools, even schools that are recognized as young-earth creationist, look at the professors—especially those of the science department and Bible department. Which textbooks and secondary sources are being used? See if those professors have any articles or videos online that you can look at to see where they stand.
4. Don’t give your favorites or well-known names a pass. When considering which schools and colleges to trust, be sure to scrutinize each equally, even if you like the name behind it. Even if you went to that school. Even if you had the professor who is still there and was solid during your time there. Exercise due diligence. Even young-earth creationists can “evolve” over time, and not necessarily in a good way.
5. Ask fine-tuned questions. Reach out to the school’s leadership, representatives, and appropriate professors. Ask them specific questions on issues related to creation and evolution. “Are there different species of humans? How much evidence is there for evolution? Did some dinosaurs have feathers?” If their answers are vague, ask more clarifying questions. If you were not sure where they stood before talking with them, it usually doesn’t take long for their answers to reveal where they stand and where they see themselves going.
6. Look for a school that gets it! As you conduct your research, look for schools that understand the true nature of the debate of origins—that recognize that the foundational issue at play is one of authority. With any and every issue, including origins, make sure they understand that it always boils down to either trusting God’s Word or man’s word as authoritative. Seek an institution that understands the genuine difference between historical and operational science and how wrong secular assumptions drive wrong secular interpretations and conclusions. Look for schools that unashamedly hold all of God’s Word as preeminent on every issue and who gladly partner with like-minded organizations.
7. Always be a Berean. Even after finding and while attending a solid school, be a Berean. If you’re out of school, be a Berean. If you’re a Christian, young or old, be a Berean. Wherever we are in life, let’s be sure that, like the Bereans in the book of Acts, we are taking all the messages we hear and “examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Rather, our desire is for clarity, conviction, equipped Christians, saved souls, and God to be glorified through the bold proclamation and application of his Word.

As we bring this series to a conclusion, please note that the point of these articles is not to quibble, play semantics, cause unnecessary division, or look for another reason for people to be outraged. Honestly, nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, our desire is for clarity, conviction, equipped Christians, saved souls, and God to be glorified through the bold proclamation and application of his Word.

To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 25)