Posted on 07/29/2007 2:52:20 PM PDT by balch3
It has been called “The Big Lie.” It has been used to deceive hundreds of millions of people and has been instrumental in the death of millions. It is at the root of most of the great ills that now afflict society. “It” is evolution—the theory, first introduced by Charles Darwin, that says we are the product not of a benevolent Creator, but of a blind, random, and spontaneous process. Enlarge this Image D. James Kennedy
Evolution rests on the claim that the universe is made up of nothing but matter. It holds that matter, time, and chance—the unholy trinity of materialism—brought all things into existence. Evolution, therefore, has no need for a Creator and has been midwife to the growth of atheism in the last 150 years. Before Darwin, an atheist was as scarce as a hen’s tooth. But, as atheist Richard Dawkins has put it, “Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.”
Sadly, Darwin did more than provide atheists with an excuse to reject God. His idea has leaped from science to almost every other arena of human endeavor. Evolution is, after all, more than a scientific theory. It is a worldview—a way of understanding all of life that entirely excludes God.
This evolutionary worldview has long held sway in the law. It has led courts to discard the principles laid down on Mount Sinai in favor of legal standards that adapt to evolving social standards—a notion that allows judges to discover new rights, such as the right to abortion, or the right to engage in homosexual sodomy.
Evolution has also led to lethal consequences. The idea that only the fit survive has led to both eugenics and genocide. Darwin predicted that, “At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace the savage races throughout the world.”
Adolf Hitler, a devout evolutionist, applied these ideas and taught them to his troops. He was absolutely determined to create a super race. Six million Jews lost their lives as a result.
Darwin’s theory supplies a rationale for racism—the idea that some groups are more advanced along the evolutionary scale than others. It gave to Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, an intellectual foundation for her campaign to rid mankind of what she called “human weeds,” so that the superior stock might prevail.
Evolution also robs man of his significance. The Bible teaches that man is an immortal creature created in the image of God. Today, students are taught that man has no purpose and that chance, not God, governs all. When life has no meaning, no purpose, and no future, some young people take their own lives. Suicide is the third largest cause of death among youth ages 15-24, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
And yet, evolution as science has failed at every point. The late British astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle mocked the idea that the amazing complexity of living cells could come about by chance, calling it “nonsense of a high order.” Yet it is this “nonsense” that our children are being taught in schools as scientific fact.
My earnest prayer is that the Lord will topple the whole monstrous edifice of evolution, which has brought so much death and despair into human existence. May evolution’s collapse be swift and complete! In its place may Christ be glorified, and the wondrous effects of His ethical, moral, and spiritual teaching prevail once more in our nation and in this world.
Adapted from Dr. Kennedy’s message: “The Root of the Problem.”
_________________________________________________
D. James Kennedy, Ph.D., is senior minister of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, and president of Coral Ridge Ministries, an international Christian broadcast outreach.
“Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.”
Of course, that’s only possible if the atheist isn’t intellectually gifted.
Yes, Kennedy does a thorough job here. Has anyone else here noticed how these folks who profess this Darwinian evolution and “survival of the fittest” thing always seem to the same ones who insist that we must “protect endangered species”? By their own avowed standards, that would be inconsistent, wouldn’t it? Personally, I figure if God meant for animals to dominate, He wouldn’t have given US the guns.
of course, but logic is not the Darwininst moonbats strong point.
There are several theories of evolution -- which one did he dismantle? bttt
Whenever I start thinking that Evolution might have some merit, I take a walk through our corn field and think over every intricate piece of the puzzle we call Our Universe. If it’s daytime, I watch the sun and remember that it’s US moving, not the sun. If it’s evening, I watch the stars and feel tiny and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
But I always, ALWAYS appreciate all the thought and care that God put into creating every tiny eco-system there is, every sparkling dragonfly wing, every differing birdsong, flower and fruit and Season.
There’s no way this was an “accident.” There’s no way this happened in some random fashion. There’s no way this wasn’t planned all for ME (well, you all, too!) in the blink of an eye. :)
And if My Little World is so breathtakingly beautiful to me now...what’s the Afterlife going to be like? Wow! :)
Hmmmm.
So many contradictions; so little time.
I like your post. I feel the same.
More pseudoreligious crap from America's Taliban.
The Presbyterians are America's Taliban?
Somebody's lying, all right!
It has been used to deceive hundreds of millions of people and has been instrumental in the death of millions. It is at the root of most of the great ills that now afflict society.
Still lying.
“It” is evolution—the theory, first introduced by Charles Darwin, that says we are the product not of a benevolent Creator, but of a blind, random, and spontaneous process.
Now merely incorrect; the theory of evolution deals with change in the genome through time, not origins.
Evolution rests on the claim that the universe is made up of nothing but matter. It holds that matter, time, and chance—the unholy trinity of materialism—brought all things into existence.
False; the theory of evolution deals with change in the genome through time. Other subjects deal with origins. (This sounds like typical creationist claptrap: evolution is a term used by creationists to include all sciences that they disagree with.)
Evolution, therefore, has no need for a Creator and has been midwife to the growth of atheism in the last 150 years. Before Darwin, an atheist was as scarce as a hen’s tooth. But, as atheist Richard Dawkins has put it, “Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.”
Evolution deals with change in the genome over time. This author is incorrectly dealing with origins again, with a bit of non sequitur thrown in for good measure.
Sadly, Darwin did more than provide atheists with an excuse to reject God. His idea has leaped from science to almost every other arena of human endeavor. Evolution is, after all, more than a scientific theory. It is a worldview—a way of understanding all of life that entirely excludes God.
Evolution is a scientific theory that explains a lot of facts and observations. Creationists don't agree with the theory for religious reasons, and use all manner of exaggerations, falsehoods, and other methods of misleading folks as their efforts to combat the science itself have failed.
This evolutionary worldview has long held sway in the law. It has led courts to discard the principles laid down on Mount Sinai in favor of legal standards that adapt to evolving social standards—a notion that allows judges to discover new rights, such as the right to abortion, or the right to engage in homosexual sodomy.
Is the author disappointed that we are not living in a theocracy? It sure sounds like that is what he would prefer. Then he could send the Inquisition after those evilutionists and set them straight once and for all!
Evolution has also led to lethal consequences. The idea that only the fit survive has led to both eugenics and genocide. Darwin predicted that, “At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace the savage races throughout the world.”
The idea that only the fit survive is something that was added a decade after Darwin published his theory (not by Darwin), and it is both wrong and misleading. The genomes which survive are those that reproduce! The change in the genome over time favors some organisms and disfavors others. And, this operates at a population level, not the individual level.
As for the Darwin quote mine, see this.
Adolf Hitler, a devout evolutionist, applied these ideas and taught them to his troops. He was absolutely determined to create a super race. Six million Jews lost their lives as a result.
False. Hitler was more a creationist than a "devout evolutionist:"
What we must fight for is to safeguard the existence and reproduction of our race and our people, . . . so that our people may mature for the fulfillment of the mission allotted it by the creator of the universe. SourceDarwin’s theory supplies a rationale for racism—the idea that some groups are more advanced along the evolutionary scale than others. It gave to Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, an intellectual foundation for her campaign to rid mankind of what she called “human weeds,” so that the superior stock might prevail.
False (once again). Source
Evolution also robs man of his significance. The Bible teaches that man is an immortal creature created in the image of God. Today, students are taught that man has no purpose and that chance, not God, governs all. When life has no meaning, no purpose, and no future, some young people take their own lives. Suicide is the third largest cause of death among youth ages 15-24, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
I think this is rather the fault of fundamentalism. By pushing a false dichotomy, an either-or, a bible-or-nothing approach, when the scientific evidence is clear is perhaps the culprit. As long as creationists are casting such a wide net in an effort to pillory Darwin, perhaps some of the blame comes back upon them. Ever consider that?
And yet, evolution as science has failed at every point. The late British astronomer mocked the idea that the amazing complexity of living cells could come about by chance, calling it “nonsense of a high order.” Yet it is this “nonsense” that our children are being taught in schools as scientific fact.
Perhaps Hoyle was wrong? Perhaps mathematicians are not modeling the variables correctly. Perhaps mathematicians have looked silly in the past when they did the same thing (like the story of a mathematician proving a bumblebee could not fly). And perhaps Hoyle is describing origins, while the theory of evolution (again) deals with change in the genome over time.
My earnest prayer is that the Lord will topple the whole monstrous edifice of evolution, which has brought so much death and despair into human existence. May evolution’s collapse be swift and complete! In its place may Christ be glorified, and the wondrous effects of His ethical, moral, and spiritual teaching prevail once more in our nation and in this world.
Don't wait up. The theory of evolution has been doomed (any day now) since 1859.
Pearls before swine bump to ya.
your post is riddled with so many half truths and innacuracies, that I don’t have time to deal with them all. Here’s just one though.
http://www.coralridge.org/darwin/connection.asp?ID=crh&ec=I1297
Here is a different take on the matter (from Index to Creationist Claims):
Adolf Hitler exploited the racist ideas of Darwinism to justify genocide.
Source:
Weston-Broome, Sharon. 2001. Louisiana House Concurrent Resolution no. 74: CIVIL RIGHTS: Provides relative to racism and education about racism. HLS 01-2652 ORIGINAL.
Response:
Thus, it [the folkish philosophy] by no means believes in an equality of races, but along with their difference it recognizes their higher or lesser value and feels itself obligated, through this knowledge, to promote the victory of the better and stronger, and demand the subordination of the inferior and weaker in accordance with the eternal will that dominates this universe. (Hitler 1943, 383)The first edition of Mein Kampf suggests that Hitler may once have believed in a young earth: "this planet will, as it did thousands of years ago, move through the ether devoid of men" (p. 65; the second edition substitutes "millions" for "thousands," and chapter 11 refers to "hundreds of thousands of years" of life in another context.) Other passages further support his creationist leanings:
The undermining of the existence of human culture by the destruction of its bearer seems in the eyes of a folkish philosophy the most execrable crime. Anyone who dares to lay hands on the highest image of the Lord commits sacrilege against the benevolent Creator of this miracle and contributes to the expulsion from paradise. (Hitler 1943, 383)and
What we must fight for is to safeguard the existence and reproduction of our race and our people, . . . so that our people may mature for the fulfillment of the mission allotted it by the creator of the universe. (Hitler 1943, 214)Quotes from Hitler invoking Christianity as a basis for his actions could be multiplied ad nauseam. For example:
Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord (Hitler 1943, 65)."[T]he task of preserving and advancing the highest humanity, given to this earth by the benevolence of the Almighty, seems a truly high mission (Hitler 1943, 398).
A campaign against the "godless movement" and an appeal for Catholic support were launched Wednesday by Chancellor Adolf Hitler's forces (Associated Press 1933).Of course, this does not mean that Hitler's ideas were based on creationism any more than they were based on evolution. Hitler's ideas were a perversion of both religion and biology.
References:
Further Reading:
Toland, John. 1976. Adolf Hitler. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
http://www.antievolution.org/people/wre/evc/argresp/hitler.faq and http://www.antievolution.org/people/wre/evc/argresp/hitler.add
If this article represents their beliefs, then hell yes!
A a Presbyterian I can tell you this POS article is not maintstream Presbyterianism. Hell, they're still wrestling with Predetermination.
Why do you even bother? balch3 and the rest of the creationists are just going to bring up another trivial argument after trivial argument and claim that you haven’t responded or that you have mis-defined ‘science’ and ‘truth.’ They believe in Creationism because they *want* it to be true and they *fear* the consequences if it were not true. Unless you address those fundamental emotional concerns you will never make any headway no matter how much evidence you cite.
Science, by modern definition, limits itself to what's supposedly observable in the natural world, and therefore, is handicapped by its current definition bias against the supernatural.
So, the complete peace, joy and love that exists in my home is just a fig-newton of my imagination? And, any transcendent values say, a mother has for her children, are disposable, mere instinctual impulses? A mother's selflessness - what's the point of such behavior - it doesn't net her anything of worth to herself except should you look to the transcendent for such value.
Yes, the non-Christian conservative is an emerging creature, worthy of study as it gains in power, to join the Left against those Talibanist Christians.
Speaking of Taliban-like behaviour, have you taken a look at the madrases of Secular Humanism called Government Schools. Darwin would be proud. How Machiavellian.
Hyperbole. Not worth a response.
Science, by modern definition, limits itself to what's supposedly observable in the natural world, and therefore, is handicapped by its current definition bias against the supernatural.
Science is not "handicapped" by limiting itself to things that can be observed. Science limits itself to that field just as religion limits itself to the supernatural world. Each field is free to explore their chosen field to its limits. And if there are discoveries to be made in the supernatural world, I am sure that those pursuing religion will make those discoveries and let the rest of us know what they have found. (Science is making a lot of discoveries.)
So, the complete peace, joy and love that exists in my home is just a fig-newton of my imagination? And, any transcendent values say, a mother has for her children, are disposable, mere instinctual impulses? A mother's selflessness - what's the point of such behavior - it doesn't net her anything of worth to herself except should you look to the transcendent for such value.
What makes you think these things can't be observed? Some can even be measured. A mother's selflessness is a part of evolution, it helps insure that her genes are passed on. The same is true of grandparents, beyond reproduction age. They play an important role in evolution by caring for their grandchildren, freeing parents up for hunting and gathering, and passing along their accumulated knowledge. All of these chores help their descendants to survive to reproduce. I don't know why you would ever consider these intangibles to be insignificant, or not a part of our evolutionary past.
Yes, the non-Christian conservative is an emerging creature, worthy of study as it gains in power, to join the Left against those Talibanist Christians.
Hyperbole. Not worth a response.
Speaking of Taliban-like behaviour, have you taken a look at the madrases of Secular Humanism called Government Schools. Darwin would be proud. How Machiavellian.
I bet you're just miffed because the government schools aren't teaching your brand of religion. I bet you wouldn't be happy at all if they were teaching some religion other than yours!
The Rev Kennedy is a wonderful human being. God bless him!
can’t there be both?
0f course.
On this subject we are all children.
whether people go either way, they should be treated with respect.
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