Evolution, the election and the “enlightened”

Answers in Genesis ^ | November 5, 2004 | Answers in Genesis

[Tamar1973]

Garry Wills, a prolific author and Pulitzer prize-winner on America's political and cultural history, has written a guest column, "The day the Enlightenment went out" (Nov. 4), for the venerable New York Times. In his polemic, Wills declares that the reelection of US President George W. Bush was due largely to a big turnout of theologically conservative Christian voters who are not, in his word, "enlightened." As the primary example of this Christian bloc's "unenlightenment," a lamenting Wells cites the creation/evolution issue: "many more Americans believe in the Virgin Birth than in Darwin's theory of evolution."

In the second paragraph of his bromide against Bible believers, Wills (who is a Roman Catholic and who has also criticized his own church) further develops his "evolution connection" to the presidential election by declaring that the Bush victory "might be called Bryan's revenge for the Scopes trial of 1925, in which William Jennings Bryan's fundamentalist assault on the concept of evolution was discredited. Disillusionment with that decision led many evangelicals to withdraw from direct engagement in politics."

But that retreat apparently changed this election year, Wills observes, as conservative Christians "came roaring back into the arena out of anger at other court decisions -- on prayer in school, abortion, protection of the flag and, now, gay marriage."

A concerned Wills then poses the question: "Can a people that believes more fervently in the Virgin Birth than in evolution still be called an Enlightened nation?" As a historian, he cites the Declaration of Independence and its 1776 signers as products of "Enlightenment values -- critical intelligence, tolerance, respect for evidence, a regard for the secular sciences."

In citing the document, however, Wills (conveniently) neglects to mention that there is a famous phrase found in the second paragraph of the Declaration: "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." Moreover, the Declaration's concluding paragraph expresses the signers' "firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence." Furthermore, most of these signers were strict creationists who believed in the straightforward history of Genesis (still others were Deists) and knew nothing of Darwinian evolution, which came more than eighty years later.*

In a hackneyed fashion reminiscent of many anti-Christian writers over the past two decades, Wills offers the tired analogy of comparing America's "fundamentalist zeal" to the "rage at secularity, religious intolerance, fear of and hatred for modernity ... [that] we find in the Muslim world, in Al Qaeda, in Saddam Hussein's Sunni loyalists."

In his final comments, Wills continues his comparison of conservative Christians to the radical fundamentalists of Muslim countries, as he predicts that "moral zealots" (i.e., Bible-believing, anti-evolution Christians) will "give some cause for dismay even to non-fundamentalist Republicans. Jihads [a Muslim word that can be associated with "holy war"] are scary things." He then pines for the good old days: "It is not too early to start yearning back toward the Enlightenment."

This supposedly "enlightened" man -- one who has preached a general tolerance towards others in his commentaries -- has targeted a group of people whose only crime was to reject the words of fallible men and choose, instead, to accept the authority and accuracy of God's Word, a Book which most of the "enlightened" Founding Fathers also accepted (or, at the very least, respected) from Genesis to Revelation.

Where does true wisdom -- real enlightenment -- come from? It is by knowing the Lord and His Word, starting with the foundational Book of Genesis: "For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6).

[Tamar1973]

Another example of how it's ok to be "tolerant" of everyone except Christians who actually believe G-d's word.

[keithtoo]

Amen.

[Owl558]

Enlightened to these people means you believe exactly what they believe - They want good, little atomotons who recognize their superiority and will bow to the socialist, secular god of government instead of the one true and ever-living Lord of hosts.

No thanks!

[Gaiking]

Answers In Genesis.....One of the best websites out there.....It's funny how the liberals are so hypocritical...if you don't think like THEM then you are closed minded.....how amazingly corrupt and arogant they are

G.W. will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents we ever had. In twenty years the liberal fools will lie like always and try to make people think the liberals liked G.W. Just like they tried to do with Reagan.

[Lexinom]

"Proclaiming themselve wise, they became fools."

And this, from one of the oldest Protestant confessions, the Belgic Confession:

Article 37

The Last Judgment

Finally, we believe, according to the Word of God, when the time appointed by the Lord (which is unknown to all creatures) is come, and the number of the elect complete, that our Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven, corporally and visibly, as He ascended, with great glory and majesty, to declare Himself Judge of the quick and the dead, burning this old world with fire and flame to cleanse it. And then all men will personally appear before this great Judge, both men and women and children, that have been from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, being summoned by the voice of the archangel, and by the sound of the trumpet of God. For all the dead shall be raised out of the earth, and their souls joined and united with their proper bodies in which they formerly lived. As for those who shall then be living, they shall not die as the others, but be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and from corruptible become incorruptible.

Then the books (that is to say, the consciences) shall be opened, and the dead judged according to what they shall have done in this world, whether it be good or evil. Nay, all men shall give an account of every idle word they have spoken, which the world only counts amusement and jest; and then the secrets and hypocrisy of men shall be disclosed and laid open before all.

And, therefore, the consideration of this judgment is justly terrible and dreadful to the wicked and ungodly, but most desirable and comfortable to the righteous and the elect; because then their full deliverance shall be perfected, and there they shall receive the fruits of their labor and trouble which they have borne. Their innocence shall be known to all, and they shall see the terrible vengeance which God shall execute on the wicked, who most cruelly persecuted, oppressed, and tormented them in this world; and who shall be convicted by the testimony of their own consciences, and, being immortal, shall be tormented in that everlasting fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.

But on the contrary, the faithful and elect shall be crowned with glory and honor; and the Son of God will confess their names before God His Father, and His elect angels; all tears shall be wiped from their eyes; and their cause, which is now condemned by many judges and magistrates as heretical and impious, will then be known to be the cause of the Son of God. And for a gracious reward, the Lord will cause them to possess such a glory as never entered into the heart of man to conceive.

Therefore we expect that great day with a most ardent desire, to the end that we may fully enjoy the promises of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20).

Matt. 24:36; 25:13; 1 Thes. 5:1-2; Rev. 6:11; Acts 1:7; 2 Pet. 3:10 Acts 1:11
2 Thes. 1:7-8; Acts 17:31; Matt. 24:30; 25:31; Jude 15; 1 Pet. 4:5; 2 Tim. 4:1
2 Pet. 3:7,10; 2 Thes. 1:8
Rev. 20:12-13; Acts 17:31; Heb. 6:2; 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10
1 Cor. 15:42; Rev. 20:12-13; 1 Thes. 4:16
John 5:28-29; 6:54; Dan. 12:2; Job 19;26-27 1 Cor. 15:51-53
Rev. 20:12-13; 1 Cor. 4:5; Rom. 14:11-12; Job 34:11; John 5:24; Dan. 12:2; Ps. 62:13; Matt. 11:22; 23:33; John 5:29; Rom. 2:5-6; 2 Cor. 5:10; Heb. 6:2; :27
Rom. 2:5; Jude 15; Matt. 12:36
1 Cor. 4:5; Rom. 2:1-2,16; Matt. 7:1-2
Rev. 6:15-16; Heb. 10:27
Luke 21:28; 1 John 3:2; 4:17; Rev. 14:7; 2 Thes. 1:5-7; Luke 14:14
Dan. 7:26
Matt. 25:46; 2 Thes. 1:6-8; Mal. 4:3
Rom. 2:15
Rev. 21:8; 2 Pet. 2:9
Mal. 4:1; Matt. 25:41
Matt. 25:34; 13:43
Matt. 10:32
Isa. 25:8; Rev. 21:4
Isa. 66:5
Isa. 64:4; 1 Cor. 2:9
Heb. 10:36-38

[Mr. Silverback]

But wait a minute...Somebody ask this Wills fellow: Which was the night that the enlightenment went out in Georgia?

[narby]

I hope these clowns don't manage to paint all us Red Staters as scientific ignoramuses.

It was telling that an article by Susan Estrich mentioned that they were defeated by people "who think the world was created in 7 days". No, not exactly.

There are a few political conservatives out there who are loud mouthed about Creationism. But they are the minority that the left points out in order to create their boogyman. A huge number of us actually do understand modern science.

[Junior]

Ping

[Mr. Silverback]

Another example of how it's ok to be "tolerant" of everyone except Christians who actually believe G-d's word.

Indeed, if a non-terrorist Muslim told Wills that the Koran describes the world as resting on the back of four elephants standing on a giant turtle, he'd show plenty of tolerance to him, because otherwise he's be a "bigot" by the standards of the PC crowd.

[Tax-chick]

I am PROUD to be despised and insulted by Susan Estrich and Gary Wills! If I agreed with them about anything more complex than "Tuesday comes after Monday," I'd worry!

[RaceBannon]

bump for later

[Tamar1973]

A huge number of us actually do understand modern science.

Most Evangelical Christians, such as those who run AIG also understand modern science. They just don't buy their distorted anti-deity conclusions.

[Dataman]

I hope these clowns don't manage to paint all us Red Staters as scientific ignoramuses.

It's time you recognize that these are your own people labeling you. You are at war with your own bigoted evolutionists.

[PatrickHenry]

Evolution Ping! This list is for the evolution side of evolution threads, and maybe other science topics like cosmology.
See the list's description in my freeper homepage. Then FReepmail me to be added or dropped.

[Lexinom]

Actually, there is no proof for evolution by their own cherished standards. It has never been observed. It has never been replicated in the lab. It has never been measured. They argue amongst themselves about the mechanism. The fossil record has not come through with links bewteen species (i.e. man and ape) necessary to demonstrate slow-and-gradual macroevolution.

Their belief system on our origins is accepted on faith every bit as much as the literal Creationist. They start with man's darkened understanding, while the Christian begins with revelation. Either way, though, they have no warrant for dismissing the Christian's view as absurd when theirs lacks all supporting evidence.

The real reason many people embrace revolution is not on scientific merits, but preferences. Such hate the Christian because they cannot bear the implications of his worldview: everlasting damnation in hellfire for the wicked. Romans 1-3

[Right Wing Professor]

Actually, there is no proof for evolution by their own cherished standards. It has never been observed. It has never been replicated in the lab

Three months later, same old lies.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Lexinom]

Your flaming, and all subsequent, only bolsters my point.

[PatrickHenry]

There's an earlier thread on this, but I guess it's worth two threads:
The Day the Enlightenment Went Out (Garry Wills loses it).