Can Creation Science Help Keep Young People in the Church?

More theological training and training in apologetics may stem the tide.

SUMMARY: A Barna survey conducted about a decade ago showed about two-thirds of Christian teenagers abandon their faith once they leave home. Other statistics reinforce the idea that teens are less interested in Christianity than their parents. Following are some possible reasons for this sad situation.

Fideism (exclusive reliance in religious matters upon faith) and Anti-intellectualism. Evangelical churches are frequently characterized, often correctly, as being anti-intellectual. This many times results in an opposition to advanced theological studies and the study of science. Some Christians say to "just have faith" which leaves the impression that there are no answers to some questions about the validity of Christianity.

Lax Biblical Education. In some church bodies, pastors are not trained sufficiently in biblical studies, and average Christians do not receive adequate theological instruction in the limited time they spend in church or Sunday school.

Compromising Theology. Many pastors who are well educated are taught to compromise a traditional view of the Bible and promote such ideas as that the creation days were "long ages" or that Adam and Eve were created billions of years after death and suffering entered the world.

Fun-Oriented Faith. Youth groups are full of social activities and games and are always looking for new fun and "relevant" activities. While not bad in itself, the pursuit of fun can leave little time for a basic education in apologetics (defending the faith). This failure can leave the teens ill prepared when challenged by unbelieving professors and peers.

Lack of Preparation. Many evangelical churches do not respond to arguments against historical Christianity such as those made in The Da Vinci Code, which claimed Jesus had married Mary Magdalene and fathered a child. Many supposedly historical television shows propagandize against Christianity's authenticity and the Bible's account of its origin, and churches often do not try to contest those claims.

Apologetics is not primarily an attempt to convert those in error, but rather to refute them so they cannot harm anyone else's faith. It should include a good grounding in creationism. Many Christians say they were converted through creationist ministries. "Pop Christianity" needs to give way to more training in apologetics and theology if churches wish to reverse the loss of young people.

To read the entire article, click on this link to CREATION MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL.

COMMENT: The loss of young people is unhappily a major development in Lutheran churches as it is in other evangelical bodies. I feel that most of the reasons given in this article would fit the Lutheran situation as well. While I believe the majority of Lutheran ministers receive a more thorough theological education than perhaps those in some other church bodies, my readings have convinced me that, generally speaking, in the larger Lutheran bodies around the world, a compromising view of biblical interpretation is indeed being promoted. This includes a shaky view regarding the creation account in Genesis.

Is God in favor of a creation apologetics? There is plenty of biblical evidence to indicate that Christians may certainly use references to nature in defending the Lord and His Word and better understanding His plan for our lives. In Job, chapters 39-41, God spends considerable time pointing to the natural world to convince Job of his errors. Romans 1:18-20 suggests the evidence of God's existence in nature is so strong, unbelievers have no excuse for their unbelief and wickedness. Many of the psalms such as Psalm 8, Psalm 19, and Psalm 104 teach us about God by using references to nature. Jesus Himself referred to nature in passages such as Matthew 6:25-34 and Luke 6:43-45.

While the Genesis account of creation must be accepted by faith, creation science can be useful in planting serious doubts in the minds of skeptics of religion. Creationism by itself though can convert nobody. For this the Word of God is essential. Many former atheists have testified that they have followed the road that began with doubts about evolution and ended with a firm faith in the Lord Jesus and His Word. However, how many people have gone the opposite direction--from doubts about religion fueled by atheistic evolution theories to complete loss of faith? It is extremely important to provide our young people with the information they will need to resist the deceitful propaganda that many public school teachers and professors will be presenting to them in their public school science classes.

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How much energy is saved by recycling six aluminum cans every week?

Enough energy to power a TV set for 936 hours. Recycling aluminum cans uses 75% less energy than using aluminum for the first time.

Source: Bottom Line Personal (August 15, 2009)