February 1999 Newsletter

• A worrying trend
• Bargains in Baltimore!
• AiG now open in Canada!
• Clarification
• Creation ‘evangelism’ clubs!
• Dear AiG:
• Didyaknow?
• Feedback
• Prayer points
• On the air!
• Bienvenido!
• Speakers’ Calendar
• Upcoming meetings
• Stewardship and trust services
• Radio log

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A worrying trend

(excerpted from Ken Ham’s new book Evangelism for the New Millennium)

Back in 1975, I was teaching biology and general science in the public school system in Australia. Some of the older teachers were complaining that the students weren’t as easy to control as they were in years past. These young people didn’t seem to have the same respect or show the required courtesy as previous generations had. No one seemed able to put their finger on it—but all agreed that the behavior of the students reflected an overall change that had occurred in the culture.

Most pastors still taught regular religious education classes in public schools. I was a young inexperienced teacher, but as a Christian, I had a zeal to reach the students with the truth of God’s Word. One day, a group of pastors came to me and explained that they were having great difficulty with their religious education program in the school. They were becoming increasingly frustrated because the students didn’t behave themselves very well, and most seemed disinterested in what was being taught.

Pondering what they were telling me as they poured out their hearts, I asked them to explain to me the nature of the curriculum they were teaching these students. These pastors explained that they were teaching such things as Paul’s missionary journeys, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, the new heaven and earth, and other New Testament teachings.

Many of the students, however, were openly disrespectful and showed little if any interest in this Bible teaching. What were these pastors to do? They so wanted these young people to believe and understand the Bible and trust the Lord. How were they to reach them? An older more experienced pastor commented that the students weren’t like this in years past. He had noticed this trend for some time now, but it was getting worse. Why was it increasingly difficult to communicate to this generation of students?

Evolution and evangelism

The pastors asked me if I could shed any light on this dilemma. The more I thought about it, the more it hit me like a lightning bolt. I had noticed that the biology and general science textbooks were permeated by evolutionary philosophy. Evolution (in the ‘microbe-to-man’ sense) was presented as fact. But it wasn’t just in science—evolutionary ideas permeated most courses.

I said to these pastors: ‘Do you know what these students are being taught in most of their classes? They are being told that they’re just animals that evolved from some primeval soup millions of years ago. These young people are being indoctrinated to believe that evolution is science. Because they are growing up in a world full of wonderful technology that is an outgrowth of real science, they have a great respect for what is called science. Sadly they don’t realize that evolution is not science.

But because of the way they are being taught, to them the Bible is just an outdated religious book. After all, in astronomy they learn how the solar system formed by itself from a dust cloud over millions of years. In geology, they are taught that the Earth is billions of years old, and the fossil record is the history of the evolution of life. In biology, they are shown pictures of ‘ape-men,’ considered to be their ancestors. In history, primitive man is presented as going through a Stone Age in an onward upward evolutionary process.’

In other words, I explained to the pastors that day after day, and class after class, these students were being indoctrinated against believing what the Bible has to say about our origins. Even if the teachers didn’t specifically mention the Bible, the point was that these students were being taught a way of thinking that inoculates them against the Bible.

For instance, I vividly recall one of my students blurting out, ‘Sir, how can you believe the Bible when it tells us we came from Adam and Eve—and we know from science that this is not true?’

I told this story to the pastors and concluded: ‘Here’s the problem. During their school hours, students are being taught more and more that evolution is fact and science has proved the Bible wrong. They don’t believe that God created everything. The textbooks tell them that the universe and life arose by chance, random processes. The students know that evolution and its teachings about ‘ape-men’ contradict the Bible’s teaching about Adam and Eve.

Increasingly, some teachers are beginning to be vocal about attacking the Bible. Now these same students are coming to your religious education classes to hear you teach from the Bible. However, many of them don’t even believe now that you can trust the Bible. They don’t have a respect for the Bible’s teachings. They think that in this scientific age, the Bible is an outdated book. So why should they be interested in listening to what you have to say?’

The pastors had not thought about it in this way before. It made sense. So what were they to do?

The Genesis solution

I suggested that before they could really teach about things like Paul’s missionary journeys, or the life of Jesus, and the power of the Gospel, they really needed to get the students’ attention that the Bible really could be trusted, and that it was the infallible Word of God.

I suggested that they develop a series of lessons to counteract the anti-Christian teaching the students were receiving each day at school. We would look at the textbooks, and then take this erroneous material and critique it, but at the same time, show that what the Bible stated explained the evidence correctly.

To me, it was vital that the pastors defend the book of Genesis to the students. After all, if the first book in the Bible couldn’t be trusted in their eyes, why should any other? As one lady put it to me twenty years later: ‘When my church told me that I had to accept evolution, and that Genesis couldn’t be believed as written, I asked, ‘When does God start telling the truth then?’’

I had enough interaction with the students to know that this was how their thinking went as well. If in their religious education classes they were being told to believe the New Testament—but they knew from science that the first book in the Bible wasn’t true—why should they trust any of it?

Working with the pastors, we devised a series of lessons that showed the students that evolution was just a belief—there weren’t any ‘ape-men’—evolutionists had not proved the Earth was billions of years old—and that there were major problems with their theories about the origin of the solar system, etc.

The result

When the pastors presented these lessons, they were astonished. The students sat up and listened. They were extremely interested—and they had lots of questions. ‘What about carbon dating then? Where do dinosaurs fit in? Why don’t our teachers tell us this information?’

Once the pastors had clearly illustrated that real science had not disproved the Bible and that the Bible can be used to explain the world around us, what a difference it made! Many of the students showed intense interest in spiritual things. Later on, when the pastors began teaching about Jesus in the New Testament, they had much more success in getting these young people to listen and take note.

At the time, I didn’t realize that I was involved in developing a method of evangelism that later came to be called ‘creation evangelism.’

Sadly, much of the Church throughout the world is missing out on using what I believe to be, and have seen to be, one of the most successful means of reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even in cultures that have become increasingly devoid of the knowledge of God and his Word—or even cultures that have no Christian basis whatsoever. Creation evangelism is a highly successful method of evangelism that could change entire nations, if only the Church understood it and used it in today’s skeptical world.

Sincerely,

Ken Ham

Bargains in Baltimore!

AiG museum buys multi-million dollar exhibits!

The proposed Creation Museum in the Cincinnati metropolitan area jumped to a new level recently with the purchase of an estimated $5 million worth of displays and equipment. . . for only $19,000! The 30,000-square-foot museum would defend the Bible from the very first verse.

In December, AiG staff traveled to Maryland for a ‘going out of business’ auction at the Columbus Center on Baltimore harbor. Included in AiG’s purchases was a walk-through fish (54-ft. long) that cost $340,000 to design and build. This enormous sea bass measures 18-ft. high at the fin; the Baltimore Sun reported that AiG had purchased one of the museum’s ‘most visible icons.’

AiG was also the top bidder on a walk-through living cell (14’ x 26’) that was constructed for $580,000—but purchased by AiG for only $2,200. Because there was very little evolutionary content in these and the other impressive exhibits, AiG ended up purchasing more than half of the center’s ‘Hall of Exploration’ exhibits.

Also brought back from Baltimore on six tractor-trailers were dozens of touch-screen computers and laser disc players, an exceptional exhibit on DNA and chromosomes, another on advances in genetic research, a 500-gallon marine aquarium, and a large fabricated ‘rock wall’ with a 600-gallon active waterfall.

With AiG’s 45 large and exquisitely sculpted dinosaur models, and combined with a huge collection of fossils and minerals, Ken Ham noted that ‘the addition of the Baltimore exhibits makes AiG’s Creation Museum ready to rival most of the natural history and science museums in America. With our Creation Museum, however, visitors will be presented with a Biblical view of history, not an evolutionary one.’

Museum land appeal

On December 30, AiG filed a legal motion for a ‘summary judgment’ (partial) with the Circuit Court of Boone County to challenge the County Fiscal Court’s denial of AiG’s rezoning request on land which is to be purchased for the museum. This is being submitted to get a quick judgment from the circuit court. AiG is going this route because it is confident that a judge will readily see that the county went against its own zoning regulations in denying AiG’s rezoning application. The judge could then make a decision on his own and therefore there would be no need for a trial.

If the judge decides to go on with a trial, we hope that the county may want to have the whole issue settled out of court, especially as the new commissioners take their seats in the Fiscal Court and see the weakness of the county’s position against AiG.

Please pray that the rezoning will be approved.

AiG now open in Canada!

Answers in Genesis, with offices in five countries (America, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Japan), has now opened an office for nationwide ministry in Canada!

Please pray for the ministry—based in the province of Ontario and near Toronto—as it gets off the ground. In particular, keep the following before our Creator and Savior in prayer:

• The distribution of a newsletter to keep supporters throughout Canada informed about this new AiG outreach
• Raising up, training, and sending speakers to go throughout Canada with the Creation/Gospel message

Currently, all three of the Canadian board members of AiG-Canada work as volunteers without salary or any compensation. Already Ken Ham has conducted Canadian meetings to help ‘kick start’ this new ministry.

It’s interesting to note that the former local creation group in Ontario (CSAO) agreed to disband so we could reorganize a new nationwide ministry, with a strong emphasis on evangelistic philosophy of Answers in Genesis. Government approval has already been requested to do business under the new name of Answers in Genesis.

Clarification

Due to an editing error, the meaning of one paragraph was changed in the article Creation: a Secondary Doctrine? in the December newsletter. The paragraph should have read: ‘The doctrine of Creation is foundational to other doctrines. But what doctrines are the rapture or spiritual gifts foundational to?’

Creation ‘evangelism’ clubs!

A few months ago, AiG became burdened to start up creation clubs in public schools in order to counter the ‘institutional censorship’ that exists in most such schools to exclude an alternative view to its evolutionary teaching. Frankly, we were not sure what kind of response we would receive from Christians in public schools.

We found out soon enough when we were flooded with hundreds of phone calls and letters – and 350 e-mails – asking for introductory packets on our creation clubs. So far, more than 650 packets have gone out, and over 66 creation clubs have formed across America!

As might be expected, some of these clubs have already experienced opposition and threats. Our critics know that creation evangelism is a powerful way to presenting the Gospel message. It was the message employed by Paul on Mars Hill (Acts 17), where he taught the foundational truths in Genesis as a part of preaching the Gospel. He, of course, was met with opposition in Athens and many other cities on his missionary journeys.

Because our modern-day society is very much like the pagan Greek society of 2000 years ago, the creation clubs are an outreach to our youth of today who do not have the proper foundation to understand their real condition before a holy God. You see, our American culture is no longer predominantly Christian, and as a matter of fact it is often anti-Christian. Furthermore, because of compromise, the Church has generally failed to be salt and light to our world. Years ago, our nation had something of a Christian worldview, so that the Gospel could be preached, and because people already understood what sin was, many would be saved. If we are honest, we could say that Christians are not effectively reaching our pagan ‘Greek’ culture today.

AiG is glad to partner with Bible-believing Christians around the world to restore the foundational truths of Genesis and the authority of the Bible from the very first verse. In particular, the creation clubs are active in bolstering the faith of Christian young people in public schools by providing them with free books, videos, booklets, and other materials so that they will be bold in proclaiming the Gospel message in their schools as they follow the model set by Paul on Mars Hill.

[Ed. note: See “Start Your Own Creation Club” for updated information.]

Dear AiG:

Dear AiG:

I became a Christian a few months ago. As soon as I became a Christian, I didn’t know what to do with evolution. It was a real dilemma for me. But there you were on the radio. I called up and received your stuff and that solved the problem!—South Carolina radio listener

Didyaknow?

Did you know that there is a connection between Noah’s Flood and the Big Bang?

When people ask me if I believe in a ‘Big Bang,’ I answer: ‘Sure—are you getting ready for it?’

Now, I certainly don’t believe the Big Bang brought the universe into existence. You see, the Bible states that the Earth was created before the Sun and the stars, but the Big Bang has the stars and the Sun coming into existence before the Earth.

Nevertheless, the Bible does talk about a Big Bang. In 2 Peter 3:10, we read: but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

This is talking about the coming judgment by fire, when there will be a great noise. This is the real Big Bang—the final judgment on this Earth. Are you ready for the Big Bang to come?

(Taken from the February 15, 1999 broadcast of Answers . . .with Ken Ham. For a free radio log of stations, please call Mary at ext. 403.)

Feedback

Thank you for your very informative seminar. You have convinced me that this issue is a watershed (one). There are too many superficial Christians in our town, and I can only hope and pray that the seeds you planted will spring up with an abundant yield.

L.S. Texas, seminar participant

Dear AiG:

I think you are right on track! Those who say your ministry is not important are ignorant of what God’s Word says and have not read it for themselves.

My prayers are for you and your staff to continue in close fellowship with the Lord.

C.B.

Prayer points

Please pray:

• that next month’s grand opening of our new office in England (which moved recently to Leicester) will be a blessing; Ken Ham will be there, and will do a speaking tour of England and Northern Ireland during the same time frame.
• that Boone County authorities will grant AiG its rezoning request on land near the Cincinnati airport for a Creation Museum and new headquarters.
• that doors will open to having Answers…with Ken Ham heard on radio stations in England.

On the air!

Last October, we ran a brief article suggesting that AiG supporters approach their local Christian radio stations to encourage the general manager to carry our :90 ‘Answers…with Ken Ham’ radio program, now heard on almost 500 outlets around the world. Dozens of supporters did so, and we are very grateful for the stations that were added to our network as a result.

If you would like to hand deliver a sample copy of our program (on compact disc, containing 45 radio programs with answers to frequently asked questions about Genesis), to your local station, please call John Williamson at Ambassador Advertising in California at (714) 738-1501; ext.227. Ambassador, our radio representatives, will send you the CD at no charge. Mr. Williamson will encourage you to listen to the CD before delivering it to your local station so that your words of endorsement will be even more effective.

[Ed note: This contact information is now outdated. Please see our Radio Stations page for the latest contact information.]

Thank you for considering this ‘creation evangelism’ option!

Bienvenido!

That’s the word for ‘welcome’ in Spanish. Indeed, we are now welcoming Spanish-speaking people to browse our new web site in their language (RespuestasEnGenesis.org). It features many faith-building articles for reading and downloading, including the Spanish text to Ken Ham’s informative booklets Dinosaurs and the Bible, Where did Cain get his Wife?, and Is There Really a God? Also, you’ll find other web articles, including an explanation of the AiG ministry.

Tell your Spanish-speaking friends that they can find fascinating information on our welcome page or type in RespuestasEnGenesis.org to go there directly.

The translation department at AiG, with the aid of volunteer translators all over the world, is currently designing similar sites in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian. Information on these web pages will also be free to the public. If you have language skills to offer and would like to become a part of this exciting ‘creation evangelism’ outreach, please call Diane at extension 429.

Speakers’ Calendar

February 5-14
European Speaking Tour
(Ham)

February 26-27
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
‘Reclaiming America for Christ’ Conf.
Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church
(954) 351-3353
(Stevens)

*March 1-2**-3
Lexington, KY
Southern Acres Church
301 Harvard Drive
(859) 272-7022
(Ham, Davis, dino models, Astronomer Dr. Don DeYoung)

March 3 (a.m. chapel)
Winona Lake, IN
Grace College
(219) 372-5100 x5209

March 4
Valparaiso, IN
Pastors’ Breakfast
Strongbow Inn
2405 U S Hwy. 30
(219) 956-3534
(Ham)

March 6
Paris, IL (new location)
IFCA Conference
Community Bible Church
200 South High Street
(217) 465-5885
(Parker)

March 15 (a.m.)
Bolivar, MO
College Chapel
(417) 326-1900
(Ham)

April 11 (6:00 p.m.)
Hendersonville, TN
Buddy Davis in Concert!
First Baptist Church
106 Bluegrass Commons Blvd.
(615) 451-6788 Free!

*April 12-13*-14
Hendersonville, TN
First Baptist Church
106 Bluegrass Commons Blvd.
(615) 451-6788
(Ham, Parker, Davis)

Additional upcoming meetings (please consult future newsletters for dates):

Stone Mountain, GA
Ft. Worth, TX
Seattle, WA
Birmingham, AL
Fayetteville, GA
Jonesboro, GA
Lewiston, PA
Findlay, OH
Dayton, OH
*Valparaiso, IN
*Lancaster/Columbus, OH
Schroon Lake, NY
Des Moines, IA

Legend:

*Answers in Genesis regional seminar
**Free School Meetings (grades K-12) held on these days. Call local committee for details.
CAW Creation Adventure Workshop (ages 7-12)

Upcoming meetings

Lexington, KY
March 1-3

United Kingdom
March 19-28

Hendersonville, TN
April 12-14

See p. 13

Stewardship and trust services

Free services available to you

During 1998, AiG assisted its supporters with information on:

• gift annuities
• Charitable Remainder Trust (CRTs)
• donations of appreciated stocks
• life insurance
• long-term care insurance
• prescription drug cards
• estate planning and wills
• power of attorney
• introductions to Christian attorneys

These services are available with no obligation. Have we had the opportunity to assist you yet?

If you need help in any of the above areas, do not hesitate to call. By helping you plan your finances and avoid taxes, we help you and you help us.

Help us to continue defending the Bible from the very first verse. Be diligent about matters of finance and stewardship. Leave a legacy of order, not disorder.

Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart (Psalm 119:2)

Paul Laude, CFP, ext. 302

Radio log

We are happy to announce that the following stations have been added to the list of broadcast facilities carrying AiG’s Answers…with Ken Ham program.

ARKANSAS

1. Russellville KMTC-FM 91.1 MF 7:50PM

COLORADO

1. Glenwood Springs KDRH-FM 91.9 SA 8:20 PM
2. Grand Junction KJOL-FM 90.3 SA 8:20 PM
3. Colorado Sprg/Pblo KGFT-FM 100.7 MF ROS

FLORIDA

1. Panama CityWJTF89.9MF10:15AM

GEORGIA

1. AugustaWFAM-AM1050MFROS
2. ColombusWPNX-AM1460MFROS
3. GriffinWMVV-FM 90.7MF 4:30 PM

IDAHO

1. Boise/CaldwellKBXL-FM94.1MFROS
2. BoiseKSPD-AM790MFROS

ILLINOIS

1. ChicagoWYLL-FM106.7MFROS
2. ChicagoWMCR-AM530MF11:00AM, 4:00PM
3. SpringfieldRCP2-BM97.7MFROS
4. SpringfieldRCP1-BM89.7MFROS
5. CharlestonWEIC-AM1270MFROS

KENTUCKY

1. McDanielsWBFI91.57XROS

MICHIGAN

1. St. IgnaceWIDG-AM9406XROS
2. KalamazooWKPR1420MFROS

MINNESOTA

1. Hibbing/Grnd RapidsKADU-FM90.1MFROS

MISSISSIPPI

1. PascagoulaWZZJ-AM1580MFROS

MISSOURI

1. St. LouisKCWA-FM89.9MF,SS2:45AM

MONTANA

1. BillingsKMZK-AM1240MF8:53AM/PM
2. BillingsKURL-AM730MF4:23PM

NEW MEXICO

1. FarmingtonKNMI-FM88.9MF ROS
2. AlbuquerqueKNKT-FM 107.1MF2:30 PM

NEW YORK

1. JamestownWCOT-FM90.9MF4:20PM
2. CanandaiguaWCIY-FM88.9MF4:20PM
3. Elmira WCIH-FM90.3MF4:20PM

OKLAHOMA

1. MangumKHIM-FM97.7MFROS

OHIO

1. JacksonWJLI-FM 98.7MFROS

TENNESSEE

1. KnoxvilleWYLV-FM89.1MFROS

TEXAS

1. GiddingsKANJ-FM91.5MFROS

WEST VIRGINIA

1. Lost CreekWOTR-FM96.3SSROS

CANADA

1. Caronport, SKCJOS-FM92.7MF12:00 PM

Legend: ROS = Rotating Schedule
T = Translator
M-F = Monday through Friday
SU = Sunday