The travel bug
Editorial
by Tas Walker
Recently, my wife and I travelled by coach through Central Australia. Coach tours
are great because everything is organized, we see a lot, and enjoy good company.
Photo by Tas Walker
On our coach we got to know people from six countries. Tourism, it seems, is the
world’s largest growth industry. That is not surprising because travel expands
our understanding and enjoyment of the world.
The modern tourism fad can lead to bizarre situations. I couldn’t help smiling
when we gathered with hundreds of other tourists in the remote outback, sipping
drinks and nibbling savouries, to watch the sun set on an isolated rock (Ayers Rock
pictured left).
Another thing that always strikes me on these trips is how evolutionary teaching
pervades tourism, even to the most remote places of our planet. On our latest excursion
our tour director included these sorts of statements in his commentary:
‘This side of Ayers Rock is eight million years older than that side. …
This is the oldest river anywhere in the world. … 900 million years ago this
area was covered with ice. … The Aboriginal people here are some of the most
primitive people in the world—you can tell that just by looking at them.’
Our tour director was certainly interesting, informative and well read, and it was
not as if he was deliberately pushing an agenda. He was simply passing on information
he had learned from publications and interpretive signs. The idea of millions of
years is just part of our culture.
But it has not always been that way. The facsimile of the first edition of Encyclopædia
Britannica reveals that not so long ago most people accepted the
Bible as true history, and thus believed the world was only some 6,000 years old.
In spite of the evolutionary commentary, what we saw on the trip led naturally to
conversations about creation and the Bible.
In spite of the evolutionary commentary, what we saw on the trip led naturally to
conversations about creation and the Bible. We were able to explain the biblical
view to many, and even have the opportunity to share copies of Creation
magazine.
Recently, I heard of a coach driver who regularly uses biblical creation to challenge
the thinking of his passengers. During his tours he uses information from Creation
magazine to explain the scenery they see en route. This is how he
does it:
He begins by describing how the surrounding landscapes were carved—that water
once covered the land and then receded into the ocean. Initially, he explains the
geological processes without dates, and without mentioning Noah’s
Flood. Gradually, an incredible curiosity develops in his passengers. After a couple
of days, when they are well acquainted and know his Christian and scientific background,
he is able to give a plausible biblical chronology that fits the geological periods
scientifically. The tour gives him many evangelistic opportunities.
Many landscapes provide strong visual evidence for Noah’s Flood, and the article
starting on p. 34 deals with a familiar landform and how it was carved. It explains
the significance of the distinguishing features you often see on landscapes around
the globe.
Granite landscapes are another distinctive landform. The feature on p. 46 describes
some tiny ball-shaped ‘stains’, found within the granite grains themselves—stains
that point to geological catastrophe and the global Flood.
You could look at this issue of Creation 28(2) as a bit of a travelogue, taking
you to many countries. In the interview with Maurice Nicholson you will
visit Fiji and discover the impact creation has had on that Pacific-island community.
Then you can skip across to Asia and Africa to learn about the amazing design of
the rhino.
Forest ecologist Joe Havel will carry you to New Guinea, New Zealand and
South America, while author Gary Bates will even take you out of this world,
to Mars and beyond.
So we hope this issue of Creation magazine will expand your understanding
of the world and help you find your place in it. We hope it will encourage you and
give you information you can share with your friends.
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