Countering blockers and knockers

15 bad reasons for rejecting creation ministry

by Don Batten, Managing Director, CMI-Australia

When approached to have CMI’s speaking ministry in a church, sometimes an excuse is given for rejecting the offer. Here are some of these ‘reasons’ for refusing ministry, and why none of them ‘stack up’:

1. It’s a side issue/not important; you can be a Christian while not agreeing with CMI on Genesis.
   RESPONSE: It is possible to do this, but only if you don't think much about the consequences of deep time and evolution for the Gospel. See: Did God create over billions of years? It is certainly not a side-issue for evangelism, because the perception that you ‘can’t believe the Bible because of science’ is a huge stumbling block for many people; see: Being ready to answer. It is also a big factor in apostasy, with many testifying to how theistic evolution shipwrecked their faith (Charles Templeton, for example: Death of an apostate). The idea of death before the fall of Adam is most definitely not a side issue.
2. It’s divisive.
   RESPONSE: The truth about Jesus is divisive (Luke 12:51–53), but according to the Bible, it is those in the church who don't believe the Bible's teaching who cause division, not those who believe it and defend it, such as a CMI speaker; see 'But it's divisive!'. Getting church members ‘on the page’ with their attitude towards the Bible as authoritative is foundational to genuine church unity and growth.

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3. Some (big name) 'evangelical' scholar disagrees with CMI’s position.
   RESPONSE: Top evangelical scholars and church leaders agree with CMI’s teaching. Now the positions contradict one another, so they can’t both be correct! So, which one is the correct view? Please compare CMI's position and show how it is incorrect. CMI draws upon some of the top Bible scholars in the world, especially Hebrew scholars, who have publicly affirmed CMI's theological position. CMI's stand is consistent with that throughout church history, from the earliest days of the church—no church father or Reformer believed in long ages of death and suffering before Adam sinned.
4. Christian faith is not about evidence (“faith is the evidence of things not seen”).
   RESPONSE: The Apostle Paul provided an example for us in providing evidence for the Resurrection, for example. He provided reasons and evidence for believing. 1 Peter 3:15 exhorts us to be ready with answers for those who ask us to provide reasons for our believing. Faith in Christ does not come from a vacuum, but by hearing the Word of God faithfully presented (Romans 10:13–17). Faith goes beyond the evidence to trusting Jesus to save us, but it begins with evidence. See: The importance of evidence and Apologetics Q&A.
5. There are two books of revelation: The Bible and Nature. We look to theologians to understand the Bible and to scientists to tell us how to understand nature (combining theology and ‘science’ only creates confusion).
   RESPONSE: This distinction is not found in the Bible; see: Argument: evolution is compatible with Christian faith. Furthermore, cosmic evolution is really a claim about the history of the universe, a history that flatly contradicts the Bible’s history, upon which salvation (theology) depends. The Bible’s theology cannot be divorced from its history. Would Jesus’ resurrection have any theological significance if it did not actually happen in time and space (real history)?
6. CMI does not understand science.
   RESPONSE: CMI employs scientists with degrees from secular universities, who cover a range of disciplines, and we also call upon other scientists in many disciplines for peer review, so just where is our science faulty? As has been demonstrated in interactions with evolutionary scientists, CMI’s scientists have demonstrated repeatedly that they understand evolution better than the evolutionists. By the way, over 1,000 scientists have signed a public petition as sceptics of Darwinism: www.dissentfromdarwin.org/
7. Creationists are arrogant/rude/condemnatory.
   RESPONSE: Some might be at times (we are all fallen, sinful creatures), but check out the videos available of the proposed CMI speaker; does he fit this condemnatory description? CMI takes seriously 1 Peter 3:15, which says that we are to present our case “with gentleness and respect”.
8. CMI’s teaching is an impediment to faith for unbelievers / an embarrassment.
   RESPONSE: It is hard to see how anyone actively involved in evangelism could say such a thing, because one of the major excuses for unbelief today is evolution/billions of years and how it contradicts the Bible. Many people are being converted to the Christian faith using creation evangelism. See: Street preacher says creation is 'the issue' and creation evangelism testimonies.
9. There are various views of Genesis; we need to respect all views.
   RESPONSE: Views other than that which has been the prevailing view in the church since apostolic times, which CMI teaches, contradict one another, but more importantly, they put death, suffering, and disease under the feet of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, undermining the need, purpose, and meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection as the “Last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:21,22). And the goodness of God and much else. We can respect the right of people to have their views, but for the sake of the Gospel we need to stand for the truth of the Bible's history from the beginning; anything else undermines the Bible's salvation message. See: Did God create over billions of years?
10. We are into helping the poor (biblical justice) and so CMI’s ministry is not that relevant to us.
    RESPONSE: If church members don't believe the Bible in Genesis, why should they believe the parts that say we should help widows and orphans? See: 'You should be feeding the hungry!' and Atheists credit Christianity with social uplift for the poor. If you want to maximize practical help for the needy via your church and have your congregation equipped to explain why bad things happen then get people to accept the Bible's accuracy and authority beginning in Genesis (that is, have CMI involved). See Teaching Genesis helps the poor!
11. We are into praying for revival.
    RESPONSE: There will be no revival while people in the church lack enough confidence in the Bible as the Word of God to conform to what it teaches, and thus repent of sin. CMI can help herein enormously. See: Revival: what's missing?
12. We have people in our church who can cover these matters.
    RESPONSE: Who? When will we hear from them? Is their position on these matters peer reviewed and consistent with the whole Bible, upholding the goodness of God in His creation, the reality of the Fall and therefore the need of salvation, and the need for a restoration with a new heavens and earth in the future? Are they able to help people with their ‘scientific’ objections to believing the Bible’s history? CMI has over 40 years of experience in dealing with these issues, and our accredited speakers are accustomed to dealing with the questions that people will have. We also have highly appropriate resources for people to consolidate the teaching and share the Gospel foundations with others.
13. We are not ready for creation ministry yet.
    RESPONSE: Sometimes this can be genuine, such as when a pastor takes a new position in a church and he needs to establish himself before inviting ministry from CMI. However, this is disingenuous if it is just a fob-off, if it is said year after year. If you are reading this and have not had a CMI event at your church, we encourage you to speak with your church leaders about hosting a CMI event at your church.
14. We don’t want CMI coming in to ‘fleece our sheep’.
    RESPONSE: CMI charges no set speaker fee. There is no obligation to provide an honorarium. However, CMI is an information/equipping ministry and when people get equipped with Creation magazine and other resources, the positive effects of the ministry event continue after the speaker leaves, as people share with their family and their friends. Such resources are part and parcel of the ongoing outreach that CMI events stimulate, without which it would be far less effective for the ongoing witness of the church; see: Linking and feeding. Our margins on the books and videos is slim to nothing to make them affordable and so they can be shared far and wide.
15. We have our programs booked up for the foreseeable future.
    RESPONSE: A CMI speaker can be booked well ahead on an available date—we really do exist to serve the church!

A CMI event can be booked here. You won’t be disappointed!