Homeschooling parents demand evolutionary textbooks
What’s in your child’s science textbook?
Published: 13 June 2013 (GMT+10)
Children who go to public or government schools are expected to learn evolution as part of their science education. So, a major reason why Christian parents may decide to homeschool is so that they can educate their children consistently with their beliefs, including in biblical creation. In recognition that a majority of Christian homeschoolers are biblical creationists, a lot of the homeschool science curriculum has been dominated by biblical creation (see the Education Resources section of our site). However, it is important for parents to exercise discernment.
The allegedly Christian publication Christianity Today featured a story entitled “A New Creation Story”1 which reported on a growing number of parents who apparently want to teach their homeschooled children evolution. Until recently, some of these parents reported difficulty finding Christian curricula that presented evolution, but with grants from the theistic evolution organization BioLogos, several teams of university lecturers and professors are writing textbooks that present evolution as a possible Christian approach to origins.
Evolution everywhere
The article even presents anecdotes about biblical creationist parents who are desperate for a curriculum that is less ‘strident’ in its creationism. In a sense, it’s hard to believe that anyone would have trouble finding sufficient sources explaining evolution—everything from video games to TV shows to children’s literature presents evolution as fact 24/7, and now thanks to BioLogos, this view is even more prevalent in Christian circles. Rather, biblical creationist parents are likely to find that there are limited options, if they want curricula that exclusively present a biblical worldview. And by definition ‘biblical creation’ is one that takes the Genesis account at face value and does not apply eisegesis to insert millions of years of evolutionary processes in there.
Evolutionary creation?
Christianity Today continues a trend of popular-level Christian articles that present more ‘tolerant-minded’ Christians who accept evolution in a conundrum created by ‘strident, narrow’ Christians who hold to a historical interpretation of Genesis. BioLogos and those who are using their grants to create evolutionary textbooks are presented as individuals committed to a broader understanding of Scripture.
But what isn’t featured is what evolution removes from Christian theology. The Bible is primarily a book of history, from beginning to end. And the history of Adam, Eve, and Noah, is not so much tied to the history of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as much as tangled up in it. Jesus was ‘the seed’ promised to Eve, “born of woman” (Galatians 4:4). But He was much more; in fact, He was nothing less than the agent of creation Himself (John 1:1–3). His death is able to bring life to those who believe in Him in the same way that Adam’s sin brought death to mankind (Romans 5:12–21), and because He is the Last Adam, those who believe in Him can be sure that we will be raised, just as He was (1 Corinthians 15). His coming will be swift and unexpected, just like the Flood, and at that time (Matthew 24:37–39), ‘the restoring of all things’ (Acts 3:21) will occur, and there will be a ‘new heavens and earth’ (Revelation 21), complete with the Tree of Life brought back (Revelation 22:2), and immediate access to God, just as it was in Eden.
An evolutionary scenario as promoted by Biologos claims that Adam (who never existed) never fell, and Eve (who never existed) was never promised a ‘Seed’. Death didn’t come from the (nonexistent) Fall, because it preceded humans for billions of years. The Flood, if it happened at all, was at most a local catastrophe which falls far short of the cosmic-level judgment that the Bible depicts. So evolution amputates the entire historical precedent from the Gospel.
The evolutionists are right?
It might be a surprise to hear that real biblical creationists and atheistic evolutionists agree about one point—theistic evolution doesn’t work. Richard Dawkins says:
“I think the evangelical Christians have really sort of got it right in a way, in seeing evolution as the enemy. Whereas the more, what shall we say, sophisticated theologians are quite happy to live with evolution, I think they’re deluded. I think the evangelicals have got it right, in that there really is a deep incompatibility between evolution and Christianity … ”2
Atheist Frank Zindler says:
“The most devastating thing though that biology did to Christianity was the discovery of biological evolution. Now that we know Adam and Eve never were real people the central myth of Christianity is destroyed. If there never was an Adam and Eve, there never was an original sin. If there never was an original sin there is no need of salvation. If there is no need of salvation there is no need of a savior. And I submit that puts Jesus, historical or otherwise, into the ranks of the unemployed. I think that evolution absolutely is the death knell of Christianity.”3
In fact, they’re right—if evolution is true, Christianity isn’t, because Christianity presupposes a history that is fundamentally at odds with evolution.
Teach your kids evolution!
Education is not neutral. It shapes a person’s worldview. One of the most serious responsibilities of a parent is to evangelize his or her children. In many cases this has not been happening, so a major part of a child’s education (whether the parent is homeschooling, or supplementing public or Christian school), should be to learn to trust the Bible as God’s word. When parents endorse statements that allow Genesis to be taken ‘nonliterally’, too often children simply hear, “You don’t need to believe the Bible.” And is it surprising that many children heed that message and leave the church altogether?
In light of the above, it may seem surprising that creationists would advise you: make sure your kids know about evolution! But teach them more than they would learn in public school—teach them the problems the Big Bang and evolution, and prepare them to ‘be able to give an answer’ when they encounter evolution being taught as fact, as they inevitably will.
Related Articles
Further Reading
References
- Zylstra, S.E., A new creation story, Christianity Today, 29 April 2013; christianitytoday.com, accessed 30 April 2013. Return to text.
- Video available at https://creation.com/creation-videos?fileID=BAbpfn9QgGA. Return to text.
- Frank Zindler, American atheist, in a debate with William Craig, Atheism vs Christianity video, 1996. Return to text.
Readers’ comments
Andrew
I think teaching kids of evolution is the right thing to do in the sense of making them aware of the enemy that is disguised as science or theology and how to deal with the enemy. I cannot do this job myself well if I do not know the enemy and how to deal with it myself.
Simply study the Bible and know the Word of God and the enemy will stand out like a sore thumb. You do not have to know all the ins and outs of a false teaching to defeat it, just know the truth and the counterfeit will be obvious.
I remember in my schooling being taught discarded theories as stepping stones to the (then) current theory on a subject.
Christians who double date with evolution end up splitting their world, and it ends up usually with Christian thinking being placed in a corner, to rapidly lose relevance in bringing the gospel to the world.
but Satan only needs to cause doubt "..Hath God said?..". God's Word to all parents is "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.(Prov22v6)". I have seen some fulfilment of this verse in my birth family having two sisters who have turned their backs on God and His Word many years ago but still live by Christian principles they learnt as small children to their personal blessing (although they cannot see it that way). Presenting education from a creation/biblical perspective was one of the main reasons we chose to homeschool. If we don't put the error in ( and risk creating a stumbling block) we won't need to waste so much of our life or theirs (which in essence is God's time) in removing and/or reconciling error as has been the case in my own life. We need to present the truth and be diligent in explaining the errors because facts always speak for themselves. Keep up the good work so that my children will have the answers that I did not have access to when I was at school.
"Revelation 22.18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
Every blessing for the consistently good work you are doing
CMI has been doing a wonderful job towards this which helped me personally not lose rather strength the foundation of my faith in Jesus the Lord.
Atheist Frank Zindler quotation in this article reminded me of what Jesus said in John 5:46 "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.
Of many things Moses wrote, Genesis creation account is an important one. But some believers dismiss this account saying Genesis day is not just 24 hour day. If Genesis creation account is a myth, the first Adam and Eve are myth which means that they did not sin and there was no fall and death has been there from the beginning. So Sabbath day becomes meaningless and Jesus crucifixion and resurrection become meaningless and not necessary.
This should be an encouragement not discouragement that we are nearing that Day and sadly we will almost certainly see worse apostacy than this but Paul also writes "Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might." Eph. 6:10.
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