An Open Letter to
Pastors and Church Leaders
Young Earth - Old Earth, what does it matter?
Science and the Bible can be harmonized
The Bible and Science in Conflict
Understanding Genesis Chapter 1
Scriptural Evidence for Long Days
The Origin of the Universe
The Creation / Evolution Controversy Part 1
The Creation / Evolution Controversy Part 2
The Creation / Evolution Controversy Part 3
The Creation / Evolution Controversy Part 4
What I learned at an Answers in Genesis Conference
What's Wrong With This Picture?
Why are young people leaving the church?
Why Does God Hate Me?
Links to the World and Beyond
A lot of people have stopped by, just as you have, to read the articles on this site. Many of them have written me. They often say no one has ever shown them their faith really is logical, even in light of modern scientific investigation. They want to believe the accounts in the Bible are true, and indeed they are, but they are uncertain because they do not believe the stories as they were taught to them as children. They are hungry for the things of God, but their faith is often shaky at best because of their unsettled questions concerning modern science. Pastors, Leaders, it grieves me to tell you this, but you need to know: they often blame you for their turmoil, because they feel you have not given them the solid answers or the support they need.
In all fairness, you may have never given the Biblical creation account very much thought from their point of view until now. You grew up in a Christian home. You most likely graduated from a Christian college. Science was probably never of great interest to you. So you took as little of it as you could, and your brain glazed over in the courses you did have to take. But is it any wonder? You know God is real in your life. You know His Word is true. You probably have a strong family heritage of Christian tradition to draw from. You have indeed been privileged. What could science possibly teach you that is of any value when you already know about God's wonderful saving grace? Plenty, I believe, and some of the people you are sheparding need you to learn it.
Think about this for a moment; when you pick up the morning paper and see a story on the big bang or the latest fossil discovery, do you pass by it? Do you get mad at, or pray for (or even laugh at), all those blind scientists? Do you bind Satan, demanding his lies be exposed? Or is there maybe just a little bit of doubt in your own heart concerning the truth of what you have believed all these years? - The last response is the one I'm getting from God's children. But you see it doesn't have to be this way.
More and more, the findings of science are pointing towards the Biblical God of creation - just as we knew it should all along. The problem is science is not finding the God of our traditions. The God of our traditions is a tiny little caricature of the true and living God. Really. What God has done is so much bigger and more glorious than we could ever have imagined. But I am afraid the Church is missing much of what God is revealing about Himself to us through creation.
There was a time, nearly two thousand years ago, when the Lord revealed Himself physically to His chosen people and they refused to acknowledge Him. Because their hearts were hardened by their traditions, they could not see what was clearly shown to them. Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior, the Holy Lamb of God, became a baby in a manger. He took the form of a servant and died for our sins (may He be forever praised!) but the people expected a ruling king who would deliver them from their earthly chains of bondage. Indeed that is just what He did, but not the way they expected. So they missed Him. Don't let that happen to your people today.
The 6,000-year-old earth is a beautiful story of God's creative work. The works of many Christian authors have claimed to prove it scientifically. In the eyes of many Christians, they have built quite a convincing picture for the young earth. Our tradition expects it to be true. That should settle it, but it doesn't. The claims for a young earth fall apart when all the evidence is openly examined. That is why science is attacked. We are afraid if we examine the evidence it will be stacked against God. But it is not. The evidence is only stacked against tradition. God's creation shows His hand at work. God's Holy Word is true. You must dig into the words beyond the traditional interpretation to see how it agrees with modern science. But it does. You must look beyond the naturalistic explanations of science to see God's guiding hand. But isn't it that way with everything?
One reason you may be reluctant to consider an old earth is that questioning a long held tradition only leads to more questions. You might wonder where it will all end. May I suggest it will end with the truth. Yes, questions regarding faith can be scary, especially if you don't know the answer. However, one thing I have learned is that questions that cannot be asked do not strengthen faith, they erode it. Many of the people writing me tell me they are not allowed to discuss the scientific evidence of an old earth with you.
Please, ask yourself honestly the following questions. Are you more interested in controlling your congregation or in setting them free? Is it more important to protect tradition, or are you interested in discovering the truth? Have you ever suggested to a member of your congregation they were not saved because they questioned the young earth tradition? Have you ever told one of them they could not serve in a ministry capacity in the Church just for believing the earth is old?
Now let me ask you some more questions. Do you know how to measure how far away a star is from the earth? Do know how to tell how fast it is moving and in what direction? Do you know how to tell the age of a fossil? Do you know how radiometric dating methods work? Do you know when carbon dating is the appropriate method to use in dating a fossil and when it is the wrong method? Have you ever listened to what the scientists (many of them are Christians) are saying, and why they believe it? These are important questions, consider:
If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods and on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? - St. Augustine
I doubt you would ever intentionally mislead your congregation but you probably feel completely out of your element when trying to deal with this subject. In all likelihood you have turned it over to an outside Christian ministry to educate your people. God bless you for trying. Invariably it was a young-earth group and they overwhelmed your people with material. Most people enjoyed it. The problem is that most people don’t care how old the earth is. Let me give you an example - As long as it isn’t the preacher asking the question most people will say dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago, but if the preacher asks them when the earth was created and they will say 6,000 years ago. They are not intentionally being dishonest. The truth is they will never see the conflict in their statements. Why? Because it doesn’t matter to them.
My concern is not for most people. It is for the one in your congregation who is always accused of thinking too much. It is for the teen that is so turned off by cartoon pictures of Eve riding a triceratops they will not even listen to the gospel. For most people the young earth creation story is sufficient. Others will not be reached in this way. They require more meat. I am not implying there is hidden mystical knowledge in Genesis. What I am saying is the traditional interpretation is not the only way to read the text. If you are unwilling to accept this you are putting stumbling blocks in the way of their salvation instead of helping to remove them. Please help clear the path for them.
I don't have all the answers. I don't even know many of the questions, but I know some of your people are hurting and you can help them. It would be wonderful if the evidence of God from science could be more openly discussed, but I realize traditions die hard so it may not happen any time soon. One thing I ask, please, please, be ready to encourage those who come to you with anxiety over this issue. I am not a great scientist or a learned theologian; I am just like one of your people. The difference is my faith is now a little stronger because someone shared with me what I am about to share with you in the pages that follow. Be ready to help your questioning brothers and sisters. Set them free.
God,
Genesis and the big bang
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Copyright © 2005 by Kevin Sluder
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