Why Did I Find Just One Watch?
A Commentary by Bruce Gore
United Church of God pastor, Atlanta, GA
I
jog for exercise. It's amazing what I find when I jog on my neighborhood
streets. I have found knives, pens and money—not much, mostly pennies,
nickels and quarters.
A couple of years ago, I found a ladies watch. Maybe I should be amazed
that in more than forty years of jogging it is the only watch I've
ever found. Like the human body, a watch is made from the earth's
elements. Since these elements are plentiful, shouldn't I be finding
more watches in many places?
Let me explain!
If someone told you that your watch had evolved by itself from the
minerals in the earth beneath your feet, you would not take them seriously.
And yet, if I understand the theory of evolution correctly, you and I
are being told that we should believe we evolved from the inert minerals
of the earth.
Recently, several school boards across the U.S. have tried to introduce
a scientifically sound alternative to evolution by teaching Intelligent
Design—that the cells which make up physical life are so complex
that they could not have come into existence without some type of higher
intelligence being involved. In one of these attempts in Pennsylvania,
the ACLU went to court to prevent it.
U.S. District Judge John E Jones III ruled against the Pennsylvania
school board for trying to bring what he called religious teaching into
the school classrooms. He wrote, "Our conclusion today is that it
is unconstitutional to teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public
school science classroom." His injunction forbids any teaching that
might be religious in nature or suggests the possible existence of God!
The rejection of Intelligent Design in the schools impacts more than
a school's curricula. It impacts the morals of a nation.
In the 1940's and '50's, God and the Bible were discussed
freely in schools. No particular Christian religion was promoted. Non-Christian
religions were not put down. Evolution was discussed, but was not pushed,
nor in many cases even believed by many of our teachers.
Compare that with the changes in our society that have accompanied
the encroachment of evolution in our educational system. In just 50 years,
the problems of pornography, pedophilia, violent crimes, premarital sex,
illegitimate births, and single mothers have exploded.
Robert Bork in his book Slouching Towards Gomorrah explained
that illegitimate births constituted just over 5 per cent of all births
in 1960, but had shot up to 32 per cent by 1992. Murders committed by
18 to 24 year-olds increased by 65 percent between 1985 and 1993, with
14 to 17 year-olds increasing 165 per cent. More startling statistics
could be quoted and certainly there are many factors to take into account.
As God is being pushed out of the classroom a moral revolution is occurring.
It reminds me of what the apostle Paul wrote, "For since the creation
of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power
and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they
knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became
futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans
1:20-21).
The evidence of a Creator God is all around us in the physical universe.
But, as a society, we are rejecting that evidence. The result is a world
that accepts that which is immoral.
As Paul observed in the ancient Roman Empire: "Therefore God
also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor
their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the
lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who
is blessed forever" (verses 24-25).
When a nation rejects its Creator, moral decisions become mere personal
preferences, with no authority higher than the self to set our standards.
The consequences are tragic. "And even as they did not like to
retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind,
to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness,
sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy,
murder, strife, deceit …" (verses 28-29). A debased mind
is a mind void of sound moral judgment.
Have you examined the scientific flaws of the evolutionary theory?
Do you know why it is still referred to as only a theory, even though
it is usually defended in scientific circles as if it were a proven fact?
 To
learn how to separate scientific facts from wishful theories please
request, download or read online our well researched, free booklet, Creation
or Evolution—Does It Really Matter What You Believe?
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