Richard D. Brown: I have told this episode to many of my …

Comment on If the Creation Account Isn’t True… by Charles.

Richard D. Brown: I have told this episode to many of my students over the years. Back in the early 1980s while at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, one of my colleagues and I were having a discussion in my office about creation versus evolution. We really got into it and were going back and forth. It became obvious that I wasn’t going to change her mind and that she wasn’t going to change mine. While talking, a thought struck me, and I said to her, “You know, Sue, if you’re right and I’m wrong, and there is no God and no creation, at least I have tried to behave myself and be a good citizen, and have lived a good life. If the creation account isn’t true, I will have nothing to lose! But, if I’m right and you’re wrong, and there is a God who created, who gave us the plan of salvation, and the Bible as a guide of life, and you reject Him, then you will have everything to lose! I would rather be safe than sorry!!”Over the years I have often thought of my answer as a possible cop-out, but what else is there? “He that cometh to God must believe that He is….” He that cometh to Darwin must believe that he is. Make and take the best choice. If the creation account isn’t true…, we Adventists will have nothing more to lose than the atheists and the compromisers will, except perhaps being ridiculed, embarrassed, losing our jobs (I was expelled!), etc.But…, if the creation account IS true, then expect “wailing and gnashing of teeth” when Jesus comes. Who in their right mind would not want to be safe, instead of sorry?

David Asscherick spoke in at least one of his presentations about “Pascal’s Wager” – “a suggestion posed by the French philosopher, mathematician, and physicist Blaise Pascal that even if the existence of God could not be determined through reason, a rational person should wager as though God exists, because one living life accordingly has everything to gain, and nothing to lose.”

Well, it seems that there is a certain amount of reasonable logic to such a proposition. Personally however, I see no need for such thinking.

“Science” pretends to have the answers backed up by proof(s). The reality is that science does not prove anything about what has caused the existence of our world today. “Science” is incapable of proving it. If it could determine so much as what gives life, then maybe it could replicate it and demonstrate how life began. It cannot and so it makes hypothesis, suppositions, and theories about a world that IS, but would NOT BE, without the existence of LIFE. LIFE is the beginning of our world as it is today.

To explain LIFE requires acknowledgement of a power beyond anything that mankind (or science) can comprehend. Recognizing such an entity (Creator) thus implies that He would provide his intelligent creation with knowledge of how we came to be, why, and what is in the future. Thus the Bible. The Bible explains all of that in a compelling way to me, as well as the reasons why others of humanity seek a rationality in denial.

I am not participating here to convince anyone who otherwise wishes to believe there is no Creator to Whom they will be accountable. I know that is futile. As Ben Franklin said, “A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.”

The message that is important is that great simple statement that is the very foundation for the existence of the SDA Church: “Fear God and give glory to Him… and WORSHIP HIM that Made Heaven and Earth…”

That is the mission of our beloved movement in THESE FINAL DAYS. Notions of evolutionary ideas and teaching, strike at the heart of the Creator message… It is just that simple. An enemy is doing these things.

Charles Also Commented

If the Creation Account Isn’t True…
I think this week’s Sabbath School lesson is awesome and right on target. This quarter’s lessons are mostly contributed by “Jo Ann Davidson”, Professor of Theology at Andrews University.

For those here who do not study the Sabbath School lessons, I’d like to share a couple of paragraphs from The Heart of the Creator (Monday, Jan 9 lesson)

“Think of how mother birds lovingly prepare the nest for their babies. Then, picture them hovering over their babies, bringing them food, and teaching them how to fly. Moses, who had taken care of sheep for 40 years, must have seen this natural phenomenon happen each spring, and it must have made him think of God’s tender care. Under inspiration, he pictured the same emotions in the Holy Spirit’s heart as our human “nest” was being constructed.”

Everything in the Creation account, then, in contrast to the various evolutionary models–which depict our Creation as the work of forces violently competing with each other–reveals a God who loves His creation, who cares about it, and who purposely and carefully designed it. There’s nothing impersonal about the creation, nothing emotionless, nothin purposeless. Love was there at the start of the Creation week. What a contrast to evolution, which teaches that love somehow emerged only after billions of years of selfish violence. Love motivated the Creation, and love will be there when this damaged version of Creation is createded anew.”

Thank-you Jo Ann, for clearly stating the true Adventist position so simply and understandably.


If the Creation Account Isn’t True…
P>So, the teacher asked, “If your parents were morons, what would that make you?”“I’d be a evolutionist.”

Yes, I smiled as well.

In reality, evolutionists are not morons. Just brilliant misguided brothers and sisters who need to listen to the “still small voice.”


If the Creation Account Isn’t True…
@Ken:

I am being honest, Ken, my friend.

How does “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…” become “Remember the day of the sun, to keep it holy…”? There is no real or credible dispute as to the definition of which day is which.

How does Genesis 1 & 2 which lays out six “evening and morning” days followed by the seventh “sanctified” day, become long eons of time? (Consider that today, the whole world – including YOU – DOES observe the same seven day weekly cycle – a phenomenon which is powerful testimony to the literal scriptural creation week.)

How does “He spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast…” become “He did some amazing things in his natural laboratory”… “He put the evolutionary process into motion…”? (Or whatever.)

Is this interpretation?

Either you believe the scriptural account or not. No need to “interpret” most of scripture.* It is there for the simplest of us humans to read and understand. But if I choose NOT to believe, I should just make that choice and not attempt to re-mold the scripture into saying something that it does not say.

*True, much of scripture does include prophecy in cryptic language. But that can be clearly understood as well, through deep and prayerful study. The keys that unlock the symbolisms are also clearly found in scripture.


Recent Comments by Charles

2013 Annual Council Votes to Change Wording of Adventist Fundamental Belief #6
No matter how the FBs are worded, there will be contention about it.

Anyone who has fully embraced this message realizes that the days to Jesus’ coming are few. Thus it behooves us to be about the work of proclaiming the unique ADVENTIST message to a world that is facing impending doom.

May I suggest the sermons of Jeremiah Davis. (can be found on Youtube)


LSU Removes Dr. Lee Grismer as Chairman of the Biology Department
@gene fortner: I don’t think anyone really knows what powers were being exercised on 9/11. Clearly the airliners were involved.

It was an event that changed the world in ways that top-down powers would yearn for.

No point in speculation… I think Veith probably was mistaken to do that deep dive and it seems that he has quietly backed away from it.

The thing we must focus on is to “Turn your eyes upon Jesus….” Clearly, we are in “the last days”.


LSU Removes Dr. Lee Grismer as Chairman of the Biology Department
@David Read: I find Veith’s “theorizing” regarding “conspiracies” to be spot on and on topic.

There is a great “conspiracy” – otherwise known as “The Great Controversy”. It is the ultimate reality of our rebellious little world today. AND it is the foundation of all of these other problems we deal with.

AND, IT WILL BE ENDING SOON!


LSU Removes Dr. Lee Grismer as Chairman of the Biology Department
Evidence that God is in control. LSU could become a beacon of light shining on the truth of our world an how we came to be here. That is as it should be.


La Sierra University gets 3-year AAA Accreditation
I believe we are involved in a Mount Carmel experience. As this world is hurling toward the great climactic “END”, we will see more and greater attacks against the truth by the great deceiver. The prophets of Baal will become bolder and more feverish. (Remember that the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel were much from within the nation of Israel.)

What a day of reckoning it will be when “at such a time as we think not” that great cloud approaches this world. The signs today are loud and bold. Jesus is coming. Spread the word.