| Published 2010 |
If you belong to a typical congregation, you have undoubtedly noticed many of your recently confirmed
young people conspicuous by their absence from worship services. This is not a new phenomenon, of
course, and it is not confined to Lutheran churches or to the United States.
A Barna Research Group survey a few years ago found that 2/3 of Christian young people expect to stop
participating in church activities once they begin living on their own. 1 Now, according to an Australian
creationist group, the figure may be closer to 80%, at least in some denominations. In January, 2000,
Creation Ministries International said that it did a survey to try to find the answer as to why churches seem
to be losing their young people. CMI was not surprised by the most common reason given by the youth
for dropping out of church: “science (dinosaurs, fossils, etc.).” 2
__________________________________________________________________________________
1. Barna Research Group, “Teenagers Embrace Religion but Are Not Excited About Christianity,” Rep. Barna
Research Group, January 10, 2000. Web. accessed May 20, 2010.
2. Creation Ministries International. Creation Ministries International Newsletter (January 2010). ~Print.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
A conclusion we might reach from these statistics is that we as parents and church leaders might be able
to do a better job of helping our youth confront the stumbling blocks which secular science may be putting
in front of them. Here is where the movement known as creation science or scientific creationism needs
to be considered. Many have found it very helpful in answering the questions about science which young
people are asking.
Objections to Creation Science
We who have been involved in the Lutheran Science Institute for years have at times noticed among
some fellow Christians – even fellow confessional Lutherans – a resistance to creation science. Their
objections generally seem to come in one of three forms:
1. Creationists are trying to prove the Bible. While it may be true that some writers within the movement
have at times given this impression, we at LSI would strongly deny that this has ever been our intention.
Our faith in the inerrancy of the Scriptures is not so weak that it needs science to give it support. The
Bible is the Word of God and God is incapable of error. 3 Nevertheless, when the Bible comes under
attack, an activity in which many secular scientists have long been engaged, a Christian response to
these assaults is very appropriate. Defending the Bible when it is under attack is known as apologetics, a
practice that has a long and noble history within the Christian church.
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Cf. Numbers 23:19: “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.”
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Students may learn something in their study of science which will hurt their faith. However, how could
this happen if science is properly understood and correctly presented? The God who created nature and
the laws of science, and the God who inspired the Scriptures, is one and the same God. How could God
contradict himself? Thus, one of the aims of creation science is to show Christians that we need not fear
studying science because there is nothing in true science which can hurt their faith. Nevertheless,
creationists do need to be careful not to present their own scientific theories as if they were absolute fact.
3. The Bible’s creation account must be accepted, and evolution consequently rejected, by faith alone in
the words of the Bible alone. Those who present this argument often mention Hebrews 11:3: “By faith we
understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of
what was visible.” Certainly the Bible’s creation account must be accepted by faith alone – creation ex
nihilo in six consecutive 24 hour days, Adam and Eve, the fall into sin, etc. However, this is not the same
thing as demonstrating that nothing in science really contradicts the creation account. Much of God’s
creation can also be observed as we study the universe using scientific methods.
The Bible and Creation Science
In any discussion involving science and Christianity, we must begin with God’s word or at least have it
always at our fingertips. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword....” It would be foolish to ignore this powerful weapon, a means by which the Holy
Spirit converts us and sustains our faith.
Does the word of God itself have anything to say about creationism? Neither the words “creationism” nor
“science” appear in the Bible (NIV), but if we consider the study of nature as being a form of creationism,
the concept of creation science is certainly there. In fact, it appears that on Judgment Day the case
against the unbelievers will include the truth that they ignored the evidence of God’s existence in nature.
In other words, they were not creationists. In Romans 1:20 we read: “For since the creation of the world
God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
This evidence for God’s existence can be ignored, but it cannot logically be denied. Even secularists on
occasion will admit this. In the December, 2008 issue of the pro-evolution magazine Discover, one can
find an article entitled “A Universe Built for Us.” 4 The author of this article readily admits that the
universe is so finely tuned that it has the appearance of having been designed by a Creator. But, alas,
he can’t quite bring himself around to confessing faith in God as Creator! Instead, he mentions the
fantastic theory called the “multiverse,” the wild idea that there are practically an infinite number of
universes. So, guess what? We are the lucky ones who, thanks to the law of averages, happen to live in
the one universe where everything worked out just right for life to exist.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Tim Folger, “A Universe Built 4 for Us.” Discover (December, 2008), 52-58.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
God’s Word Discusses God’s World
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Thus says St.
Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. We can learn quite a bit about God’s created world from the study of his
revealed Word.
For instance, there is a lot of nature study in the book of Job, especially in chapter 38. As Job’s faith
began weakening, God directed him to consider who created the earth (“Where were you when I laid the
earth’s foundation?” ), who created the oceans (“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked
in the recesses of the deep?”), and who created the natural phenomena (“What is the way to the place
where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?”).
By referring to God’s created world, the Psalms are another storehouse of passages which inspire us to
acknowledge God as our Creator worthy of our praise. Psalm 19:1 reminds us of God’s greatness: “The
heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 33:5 helps us to
consider his justice and love: “The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing
love.” Psalm 29:7-8a encourages us to remember God’s power: “The voice of the LORD strikes with
flashes of lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the desert.”
Jesus himself also often referred to nature in his teaching, such as when he encouraged his listeners not
to worry so much about their everyday lives in his Sermon on the Mount: “Look at the birds of the air; they
do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much
more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you
worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not
even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these” (Matthew 6:26-29).
Conclusion
I believe the Bible itself makes the case for creation science. Many humble scientists who are looking at
the world with their scientific instruments in one hand and the Bible in the other are appreciating more
and more that whatever God said in the book of Genesis that he did, he really did do. God wants us to
understand the biblical creation account as literal and historical.
Think about it! If Genesis is a myth or an allegory, as liberal Christians maintain, then out the window
goes original sin, the need for salvation, and the first promise of a Savior. God forbid that we should ever
fall into that trap! We do need to remember that theories, even by creationists, can never be as reliable
as the Scriptures. Yet we would do well to continue studying God’s creation in light of his precious Word.
Let’s also help our young people to do the same! LSI
__________________________________________________________________________________
Warren Krug, a retired teacher, is the editor of the LSI Journal and is currently serving as president of the Lutheran
Science Institute. He holds a B.S. in Education from Concordia University Chicago and a M.S. in Education from
Oklahoma State University. He is a member at Trinity, Caledonia, Wisconsin.
This opinion piece is based on a presentation delivered to the WELS Metro Milwaukee Teachers’ Conference in
March of this year.
young people conspicuous by their absence from worship services. This is not a new phenomenon, of
course, and it is not confined to Lutheran churches or to the United States.
A Barna Research Group survey a few years ago found that 2/3 of Christian young people expect to stop
participating in church activities once they begin living on their own. 1 Now, according to an Australian
creationist group, the figure may be closer to 80%, at least in some denominations. In January, 2000,
Creation Ministries International said that it did a survey to try to find the answer as to why churches seem
to be losing their young people. CMI was not surprised by the most common reason given by the youth
for dropping out of church: “science (dinosaurs, fossils, etc.).” 2
__________________________________________________________________________________
1. Barna Research Group, “Teenagers Embrace Religion but Are Not Excited About Christianity,” Rep. Barna
Research Group, January 10, 2000. Web. accessed May 20, 2010.
2. Creation Ministries International. Creation Ministries International Newsletter (January 2010). ~Print.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
A conclusion we might reach from these statistics is that we as parents and church leaders might be able
to do a better job of helping our youth confront the stumbling blocks which secular science may be putting
in front of them. Here is where the movement known as creation science or scientific creationism needs
to be considered. Many have found it very helpful in answering the questions about science which young
people are asking.
Objections to Creation Science
We who have been involved in the Lutheran Science Institute for years have at times noticed among
some fellow Christians – even fellow confessional Lutherans – a resistance to creation science. Their
objections generally seem to come in one of three forms:
1. Creationists are trying to prove the Bible. While it may be true that some writers within the movement
have at times given this impression, we at LSI would strongly deny that this has ever been our intention.
Our faith in the inerrancy of the Scriptures is not so weak that it needs science to give it support. The
Bible is the Word of God and God is incapable of error. 3 Nevertheless, when the Bible comes under
attack, an activity in which many secular scientists have long been engaged, a Christian response to
these assaults is very appropriate. Defending the Bible when it is under attack is known as apologetics, a
practice that has a long and noble history within the Christian church.
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Cf. Numbers 23:19: “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.”
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Students may learn something in their study of science which will hurt their faith. However, how could
this happen if science is properly understood and correctly presented? The God who created nature and
the laws of science, and the God who inspired the Scriptures, is one and the same God. How could God
contradict himself? Thus, one of the aims of creation science is to show Christians that we need not fear
studying science because there is nothing in true science which can hurt their faith. Nevertheless,
creationists do need to be careful not to present their own scientific theories as if they were absolute fact.
3. The Bible’s creation account must be accepted, and evolution consequently rejected, by faith alone in
the words of the Bible alone. Those who present this argument often mention Hebrews 11:3: “By faith we
understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of
what was visible.” Certainly the Bible’s creation account must be accepted by faith alone – creation ex
nihilo in six consecutive 24 hour days, Adam and Eve, the fall into sin, etc. However, this is not the same
thing as demonstrating that nothing in science really contradicts the creation account. Much of God’s
creation can also be observed as we study the universe using scientific methods.
The Bible and Creation Science
In any discussion involving science and Christianity, we must begin with God’s word or at least have it
always at our fingertips. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword....” It would be foolish to ignore this powerful weapon, a means by which the Holy
Spirit converts us and sustains our faith.
Does the word of God itself have anything to say about creationism? Neither the words “creationism” nor
“science” appear in the Bible (NIV), but if we consider the study of nature as being a form of creationism,
the concept of creation science is certainly there. In fact, it appears that on Judgment Day the case
against the unbelievers will include the truth that they ignored the evidence of God’s existence in nature.
In other words, they were not creationists. In Romans 1:20 we read: “For since the creation of the world
God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
This evidence for God’s existence can be ignored, but it cannot logically be denied. Even secularists on
occasion will admit this. In the December, 2008 issue of the pro-evolution magazine Discover, one can
find an article entitled “A Universe Built for Us.” 4 The author of this article readily admits that the
universe is so finely tuned that it has the appearance of having been designed by a Creator. But, alas,
he can’t quite bring himself around to confessing faith in God as Creator! Instead, he mentions the
fantastic theory called the “multiverse,” the wild idea that there are practically an infinite number of
universes. So, guess what? We are the lucky ones who, thanks to the law of averages, happen to live in
the one universe where everything worked out just right for life to exist.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Tim Folger, “A Universe Built 4 for Us.” Discover (December, 2008), 52-58.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
God’s Word Discusses God’s World
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Thus says St.
Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. We can learn quite a bit about God’s created world from the study of his
revealed Word.
For instance, there is a lot of nature study in the book of Job, especially in chapter 38. As Job’s faith
began weakening, God directed him to consider who created the earth (“Where were you when I laid the
earth’s foundation?” ), who created the oceans (“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked
in the recesses of the deep?”), and who created the natural phenomena (“What is the way to the place
where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?”).
By referring to God’s created world, the Psalms are another storehouse of passages which inspire us to
acknowledge God as our Creator worthy of our praise. Psalm 19:1 reminds us of God’s greatness: “The
heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 33:5 helps us to
consider his justice and love: “The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing
love.” Psalm 29:7-8a encourages us to remember God’s power: “The voice of the LORD strikes with
flashes of lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the desert.”
Jesus himself also often referred to nature in his teaching, such as when he encouraged his listeners not
to worry so much about their everyday lives in his Sermon on the Mount: “Look at the birds of the air; they
do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much
more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you
worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not
even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these” (Matthew 6:26-29).
Conclusion
I believe the Bible itself makes the case for creation science. Many humble scientists who are looking at
the world with their scientific instruments in one hand and the Bible in the other are appreciating more
and more that whatever God said in the book of Genesis that he did, he really did do. God wants us to
understand the biblical creation account as literal and historical.
Think about it! If Genesis is a myth or an allegory, as liberal Christians maintain, then out the window
goes original sin, the need for salvation, and the first promise of a Savior. God forbid that we should ever
fall into that trap! We do need to remember that theories, even by creationists, can never be as reliable
as the Scriptures. Yet we would do well to continue studying God’s creation in light of his precious Word.
Let’s also help our young people to do the same! LSI
__________________________________________________________________________________
Warren Krug, a retired teacher, is the editor of the LSI Journal and is currently serving as president of the Lutheran
Science Institute. He holds a B.S. in Education from Concordia University Chicago and a M.S. in Education from
Oklahoma State University. He is a member at Trinity, Caledonia, Wisconsin.
This opinion piece is based on a presentation delivered to the WELS Metro Milwaukee Teachers’ Conference in
March of this year.
A CASE FOR
CREATION SCIENCE
CREATION SCIENCE
By Warren Krug