Volume. XXII, No. 14
Sunday, 30 September 2007


From The Pastors Heart: Henry Morris and His Godly Influences


Last week I wrote about Richard Dawkins. I told you that he was the champion of a new wave of atheism. He is a well known and reputable scientist, by whom many of us who are ignorant of science feel threatened and scared of putting forth our faith in God.  However, I must say that Dawkins being a scientist does not mean that all scientists come to the same conclusion as he believes.  I do recognize the power of his intellectual debates, which is well indicated by the fact that his book has been in the New York Times bestseller list for a whole year. The BBC labeled him as “Darwin's Rottweiler” and a prominent spokesman for the “New Atheism.” He does not want simply to deny the existence of God but to wipe out any idea of religion from our mind. Atheists till now have been silent and they have not wanted to be vocal. However, since the time of Dawkins’ book, more people have joined Atheist Alliance International. According to the Australian Statistic Bureau, more Australians are describing themselves as atheists or without any religious attachment than before.  Nonetheless, I hope that we will not have an idea that any true science really supports the views presented by Dawkins. For example, there will be a debate over the existence of God between him and John Lennox on October 3 at the Alys Stephens Center in Birmingham, Ala., USA. Lennox is a fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at the Green College of the University of Oxford. Both have dedicated their careers to science but arrived at very different conclusions. As we can see, science does not belong to atheism or atheists. Rather, we, Christians, should be able to claim science for God because He is the creator of all things after all.  A former atheist Lee Strobel said, "Today, science is pointing more powerfully to a creator than any other time." He also said, “The most logical and rational step is to put my faith in the Creator that science tells me exists.”

 

When I think of creation and science, I cannot but think of a great man of God, Henry Madison Morris, Ph.D. (October 6, 1918 – February 25, 2006).  I’ll give you some ideas about his background, credentials and a brief summary of his article, “The Scientific Case Against Evolution.” I’d like to encourage you to go to this website:

(http://www.icr.org/home/resources/resources _tracts_scientificcaseagainstevolution/)

and read the whole article for yourself.

 

The following biography comes from Wikipedia:

 

“Morris grew up in Texas in the 1920s and 1930s.  He graduated from Rice University with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1939. Shortly afterwards he became a Christian, personally holding to the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy.

 

“In 1946 he wrote a short book entitled That You Might Believe (1946), in which he presumed to answer the challenges of evolution with respect to his beliefs in inerrancy and creationism. From 1946 through 1951, he worked at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded a master's degree in hydraulics (1948) and a Ph.D. in hydraulic engineering (1950). In 1951 he became a professor of civil engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, also serving as chair of the department, holding that position until 1956.  He then served as a professor of applied science at Southern Illinois University, 1956–1957, after which he served as was professor of hydraulic engineering and in civil engineering at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, also serving as the department chair.  In 1961, Morris and John C. Whitcomb wrote The Genesis Flood, which advocated creationism and flood geology. In 1963 Morris founded the Creation Research Society with nine others. In 1970, he founded the Institute for Creation Research (ICR).  His son John D. Morris took over the presidency of ICR when his father retired.  While the greater bulk of his published writings address creation science and evolution themes, he had also written Many Infallible Proofs, and The Bible Has The Answer, which are both works of general Christian apologetics. I heard him preaching after his creation talk. It was a powerful and very convincing message. I must say that he was like a powerful evangelist rather than a scientist when he was preaching. It is my prayer that many of our young people will see him as a role model and make plans how they will influence on the minds of people with the message of Christ in their fields.”

 

Richard Dawkins wrote his books and talked with a great conviction in the truthfulness of evolution. If evolution is not true, all his premises will be shattered and all of his knowledge to ashes. He has put his arguments on a dangerous ground. Listen to Henry Morris and see what he has to say to us about Dawkins’ shaky ground. The following summary comes from his article, “The Scientific Case Against Evolution.”

 

“Belief in evolution is a remarkable phenomenon. It is a belief passionately defended by the scientific establishment, despite the lack of any observable scientific evidence for macroevolution (that is, evolution from one distinct kind of organism into another). This odd situation is briefly documented here by citing recent statements from leading evolutionists admitting their lack of proof. These statements inadvertently show that evolution on any significant scale does not occur at present, and never happened in the past, and could never happen at all.  

 

Evolution Is Not Happening Now

First of all, the lack of a case for evolution is clear from the fact that no one has ever seen it happen. If it were a real process, evolution should still be occurring, and there should be many "transitional" forms that we could observe. What we see instead, of course, is an array of distinct "kinds" of plants and animals with many varieties within each kind, but with very clear and — apparently — unbridgeable gaps between the kinds.  That is, for example, there are many varieties of dogs and many varieties of cats, but no "dats" or "cogs."

 

Evolution Never Happened in the Past

Evolutionists commonly answer the above criticism by claiming that evolution goes too slowly for us to see it happening today. They used to claim that the real evidence for evolution was in the fossil record of the past, but the fact is that the billions of known fossils do not include a single unequivocal transitional form with transitional structures in the process of evolving. Given that evolution, according to Darwin, was in a continual state of motion . . . it followed logically that the fossil record should be rife with examples of transitional forms leading from the less to the more evolved (Jeffrey H. Schwartz, Sudden Origins, New York: John Wiley, 1999, 89).”

 

His conclusion is this: evolution is religion.  His eminent scientific philosopher and ardent Darwinian atheist Michael Ruse has even acknowledged that evolution is their religion!


Lovingly, Your Pastor


More Lively Hope

 

Announcements

Announcements

Warm Welcome to Rev Peter Clements to our pulpit today.

Adult & Junior RPGs & Daily Manna for Oct-Dec now available. Donation: $1.

BBK class to start on 7 Oct. Anyone interested in baptism, reaffirmation & membership, please see Elder Michael D Lee.

 

Looking Ahead

Christmas Concert on Sat, 8 Dec.

National B-P Youth Camp, 11-15 Dec.

Family Bible Camp at Victor Harbour, 24-26 April 2008. Please arrange your day off on Thurs, 24 April now.  

 

Praise & Thanksgiving

Journey mercies– Rev Peter Clements & James Clements (Adl), Dn Edwin D’Mello (Mumbai), Dn David Yeo; Sisters Marion Chan, Min Yen Chia, Tabitha Heah, Julia Song, Juanita Tong & Joyce Chen (Adl), Michiko & Jasper Law (Jpn), Mary Ting (Sabah), Mr & Mrs Fan, Mrs Lam, Bro Lawrence Goh (S’pore), & all who arrived safely.

Church activities: BSAG, Mens, YAF & Sparks4Christ Amazing Race.

Much needed rain over past few days.

Working Bees yesterday - for their work and dedication for the Lord.

 

Prayer Items

Health & God’s healing - Rev George & Sis Nan van Buuren, Rev Peter Chua, Rev Peter Clements, Rev Edward Paauwe, Rev Timothy Tow, Dr S H Tow, Preacher Zhang, Dn Yaw Chiew Tan; Bros S Dhamarlingam, Makoto Kobayashi, Raphael Ng’s father, Richard Pearson, Winston Selvanayagam, & Hans Ziegelman; Grandpa Ki; Sisters Myung Ki, Alice Lee’s father, Margaret, Dianne, & Sarah Pearson, Aranka Rejtoe, Julia Son, Juanita Tong, Susan Veradi, Sylvia White & Giok Yeo’s sister-in-law; Auntie Oei & others in affliction.

Cambodia Missions - Bro Sam Nang & Sis Chulamy; preparation for our team.

Laos Missions - Bro S Dhamarlingam.

India/Pakistan Missions - Pastors & Believers.

Kuching Missions - Teo family.

YAF September30in30 Evangelism Programme.

Sketch n’ Tell Ministry - Bro H S Lim.

Journey Mercies - Rev Peter Clements & Bro James Clements (Cootamundra), Sisters Vanessa Tan & Mary Ting (Adl),  & all those travelling this week.

Job -  Sis Juanita Tong.

Sister B-P & Bible-believing Churches all over the world.

Drought to cease in Australia.

Year 12 - Bro Samuel Ki & Sis Amelia Tan.

YAF Committee Elections - guidance.

God’s comfort for Sis Su Sim Toh on the home going of her auntie last week.

Help with decision for job in 2008 - Sis Min Yen Chia.

Believers suffering persecution in Islamic & Communist countries.

 

 

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