Creation/evolution issues are much in the news these days. Individuals in numerous states are attempting to initiate some aspect of fairness into school classrooms, long dominated by anti-Christian naturalism. Even President Bush has weighed in on the side of those who would reform the curriculum. This has set off a media frenzy, each one clamoring for news, often calling ICR for the "other side."
We've long noted that high-school textbooks represent the worst of evolution education, rehearsing long-disproved evidences such as the peppered moth, vestigial organs, and mutated fruit flies. Only a small minority of Americans holds this "evolution only" view, and even most biology teachers suspect there's more to the story. Unfortunately decades of "evolution only" teaching have produced a generation of teachers that only know evolution. Evidence contrary to evolution, and/or supportive of creation, has been censored. This brainwashed mentality has spilled over into legal education (producing evolution-supporting lawmakers, school board counsel, etc.) and into journalism school (yielding similar reporters, newscasters, etc.) each deeply believing that evolution is fact and creation is irrelevant to science. The opposition is quite strong and well entrenched.
It may be that reporters really want to include the other side, or appear fair and open-minded to their (mostly creationist) clientele, but it seems that most simply want to increase distribution or ratings. Usually it's nearly impossible to get them to understand that creation is at least as scientific as evolution, and that evolution is at least as religious as creation, so complete is the brainwashing. Thankfully, the flurry of interest has provided a platform for creationists to speak to many of these hard-to-reach individuals.
Recent broadcasts with ICR personnel or colleagues have appeared on PBS, CNN, the History Channel, BBC, etc., with printed articles in national magazines and newspapers. Often they exhibit (at best) a condescending anti-creation tone, but many, especially the live broadcasts, provide unprecedented opportunity to teach. But remember, biased media outlets are not the best place to go for truth.
Unfortunately, neither are Christian organizations who try to marry Biblical creation and long-age evolution. A big media splash is being created by Rev. Schuller at the Crystal Cathedral, where a million dollar presentation of "Creation" includes numerous anti-Biblical themes. (See the critical review on ICR's webpage at icr.org under "In the News.")
Most of the efforts in public school districts have been aided by advocates of Intelligent Design, and with their help advances have been made, for which ICR is truly thankful. The efforts are necessarily non-sectarian, thus ICR scientists remain behind-the-scenes consultants. ID experts are scrupulously secular, and their proposals are neither Christian nor creationist. ICR supports their efforts as the best strategy given the current anti-Christian mentality in the courts and schools, but as a
Christian organization, cannot join them, nor would they accept us if we tried. Nevertheless, their efforts are receiving some success and are even opening doors for solid creation teaching.
The stunning results from ICR's RATE research initiative on radioisotope dating have received its share of publicity too. Observers in science, law, education, and the media are taking notice. ICR has successfully attacked a sacred cow! Its claims deserve reporting and refuting, if possible, thus opportunities abound.
Meanwhile, good creationist/Christian information flows from numerous other sources as well. Completion of the Answers in Genesis Museum in northern Kentucky draws within sight. Creation Truth Foundation opened their dinosaur based museum in Arkansas last April. Creation works are sprouting everywhere, and creation information flourishes.
Efforts to squelch and censor creation information have not succeeded. Neither have attempts to twist the message. The time to declare victory has not yet arrived, but one thing is for sure—things will never go back to the way they were, with "evolution only" information prevailing. Ideas have power, and creation is an idea whose time has come.
