Topsy Turvy | The Institute for Creation Research

Topsy Turvy

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21)

The term “topsy turvy” has been around since sometime in the 16th century. The various usages of it convey a sense of the confusion and chaos that one feels when things are not the way they are supposed to be. A few other such words from my childhood memory are “higgledy-piggledy,” “hugger-mugger,” and “head over heels.”

The recent book The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow is a prime example of such topsy-turvy thinking. The very title itself is “higgledy-piggledy.” The grand design it refers to is “no design”! Hawking and Mlodinow spend enormous intellectual capital to demonstrate that even though things seem to work beautifully in our universe, there is absolutely no reason to conclude that Someone or something (other than the universe itself) is responsible for what we observe.

Their position is that we cannot observe anything for sure. We are like a poor little goldfish in a glass bowl. Our perspective is warped by the environment in which we live. If we could somehow get out of our wretched and restricted “bowl,” we might just possibly be able to see differently. But for now, Hawking and Mlodinow conclude, God is not at all necessary to consider when we observe and think about the origin and maintenance of the universe. In fact, the goldfish’s viewpoint of the universe is just as valid as our own.

The psalmist asked the question, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” (Psalm 2:1). Often we feel the weight of the godless pundits who spit their venom at the Creator who loved them and died for them. Surely we can expect such rebellion, and many times those who openly shake their intellectual fist at the King of kings seem to be “in great power, and spreading [themselves] like a green bay tree” (Psalm 37:35). They seem to have the resources, the logistics, and the overall advantage to rule the world with an atheistic and evolutionary naturalism as the dominant worldview.

There are two grand and unalterable facts that I would have you remember.

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. (Psalm 19:1)

Nothing will prevent the message of the Creator from reaching those whose hearts are open to the message. No “raging” by the heathens will ever mute the message of the “invisible things” of our Creator—so that “they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Yes, we are to be the spokespersons and the ambassadors for the Gospel, but our witness is framed by the undeniable backdrop of the creation itself. That message goes out in “surround sound”— the sound of the glory of God and with the very power of God as we announce the Good News!

Secondly, those who reject or resist the message will not win!

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. (Psalm 2:4)

The wickedness of our time in history may make us feel small and impotent, but we are saved “to the uttermost” (Hebrews 7:25), commissioned with the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8), and are absolutely guaranteed to be “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29).

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

* Dr. Morris is Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Morris III, H. 2010. Topsy Turvy. Acts & Facts. 39 (11): 22.

The Latest
NEWS
Mysterious Erosion Confirms High Flood Boundary
Two separate research reports arrived at a similar conclusion.1,2 Both found an episode of mysterious erosion had occurred near the end of...

NEWS
A Uniquely Designed Air-Filled Sac Within Birds’ Lungs
Soaring birds are a majestic sight to behold, especially when they undergo such climbing and endless spiraling so effortlessly. Not surprisingly, evolutionists...

NEWS
Liberty and the Word of God
“And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts” (Psalm 119:45). July 4th is called Independence Day here in our country because on...

NEWS
July 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome...

NEWS
Valued Longtime ICR Employee Mary Smith Retires
Mary Morris Smith, an employee of the Institute for Creation Research for many years, has retired. The second daughter of ICR founder Dr. Henry M. Morris...

NEWS
Man of Science, Man of God: George Washington Carver
Who:  George Washington Carver What: Father of Modern Agriculture When: 1864 or 1865 – January 5, 1943 Where: Diamond Grove,...

ACTS & FACTS
The Scopes Monkey Trial: A Battle of Worldviews
Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, and its statue of William Jennings Bryan Image credit: M. Mueller The Scopes Monkey...

ACTS & FACTS
Long Non-Coding RNAs: The Unsung Heroes of the Genome
Evolutionary theory holds that all living things came about through random, natural processes. So conventional scientists believe the genome has developed...

ACTS & FACTS
Yosemite National Park, Part 1: Tiny Clues of a Grand Picture
Yosemite National Park in California is a sure source of stunning scenery. It’s no wonder that American naturalist John Muir persuaded President...

ACTS & FACTS
From Inference to Theory: A Common Design Case Study
Without a doubt, humans, chimpanzees, and other organisms share similar features. An early explanation was that these features reflect similar designs...