Questioning science, i.e. evolution as fact, and its right to rule our lives …

… and a look at education in Texas on the fundamental level.

“Evolution is a proven fact. There are mounds of scientific evidence supporting it. Just ask anyone who is an educated intellectual.” This is my paraphrase of the multitudes of articles and comments I’ve read in the past discussing the clash between Evolution and Creationism and whether or not Intelligent Design should be taught in schools. To lend credibility to the predictability of secular beliefs on this matter, I’m going to go find any recent article posted on the topic and look through it. I’ll be right back . . .

. . .Ok, I’m back. I searched Google News for “Intelligent Design in schools” and clicked on this article from the University of Houston’s college newspaper, The Daily Cougar. The title reads Intelligent design has no place in Texas classrooms^[1]. 

Here are some of the article's points taken verbatim:

Poll: Evangelical Millennials Support Homosexual Issues

A survey released towards the end of August by the Public Religion Research Institute revealed that 44 percent of white evangelical Millennials favor same-sex marriage, compared to only 12 percent of evangelical seniors and 19 percent of evangelicals overall.

See the findings here: http://www.citizenlink.com/2011/08/31/poll-evangelical-millennials-support-homosexual-issues/

This is a tough issue in the sense that so many are struggling to have a CORRECT biblical view on homosexuality. Though it's clear from scripture that it's a devastating sin, Millennials (my generation) have bought into the liberal, progressive, secularized implications of ideas like "tolerance" and "to each his own", etc. They've also bought the concept hook, line and sinker that a person's religion is their personal business only, a matter of individual preference. These things coupled with widespread downplaying of the accuracy and authority of the bible have left Millennials with a mismatched roadmap for life and a broken navigational compass.

We need to be exhorted to fully examine the theology or ideologies that currently dictate our lifestyles, not for the sake of making everything relative (like the apparent agenda of Rob Bell), but rather to expose the holes in our theology and the infiltration of secularism - perhaps unbeknownst to us - in order to adhere solely to the comprehensive and absolute truth of scripture.

Postmodernism & the Desecration of Frosty the Snowman

I know I'm a few weeks behind the times with this post, but I think it's still relevant. As noted in my previous post, I have been reading The Good Life by Chuck Colson. In his book, Colson discusses truth and whether or not it can indeed be known. He also talks about Postmodernism and it's effect on the way people think and seek truth. In a sense, Postmodernism holds that reality or truth cannot be known objectively, but rather that it is constructed by humans and therefore changes depending on a person's point of view. This view of truth is prevalent throughout our society. According to The Good Life, 64 percent of Americans do not believe that there is such a thing as moral truth.

Postmodernist influence has had a crippling effect on our society. Colson remarks in his book that "the present generation's horizon is limited to accommodation to the way things are. They live within the evil enchantment of believing that finding truth is utterly impossible." I find this to be quite sad. In our heart of hearts, all of us long for a deep, all-fulfilling truth. We seem to be always searching for something, yet can't quite explain what it is. We talk about "keeping it real" and getting to the bottom of things. The foundation. The non-negotiables of life. How devastating it must be to be told that one's innate longings for absolute truth can never be satisfied because there isn't such a thing? Truly it has made my generation despondent and lost, cynical and skeptical of any absolute claims. Undoubtedly there are many falsetruths out there that must be questioned. But does that mean that no truth is believable? That there is no absolute moral truth humanity can stand on? I sure hope not.

In her blog, a friend of mine recently stated that she has "always had the need for concrete answers to things" but that she didn't necessarily feel that need anymore. I wonder why? I agree that there are some mysteries that are inexplicable and beyond our human comprehension. But there are some things we can know. The truth of God's word, for instance. Even if truth seems far out of reach, it is still truth, and always worthy of being sought after.

So what does any of this have to do with Frosty the Snowman? Well in case any readers are not aware, CBS recently made a mash-up of their original children's classic with dialogue from a couple of their sit-coms containing rather foul content and humor. I was especially saddened to hear this knowing that many children would stumble across the videos one way or another and lose some of their precious innocence that seems harder to come by in today's day and age. I happened upon an article reflecting on the Frosty news and it really drilled home to me what Chuck Colson was saying about the effects of postmodernism. The writer of the article thought the videos were funny and enjoyed them, yet he felt upset about them at the same time but couldn't figure out exactly why. Here is what he said:

"My problem is more an intangible gut thing. It doesn't offend me. It just makes me sad. Sad in the way that it does when any comfortably staid institution tries to sex itself up. It's like watching grandpa get a fauxhawk and try to date college girls. I realize it's entirely logically indefensible to say that there should be boundaries of propriety as to who is and isn't allowed to make sex jokes involving beloved children's figures. But there should...It's hypocritical of me, yes. So be it. As much as it cracks me up to see someone render Frosty inappropriate, I somehow want to know that there are some places in the world where Frosty is treated with as much dignity as a snow-golem with a corncob pipe can be."

Incredible, I thought. This guy knows in his gut that something is wrong, yet because he can't "logically defend" it then there is no valid explanation for believing that and his judgment must be dismissed.. That is how postmodernism has affected people's ability to think; it is robbing them of their intrinsic ability to discern good from evil and white-washing everything over with gaudy, fake smiley faces. It's a scary charade in my opinion.

Still, these findings merely spur me on to affirm and deepen my knowledge of real, absolute, universal truth.

Retort to Dawkins

In a recent interview with CNN, prominent atheist Richard Dawkins said the following:

"Evolution is almost universally accepted among those who understand it, almost universally rejected by those who don't."

For a moment I was enfuriated by his statement, until the following one popped into my head:

"Christianity is almost universally accepted among those who understand it, almost universally rejected by those who don't."

Quid pro quo.

I am not claiming my response as absolute truth, rather as a necessary perspective.