“In the
Beginning” is an overview of
the creation – evolution question.
It’s designed to run for about 10 - 12 hours, on weekday evenings
or on a weekend. In it we
cover:
-
Why is the creation
– evolution question important?
-
The Bible and
creation: should the Genesis account be taken literally or is it an
allegory?
-
Does the fossil
record support long-ages evolution or creation?
-
The Big Bang and
the age of the earth.
-
Could dinosaurs and
humans have coexisted?
-
Is it possible to
form life from chemicals?
-
Theories of
evolution—ways in which evolution has supposedly taken place, and the
problems with each.
-
The evolution of
man: ape-men, frauds and shifting opinions.
Each class
participant receives a manual which covers all of the subject matter
taught, and includes other related issues.
Short
Topics for Evening or Sunday School Programs, Youth Groups, Bible Study
Groups, etc.
Creation
vs. Evolution
Ø
Evolution or
Creation? The Relevance of
Creation
A quick overview that
examines the importance of the issue and its effect on our society. Does it matter what we
believe? Do all scientists
believe in evolution? Is the
Bible compatible with evolution?
What the textbooks don’t tell you about the controversy. A look at the fossil record, the
complexity of creation, and other areas of science show the impossibility
of evolution.
Ø
The Heavens Declare
His Glory
Do we live on an
insignificant speck of dust in the universe, or are we a central part of
God’s creation? Did God use
the Big Bang billions of years ago to create the cosmos? The Big Bang model is fraught with
problems, yet is accepted by most scientists in spite of them. In this presentation we take a
critical look at these problems.
If the universe is not billions of
years old, how can we see light from distant stars? We look at
evidences for a young universe, and uniqueness of the earth and solar
system.
Ø
Fossils and
Creation
Where did the
fossil-laden layers of sediment found all over the surface of the earth
come from? Did they take
millions of years to form, or could they have formed quickly? What does it take to form a
fossil?
The “horse series” is found in most biology texts as a
standard proof of evolution.
In this session we take a closer look at this evidence to see if it
really proves anything. We
also look at the dating of rocks and fossils, “living fossils,” and
evidences for recent catastrophe.
Ø
Dinosaurs and
Dragons
What were the
dinosaurs like, and how do they fit in with biblical history? What happened to them? In this presentation we look at
evidences in ancient accounts and folklore that they lived much more
recently than 65 million years ago.
We also examine fossil evidences and artwork left by ancient
peoples.
Is it
possible that some dinosaurs and other animals supposedly extinct for
millions of years have survived until relatively recent times? We’ll look at recent reports of
sightings of dinosaur-like creatures, as well as strange animals of the
Old Testament.
Ø
Sex and Evolution: It
Depends on Your Worldview
Does it really matter
what a Christian believes about creation or evolution? What does evolution have to do
with the sexual revolution?
Starting with the Scopes Monkey Trial, this presentation shows how
western culture has been heavily influenced by evolutionary thinking,
including its effects on politics, business, and social systems.
We also compare the two
basic worldviews, and how these competing views have resulted in the
culture war. We see that
evolution is actually a religion in its own right. We also show that not all “real”
scientists are evolutionists.
Ø
Ape-Men and Cave
Men
Why is there so much
ado about a few old bones?
Media bias has resulted in monkey business more than sound
science. The history of
fossil hominid discoveries is littered with fraud, error, and shifting
opinions. In spite of the
proclamations by National Geographic and other popular publications, the
“proofs” of human evolution are anything but.
In this presentation
we examine the claims of each of the prominent hominid finds to see how
they stack up against the facts.
We see that we were made in God’s image rather than having evolved
from hominids who’re still trying to shake off an apelike past. We also look at cave men in light of
biblical history.
Ø
Mammoths and the Ice
Age
There are two
mysteries that have intrigued scientists for hundreds of years:
§
What caused the ice
age or ages?
§
What happened to the
woolly mammoths and other ice-age animals?
Evolutionary science
has yet to find satisfactory answers, but the Bible provides a basis for
solutions that fit the evidence much better than current mainstream
theories.
Were there many
ice ages or just one? What
does it take to have an ice age?
Evidences left behind by the ice sheets provide
clues.
Ø
Genesis and the Age
of the Earth
The Bible says that
God completed creation in just six days, but science texts and the popular
media claim that the earth is 4.6 billion years old. Which is right? Does it matter? Either Genesis is wrong or it must
be interpreted figuratively.
If it’s wrong, then doubt is cast upon the rest of the Bible. If we try to interpret it
figuratively then it can be stretched to mean whatever current
evolutionary thinking demands.
But hasn’t radiometric dating shown
that the earth is very old?
It turns out that all dating methods are based upon certain
assumptions, since no one knows the history of the rock or other object
being measured. These
assumptions form the basis of the long ages obtained by radiometric
measurements. In this presentation we look at some of
the many evidences for a young earth.
Ø
Miracles of
Creation
Recent scientific
discoveries, far from proving evolution, have underscored its
impossibility. In this
presentation we explore the almost unimaginable complexity of God’s
creation, from the inner workings of the cell and its components, to the
amazing power of a bee’s brain, to the seemingly simple bird feather. We also see that, rather than an
insignificant speck of dust in the cosmos, we inhabit a very special
place. These all go to show
that Creation reflects the handiwork of the Designer, rather than just
being the result of accidents in space and chance
mutations.
Ø
The Rise of Darwinism
and Its Impact on Society
Why was
Charles Darwin has
been lionized as the father of evolutionism, but deist and atheist
philosophers had been setting the stage for rejecting God as Creator for
many years before his book appeared.
The ideas of Darwin and his predecessors continue to affect our
thinking today, with huge consequences for our society.
This presentation
traces some of the ideas leading to
Ø
Creation Geology of
Since the time of
The alternate view, from a creationist
perspective, is that these features formed relatively quickly either
during or as a direct result of the Genesis Flood.
This presentation explores some of the evidences
that the
Ø
The World of Plants:
Evidence for Evolution?
Museum displays often show what scientists believe the environment looked like in past ages, assuming that plant life evolved in parallel with animal life. Yet no evidence exists to support such an assumption. In fact, no evidence of evolution is evident between fossils of plant species supposedly millions of years old and today’s counterparts. The world’s oldest living things are trees that apparently date from shortly after the Genesis Flood.
Ø
Not by Chance: The
Impossibility of Chemical Evolution
Could life have arisen spontaneously from
“primordial ooze?”
Evolutionists have proposed all kinds of scenarios in which
conditions might be just right for the first living cells to form from a
chemical “soup.” Many
laboratory experiments have been performed to try to demonstrate how life
might have formed. Headlines
have made claims such as “Scientists Create Life in a Test Tube.” Is this really true, or is there
more to the story? The odds
are tremendously against chemicals forming life by
chance.
Apologetics
Ø
Voices from the
Past
This presentation
shows how archaeological discoveries have consistently verified the
accuracy of both Old and New Testaments. Accounts that were long criticized
by liberal scholars, such as the Philistines and the conquest of
Ø
Noah’s
For many years
scholars and scientists have scoffed at the notion of a worldwide flood as
depicted in Genesis. If there
was such a flood, where could all the water have come from, and where did
it go? How could Noah have
built an ark big enough to hold all the species of animals? Were there dinosaurs aboard the
ark? We answer these
questions in a biblical context, and also look at evidences for a
worldwide flood, and possible location of the ark today.
Ø
Science, History, and
Scripture:
Ancient
Evidence Supports Biblical Accuracy
Critics have charged
that the Bible is “unscientific,” mythical, or inaccurate at best;
Bible-believing Christians have been accused of being ignorant
“flat-earthers.”
Is the Bible
consistent with modern science?
Or have scientific discoveries relegated the Bible to the status of
myths and fairy tales?
Although it isn’t a scientific textbook, the accuracy of Scripture
has been verified time and again by archaeology, history, and scientific
discoveries.
This presentation
shows how the Bible actually anticipated and provided the basis for
scientific discoveries.
Certain scientific principles were in the Bible all along waiting
for science to cast aside its misconceptions and come into line with
Creation. Many pitfalls and
blind alleys could’ve been avoided by paying closer attention to what the
Creator said in His Word.
Especially
for Kids!
Ø
Dinosaurs!
Were
dinosaurs real? What were
they like? Ancient stories
and legends provide evidence that dinosaurs and man coexisted. The Bible describes animals that
may have been dinosaurs, and indicates that dinosaurs were on Noah’s
Ø
Noah’s Ark and the
Worldwide Flood
The
story of the Genesis Flood: what it was like and where the water came
from. We look at some modern
examples that show what probably happened during the Flood. We also answer questions such as:
Where did the water go? What
did the
Ø
The Fossils Tell a
Story
What
is a fossil, and what can fossils tell us? Evolutionists tell us that fossils
prove evolution. Is this true
or does it depend upon assumptions?
People have been searching for fossils to prove evolution ever
since the time of
Ø
Miracles of
Creation
God’s handiwork is abundantly evident in His creation if we care to look for it. The incredible designs in bats, bees, butterflies, and birds defy evolution.
How
are butterflies able to migrate thousands of miles each year without being
taught? Some animals and
plants depend upon each other for survival. Did they somehow evolve together
against tremendous odds, or were they created by God to work
together? Why do some animals
help other animals and sometimes humans?
Evolution
has a difficult time explaining these things. A better explanation is an
all-wise Designer.
All presentations are
fully illustrated. Other
topics are available upon request.
For more information, please contact Bruce
Barton.
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