The Christian Post reports that Thomas Road Baptist Church, the church founded by Jerry Falwell and currently run by his son Jonathan, is hosting a three-day “Answers for Darwin” conference being put on by the creationists from Answers in Genesis:
Ken Ham, founder and president of Answers in Genesis, which hosted the three-day “Answers for Darwin” conference, told the crowd in the opening session that America is becoming less of a Christian nation everyday and that it is due in part to the influence of Darwinism.
He cited statistics by research firm The Barna Group, showing that at least 60 percent of students raised in church-going homes who attend public schools will walk away from church.
Referring to the culture war, Ham said there are increasing pervasive attacks in America, including abortion and the removal of the Bible, prayer and creation from public schools.
“What is wrong?” he asked the audience at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. “I suggest to you the foundation is being taken out of this nation that was once here and we see the structure collapsing.”
Among the speakers is Liberty University professor Dr. David DeWitt, which makes sense because, as The News and Advance recently explained, the teaching of creationism is a key part of Liberty’s core mission to create “good Christians” who will go out and impact law, politics, society, and the culture:
DeWitt’s personal views are critical of evolution, he said.
“If a frog turns into a prince with a kiss then it’s a fairy tale. If a frog turns into a prince over millions of years, it’s science,” he said, referencing the theory of evolution. “It’s almost ridiculous.”
“I’m a scientist, and I’m not denigrating science. I’m critiquing the idea that millions of years is the magic wand that makes it possible.”
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[Law School Dean Mathew] Staver said that the theory of evolution “has impacted everything,” including his area of expertise — law.
An evolutionary model for arguing cases, for example, now impacts the creation of law, he said.
Instead of the previously accepted practice of basing arguments on the original source, the U.S. Constitution, Staver said, now lawyers instead use case studies that build upon each other and “evolve” over time.
Law students at Liberty “have to understand both sides” in order to critically analyze cases, he said.
They also must learn the details of evolution versus creation “so they are comfortable and confident in advocating their position,” he said.
“You clearly see it in some of the more social areas such as marriage and abortion. But it really permeates all the areas of law.”
[Campus Pastor Johnnie] Moore said Liberty students, no matter which program they’re in, should understand arguments that support the creationist perspective so they can defend their beliefs.
“What we’re doing is, we’re training Christian young people to go into culture in various occupations; to be good Christians in their area of influence,” Moore said. “We want them to be as prepared to represent Christ and the Bible and Christian values in culture as they are prepared to excel in their careers.
