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Creationism Conference & More on Harry Potter
The creation Mega Conference 2005 was held last week at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, and there was plenty of coverage on the web. You can visit the conference's official web site, and you can read more critical coverage in Ronald Bailey's columns on reason.com 1 2 3 and in the Panda's Thumb coverage 1 2.
On the Harry Potter front, Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, had a radio show on that very topic last week. His guests were Caryl Matrisciana, producer of the video Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged and John Granger, author of Looking for God in Harry Potter. It was an interesting and informative exchange, though Matrisciana did come off looking like a bit of a nut. She appeared to have shocked the host when she said that kids shouldn't even read J.R.R. Tolkein or C.S. Lewis's fantasy works. It's well known that both of those authors were devout Christians, and that the Christian worldview permeates their fiction. Matrisciana also made one glaring error in fact when she stated that C.S. Lewis, "came out of the occult, as I did." I have read much about C.S. Lewis's life, and have never found any mention of his involvement in the occult. For a documentary filmmaker, who prides herself on her research skills and commitment to uncover the truth, getting such a basic fact wrong does not bode well for the rest of her work.
Posted by Kenneth Kirksey at 11:03 AM - Send Comments - Link to this entry
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Wild About Harry
I visited a few bookstores this past Saturday, and they were all recovering from the previous night's Harry Potter release parties. With the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince grabbing headlines over the last few days, I thought I'd share my feelings about the Harry Potter phenomena:
I'm wild about Harry.
I've read or listened to all of the previous Harry Potter books, and my wife and I are looking forward to diving in to The Half-Blood Prince. Harry Potter is simply fun to read. The books are very well written, with characters that you grow to love. The stories are exciting and at times thought provoking. The books are also profoundly moral. There's no wishy-washy postmodern relativism here. Good is very clearly good, and evil is very clearly evil. The children in the book realize that they sometimes have to break rules to do what is right, but they're also willing to accept the consequences for breaking those rules. The Harry Potter books are the best books written for children and teens since Robert A. Heinlein wrote his series of juvenile science fiction novels in the 1950s. I can't think of a single bad thing to say about the Harry Potter books.
A number of Christians have, however, found much to complain about regarding Harry Potter. I've read some of the books critical of Harry Potter, but I don't find their arguments convincing or well-reasoned. For Christians who have concerns about Harry Potter and want to make an informed decision on the subject, I highly recommend Connie Neal's book What's a Christian to Do With Harry Potter? There are many Christian books on Harry Potter out there, but Neal's is the most well reasoned and balanced. Neal has also written the excellent The Gospel According to Harry Potter, in which she describes how to use a person's familiarity with the Harry Potter books as a springboard for talking about the Gospel.
One book I strongly recommend you avoid is Richard Abanes's Harry Potter And The Bible : The Menace Behind The Magick. When I read this book, I kept thinking, "Did this guy read the same Harry Potter books that I did?" Abanes seems to have started with the conclusion that the Harry Potter books are evil, and then, by gum, he found all the "evidence" he needed. The trouble is that the threads with which he links Harry Potter to the real occult are so tenuous that a flea's breath would cause them to snap. You will not get the real story on Harry Potter from this book. (I've just skimmed the newer edition of this book, Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of The Rings: What You Need to Know About Fantasy Books and Movies, but his arguments against Harry Potter seem to be unchanged.)
Caryl Matrisciana's video presentation Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged, falls victim to the same flaws as Abanes's book, and I recommend avoiding it as well.
For other Christian opinions on Harry Potter, see Christianity Today's and Cornerstone's take on Harry.
Of course, nothing beats reading the Harry Potter books for yourself and making up your own mind about them.
Posted by Kenneth Kirksey at 3:30 PM - Send Comments - Link to this entry
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More Reader Feedback
Some more reader feedback on the creation/evolution issue:
I was quite a bit upset to see a discussion such as this on the website of the singing news. Jerry, Danny, I hope not a dime of money I give for my subscription goes to fund this non scientific, non biblical trash. "Many Christians who are well-versed in science have accepted the scientific evidence that points to the fact of evolution, and they are no worse Christians for it." Hold it just a minute. Our writer has already jumped the boat and showed us which side he's on. "Scientific evidence" that points to the "fact" of evolution. First of all evolution is not a fact. It is a theory. In order for something to be a scientific fact by the very definition it must be observable, and repeatable. No one has ever observed evolution. There are no halfway species (though I think I just found 4000 clergy whose brain cells have not evolved). Secondly there is no evidence for evolution. Let me say that again. There is not one shred of scientific information available today that makes me doubt one iota of the literal Biblical account of creation My friend Kent Hovind (www.drdino.com) has a 250,000 thousand dollar reward to anyone who can give any proof that evolution is true. 4000 people signed that letter lets see if any of them can take home the money.
Kenneth, you are wrong there are only two viewpoints on this issue. There are those who believe the Bible and there are those who don't. As for this article, it should be taken off the shelf.
Thanks for taking time to write. It's always nice to know that someone is actually reading. :-) About some of the points you raised in your e-mail:
re the fact of evolution. Even young-earth creationists like Duane Gish and Ken Ham accept the fact of evolution within species, or microevolution. What they don't accept is that evolution can produce new species.
re "Our writer has already jumped the boat and showed us which side he's on." You should be careful about jumping to conclusions. I have been very careful to be fair and even-handed in my writing on this topic, and have purposefully not stated my personal view on the subject. If you try to determine which "side" I'm on by this blog entry, you'll probably be wrong. ;-)
re Kent Hovind. If Hovind is your only source for information on the creation/evolution issue, you're only getting part of the story. I recommend looking at the following web site:
http://www.kent-hovind.com/
especially the article
http://www.kent-hovind.com/matson/
I also highly recommend the book Three Views on Creation and Evolution for a good overview of the three major Christian views on origins:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0310220173/
re "There are those who believe the Bible and there are those who don't." I think you make my point for me about how Christians need to show more charity to other Christians who hold differing beliefs on the creation/evolution issue. All Christians, from flat earthers to theistic evolutionists, _believe_ the Bible; they just interpret it differently. It's quite unfair, and uncharitable, to say that someone who interprets the bible differently than you "doesn't believe the Bible." As I noted in my blog, I know of no scripture that says one's salvation depends on one's view on the creation/evolution issue.
Thanks again for writing, and have fun exploring this topic further. I've been pursuing it for close to 20 years now, and I still haven't covered it as well as I'd like. It's endlessly fascinating.
Posted by Kenneth Kirksey at 3:34 PM - Send Comments - Link to this entry
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Some Progressive Creationist Books
Still plowing through the stack of books I received on the creation/evolution issue. Here are a few by Hugh Ross, the foremost proponent of progressive creationism today.
The Genesis Question, Second Expanded Edition - a detailed commentary on the first 11 chapters of Genesis from the progressive creationist perspective. Ross goes into great detail on how he believes a proper reading of Genesis accords well with the progressive creationist viewpoint, and he answers many common criticisms of the progressive creationist interpretation of scripture.
The Creator And the Cosmos, Third Expanded Edition - Ross looks at how the evidence from astronomy, his field of expertise, points to the existence of God.
Beyond the Cosmos, Revised Edition - Picks up where The Creator and the Cosmos leaves off. In this book, Ross looks at cutting edge of theoretical physics to show how ideas like string theory accord with the Bible and explain some of the mysteries of God and creation.
Origins of Life: Biblical and Evolutionary Models Face Off - Hugh Ross and Fazale Rana tackle the thorny issue of the origin of life on Earth. They critique current evolutionary models of the origin of life and present a Biblical and scientific model of life's origins.
Posted by Kenneth Kirksey at 10:46 AM - Send Comments - Link to this entry
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The Long Tail
Chris Anderson wrote an article entitled "The Long Tail" that appeared in last October's issue of Wired Magazine. Everyone working in the business side of Southern Gospel music needs to read this article. I'm still processing what Anderson said, but it appears to me that he's outlined the business model that will keep Southern Gospel music, and the music industry as a whole, successful and help it grow in the coming years. Anderson also has a blog on which he's working out the ideas for his forthcoming book on The Long Tail. Bookmark it and visit it regularly to see how this important idea develops.
Posted by Kenneth Kirksey at 2:28 PM - Send Comments - Link to this entry
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A few readers have sent me some very good questions and comments on the creation/evolution issue, so I thought I'd share some of those along with my responses.
This reader set a very thoughtful e-mail, with some pertinent questions about scripture and the origins debate:
I read your article on books about the different theories of origins with a great deal of interest. And I have taken a look at the follow-ups in your blog. You have recommended some highly influential books on each theory. I'm a newcomer to this issue when compared against your twenty years of research and writing. But I would like to humbly present some additional thoughts for your consideration on the topic of origins.
First, Jesus promised us a Helper, the Holy Spirit who would lead and guide us to all truth. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (John 14:26) But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16:13) The apostle John was obviously listening to what he recorded in the gospel as he expands upon it in one of his epistles; This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. (1 John 3:23-24) We know that Jesus abides in us by the Spirit whom He has given us. The Holy Spirit only reveals truth. Therefore, if you have many theories of origins, only one of those theories will be revealed by the Holy Spirit as truth. The others pure and simple are either based on the so-called wisdom of men or are an intentional deception of the enemy. The Holy Spirit will not deceive us.
Second, you can't separate creation from Jesus. That point is repeatedly made in the New Testament. Here is one very clear passage; For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17) By Jesus, ALL things have been created. ALL things have been created through Jesus. ALL things have been created for Jesus. IN Jesus ALL things hold together. What we choose to believe about creation reflects what we have chosen to believe about Jesus and His work in creation.
And this final point is probably the harshest but seems entirely biblical to me. All the theories can't be correct. In the end, there is only going to be one theory that reflects the reality of our beginnings. All the other theories will be false. A teacher who promotes false teachings is ... basically a false teacher. Jesus warned us; Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. (Matthew 24:11) Peter warned how they might deceive; But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2 Peter 2:1) In fact he specifically warned of evolution; Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. (2 Peter 3:3-6) John admonishes; Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1) He even goes farther and says do not receive such a teacher in your home; Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. (2 John 1:9-11) The Scripture illuminates this point quite clearly.
You have written: A person's view on origins and on the interpretation of Genesis has no bearing on salvation. There will be no test on your beliefs on creation and evolution that you have to pass in order to enter heaven. I can agree with this based on how you have stated it. As Paul advises, we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Now this is going to come across as a bold statement and that's for good reason. What we choose to believe about our origins may one day prove to be a direct reflection of our belief and our personal relationship with Christ Jesus. Will that reflection result in Jesus saying 'Inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world'? It is all I hope for.
May God bless you in the work He has given you and
may the Holy Spirit reveal all truth to you for His glory!
My response:
Thanks for your long and thoughtful reply. I don't have time to address everything you brought up, but I can hit the hight spots.
In re the Holy Spirit as guide. That is very true, but the Holy Spirit won't do our work for us. As Paul said, we must study to show ourselves approved unto God. Unfortunately, it is often very difficult to distinguish the Holy Spirit's leading from our own thoughts and desires. No doubt many people in the middle ages sincerely believe that the Holy Spirit told them that scripture taught that the earth was the center of the universe. We can be sure that the Holy Spirit will never lead us to a conclusion that is contrary to fact or contrary to scripture. Studying science, history, philosophy, and all other fields of knowledge can help us discern what is truly of the Holy Spirit, and what is from our personal biases.
re "you can't separate Jesus from creation." Agreed, and none of the books or authors I cited would claim otherwise. That Jesus created is not in question. The only question is about how.
re "all the theories can't be correct." That's true, but, in a sense, unimportant. Christians disagree on a number of issues: free-will vs. predestination, premillenialism vs. amillennialism vs. postmillennialism, baptism: immersion vs. sprinkling, and many, many others. On each of these issues, only one side can be "right", but those who hold the "wrong" view are still saved and still going to heaven. So it is with the origins issue.
re the scriptures you quote. Those all refer to teaching a false gospel. The differing views on creation/evolution have nothing to do with the gospel, so they don't really make the argument you're trying to make them make.
re "What we choose to believe about our origins may one day prove to be a direct reflection of our belief and our personal relationship with Christ Jesus." I agree, in the fact that a Christian must believe that Jesus is the Creator. A Christian is perfectly free to speculate, however, on how he created.
Posted by Kenneth Kirksey at 11:27 AM - Send Comments - Link to this entry
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I've been re-reading Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren's How to Read a Book, a book that I can't recommend highly enough to anyone who is serious about reading. In their discussion on how to criticize a book fairly, they make some statements about how to handle disagreements that I think have special relevance to the creation/evolution controversy:
There is, of course, another sort of disagreement, which is owing merely ton inequalities of knowledge. The relatively ignorant often wrongly disagree with the relatively learned about matters exceeding their knowledge. The more learned, however, have a right to be critical of errors made by those who lack relevant knowledge. Disagreement of this sort can also be corrected. Inequality of knowledge is always curable by instruction.
This is one of the primary problems in the creation/evolution controversy: people criticizing facts, theories, and ideas of which they don't have enough knowledge to make a fair and reasoned criticism. This problem is especially prevalent in young-earth creationism, where far too many laymen and scientists criticize things that lie outside of their field of knowledge and expertise. Progressive creationists are not immune to the disease. Hugh Ross has a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, so he can speak authoritatively about matters related to astronomy. When it comes to biology, however, he has made some statements that are, to be kind, way out there.
The problem is much deeper, however, that making yourself look silly when you make dumb statements about a subject about which you don't know anything. The big problem, the problem with eternal consequences, is that you can become a hindrance to evangelism. No matter how sincere you may be, you can and will drive someone away from Christianity. I've seen it happen many, many times. But you don't have to take my word for it. Below I've reproduced an exchange from the Q&A session at the 2004 National Apologetics Conference, wherein I asked Dr. Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes about their opinion on the subject:
Kirksey: I'm addressing this to the whole panel, because I think all of you have addressed this subject one time or another on origins. I'm sure you know that Christians hold a fairly wide range of views on origins, from the young-earth creationism of Henry Morris and Duane Gish, to the progressive creationism of Hugh Ross, to the intelligent design movement, to Christian evolutionists such as Howard Van Till, Kenneth Miller, and Michael Behe. All of them agree that God created; they just disagree on the "how". The question relating to apologetics and evangelism is, should we be careful about hanging our apologetic or evangelistic efforts on picking out one of those methods and "the" Christian method when it is still a matter of discussion and debate in the Christian community?
Geisler: Let me answer that first. The answer is yes, the brief answer. We should be very careful in doing that. First of all, those intramural differences among Christians are not tests for orthodoxy, they're not one of the great fundamentals of the faith. Secondly, it's another unnecessary obstacle to put in the way. The offense of the Gospel we can't overcome. That's offensive because they're sinners, and the Gospel is saying they're sinners, and they need the grace of God. But we can avoid any extra offenses to the scientific mind that are unnecessary. So I would say don't tie your pre-evangelism to a test for orthodoxy that has anything to do with how old the earth is or precisely how everything arose. We have strong convictions, and we differ on them among Christians: old earth and young earth. I know that right here all three of those views that you mentioned are represented on this panel. But at the same time, those are intramural differences, they shouldn't be obstacles to evangelism, they shouldn't be used as a test for faith.
Rhodes: I agree with that completely, and let me just say also that there is a world watching in terms of how we respond to each other. Humanists, if you read the humanist magazines and some of these atheistic publications, they love it when Christians do battle on these kinds of issues. We're mocked, and it shouldn't be so. Now I will never, ever break fellowship with a Christian who disagrees with me on this issue, and I say this only because there are people and there are organizations that will break fellowship with you if you don't hold to their view on it. It shouldn't be that way.
The take home lessons for today:
- Don't speak on subjects you don't have enough knowledge to speak authoritatively about. You'll make yourself look silly, and you may hinder evangelism.
- If you're going to criticize something, learn enough about the subject to be able to make a valid criticism.
- Don't tie your apologetic or evangelistic efforts to the creation/evolution issue. Stick with the Gospel.
Posted by Kenneth Kirksey at 3:43 PM - Send Comments - Link to this entry
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