Questions & Answers

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Your daughter took Dr. Lamoureux's courses and he did not convince her to become an evolutionist. Why not?

Few teenagers would be able to stand against the pressures that she faced in his classroom, but she prevailed because she knew which questions to ask and because she could recognize the devious nature of his arguments. She asked for the evolutionist's explanation for the origin of life and she asked for evidence that mutation and natural selection can write beneficial new DNA code. Since there is no naturalistic explanation for the ordered complexity of life, his response was evasion and sophistry. He often claimed to have "overwhelming evidence for evolution" so she repeatedly asked him to present his evidence. But in two university courses devoted to origins, he did not reveal his "overwhelming evidence".
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Why did she overcome when so many Christians succumb?

I suggest three reasons:
  • First, she was prepared. Her dad made sure that she knew which questions to ask and that she knew how to recognize fallacious arguments. Also she wasn't deceived by Lamoureux's claim that "evolution is science," because before starting university, she had rafted through Grande Canyon with a group that included at least a half dozen young earth creationist PhD Scientists1. She had also attended the "Understanding the Times" university preparation seminar offered by Summit Ministries in Colorado Springs.
  • Second, although she is gentle in spirit, she was not intimidated by Dr. Lamoureux and his followers. Her academic, athletic and musical accomplishments gave her the self-assurance to speak, and the knowledge that she was armed with the truth gave her the courage to stand.
  • Third, perhaps she stood where others fall, because her faith is real. It is based on reason, it is not a "leap in the dark". She was equipped with a good knowledge of apologetics. In our opinion, too many churches do not recognize the importance of defending the integrity of Scripture and therefore do not equip Christians to withstand the darts of the evil one...
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Dr. Lamoureux has a lecture titled "Encountering the Anti-evolutionists" which he presents at high school teachers' conventions. Have you any comment?

Although the Alberta high school biology text has a section titled "Evidence for Evolution," it does not present any evidence2. Consequently, many teachers struggle to respond to creationist arguments. They come to his presentation hoping to hear his "overwhelming evidence". Instead he gives them a lesson in sophistry. It goes something like this:
  • Label the creationists as "anti-evolutionists".
  • Insist that only evolution is science.
  • Insist that creation is religion. (Ignore creation scientists' arguments.)
  • Attack the Bible by citing his list of purported errors.
  • Repeat the false analogy that compares embryonic development to the grand scheme of evolution.
  • Repeat the lie that the fossil record proves evolution. (Ignore the words of many leading evolutionists who acknowledge the fact that the fossil record is what Darwin called "the best argument which could be urged against my theory.")
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In the section titled "Appeal to Authority" you take some shots at Roman Catholicism; but isn't the Pope Christianity's best spokesman?

I regret any problems that my words may create with friends and family who are Roman Catholics. But the Bible says that where false doctrine is concerned, we should "speak the truth in love". (Ephesians 4:14,15) Some truths are not easy to say, but silence is not 'love'...

No, I do not accept the Pope as the spokesman for Christianity. Real Christians obey the teachings of Jesus as recorded in Scripture. Not only did Jesus not establish the papacy, he even forbids the religious use of the word "father"3. If this "pater patrum" (father of fathers) were a biblical Christian, he would condemn the Mariolatry which pervades Catholicism. Many of the traditions of Romanism are derived from the paganism which was forced to become "Christian" by the decree of Emperor Constantine in 324 AD4. With this background in mind, I say that Roman Catholicism is an enormous cultic aberration of real Christianity.

Biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism are mutually exclusive. Since the Bible is a threat, it is not surprising that Romanism seeks to undermine its credibility by supporting evolutionism.
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How do you expect Dr. Lamoureux to respond to this site?
  • Ideally, Dr. Lamoureux will repent and become a champion who promotes the truth of biblical creation. If not, ...
  • Hopefully, he will present his "overwhelming evidence"... but don't hold your breath...
  • Unless God opens his eyes, he will probably pretend to ignore this site, but will stop using some of the lame arguments and illustrations which we have refuted here. He may even start offering evidences of evolution, but don't expect them to be "overwhelming".
  • Dr. Lamoureux has threatened creationists with lawsuits. Such behaviour is forbidden 1 Corinthians 6. But just in case he might be inclined to sue I have asked my daughter (the lawyer) to review this material. She says that there is nothing litigious here. If he feels wronged, let him present his "overwhelming evidence".
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You have not responded to every one of Dr. Lamoureux's examples of scientific error in the Bible. Why not?

Life is too short. I chose to refute his purported errors concerning rabbits chewing the cud, bats as birds, the mustard seed, seed death and barren women, because they required little effort and because they show how he abuses Scripture to try to discredit it. I chose to refute his flat earth/hard dome idea because it is the heart of his teaching.

With these examples, I have shown that he finds "error" by pulling passages out of context, presenting questionable translations as fact, and by taking figurative language literally. Hopefully those who have this information will be less intimidated by his "academic authority" and will be better able to recognize his sophistry. Some common sense and a Google search defeat his arguments.






Notes:

  1. Each year The Institute for Creation Research organizes trips through Grande Canyon. Our trip was lead by Dr. Steve Austin, a geologist.
  2. See Other Emperors, for a short essay which discusses the biology text's "evidences".
  3. Matthew 23:9
  4. See www.roman-empire.net. Also, for more information on the connection between paganism and Romanism, see "Babylon, Mystery Religion" by Ralph Woodrow. But please note, I do not endorse his "pope is the anti-Christ" chapter.