“In the Beginning” is an overview of the creation – evolution question. It’s designed to run for about 10 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.
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Evolution or 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.
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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 look at these problems and why most
don’t question them.
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.
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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.
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Noah’s Ark and the Genesis
Flood
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.
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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 sightings of dinosaur-like creatures, as well as strange
animals of the Old Testament.
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Can We Trust the Bible?
Bible-believing Christians are
often accused of believing in a flat earth or being anti-science. Is the
Bible compatible with modern science? Or have scientific discoveries
relegated the Bible to the status of myths and fairy tales? The presentation
on science and scripture shows how the Bible actually anticipated and provided
the basis for scientific discoveries, while mainstream science has become
materialistic and humanistic.
The presentation entitled Voices from the Past 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 Jericho are verified by recent
discoveries.
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Sex and Evolution
Does is 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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, we inhabit a special place in the
universe. 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.
All short presentations are fully illustrated. Other topics are available upon request. For more information, please contact Bruce Barton.
