Ben Stein interviewed by R.C. Sproul

R.C. Sproul apparently interviewed Ben Stein about the new movie I just referred to in the previous post. You can access the interview on R.C. Sproul's website, or by clicking here. The interview is quite good. They get into some good dialog about the creation-evolution debate. It lasts about 30 minutes or so.

Ben Stein and Creationism

Although I am not one who generally throws a party each and every time I hear Hollywood stars taking a stand on Christian principles and ideas, I was happy when I watched the trailer to Ben Stein's new movie, "Expelled: No Tollerance Allowed." In this movie Stein deals with the creation-evolution debate as a committed creationist. I am not sure what the rest of the movie is going to be like, but the trailer looks promising. You can access the trailer by clicking here. This could be a good evangelistic opportunity for Christians--we need to begin brainstorming now how it can be used for the advancement of the Gospel when in it comes out this May.

I have just a thought or two about creationism before I end this post:

(1) No matter what anyone tells you, the creation-evolution debate does not center on science, it centers on philosophy (or, if you want to be picky--for Christians it centers on revelation). Any scientist, no matter his credentials, who tells you that this is a scientific debate has no clue what science is. The fact is that science, first and foremost, is based upon experimentation. Guess what? It is impossible to do tests (run experiments) on something which cannot be repeated. The beginning of life as we know it cannot be repeated, and thus it cannot be tested. Not only that, but all scientific experimentation and observation is guided and shaped by the philosophical pre-conceived ideas possessed by the scientist.

(2) In evangelism it is best to not get too caught up in the creation-evolution debate. Many people who believe that we were created by a loving God will go to hell. Evangelism ought to center on the cross as a person's only hope for salvation. This does not mean, however, that Christians should never engage in such debate. Rather, just be careful that it does not distract from what is most important.

(3) Although Ben Stein's movie looks promising, we must all remember that believing in creationism does not make one a Christian. Be careful as you watch this movie--it may be full of false doctrine. Who cares if Ben Stein believes that the world was created by a loving God if he does not believe that Jesus is that loving God. I am not sure if Ben Stein is a Christian, however just because he seems to have this one thing right does not mean that his movie should not be watched with discernment.

(4) By far, the best book I have read on the creation-evolution debate is "Defeating Darwinism By Opening Minds" by Phillip Johnson. I sincerely suggest everyone reading this blog to buy and read this book. If you want to buy it, click here. The book is short, easy to read, and it gets at the heart of the issues in the debate. The nice thing about this book is that Johnson doesn't get into a whole bunch of detailed scientific arguments.