The battle over origins is not merely a contest between faith and science, religion and secularism. This is about the nature of reality and the meaning of life, ideas that determine cultural values and shape society.
The most dominant ideas that define reality and determine meaning in today’s world—though dubbed “scientific” and are passed on with sophistication—these are the same views held by the ancient pagans.
The belief that matter is eternal, or that living beings come from non-living matter, or that life evolves from simple to complex—none of those ideas is new, but they enjoy a renaissance today that give them authoritative weight and narrative power, dominating hard and soft sciences alike (“hard” sciences like physics, chemistry, biology; “soft” sciences like psychology and sociology), setting the tone for law and politics, and shaping the culture.
The consequences of pagan thought are everywhere and traceable to one’s view of origins. If matter is eternal, if life comes from non-life, then nothing really matters, and life is meaningless (also known as nihilism). There is no basis for universal morality, no standard for ethics, and no reason to respect one another’s values.
If, on the other hand, the eternal God is the Creator of all that is not God, i.e., “the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1), then everything matters, life is full of meaning and has profound significance, and God’s righteousness governs all humanity by an absolute, universal standard for morality, ethics, and values.
The tragedy of the modern world, dominated by pagan philosophy, is not merely in the sadness and confusion that comes from meaninglessness and futility.
The real tragedy is this: People are blind to the glory and goodness of God.
This is what the battle of origins is really about: the glory and goodness of God the Creator. When people see God’s glory and goodness in all that He made, it fills the mind with wonder, humbles the heart, and draws praise and gratitude from the lips.
These are the truths we will explore, elucidate, and celebrate at the Creation & Cosmos pre-conference, exclusively for students and their parents, on Thursday, September 25.
Parents & Students
Students do need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the conference.
The material is geared toward middle school age and up, but parents may register students as young as 9 (no childcare available, all children must accompany parents to attend the conference).
The conference will continue for all ages on Friday and Saturday, which includes a separate registration.
Click the image below or follow this link for all the rest of the conference information and for that registration.
