Some readers have questioned our emphasis on creationism, wondering what relevance it has for promulgating the gospel. One reason is that interest in creationism is on the upswing in the United States. Even though a recent court decision in California failed to require that evidence for Creation and evolution be taught together in the public schools of that State, the issue is far from dormant. Pending legislation in several States would require that evidence for creationism must also be included in the curriculum if evolution is taught. In fact, just such a law has already been passed in Arkansas, and a recent challenge to that law by the American Civil Liberties Union may well be setting the stage for a repeat of the famous 1925 Scopes trial.
In the meantime, a nationwide poll is being taken to determine whether individuals believe creationism should be taught in the public schools along with evolution, and plans are being laid for a prime-time TV debate between a prominent creationist scientist and a leading evolutionary scientist. That debate, if it comes off, may well have leading political figures watching intently to see whether creationism can live up to its billing as a truly credible aspect of science.
With such events transpiring, our readers deserve to know that Seventh-day Adventists are creationists, not theistic evolutionists nor progressive creationists. Furthermore, we find nothing in the traditional doctrine of separation of church and state that would prohibit public school textbooks from including evidence for both Creation and evolution. Indeed, it seems to us that for many years the philosophy of secular humanism has so disguised itself in the name of academic freedom that virtually all scientific evidence of creationism has been systematically excluded from many textbooks in favor of presenting evidence for evolution.
Because of our church's strong belief in creationism, we have for years sponsored the Geoscience Research Institute, which has five individuals working full time in the area of Creation research. How could we have done otherwise, believing as we do that the fourth commandment still enjoins all Christians to observe the seventh-day 22 MINISTRY/NOVEMBER/1981 Sabbath as a memorial of God's literal, six-day work of Creation? In the apostle's statement "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3) we see a reflection of the fact that Christ is the Creator. This is why He could say: "The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath" (Mark 2:28). In this context Seventh-day Adventists believe that they are called upon by God to give special emphasis to the three angels' messages of Revelation 14, which are introduced by an unequivocal declaration that the "everlasting gospel" (Rev. 14:6) is inseparably connected with the fact that we are to "worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters" (verse 7). To us, the similarities between Revelation 14:6, 7 and Exodus 20:11 are unmistakable. From our perspective, God's call to worship Him in the context of His everlasting gospel must acknowledge that not only is He the Creator but He forever memorialized the Creation in the seventh-day Sabbath so that it will be kept holy throughout all eternity (see Isa. 66:22, 23).
I have spent numerous hours with Robert V. Gentry discussing scientific evidence for Creation. A summary of his research and convictions appears in the interview that begins on page 20. Even though Gentry has been on the faculty of Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland, for the past fifteen years, he has had the unique opportunity of pursuing his research activity at a national government laboratory for the past twelve years as a "visiting scientist." During this period he has received research grants through Columbia Union College from the J. F. Schneider Memorial Foundation of Atlanta, from the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C., from NASA (to study lunar rocks), and from the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
He has a considerable publication record as author or coauthor of twenty research papers in such scientific publications as Science, Nature, Applied Physics Letters, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Physical Review Letters, Annual Review of Nuclear Sciences, and the Proceedings of the 1978 International Conference on Super Heavy Elements.
His research is now being funded primarily by Adventist Ministries, Inc., through Columbia Union College. Gentry is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, the American Geophysical Union, Sigma Xi, and the New York Academy of Sciences, and is listed in Who's Who in America.
We feel now is an appropriate time for some of his results on scientific creationism to be brought to the attention of MINISTRY'S readership. —J.R.S.
Festival of Evangelism
Perhaps you were among the 8,500 delegates to the interdenominational American Festival of Evangelism held in Kansas City July 27-30 and saw the booth that MINISTRY had in the exhibit hall. As editors, we were gratified that 60 to 70 percent of those we talked with were already familiar with the magazine and received it at their home or office. We also welcome the several hundred new readers who registered at the Festival for complimentary bimonthly subscriptions.
Those who stopped by the MINISTRY booth also received a free sample tape explaining a new service that we are beginning a Tape-of-the-Month program designed especially for the professional growth and personal enrichment of the pastor or .other church professional. (If you weren't at the Festival you can still receive the sample tape as long as supplies last. See the ad on page 19 and fill in the coupon.)
We appreciate getting acquainted with many readers and participating in the objectives of the Festival to better equip the church to evangelize America. —B.R.H.
