The following are the three winning essays for the 2019 CTI Essay Scholarship Contest.
The following are the three winning essays for the 2019 CTI Essay Scholarship Contest.Each winner receives a full scholarship to attend the 5-day Creation Apologetics Teachers College. The scholarship includes the cost to of the course, 5 nights of lodging and all meals.
Essay Challenge: In 450 words or less respond to the following:
“Should Christian schools teach all views about creation (gap theory, day-age-theory, framework hypothesis, literal 6-day, progressive creation, God used evolution) and then let students decide for themselves what to believe?”
Winners
First: Pierre Calder
Second: Kerry Miller
Third: Craig Fluegge
First Place: Pierre Calder, Arkansas
Answer: I believe that Christian schools should teach students a literal 6-day creation as this coincides with Scripture and agrees with the scientific evidence. Students should also be taught the other views of creation (as well as Darwinian evolution) and why those views are erroneous.
Christian Schools should have 2 essential goals:
1) Teach the Bible as the sole authority for faith and practice (Deut. 6:7 “..and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children”)
2) Teach a Biblical worldview (i.e. how we view and interact with the world around us through the lens of Scripture).
How we view and teach creation to our students will impact both essential aspects of Christian education. It either affirms the Scripture (literal 6-day creation) or flatly contradicts it (gap theory, day-age-theory, framework hypothesis, progressive creation, God used evolution).
Therefore, what we teach on creation should be based on the inspired, infallible Bible and it should foster a Biblical worldview which would impact how we interpret the scientific evidence. For example, since we have discovered many fossil graveyards worldwide, we can either see that through the lens of Scripture (global flood which would have produced necessary conditions to form these graveyards) or through the lens of evolution (graveyards forming over billions of years). The data is the same so it is vital that we teach Christian students how they should be interpreting the data. Also, much of the teaching on creation has to be faith based (believed) since science must be observed and tested and no one was present for creation and we cannot test it. Christians have inexplicably given “science” over to the evolutionists even though both systems are rooted in faith. It requires more faith to believe in evolution or the alternate “Christian” models that it does to believe in a literal 6-day creation.
Additionally, if we “let students decide what to believe” we undercut the foundation of Christian education which is to teach them truth. If we give every view of creation to students and teach none as truth, then where will it end? Should we teach every view of morality and “let students decide what to believe”? It is a slippery slope that will lead to question the entire Bible and the Christian faith that is built upon it. I believe that this is precisely what has happened in both the Public schools and secular Colleges. If we are to win the next generation to Christ and make lifelong disciples, we must take our stand on his Word and bring every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5)! This can only be accomplished by teaching them the Scriptures boldly, not by being timid in the education of our youth.
Second Place: Kerry Miller, Wisconsin
This is a very broad question, and I see two main parts: (1) Should we teach all views? and (2) Should we let students decide what to believe?
As to the first, it’s broad, because appropriate content varies with age, and “Christian Schools” covers a VERY broad age range. I believe that, at earlier ages, the children should be taught that the Bible, as written, is literal truth. As they advance, they can be taught how to distinguish literary types and the difference between literal and figurative narratives—but the Bible’s clarity, internal consistency and absolute authority should always be held sacrosanct. As they advance further, I think it is IMPERATIVE that they be introduced, appropriately, to the existence of other views and beliefs, and how those compare with a complete acceptance of Scripture as being authoritative as written. They WILL, sometime in their lives, encounter these other views, and their proponents can be very persuasive; the only thing we have some measure of control over is WHEN and HOW they encounter them, and how prepared they are to evaluate those views’ validity—not WHETHER they will encounter those worldviews. So, the views should be TAUGHT—but they should NOT be presented as equally valid. If we view our own beliefs as actually TRUE, we have a responsibility to present them as such—but also to prepare our youths to confront opposing views and still maintain their own.
That last statement leads me into the second part of the question—should we let them decide? Again, I believe we have no choice in the matter. Sooner or later, they WILL decide on their own what to believe. And, as before, the only thing we have any degree of control over is how they become prepared to MAKE that choice. We MUST hold firmly to the truth yet do our best to show them that we love them, care about them, respect their intelligence, and encourage them to ASK those questions and express any doubts. The doubts and questions that lead youths astray are most generally not those that are expressed and discussed; they are the ones that are harbored, treasured, and nourished secretly, and never discussed—so it is crucial that we encourage open expression and discussion of all, and be prepared to lovingly but boldly hold to and defend truth.
So, should we teach all viewpoints? ABSOLUTELY—in the proper context and at the appropriate time in students’ development, or we risk losing them to others who will teach them on THEIR terms. Should we let students decide what to believe? Eventually, we have no choice; they will. All we can do is prepare them to choose wisely.
Third Place: Craig Fluegge, Wisconsin
The short answers to the two-part question are Yes and No.
Firstly, I do agree that it would be beneficial for Christian schools to teach all views of creation that are prevalent in the church and in society. Students need to be aware of different theories and where they come from to be well informed. Differing views should be taught fairly and not dismissed.
Secondly, I don’t think that Christian schools should simply let students decide. While schools can’t force students to believe anything, the phrase “let students decide for themselves” implies an uncertainty of the truth and a hands-off approach. Instead, Christian schools should guide students to follow the evidence about the views of creation. The evidence in the Bible and the evidence from science point strongly to a literal 6-day creation. Christian schools fail if students are left unequipped to articulate why the evidence lines up better with creation than Darwinian evolution.
I attended a Christian elementary school and high school. My elementary school’s way of handling evolution that crept into science and literature books was to take a black marker and cross out the phrases that refer to “millions of years.” My high school’s main tactic was to say evolution is wrong because the Bible says so. There was no examination of evolution in the light of science, and no discussions about how to refute any aspect of various theories. I didn’t give this much thought at the time… until I moved on to a public university. When I had conversations about evolution and creation with my friends, I quickly realized that “because the Bible says” is an unimpressive argument to a non-Christian. I soon learned to keep my mouth shut so I didn’t sound uninformed.
Unfortunately, I missed some good opportunities in college to help my friends discern the truth. At a time when students were open to considering the evidence about their creator, some decided to put their faith in evolution apart from God. These academic experiences led me to study on my own, learning how to communicate more intelligently and intentionally about creation and evolution. As a parent, I resolved to equip my two kids to be prepared to give an answer about origins to their friends. I think Christian schools should also teach students tactics to confidently defend creation, and gently refute evolution. The philosophies that Christian schools embrace can have eternal consequences.
