Rare Jewel Magazine

"Lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel."
- Proverbs 20:15

A Religion Exposed
Rare Jewel Insight: February 21, 2004

Table of Contents:

COMMENTARY
A Religion Exposed
DO YOU KNOW...?
The origin of "separation between Church and
State" (This will surprise you!)
BOOK REVIEW
Why You Can't Stay Silent: A Biblical Mandate
to Shape Our Culture

1. COMMENTARY

A Religion Exposed
(by Tim Ewing, Publisher, Rare Jewel Magazine)

Can you guess the word that matches the following definition?
"A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe."

My dictionary (The Random House College Dictionary) provides the above definition for the word "religion". Note that I did not choose one of the lesser used definitions listed in the ninth or tenth position under "religion". This is the primary definition of "religion" listed in the FIRST position.

The Holy Bible clearly explains that God created the heavens and the earth in six days; that out of nothing, He created everything (Genesis 1-2). You won't find the Creation theory of our origin taught in our nation's public schools because it is linked to a "religion". Per my personal experience, Creation has not been taught in public schools for at least the last 30-plus years. During this time we citizens have heard much about "separation between Church and State" and the requirement that our government institutions (including our public schools) must not have any connections to religion. Hence, as the logic of our day goes, Creation has no place in our schools. Instead, our public schools teach the origin of the universe and mankind through the Theory of Evolution...though often the "theory" part gets underemphasized or left out altogether. By and large, our public schools portray Evolution as fact, and our culture backs this up in a huge way (visit any history museum or zoo). Evolution is still just a theory, and if anything, it is a weaker theory today than when it was put forth by Darwin in the mid-1800's.

We all know what Evolution is, right? It is a theory that attempts to explain the cause, nature, and origin of the universe. Hey, wait a minute. This is the same definition used for religion! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Evolution is nothing more than a set of beliefs; it is a "religious" belief-system in the same vein as Christianity, Judaism, or Buddhism. Whether a belief-system includes God, gods, or none at all, the point is that religious belief-systems all attempt to explain the ultimate questions: Where did we come from, why are we here, what is our purpose in life, and what happens when we die?

Per Evolution doctrine, mankind is the result of a cosmic accident, our existence began through chance and random processes that have no provable explanation, and by implication there is no purpose to life, no meaning, and no calling other than what one decides for himself or herself. Mankind is no more special than the grass we tread on or the dirt in which we dig; and when we die, our personhood simply ceases to exist.

I find it tragic that our government feels it is separating religion from State in public schools by mandating that Evolution be taught exclusively as the explanation for our origin. Millions of children learn, and are reinforced in their schools every day, that life is just a big accident, a result of cosmic chance occurring over billions of years. This teaching has been going on for decades. Should it surprise us then when our children (and now society) draw(s) the logical conclusion that there is no absolute purpose or meaning in life, that one person's opinion is as good as another's, and that truth is a meaningless concept?

Our nation's Declaration of Independence states that "...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men." How can our nation, which acknowledged a Creator God during its very birth, now disallow the teaching of Creation in our public schools? How can our nation, which acknowledged that our Government's very purpose is to protect the God-given rights of its people, mandate that God's very principles for living as found in the Holy Bible can not be taught in our public schools?

Our country was founded upon the belief that the rights of its citizenry are "endowed by their Creator". Where else will we discover how God defines these "unalienable rights" if not in the Holy Bible? Certainly not by using a curriculum based on Evolution, the religion that teaches there is no Creator God and that life is a great cosmic mistake.

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3. BOOK REVIEW

Why You Can't Stay Silent: A Biblical Mandate to Shape Our Culture
Author: Tom Minnery, Vice President of Public Policy for Focus on the Family
Published: 2001 by Tyndale House Publishers
(Reviewed by Tim Ewing, Publisher, Rare Jewel Magazine)

Is it Biblical to take a proactive role in trying to shape our culture in a broad way using such means as broadcast media, politics, and government institutions (top-down approach)? Or, should we rely solely on the one-soul-at-a-time (bottom-up) approach? Though the book's title gives away his conclusion, Minnery makes a solid case that proactive efforts by Christians to influence culture, government, and politics is not only valid, but commanded in Scripture.

This 201-page book is well organized and reads fast and easy due in part to Minnery's use of engaging, real-life stories to make his points. Minnery does a good job of using historical examples (such as Christian grassroots efforts that helped abolish slavery in our country) and Scripture to back his claim which also serves as the title for this book.

Minnery writes on page 52, "As evangelical Christians, we inherit a tradition that has preserved the Bible as the authoritative Word of God...For that we can be grateful. But at the same time, our heritage has often given too little heed to the full breadth of Christ's command to be salt and light in the world." He continues on page 53, "The government has grabbed chunks of moral truth and tradition from the church, saying, 'We rather than you, will decide.'...the government has begun erasing the traditional bounds of marriage, denying the unborn the right to life, and pushing God and godly virtues to the fringes of public life. The government's attempt to shove the church away from these issues doesn't make them 'political' or out of bounds for the church. These are still moral matters of the gravest concern, matters about which the church has a reason and an obligation to speak."

Minnery sets the bar high for Christians to "participate in government as far as his calling and skills can take him, whether limited to voting or as an active government leader" (Minnery, pg. 58). Minnery exhorts Christians to strive to be in full possession of the facts regarding the important issues and trends in our culture today, to be at the center of the debate, and to be a model of well-placed trust in public circles. No doubt, many of the issues of our day are complicated and it will take a significant time investment for each of us to gain expertise in issues such as abortion, marriage, Creation versus Evolution, the proper role of church and state, even acquiring an accurate knowledge about our own American history.

"Why You Can't Stay Silent" is a must read for all who desire to protect and reestablish our "One Nation Under God". "Win or lose, this is a much preferred scenario to the one in which the Christian side of the issue is [only] represented by a protest group marching and waving bibles and picket signs, totally absent from the decision-making process" (Minnery, pg. 58).