Monday, November 5, 2007

Where Mike Huckabee is Wrong...(but it's "alright")

As Mike Huckabee has been continually hammered about believing in Creation rather than Evolution; it concerned me that concerned me that he seemed to be evasive about upholding a Biblical, six-day Creation, even though he has been consistently adamant that he believes God is responsible for our being, rather than random chance. The reason I found this troubling is because he always seemed so clear and fearless in every other answer, to any question of significance.

The answer to this quandary is one I only barely suspected, but it was made clear upon watching the Nov-1 Charlie Rose interview. As part of this interview, Charlie Rose piled-on to the Creation-vs-Evolution attacks on Huckabee. This included a demonstrably false statement by Rose to the effect that new discoveries in molecular biology support Darwinism; immediately after which he proceeded with his questions about Governor Huckabee's views on evolution. [In fact, discoveries in molecular biology such as the multi-part flagellar motor are exactly the type of (what we now call) irreducible complexity that Darwin wrote would falsify his theory.]

As part of his answer, Huckabee referenced Francis Collins, author of "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief". According to a Time Magazine article, Collins concludes that God "preplanned the process of mutation and selection at time's beginning, knowing it would produce humanity." Mike Huckabee isn't the first sincere believer to fall into the trap of theistic evolution (which Collins renames "BioLogos" in his writtings). He's in the company of C.S. Lewis, who Huckabee also references in the Rose interview.

So there was the answer. What I initially feared might be reluctance to completely stand up for Creation, seems simply to be the result of a lack of knowledge regarding the subject rather than a lack of fortitude. From a Biblical perspective, both a scholarly analysis of Genesis in Hebrew and multiple subsequent references ( including a quote from the Son of God himself) make clear that the six days of the Genesis creation narrative(s) are really six days, not six "ages" as theistic evolutionists suppose.

I also think theistic-evolution is scientifically dishonest. Theistic-evolution seems to have originally been a construct of those who were rightly firm in believing that God is the Creator; but who felt overwhelmed by the supposed scientific evidence of the "geologic column" and other "Icons of Evolution". The supposed "geologic column" and the postulated era's of neo-Darwinism reveal themselves as nothing more than exercises in circular logic, to those who dive whole-heartedly into an investigation of more modern research in the subject. (i.e. "The fossils are millions of years old because rocks they are in are that old; and the rocks are millions of years old because the fossils in them are that old.") Most, if not all, of the other "Icons of Evolution" have now been shown to be either demonstrably false or highly questionable.

Although I have a passion for Creation apologetics, and demand scientific accuracy and honesty; my real purpose in this post is not to castigate Mike Huckabee for apparent shortcomings in this area. Rather is it to allay fears that he is being either weak, or disingenuous in his responses. To echo statements he himself has made, he is neither seeking a position as our national preacher, nor as the author of an eighth-grade science curriculum. It's more important that as a candidate for President of the United States, he has demonstrated the following (shown by the included imperfect quotes, as I remember them):
  1. The wisdom to see the true foundational question behind the question ["What you're really asking is if I believe in God"]
  2. The humility to admit the limits of his knowledge ["now as to exactly when God did it or how long it took, I'm not really sure. I wasn't there..."]
  3. The integrity to stand firm for what he honestly believes ["but I believe God did it; and in the words of Martin Luthor, 'here I stand, for I can do no other'"]
So to those who share my belief in a "recent*", six-day creation; and have been expressing disappointment that Mike Huckabee seems to be soft when it comes to completely standing up for his beliefs on creation; I say he simply doesn't seem to completely share our belief. While I agree with them that he's wrong, I say it's "alright"; at least politically speaking. Theologically speaking, we can pray he gains a more complete knowledge in the same prayers we make that someone standing up for Christian values becomes president (and that we all grow in our understanding of and commitment to God's Word).

We may find this somewhat disappointing on an emotional level, and we might have to object if he were applying to fill the pulpit at our local congregation. However, a Huckabee supporter who finds this a "deal-breaker" is at least as much in error as the atheist who won't support him solely because he was once a minister.

[also see my previous posts regarding; - "Expelled; No Intelligence Allowed!" by Ben Stein and Huckabee accused of believing in God]

[*While even I suspect the 4004 B.C. date calculated by "Bishop Ussher" may be one of which we can't be confident; both an honest reading of the Bible and a growing body of scientific evidence preclude the multiple millions of years demanded by Darwinists.]

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think Mike’s answer is smarter than is observed on the surface. I have pondered myself how long a day is. God said let the dark and light distinguish night from day. I ask, how long is a day and is a day constant? I don't think it is exactly 24 hours. Today, there are some parts of the world that have 6 months of day and 6 months of night. So I don't know for sure either, and I think Mike is right. It doesn't matter if it was 24 hours or 24 million years, as long as you believe in the Savior Jesus Christ it does not make a hill of beans. It is just a way for people to label Christians as loony and simple. God is the author of all science. All science lines up with His word and His word lines up with science.

RGeorgeDunn said...

The day. This debate has been a long one. The gentleman that was in the Lot throwing with Apostle Paul, Theimus(sp), stated in his writings that a day to the Lord is a 1,000 years to man. A1,000 years to man is but a day to the Lord. The truth of this is not really necessary knowledge, with the exception of some doctrinal predictions.

Here is another example of knowledge not having a solid foundation in distinction. Some read the Bible to say that when one dies, they are immediately before the Lord. Others will say no, we go into the Grave and wait as in Psalms 39, for the Lord to return. In truth, either thought is suffice, as in the creation. When you fall into unconscious sleep and then you wake up, how long does it take in your mind to do so. Instantly. So to is it when we die, we go into a sleep or into the presence of the Lord, all in an instant.

Creation time lines are certainly not as definable, but what does the definition going to give in fruitage if truly known. Governor Huckabee, being a very learned Man, knows this and has tried to push the subject away from him, as it has nothing to do with being President. Evolution is real as it pertains within a species, but the scientific proof of evolving from one species to another is not, as all the theorical proof has been debunked. Here is an interesting thought to make it all a bit nonrelative: As we are seeing into the structure of the world around us, we are finding what looks to be solar system like creation. How about the fact that if we looked beyond the focus of the solar galaxies we see, that we may be part of an even larger creation, cells of it's construction. :o) One just does not know. What we do know is our recorded history.

Fact is that every nation that adopted to the concept of communism or socialism, has failed. WE, the USA are sitting on the edge of becoming a communist nation and nearly all the candidates in both major parties are in the beltway mindset that is slowly giving in to this. Mike Huckabee is the one candidate that is aware of this and has put forth an platform to stop it and put us back on the path of prosperity. His social conservative platform will remove the reprobate mind in Washington that the Lord has provided. ( I call it the Platomic disease. When they get to Washington the politicians drink the water and suddenly they lose their perspective. Huckabee will not have this issue. His Spirit is so Strong, He will break the chain of this reprobation, by honoring the sanctity of Life, both the unborn and the born.

Yes, it is alright. It is alright for a leader to not to speak or to stand mute on certain subject. We have a great example in Jesus doing so to provide the privilege of eternal life.

RGeorgeDunn said...

The day. This debate has been a long one. The gentleman that was in the Lot throwing with Apostle Paul, Theimus(sp), stated in his writings that a day to the Lord is a 1,000 years to man. A1,000 years to man is but a day to the Lord. The truth of this is not really necessary knowledge, with the exception of some doctrinal predictions.

Here is another example of knowledge not having a solid foundation in distinction. Some read the Bible to say that when one dies, they are immediately before the Lord. Others will say no, we go into the Grave and wait as in Psalms 39, for the Lord to return. In truth, either thought is suffice, as in the creation. When you fall into unconscious sleep and then you wake up, how long does it take in your mind to do so. Instantly. So to is it when we die, we go into a sleep or into the presence of the Lord, all in an instant.

Creation time lines are certainly not as definable, but what does the definition going to give in fruitage if truly known. Governor Huckabee, being a very learned Man, knows this and has tried to push the subject away from him, as it has nothing to do with being President. Evolution is real as it pertains within a species, but the scientific proof of evolving from one species to another is not, as all the theorical proof has been debunked. Here is an interesting thought to make it all a bit nonrelative: As we are seeing into the structure of the world around us, we are finding what looks to be solar system like creation. How about the fact that if we looked beyond the focus of the solar galaxies we see, that we may be part of an even larger creation, cells of it's construction. :o) One just does not know. What we do know is our recorded history.

Fact is that every nation that adopted to the concept of communism or socialism, has failed. WE, the USA are sitting on the edge of becoming a communist nation and nearly all the candidates in both major parties are in the beltway mindset that is slowly giving in to this. Mike Huckabee is the one candidate that is aware of this and has put forth an platform to stop it and put us back on the path of prosperity. His social conservative platform will remove the reprobate mind in Washington that the Lord has provided. ( I call it the Platomic disease. When they get to Washington the politicians drink the water and suddenly they lose their perspective. Huckabee will not have this issue. His Spirit is so Strong, He will break the chain of this reprobation, by honoring the sanctity of Life, both the unborn and the born.

Yes, it is alright. It is alright for a leader to not to speak or to stand mute on certain subject. We have a great example in Jesus doing so to provide the privilege of eternal life.