Sunday School class taught on creationism

While science and religion continue to wage war, one Alabama Baptist expert in creationism said Christians need to be more informed and secure in their knowledge of the debate.
   
Joe Lary, a retired research biologist, toxicologist and epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, said, “The evidence that God created life is simply overwhelming.” In fact, he added, thousands of scientists like himself have become creationists because the latest scientific evidence “indicates that life could not arise without the intervention of a supernatural, extraordinarily intelligent designer.” 
   
Lary, a member of Calvary Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, often appears on the Tuscaloosa-area television show “Church for Skeptics.” On the show, he presents the evidence for an intelligent designer and discusses the flaws of evolutionary theory. He has also taught a Sunday School class at Calvary Baptist for about 100 “very enthusiastic” students who want to learn more about the debate between creationism and evolution.
   
His efforts, he said, are to encourage Christians in their stance. “Christians should know the reasons for their beliefs. Most churches, though, do not adequately prepare people to defend their faith when witnessing to or facing opposition from the secular world,” Lary said.
   
According to him, the entire creationism vs. evolution argument can get complex at times, but he said that it’s important for Christians to get in on the debate. They need to know the current developments in order to combat the secular arguments, many of which are often outdated or unreasonable.
   
In discussions with Christians, Lary stresses that evolution is at the heart of both atheism and secular humanism. “Christians should understand their worldview is impacted by their belief in creation or evolution,” he said. “If you believe evolution is a fact, it’s much easier to dehumanize people and condone abortion, euthanasia, infanticide and racism. After all, if evolution is true, man is just another animal.”