Here's one reason for the collapse of Evangelical Christianity (excerpts):
Anchors Away? Confronting biblical drift among today's evangelicals
by Lawrence Ford
On the last evening [at a national pastors conference], a young ministerial student approached the ICR booth and listened to our description of ICR’s mission and ministry.
"Oh, I really don't see it that way," he stated. "My church teaches that the Bible may be inspired, but it's not inerrant. It's all about man's description of God."
I couldn't keep my jaw from dropping at this very matter-of-fact admission. This was supposed to be an "evangelical" pastors conference, sponsored by one of the largest Christian publishers in the world--a Bible publisher, no less.
The philosophy of evolution popularized by Charles Darwin in 1859 has literally transformed the thinking of societies around the world. And even though many honest scientists would distance themselves from much of the inadequate scientific conclusions of Darwin, they nonetheless cling to this origins-by-accident "theory" as the only alternative to man’s enduring belief in a Creator.
Why? Because evolution, though dogged by scientific weaknesses (admitted by evolutionists of every generation), is the most acceptable explanation of the origin of life for those who are running as far from God (and moral responsibility) as they can. Darwin is atheism's prophet and evolutionary science is its sacred book.
The church today speaks of the priority of evangelism in ministry, and I would second this commitment. But I fear for those churches that place a ministry objective over doctrine, a task over the text of Scripture. Evangelism is not just any task--it is a priority command by Christ Himself. But Christ, the Creator of the entire world, did not expect His own Word to be diminished when His people carry out that commission. (See Psalm 138:2.)
Can you recall the last time your pastor or Sunday school leaders tackled the topic of creation and the book of Genesis? Do you even know for certain where your pastor stands on Genesis 1 and 2? Does he believe God created the world in six 24-hour days, or in millions and billions of years? Does he believe that the Flood covered the entire earth? Is your pastor one of the over 12,000 clergy who recently signed the pro-Darwin and pro-evolution statement? Ask your church leaders where they stand. I think you will be surprised and challenged by what you hear.
This current drift from biblical truth was brought home to us recently in an appeal letter sent out by television personality John Ankerberg, parroting the views of astronomer Hugh Ross and his evolution-based day-age theory of creation.
Those who claim that God sparked the Big Bang, that "evening and morning" in Genesis 1 really represent millions and billions of years, that there were too many events on "Day 6" for God to have accomplished them in 24 hours, etc., exalt the science of men over the Word of God. It's a drift from orthodoxy. And ICR is concerned about this in two fundamental areas.
First, the "science" of those who refuse to take God at His Word, opting rather to trust in naturalistically-based theories, is fundamentally flawed. And second, these same leaders suggest that God does not mean what He said; evidently, only Ph.D. scientists can interpret the Bible correctly. Both issues contribute to a growing lack of confidence in the Bible, as the young Bible college student I met illustrates.
I am reminded of the Apostle Paul's warning in 2 Corinthians 11:4: "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
Paul warned us in Colossians 2:8 that we are to beware of those who would attempt to take us captive through various philosophical arguments and hollow deceptions that are based on the "traditions of men" rather than "according to Christ."
My prayer is that you will hold steadfast to the anchor of Scripture, which will never lead you astray.
End quote.
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