Clearly one of the greatest experiences in life is being a father. My role in medicine is a privilege; sharing in friendships, a great adventure. But at the end of the day nurturing my kids is both a central priority and source of wonderful satisfaction. At this writing, my daughter Elizabeth just turned seventeen and has already exceeded her dad in musical accomplishments. Truly gifted at voice, piano, guitar, and song writing, Elizabeth received the lead in Liberty High School’s fall musical, Fiddler On The Roof. Elizabeth’s also has an extremely giving nature, and she’ll have plenty of opportunity this summer as she work in Morocco, Spain, & Mexico with Youth With A Mission. James – whom I affectionately call by his Greek name Dimitri – looks almost identical to his father (what a lucky guy!). At fourteen, his life is consumed with violin, track, and Kanakuk Kamp. Dimitri has the leadership gift. As a young child, his goal in life was to become a prophet, and since then Dimitri’s intentions have not wavered. Joshua, at twelve, is the most gregarious person I know. He expresses his enthusiasm for life through performing music, reading novels, and innumerable hours hanging out with friends. Born in Zimbabwe, I believe Joshua absorbed some native ability, making him formidable with a basketball.
My children and I spend hours each week doing homework together, wrestling with math, Spanish, history, and science assignments. But more than simply excelling on exams, I want my children to learn the truths necessary for life. One of the most controversial assignments we’ve confronted surrounds evolution – identified by some scientists as “the most fundamental fact in biology.” On this point, I am passionate that my kids understand the truth about origins, their origins, and what is clearly the greatest deception is the history of science.
Like many people, I embraced poorly scrutinized views on human origins – an amalgamation of what I heard at church and in college. Then in 2000, I was challenged by an elder professor who demanded, “Any academic who disagrees with Darwin’s Theory should be stripped of their credentials and expelled from the University!” His cutting remarks kindled a desire within me to clarify the truth – for myself, my children, and ultimately, for others through the books Darwin’s Demise and Creative Defense.
Very mention of the term evolution kindles deep emotions within most people. Why? I believe the dominate reason has to do with personal accountability. If humans are simply an accident of nature, as evolution claims, then there is no absolute right or wrong, no supra-human standard to ascertain justice. Moral truth is simply defined by the courts or by the prevailing sentiments of the day. And we all realize how variable these can actually be. But if humans are the handiwork of a Creator, then He is by definition the final authority on questions of morality. It is at this point that many people’s emotions become incensed. They’d rather not be accountable to anyone other than themselves.
But there’s more. The Creator God is not simply a law giver. He treasures the created ones, and wants us to experience that affection. He possesses the secrets to happiness in relationships, and desires to share those with us. He invented the keys to success in life’s pursuits, offers to help us unlock the doors. No reason exists to continue clinging to the greatest fabrication in “science.” Darwin is dead. The Creator lives!