The Opening Speaker for the conference was Dr. John Morris who has Doctorate in Geological Engineering. He is the President of the Institute for Creation Research and has led expeditions to Mt. Ararat to search for Noah's Ark. He made a very compelling argument for the idea that a Christian should be a Creationist, that is a person who believes that the universe was created in six days as it describes in Genesis. He maintains that there is absolutely NO proof for Darwinian Evolution and that it is merely a theory for explaining our origins without mentioning God. In other words, it's for atheists because evolution is not happening now and cannot be proved which totally negates The Scientific Method. He maintains that the Missing Link is missing because it never happened. Natural Selection is real, as is adaptation and varieties among kinds of animals. But a fish will never be a horse and a cat will never be a dog.
These are his Four Arguments for why a Christian ought not to believe in Evolution:
1) Because it didn't happen. Spoiler Alert-it's like the Tooth Fairy. We see "Stasis". Cats have kittens and dogs have puppies. The Scientific Method requires that one makes inferences from what one SEES. He says that the Evolutionists say that evolution seems to have stopped now but it occurred when no one was watching....Hmmm.... He said that the fossil record shows animals that are now extinct but each one can be classified into an animal that we have today. He said that a single cell organism is more complicated than a Super Computer and that a Super Computer doesn't happen by an explosion at Radio Shack!
2)The Bible specifically says it happened another way. God 's character is Orderly. It specifically says in Genesis that God created everything after His Kind and lists them ( birds of the air and fish of the sea) and it was good and very good. Evolutionists believe that each kind morphed into every other kind. Dr. Morris also mentioned that like God, we should work six days and rest on the seventh!
3) By their fruits you shall know them. The evolutionary worldview has produced rotten fruit. The entire Abortion industry is based on evolution. They maintain that the "fetus" isn't fully human until a certain point. He said that evolutionists use their theory to justify homosexualism and rascism, too. In opposition to Genesis which states that God made male and female to be fruitful and to multiply and subdue the earth. I really loved his idea that the Bible only mentions ONE "race" in the context of The Human Race. It does mention Tribes, Tongues and Nations. He said that human beings of every ethnic group are so much alike and that there is only one skin color with different amounts of that color present. He said that racism is non-biblical. I always knew this but could never put this into words.
4)If Evolution is true, what does that say about God? Would God use survival of the Fittest ( which means elimination of the unfit) to get to His Image? God is more deliberate and Intentional. Humans are Different than animals.
I found his arguments very reasonable and I have been leaning toward Creationism for quite a while compared to Evolution. The Bible says it, I believe it and that settles it for me.
Harper's Ferry was called The Hole when it was first found and it was originally purchased by a fellow from a squatter because he saw the possibility of using it foe water power. It has been visited by Thomas Jefferson on his way to Philadelphia and by Merriwether Lewis who came here to purchase boats before the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Early on during the Civil War, it changed hands eight times.
Mr. Beall pointed out that the Civil War happened "Across Five Aprils "(like the title of the book by that name for young people). He said that the war took place seasonally- Spring, Summer and Fall with troops mostly holing up for the winter. He quoted the Bible " In the Spring, Kings go out to battle..." He gave a memory device for remembering the major battles and the years in which they took place as follows:
1861 July, Manassas
1862 Antietam
1863 July, Gettysburg
1864 Monocasy ( the battle that saved Washington DC)
1865 April, Appomatox
The first letters of these battles spell MAGMA. He said that this reminds him of Lava, like the blood that flowed during this time period. More Americans died in this war from gunshots, injury and disease than from all other wars combined because BOTH sides of the conflict were Americans.
Beall said that a drunken general was put in charge of Harper's Ferry and that it was surrendered with very little loss of life in the largest surrender up until the time of WWII. Stonewall Jackson wrote "Through God's Blessing, Harper's Ferry is to be surrendered."
Later on, Harper's Ferry was the sight of the 1906 Niagra Movement Conference which was a large gathering of Black leaders. There was a quote from it " It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." Beall said that they met there because Harper's Ferry represented the sparks of freedom.
He then went on to discuss The C& O Canal that runs right along side of Harper's Ferry. The C&O Canal was one of the first Federal projects. Beall outlined the three stages of the project and labeled the virtues that were needed by the men in those stages to be successful.
I The Builders who needed to be Decisive, Creative and Show Initiative.
II The Keepers who needed to be Dependable, Available and Loyal
III The Preservers who needed to be Determined, Patient and Resourceful.
He finished his talk by saying that Harper's Ferry was in Virginia until 1863 but is now in West Virginia. The motto of West Virginia is "Mountaineers Are Always Free". He went on to say that True freedom is the ability to do what is right and that requires the help of Almighty God.
Next followed another Keynote Speaker, Mr. Philip Telfer who is the founder of Media Talk 101. He is the author of a book entitled " What Wouldn't Jesus Do?"
The Title of this talk was " The Counterfeit Life, Media's Deceptive Message." I took a lot of notes during this talk as this is a subject that I find very pertinent. I will share the speaker's ideas as I understood them from Philip Telfer.
Americans are watching or using media greater than 53 hours per week. He believes that this is a form of Robotic relationship and that we are "captivated." He said that in 1990 North Korea created a "Supernote" an extremely high quality counterfeit 100 dollar bill. Experts had a hard time differentiating the counterfeit note from a real bill. To learn to do it they didn't study the counterfeit- they studied the REAL bills to be able to tell them apart.
He quoted Colossians 2:6-8 which is
"So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one captivate you with an empty seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ".
One of his most interesting assertions was the idea that video games are tricking men into thinking that they are doing something and accomplishing something that they are not. It's all fake. This is in my opinion one of the truest things I've heard on the subject. In other words, building the C&O Canal, video games are not.
He quoted John 10:10,
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.
Mr. Telfer maintains that Media delivers a counterfeit message on how to live life to the fullest. He said that we must develop our own and our children's media literacy. All media has a message and that message has an impact on our lives. Discernment is necessary. he quoted Charles Finney " A man may be judged by his standard of entertainment as easily as by the standard of his work."
He reminded us that escaping into a private world of entertainment is not private- God sees everything!
He told the story of a young Amish man unaccustomed to TV violence who saw an Old Western shoot-em-up and had to go outside to vomit after seeing someone theatrically portray having been shot. The violence in those shows isn't even close to what is being shown today.
Some may say that there is violence in the Bible. However that is always the result of sin and rebellion against God. It isn't thrown in gratuitously.
He believes that print media and visual media are very different. Different people can read something and take away different versions of the experience depending on their ability to read , their age and their own experience but seeing it on a screen is the same for everybody- young and old alike.
He said the average young person views 3000 ads per day, 40,000 per year. Jesus said to beware of greed.
Media portrays a "Rock Video Worldview of Consumerist Culture." The United States of Entertainment should be our name with our Constitution written by MTV. He discussed reality shows and the rebellion against parents and family on TV.
He went on to discuss Facebook which one young lady described as so "enchanting". Social networking should be an enhancer for relationships and not a substitute for them. "For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks". He recommended getting off Facebook and getting our faces into God's Book!
He said that instead of media consuming our time and energy we are called to an " everlasting preoccupation with God." We need to be passionate about God and his ways.That doesn't happen by accident. We need to Seek first the Kingdom of God.
He quoted 2 Corinthians 3:18
" All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformedinto the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit."
We were treated to a Homeschool Choir in 4 part harmony that was delightful to listen to.
The last talk I attended was given by a mother , Kim Kincell, who is at the end of the road of her homeschooling journey as her youngest of three daughters is a High School Senior. Mrs. Kincell said that we have a duty to educate our children well. Home education is a process of discipleship. Americans have a mind-set of " Bigger is Better" and almost look at it as a waste of time to spend years educating a few kids. But relationships are one to one. She said that the Greek mindset is one teacher, many kids but the Hebrew model is one to one discipleship. She said that we need to embrace Motherhood. In Homeschooling, Life is the classroom. Sometimes you need books and sometimes you don't. You might be teaching science or you might be teaching Diligence. Decide what you are teaching. Everything you are exposed to teaches you something.
My sister and I enjoyed our 45 minute drive back to town encouraging one another. It was a terrific day and I am grateful to my husband for handling all the responsibilities of a busy Saturday so that I could take a day to do what I love!
