My Journey as a Science Teacher

My journey in college fighting evolutionists is captured in the petition to BYU against evolution. Here I’ll share some thoughts about my years as a science teacher.

At first I was hesitant to teach science when the opportunity, somewhat unexpectedly, came to me. Could I teach my classes evolution which I so thoroughly disagreed with? Would I find questions which I couldn’t find the answers to? My experience has been anything but that.

We are often tempted to think that the experts know it all, and that we have no right to have a different opinion than them since we are so ignorant. My God sent opportunity to teach science has certainly strengthened my faith in creation doctrines and helped me stand against dogmatic evolutionists. But this being said, God is the greatest expert, and prophets who speak his word are referencing a greater authority than any academic journal. It’s ok to walk in faith. It’s ok to disagree with experts.

Sure I don’t have all the answers, but time and again, I’ve found there are many more issues with the underpinnings of evolutionary theories than creation theories. I teach my students, “the leading scientific theory about ____ is ___, but remember there are other theories, and keep an open & inquisitive mind about these things.” I tell them about the historic battle between religion and science, and invite them to not be too one sided on the issue, but to seek truth. I seldom tell my personal views on these matters when in a professional setting, other than pointing out potential flaws in the theories being taught, and encouraging them to study and try various theories. Some students express their biblical views which contradict some leading scientific theories, and I encourage them to move forward with their faith and not give up their religious views.

I’ve found time and again loopholes and assumptions in textbooks, theories taught as fact, and other dogmatic approaches to evolution and an old earth which leave me awe struck, and confident that these theorists are up to no good, and will stop at nothing to push their views.

It’s almost impossible to watch a geologic or astronomical or biological documentary without hearing the term, “millions of years”. It is almost comical how often they push it in there! Ask any kid about the time of dinosaurs, “millions of years,” they shout the refrain!

I’ve been thrilled to find an army of creation and intelligent design scientists who, like I, have refused to put down the scriptures and the prophets in favor of some theories of man. When properly equipped, science can build father rather than shake it. God has been merciful in bringing so much truth into our reach, we don’t have to cower to the dogmatic evolutionists. Evolutionists are all too common, both inside and outside of the church. But there is a rising movement against these false doctrines, and we must each take a side.

We know there are fundamental issues which evolutionary theory presents to the religious world view, and we know that the scientific community is militantly opposed to all things religious. Scientists high and low have overstepped the bounds the Lord has set in their efforts to be empirical, have tipped the word of the Lord on its head, and in the process, lost the spirit of God in their search for truth, and are left to perish in the dark.

The Book of Mormon, written for our day, says, “O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.” (2 Ne. 9:28)

I used to think it necessary to, when asked by my students my personal opinion on evolution and other false theories, just say, “there are other theories with strong evidence, but in this class we are focusing on the main theories of modern science.” Now I’ve become more comfortable adding to this something like, “and my personal view is that this is false.”

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