Dear Friend, I have exciting news to report regarding Pastor Jeff Smith, who asked me to share his 400-mile journey on horseback event with you! I'm also sharing an alert from Ken Ham regarding Christian Schools promoting evolution! CONTENTS: (1) Pastor Jeff Smith's Ride to Truth! (2) Christian School ALERT from Ken Ham! ==================== ==================== (1) Pastor Jeff Smith's Ride to Truth! Pastor Jeff Smith Young Memorial Baptist Church http://www.ymbc.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FURTHER INFO: Steve Post CreationQuestPR@aol.com (704) 425-3318 ** 400 Miles on a Horse ** CONCORD, N.C. - On Sept. 28, 2003, Jeff Smith will start a three-week, 400-mile journey from Concord to Washington, D.C. The ride to the nation's capital normally wouldn't require three weeks, but that's understandable in this instance considering Smith's mode of transportation - a horse. "I wanted to do something to draw attention," said Smith, 43, senior pastor at Young Memorial Baptist Church. "Late in 2001, our United States Congress adopted a statement commonly called the 'Santorum amendment' that many people are not aware of. I'm calling my ride "Creation Quest," and the purpose is to make people aware of the statement." The "Santorum amendment" states: "where topics are taught that may generate controversy (such as biological evolution), the curriculum should help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist, why such topics may generate controversy, and how scientific discoveries can profoundly affect society." "I want people to know about this academic freedom," said Smith. "Teachers and students are free to openly discuss Creation and Evolution in the classroom without fear of being reprimanded. Many local and state school boards are not aware of this, and that's the purpose of Creation Quest." The "Santorum amendment" is contained in the Conference Report attached to the "No Child Left Behind Act" (H.R. 1), signed into law by President Bush on Jan. 8, 2002. The Amendment was originally supported by a Senate vote of 91-8 on June 13, 2001 as part of the "Better Education For Students and Teachers Act". The amendment was then added and supported in H.R. 1. On his trip, Smith will participate in parades and other public events and be speaking at churches in North Carolina, Virginia and in Washington D.C. Final details of the trip are being put together, but basically he will be traveling U.S. Highway 29 from Concord to the nation's capital. Other information about Creation Quest can be obtained at http://www.ymbc.org . Also, there remain some openings for churches along the route to have Smith speak as part of his trip. ==================== ==================== (2) Christian School ALERT from Ken Ham! Evolution Inside Christian Education? by Ken Ham from AiG Newsletter, May 2003 Answers In Genesis (AiG) Ministries http://www.AnswersInGenesis.org Dear Friend of AiG, Can it be that a Christian school movement -- which is supposed to be rebuilding the "house" (the Christian structure that's been collapsing in society) -- is actually building a much worse structure... and "great will be the fall of it?" Jesus warned in Matthew 7 about building a house on the rock (which is an illustration of obeying His Words) compared to building a house on sand. AiG has been alerting the church to the fact that the foundation of nations like England and America has changed, from one trusting in the authority of the Word of God (a foundation of "rock"), to one trusting in man 's infallible theories (evolution). When I first came to the US in 1981, I was amazed and thrilled to see a large Christian school movement. It appeared that much of it was a response to the evolutionary humanism so rampant in the public schools. I saw the Christian education movement as rebuilding a Biblical foundation for children. But things have changed, and we can't remain quiet, as a part of this school movement is laying a foundation that will ultimately _destroy_ the very structure it believes it is supposedly trying to reestablish. A teacher in a Christian school in Florida recently wrote to us, distraught that the Christian text she was using (produced by "CSI" -- Christian Schools International(*) taught students to believe in millions of years and other evolutionary ideas. On its web site, http://www.gospelcom.net/csi/ , CSI describes itself as "a dynamic and growing organization of Reformed Christian schools throughout North American and beyond." The Florida teacher shared CSI's "position paper" with us, where we learned that the philosophy behind CSI materials presents evolutionary ideas (including millions of years) as fact to students, such as: --> "Based on astronomical observations, the geologic record, fossil record, and molecular evidence, most scientists believe that the universe began with a Big Bang, that the earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old..." --> "... evolution accounts for the diversity of the organisms that live today." --> "Many of these [creationists] arguments are base on a misunderstanding of the current theory of evolution, so it wouldn't be right to include them in our series" [i.e., they don't agree with us, so students won't hear our arguments!]. In the context of attacking literal creationists, a CSI author says that one of the textbook chapters "begins by explaining that people once believed that God created a perfectly smooth Earth with no mountains or valleys [that's a strange comment: the Bible says there were high hills before the Flood] and that Noah's flood scarred the world -- and that today we know that over time God uses natural processes to wear away mountains and carve out deep valleys and canyons." Sadly, America's churches, most of its Christian colleges and parts of the Christian school movements are similarly compromising God's Word in Genesis. We believe Answers in Genesis has been raised up to confront the church, including the Christian education movement, to rebuild the right foundation. I was so encouraged to learn how God had used AiG in the life of a person in Delaware, named Joan, who had been indoctrinated with evolution in school: "I was greatly influenced by evolutionary thought, and majored in biology in college. Carl Sagan's [evolutionary] book "Cosmos" was my Bible. I started to doubt if there was a God. "My middle son asked me one day, 'Mom, where are dinosaurs in the Bible?' I started reading the Bible, [and] realized that [our church] contradicted God's Word. Through God's grace, we understood the true Gospel, but I couldn't yet believe in a six-day Creation. "Then I heard on the radio about an AiG seminar at the University of Delaware. We met Ken Ham and purchased many books... I understand just how bad sin is, and rejoiced that God had covered me in Christ's shed blood. Now I understand the Gospel in a much deeper way." Your next gift to AiG will be used to confront compromise in the church (and its schools), and will help young people and adults to trust the Bible from its very first verse. Then perhaps we'll see more people changed and equipped. Thank you for your partnership in proclaiming the Creation/Gospel message. Sincerely, Ken Ham P.S. Can you believe a Christian school group is promoting evolutionary ideas? ==== (*) There are other Christian school organizations (ASCI, AACS, etc.) in which many member schools support the AiG message. We encourage you to find out what your local Christian school specifically teaches about Genesis. ==== Answers in Genesis PO Box 6330 Florence, KY 41022 USA Phone: 859-727-2222 Fax: 859-727-2299 Internet: http://www.AnswersInGenesis.org +++ InfoQuest* Creation Science Page! http://users.netreach.net/InfoQuest/creation.htm