Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Enclave - Day 3


In The Enclave, a science fiction suspense novel, author Karen Hancock writes a many-stranded story with an ensemble of characters, but the leads are two scientists who, as Christians, work among other scientists hostile to their beliefs. Hancock presents arguments from two points of view--faithful and atheistic--and lets her protagonists press through a daily gauntlet of mockery, lies, and doubt.

Though far from being a scientist, I know the pressure of being a Christian in an anti-faith environment. I know what it's like to be backed into a corner, to be pushed toward compromise. Therefore, as I read The Enclave, I recalled certain events from my own life, when I encountered the intellectual arrogance of certain atheists and evolutionists who consider Creationism a belief only harbored by idiots, or by people who take faith too far.

In my experience, there is very little tolerance actually practiced by those who demand tolerance of the rest of us, and there is little of it shown by atheists toward believers, or by evolutionists toward creationists. I say "atheists or evolutionists" because some who claim belief in God also try to contort evolutionary theory to fit with Genesis, and they come up with some sort of theistic evolution; but, to borrow a biblical question, what fellowship has darkness with light?

On a talk radio program aired in my area of Arkansas in the evening of June 15, 2009, in the "recall" portion of the show (an audio version of a highlights reel), the host featured a call by a seventeen-year-old young man who said that, after being presented with the theory of evolution in school, he decided creation was a more viable option.

The host told him that, when he turned eighteen, he shouldn't vote. The host mocked him, and reinforced the notion that the kid wasn't smart enough to vote, and that Creationists voted a day later than the rest of the citizenry.

It was unnecessary and belittling. The host may purport himself to be an equal opportunity offender, but this was beneath dignity. The kid came off much better than the adult in that encounter, and I hope he holds his faith, his integrity, and his ground in future encounters with those who feel that their greatest weapon against God and His believers is mockery.

Seems to me, the mere act of disagreeing with atheists or evolutionists can bring accusations of stupidity, religious zealotry, et cetera, and all without any incontrovertible proof being offered to support their claims. After all, evolution is still only a theory. There is no empirical evidence or eyewitness testimony, no reproducible form of evolution (despite genetic tinkering), no proof that plants and animals are evolving now into other forms of life.

Some assume or believe that mankind will improve as he evolves, but evolution only means change, and change is not always for the better.

As demonstrated by the protagonists of The Enclave, and in Hancock's own life (she has a degree in biology), evolutionists do not own the market on intelligence. An individual can be highly intelligent -- can be a medical doctor, a scientist, an archaeologist, or practice any other profession requiring great skill and mental acumen -- and still believe God called the universe into existence and set it in motion.

However, evolutionists need as much or more faith than creationists, because they must believe that such a precise set of circumstances happened by accident; that gasses exploded, and life began, or that life rose from a primordial ooze of just the right chemicals, despite evidence that living matter does not form from non-living matter, or that the laws of thermodynamics (notice the word laws, which are proven and consistently provable, as opposed to theories, which are not) totally smack down the notion of evolution.

Soooo, I've wandered far afield in what is supposed to be a review of a novel and ended up being a lesson in science. However, it's stuff like this that draws me to books like that. Just in case you happen to be like me but you haven't read this book,enter to win a FREE copy of The Enclave.

How?
1) Comment on this post (or send me an e-mail message: KeananBrand at yahoo dot com),
2) Include your name and e-mail address,
3) You're entered in the drawing.
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3 comments:

Crista said...

Awesome post. I didn’t get a chance to read The Enclave, but I’m intrigued by the whole faith/science issue you blogged about and would love to see it fleshed out in a Christian novel.

One crazy thing about evolution is that it tries to explain a supernatural event (how the universe came into being) with a natural explanation. Nothing natural can just create itself ex nihilo – that would defy the laws of nature – but that’s what they tell us. It seems more reasonable to recognize the existence of someone/something that is above natural laws and brought the natural world into existence. Only that way is there a “system” of reality that does not contradict its own laws.

Anyway, great post. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

- Crista

ringscr@hotmail.com

Friday, July 24, 2009 at 2:45:00 AM CDT
Keanan Brand said...

Crista - Thanks! If faith and science interest you, then The Enclave would definitely appeal to you, too. Guaranteed.

I tossed your name into the bowl for the drawing, but someone else's name was drawn -- shucks! I MIGHT still be able to send a (already read) copy to you, but it's not in my hands at the moment. Just let me know!

And you're right: "Nothing natural can just create itself ex nihilo – that would defy the laws of nature – but that’s what they tell us."

The real question is this: Why do we continue to swallow the lie?

Saturday, July 25, 2009 at 3:41:00 PM CDT
Crista said...

The Enclave does sound cool. If that other copy is still available, I'd love to read it!!!

Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 1:13:00 AM CDT

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