The following article has been extracted from the book In the Beginning,
by Walter T. Brown, Jr., published by the Center for Scientific Creation. It is reprinted here by permission of the author.
How Can I Become Involved in This Issue?

People who learn about the case for creation and the adverse and far-reaching consequences of evolution frequently ask, "What can I do?" Others incorrectly feel this is merely a scientific issue that must be left to scientists. Actually, each of you, with your unique circumstances, interests, and abilities, can help expose these evolutionary myths. Here are eight possibilities.

  1. Understand the Problem. Evolutionary theories and interpretations are usually taught as facts. Teachers, textbooks, and the media frequently convey the attitude that evolution is the only scientific and intellectually respectable view of origins. Students are implicitly presented with a choice, a false dichotomy: "Are you going to hold a narrow-minded religious belief, or are you going to accept a scientific explanation?" Evolution is thus protected from competent criticism, and students are kept ignorant of its many shortcomings. Scientific data are ignored (see pages 4-83), while the accuracy and authority of the Bible are undermined. Students who were taught this way are now teachers, professors, publishers, and textbook writers. The creation movement threatens their position, prestige, and income, so they tend to ignore the scientific evidence opposing evolution and supporting creation.
  2. Avoid the term "creationism." Popular and frequent use of the word "creationism," even by creationists, is unfortunate; the preferred term is "creation." Why? Words have power. To most people, "isms" are usually bad. For example: communism, fascism, humanism, socialism, racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, scientism, etc. The term "creationism," therefore, is prejudicial. Furthermore, "isms" are belief systems or ideologies. Although creation has important belief aspects, creation is not just a belief, as evolutionists maintain, but is supported by much scientific evidence. The term "creationism" directs a person's attention away from this scientific evidence and carries the negative connotation of most "isms."
  3. Learn More, and Teach Others. Tell your friends what you have learned. Encourage them to learn more about the creation-evolution issue. Excellent books and periodicals are available - some at your local libraries and bookstores. (See the recommended reading list on pages 299-301.) Learn more yourself, and explain it to others in formal and informal settings. Conduct tours to nearby museums, and identify the errors in their displays. You will be surprised at how excited and grateful people become after learning this information. A growing number of people work full-time giving presentations on creation. If you are an effective speaker, you may wish to consider such work. The demand for speakers greatly exceeds the supply.
  4. Talk to Educators. Talk or write to teachers, school officials, and school-board members in your community. Ask them such questions as: Are you aware of the many fallacies concerning the theory of evolution that we have all been taught? Are you teaching all the scientific evidence? Are you aware that the great majority of the American public wants both evolution and creation taught? Are you aware that more than 85% of the public do not want only evolution taught?1 Our message to educators should be:
    • Teach the scientific evidence for and against evolution. (See pages 294-295 for responses to standard objections to doing this.)
    • Teach students to think critically: to examine evidence, to test alternative hypotheses, to question, to identify hidden assumptions, to think accurately, and to reach their own conclusions.
    • Teachers should become technically up-to-date and learn the evidence concerning origins.
    • Teachers have a serious responsibility for the accuracy of what they say in their classrooms, especially about the subject of origins.

    Many educators mistakenly believe that most scientific creationists want to legislate their views into the classroom. Assure teachers and professors that few, if any, scientists who are creationists advocate legislation that would force certain views to be taught. Even if every legislature required teachers to present both creation and evolution, the hostility and ridicule that would accompany such forced teaching of creation would be very damaging. The scientific evidence for creation is so strong that education and persuasion are much more effective and lasting.

    Explain to friends and educators that most creationists advocate the following:

    • No religious doctrines or writings should be taught - or ridiculed - in the public schools.
    • All the major scientific evidence dealing with origins should be taught at the appropriate grade levels.
    • When a theory of origins is presented, any reasonable opposing evidence should also be presented.
  5. Propose the Origins Research Project. Encourage science teachers and professors, as well as members of boards of education and boards of trustees, to add an Origins Research Project to their curriculum (see page 285). Such a project, in which each student decides which theory of origins is best supported by the scientific evidence, could be one of the most interesting, maturing, and valuable projects the students ever experience. The project is appropriate at the high school or college level, can be tailored to fit many school or classroom situations, requires no special teacher training, favors no theory of origins, is not restricted to just two models (creation and evolution), focuses only on scientific evidence, removes any concern about bringing religion into public schools, involves only a moderate amount of classroom time and expense, and includes a variety of materials from which the instructor can choose.
  6. Challenge Evolutionists. Encourage knowledgeable evolutionists to enter either written or oral debates on this question of origins. (See pages 296-298.) If they decline, make the point of asking, "Why won’t evolutionists debate the scientific evidence?" Do not argue with such evolutionists until you are familiar with the evidence. If you are not, refer these evolutionists to those who are.
  7. Expose Theistic Evolution. Speak with pastors, ministers, priests, or rabbis. Show them that the scientific evidence is consistent with the biblical account of creation and the worldwide flood of Noah's Day. If they are not already aware of it, explain that evolutionists are reluctant to debate this issue on a scientific basis. Then acquaint those religious leaders with the many problems associated with theistic evolution (see pages 276-282) and the subtle means by which the Bible has been falsely discredited because of evolution. Encourage church leaders to add creation books and audiovisual materials to your church library and invite speakers to address this subject. Consider speaking on the subject yourself.
  8. Inform the Media. Write letters to television stations and newspaper and magazine editors. Compliment them whenever they provide accurate and balanced coverage of the creation-evolution issue. Provide polite and reasoned criticisms when they assume evolution to be a fact or when they avoid the scientific evidence. In the case of television, send a copy of your letter to the programs advertisers. Inform the advertisers and media officials of the public's positions on the issue of origins2

    References and Notes
    1. Many organizations have surveyed public attitudes on the teaching of origins. Results are remarkably consistent, regardless of whether creationist, evolutionist, or another organization conducted the survey. Typically, responses are as follows:
      • 5% I would like only evolution taught.
      • 15% I would like only creation taught.
      • 70% I would like both creation and evolution taught.
      • 10% No opinion, or teach neither.
    2. Five Gallup polls have shown the beliefs in the United States concerning origins. People were given four choices:
      • The Creation Position: God created man in his present form at one time within the last 10,000 years.
      • The Theistic Evolution Position: Man has developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but Go guided this process, including man's creation.
      • The Atheistic Evolution Position: Man has developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life. No God participated in this process.
      • No Opinion

    Table 23. Gallop Poll Results

    Notice how few people are atheistic evolutionists, and yet this position dominates the media and most schools. Surprisingly, despite a century of monopolistic teaching of evolution, so many are creationists.

    Some incorrectly claim that almost all scientists believe in evolution. The only survey of scientists of which I am aware, involved chemists. Less than half (48.3%) said that "it was possible that humans evolved in a continuous chain of development from simple elements in a primordial soup." A slight majority (51.7%) said that "supernatural intervention played a role." [Murray Saffran. "Why Scientists Shouldn't Cast Stones. "The Scientist 5 September 1988, p. II.]