Dear Mr. Riddle,
Thank you for equipping my family with the answers that they need to defend their Biblical beliefs in the scientific community.
You came to our church and my three boys, ages 15, 13 and 10 years old, soaked in all the information you shared with them. My 13 year old is in the 7th grade and in our school district. Science in 7th grade is all about evolution. You inspired him and he has not stopped searching out information from anything “Answers in Genesis”.
He is very intelligent and very strong in his faith. For months now he has been respectfully questioning and debating his Science teacher. In the beginning, his teacher told him that he likes a good debate. (I don’t think the teacher realized how knowledgeable and equipped my son was in this subject) A couple of months ago the science teacher and the gifted specialist decided to take him out of his science class to do a research paper on his own. He was promised that he would get to present his views when he returned to class more than a month later. (He was also required to take the tests over the evolution material that the teacher was covering in class.)
I was upset with this at first and felt like it was a punishment, but then decided what they meant for harm, God meant for good. I believe they were trying to silence him . . . but I thought he would have his day when he could share with his class what might be the only truth about creation and evolution that they would ever hear and that one time would be worth it.
My son presented his research yesterday. I am disappointed to say that the teacher and one of the students who has been very vocal against him, interrupted his presentation (to contradict him) so often he barely was able to finish before the class time was over. One girl and one boy came up to him and said that he did a great job. The teacher said nothing. I was hoping that even if the science teacher didn’t agree with his presentation that he would be respectful of his time and work and at the very least let him present it without interruption.
My hope and prayer is that the kids and the teacher in that science class will remember the stand that my son took at his own personal expense. He has lost friends, been called down to the office for taking a stand against evolution, (one boy called evolution “his religion”), and the good relationship with his teacher has at the very least been changed. I shouldn’t be surprised at the stir that resulted from his questions.
Many people in our church have been praying for him, the teacher and the class in this situation. Our prayer is that our son has planted a seed of truth in their lives and the Holy Spirit will bring them to belief in the Lord God, Creator of Heaven and Earth.
The saddest part about this whole experience would be the other Christian families in the school. I had a Christian friend say that she wanted to give my son information that was presented to her 7th grade daughter in her confirmation class. She was proud to say that their church has figured out how Creation and evolution work together. As you know, they are teaching that God created things to evolve over millions of years. I brought up the small detail of death before sin . . . and asked her to think about how that fits into their theory.
I hope you will find this letter encouraging to your ministry. I’m sure there is more we can learn so keep up the good work.
Thank you for using your knowledge of science to glorify God.