Mike Riddle
http://riddle.nwcreation.net/
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http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?
newsid=7221562&BRD=1426&PAG=461&dept_id=186027&rfi=6

Former defender of evolution now promotes creationism

By JEANNA CUNY , Staff writer 03/01/2003

Author and lecturer Mike Riddle isn't out to change anybody's mind.

"My job is simply to show them the evidence," he said. "It's not our
job to go out and beat people up; it's just our job to give them the
truth."

Riddle, who was a staunch defender of evolution until he was 30, took
the stage at Bethany Bible Church recently to explain how the Bible
offers the only logical answer to questions regarding life's origin.

Riddle is president of Training ETC Ministries and author of "Origin
of Life" and "Creation/Evolution: Does It matter What We Believe?"

Through Training ETC Ministries, a Bible- and creation-based ministry
designed to promote the power and majesty of God, Riddle said he
hopes to equip students, pastors and Bible study leaders to speak and
witness with confidence and compassion about the subject of creation
versus evolution using Biblical and scientific evidences.

The age-old debate of creationism vs. evolution comes down to an
issue of faith, Riddle told his audience members during the
conference Feb. 21-23.

"What it comes down to is that both (ideas) require faith - one is a
blind faith and the other is a reasonable faith," he said. "Explain
to me where did the original matter come from? Where did the first
star come from?"

All of the scientific evidence points to a creator, Riddle said.

Although evolutionist theory maintains the universe began with the
Big Bang and dates the Earth as being 4.6 billion years old, he said
current scientific findings don't support those ideas. Instead,
Riddle pointed to several indicators in the Genesis, the first book
of the Bible.

In studying biblical genealogies, Riddle said readers will find the
same 10 names listed as the ancestors of Adam - the first man.

"That alone shows the earth is between 6,000 and 8,000 years old," he
said, adding that evidence from science and astronomy support that
age.

He cited another Biblical passage in rebuttal to the argument that
mankind evolved into its current state.

"In Mark 10:6, Jesus makes a statement that says from the beginning
of creation, God created them male and female," he said. "That shows
the origin of life. It all points to a creator God."

Natural selection and mutation, he said, has been discredited even by
scientists.

"There's no mechanism for change," he said. "I do believe in genetic
variation in natural selection, but they do not amount to one species
like a dinosaur becoming a bird or a fish walking up on land."

Riddle said that despite scientific evidence that evolution is an
illogical conclusion, evolutionists continue to cling to their
beliefs because they cannot accept a creator.

"Once they accept a creator God, they become accountable to Him
because, then, he makes the rules," Riddle said. "The (creation)
alternative has so much more to offer - hope, eternal life - just
accept Jesus as your lord and savior - it's a free gift. The Bible is
very specific that there is only one way to heaven."

Although it might seem the creation-evolution debate is more suited
to classroom debate, Marvin Effa, pastor of Bethany Bible Church,
said the issue is an important one for the church to face as well.

"I invited (Riddle) because more and more we see our society moving
away from believing God created the heavens and the Earth," he
said. "The only way one can know God is through the Bible, and if the
Bible is wrong about creation, it's wrong about everything.

"Every aspect of scripture, including Christ himself, spoke directly
about Moses' account of creation. Even the secular authors recognize
the centrality of creation to Biblical Christianity," Effa said.

The issue is also central in a discussion of behavioral problems, he
said.

"One's behavior is determined by their values and values are
determined by world view. If a person is a product of chance or
evolution, then their behavior is irrelevant - it doesn't matter what
they do, they don't answer to anyone," he said. "Their understanding
of who they are and why they're here is skewed when there's not a
personal creator who loves them and cares for them."

The class encourages people to do further reading and study materials
from Institute from Creation Research, Effa said, it also gives new
Christians a better understanding of their faith.

"One of our purposes is to establish believers in their Biblical
faith. This gives them a better foundation," he said.

Paul Tan, pastor of Grace Chinese Evangelical Church in Plano, said
the lectures showed listeners how to effectively respond to the issue
of evolution.

"He leads Christians to take a stand and to defend the Bible - not to
be obnoxious, but to present what God's word says, to positively and
lovingly give out what the Bible says about origins," he
said. "(Riddle) mentioned that churches today are scared to take a
stand on origins, but it's well defined in the scriptures how
everything started," he said.

Contact Jeanna Cuny at 972-398-4265 or cunyj@....