Political Correctness is Really Secular Intolerance

The recent Easter season got me thinking about the fight against faith in America.

I recently read an article in my local newspaper (Kitsap SUN) that described the evidence for the Genesis Flood that an engineer had discovered in rock formations in Arizona. It was a great article and even mentioned Noah’s Ark as a possible historical reality.

Two days later, a letter to the editor was posted that made fun of the article–even calling it “laughable” from a scientific standpoint. Why the shrill response?

Well, I think it’s time to give a true meaning to the term “political correctness.” Political correctness is nothing less than secular intolerance. And it’s becoming a menacing bully in many nations.

Here’s the Letter to the Editor, written by Dan Van Eycke, Poulsbo, Washington:

“Regarding Sunday’s article about the supposed proof of Noah’s flood: Could you possibly have found anything less newsworthy to publish? And on page A3 nonetheless!”

“To begin with, young-earth creationism is scientifically irrevelevant and intellectually vacuous–and has been for over a century. And yet the Kitsap SUN thinks its important to print a story about a tourist from Richland, Washington, who claims that a single geologic formation in Arizona is proof of the biblical flood myth, therefore disproving the scientific age of the earth.”

“This man was a tourist with no expertise in geology who thinks he knows better than the countless trained geologists the world over. That he is an engineer from Hanford gives him no more authority on the subject than a warehouse worker from Tacoma. In fact, emphasizing his engineering background is an obvious attempt to impress credulous readers.”

“If articles like this belong in the Kitsap SUN at all–and that’s an extremely big if–they belong on the religion or entertainment pages.”

Note the incredible condescension in the letter. It ends with Mr. Van Eycke relegating the engineer’s fair-minded opinion to the “Religion” section (does he mean the “Myth Section) or the entertainment pages (is that the “Mindless Section?).

C’mon. This is nothing less than bigoted prejudice.

I’ve studied the creation–evolution debate for about forty years. There are fair arguments on both sides. The evidence for an old earth is credible–though certainly not proven. There’s also substantial evidence on the other side that points to a young Earth. Even if the “old earth” theory is true, that doesn’t discount special creation or the main events recorded in the Bible.

Physician-geneticist Francis Collins is one of the most respected scientists in the world. He gave leadership to the Human Genome Project and currently serves as the director of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Collins believes in theistic evolution–yet doesn’t discount any of the biblical events. He is a committed Christian whose book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, states clearly how science and the Bible are not necessarily in conflict.

Another book I recently read was entitled the “The Draining Floodwaters: Geologic Evidence reflects the Genesis Text.” by John D. Morris Ph.D and James J.S, Johnson, J.D., Th.D. It presented a cogent scientific case for the evidence of a biblical flood. There are enough “Ds” behind those two names to make you pay attention.

Many of you know that I am completing a doctorate degree this year. The thesis produced detailed research of the cultures and religions of the world. An interesting thing stood out: Many of the world’s diverse cultures possess ancient creation and flood stories. It’s uncanny. I don’t know what the mathematical odds of this are, but they must be pretty slim. Here’s one that appears in my new book.

The Story of the Flood. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” remains one of the most famous tales of the Babylonian period, and gives an amazing parallel account of the global flood (Genesis 7, 8).  In the story, Gilgamesh meets one of his ancestors, Utnapishtim, who recalls the story of the global deluge.  Warning that the gods were going to destroy the earth, Utnapishtim built a large boat and took refuge in it with his wife and two each of all animals. After the flood waters subsided, Utnapishtim recounts what happened:

“All mankind was turned to clay…I opened the window and the light fell upon my face. I bowed, I sat down, I wept, and over my face ran my tears. I looked upon the world—all was sea…I sent forth a dove and let her go. The dove flew to and fro, but there was no resting place and she returned.”

“I sent forth a shallow and let he go. The swallow flew to and fro, but there was no resting place and she returned. I sent forth a raven and let her go. The raven flew away. She saw the abasement of the waters. She drew near; she waded, she croaked, and came not back. Then I sent everything forth to the four quarters of the heaven. I offered a sacrifice. I made a libation upon the mountains peak.”

“As a result of their obedience, Utnapishtim and his wife are rewarded with “the gift of immortality,” which they explain to Gilgamesh can be obtained by eating a plant that grows in the sea. Gilgamesh finds the plant, but before he eats it, a snake steals it away and gains immortality. A humbled Gilgamesh returns to his city of Uruk, (Erech in Genesis 10:10), and is painfully aware that he does not possess immortality. The story ends unresolved.”
 
I share portions of this narrative to demonstrate the “memory” of real events that ancient peoples passed down in a confusing culture of raucous polytheism. Of course, many of these stories are embellished–like the end of the “Epic of Gilgamesh.”

But did you notice the similarity to Genesis?  You find these same “ancient memory stories” in India, China, Africa and even North and South America.  What’s the only plausible explanation?

That the global flood was a real event that left a lasting impact on the scattered peoples of the world. When you add the scientific evidence for a global flood, the playing field is more than level with the explanations from the other side.

So I responded to the letter from the bellicose atheist in these words:

Letter to the Editor,

“I had a different reaction than Dan Van Eycke to your article on the world-wide flood and Noah’s Ark. I was encouraged by the SUN’s open mind on scientific theories and historical data.   Just this week I read an article by an American Ph.D  who shared similar evidence for a global flood. Of course dinosaur prints being found in sediment alongside human prints, seashell fossils found on mountain tops, and the worldwide presence of “oil,” presents quite a case for a global deluge.”

“As one who has traveled the world extensively, I am especially impressed by the common “flood story” that is found in the historical texts of many nations that seems to validate the biblical one. Van Eycke is welcome to his opinion. But his condescension in calling your article “laughable” was extremely rude.  That type of political correctness is really secular intolerance—not a good thing in a free and open society.”

Sincerely,

Ron Boehme

One of the truths that I share in the doctoral thesis (and upcoming new book ) is that of the five views of God that exist in the world, two of them are extremely intolerant of other opinions. They are:

• Atheism secularism – espoused by Mr. Van Eycke above, and
• Islam – a religion that often silences contrary opinions.

Does that intolerant spirit tell you something? Any worldview that doesn’t allow other points of view is either extremely insecure or afraid of the freedom that leads to the truth.

The lesson? Choose your worldview wisely.