A relatively new subject was being taught in many of our secondary level schools as a new year commenced: ‘The Importance of RESPECT’. In most cases the need for respect was being stressed but the basis for such behaviour was not being adequately explained, and as a result much of its impact was lost. The missing factor was the fundamental reason WHY pupils should respect other pupils and staff?

We live in a world dominated by the theory of evolution which constantly teaches that man is 98% ape. The traditional Biblical view that each person is uniquely made in the image of God is frequently ridiculed and is largely unknown. Beliefs have consequences and we need not be surprised that when people are repeatedly told they are almost totally animals they will begin to act like animals.

Such unthinking and disrespectful behaviour is becoming increasingly the norm in many areas of our society, particularly among the younger people who have had less exposure to Christian teaching than their parents. Violence and murder are now a daily occurrence in this little province since respect for the sanctity of life (due to the image of God represented by it) is no longer part of many people’s consciousness. When children are taught the truth of man’s creation in the image of God the principle of respect for others is automatically attached to it. Lectures on respect at the beginning of the school year were not necessary in our ‘more Christian’ by gone years.

A major source of concern is the increasing incidence of suicides, the majority of which involve people in their teens or twenties. It is estimated there are at least six unsuccessful attempts for every one which succeeds. A common factor is the victim’s sense of worthlessness and an absence of any perceived reason to continue living. ‘Low self esteem’ is one of the buzz terms today. Again there is a link between self perception and the inevitable effects of evolutionary indoctrination. Evolutionary belief is based on the premise that life has evolved by accident or chance and therefore has no real purpose or plan. Its products – we human beings, consequently also have no purpose in our existence and nothing to urge us to keep on living when life becomes painful. The logical response to such an ideology when times are hard is to end it all; and increasing numbers are doing just that. What a contrast with the Christian view that every person is a special creation of God, has a spiritual dimension which is designed to have fellowship with God and through knowing God can access the special plan which God has for their lives.

When disaster strikes many instinctively blame God and query why an almighty God of love did not take steps to prevent such events. For some the obvious recourse is to atheism which usually leads into a mental cul-de-sac where answers are not even expected to exist. The Genesis story is of an original perfect creation which has been ruined by the Fall. The entry of sin into the world was the greatest disaster this world has experienced because everything in existence has suffered as a consequence ever since. The true situation is that we live in a world that is now under God’s curse and not primarily under his blessing. Understanding this is key to an accurate understanding of reality. In the majority of churches in the UK the Genesis teaching on Creation and the Fall has been largely ignored and indeed sometimes been disparaged for the last 50 years. The result has been that former church goers and their families have recognised that churches no longer provide any answers to the big questions of life and have become an irrelevancy. They have voted with their feet and no longer waste time attending institutions which have little of spiritual value to offer them. Evangelical churches which have taught a belief in Creation have survived best in this age of religious decline.

The Creation Story in Genesis is fundamental to properly preaching the Gospel. It alone explains what is wrong with the world and its people and gives us an adequate doctrine of sin.  Such texts as ‘The wages of sin is death’ can only be understood properly in the light of Genesis 3 and God’s response in punishing Adam and his descendants. The authority and justice of God in inflicting such a drastic punishment stems from the fact that as Creator God has both the power and the right to govern his universe exactly as he pleases. All of the fundamental aspects of the Gospel message cannot be preached if the early chapters of Genesis are omitted.

The Creation story is vital if we are to understand ourselves and the world we live in. As society ignores or dismisses it we are witnessing signs of a community which has lost its way and is rapidly bringing about its own destruction.