Science and Scripture in harmony: CVIE annual conference

More than 350 people, including 150 youth and children, explored how science ‘convincingly aligns with a Biblical view of creation’ at the Christian Values in Education’s annual conference, organisers say.

Christian Values in Education, a charity that seeks to equip and encourage believers involved in education – parents, students, teachers, staff, governors – chose the theme ‘Foundations’ for its annual national conference, focusing on the importance of ‘the literal truth of Genesis for today’.

Tim Wills, Business and Development Manager CVIE, writes: ‘The event took place at the King’s Centre in Chessington, and the keynote speakers were Stuart Burgess, Steve Taylor and Andy McIntosh, all of whom are engaged with Truth in Science, an organisation promoting good science education in the UK which seeks to counter evolutionary teaching in schools.

‘Professor Burgess, in a talk titled ‘Hand and feet: God’s Incredible Design’, explored the amazing design features in the hand that allow for their dexterity and precision, and pointed out the superiority of the Christian understanding of their purpose and origin to the evolutionary view. 

‘In the afternoon, a second talk followed entitled ‘Dinosaurs, Dragons and DNA’, in which Professor Taylor relied on his very current professional knowledge and experience to undermine the evolutionary theory of millions of years through, for example, the powerful and seemingly irrefutable evidence of soft tissue in dinosaur bones. A discussion of research in radiocarbon dating that supports the Biblical record, left the listeners in no doubt as to how scientific evidence consistently concurs with what Christians already know from the Bible.

‘After the break, Professor McIntosh delivered the final main talk, speaking from Genesis 1-11, ‘Foundational Truth’, and how those chapters lay the foundation for all Christian doctrine. In Genesis we learn of sin and suffering and death, and how these were the product of the Fall and not due to any process of evolution. Those chapters, the Professor rightly declared, give us an understanding of the creation ordinances and how the departure from them explains the moral malaise of our world. 

‘There were breakout sessions for the children and young people, who learned about ‘Olympic Bicycles - Designing the fastest bike in the world’ (Stuart Burgess), ‘Fossils and Feathers’ (Andy McIntosh) and ‘What Happened to the Dinosaurs?’ (Steve Taylor).

‘The day concluded with an epilogue where Revelation 21 was read (‘I saw a new heaven and a new earth’), focussing on the prospect of the new creation to come for believers, and a united singing of “Love Divine”. The final verse was heartily shared as a prayer that we might be found in glory at last, by God’s grace: “Till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise,’.”