I must admit, I am not an expert in regard to the teachings of the Intelligent Design Movement, but with the recent endorsement by President Bush I have taken more of an interest in the idea that the President proposed of teaching it in the unbiblical public school system along side Evolution. The more I learn about the Intelligent Design Movement, the more I begin to see that it offers no valid scriptural alternative to evolution and is ultimately a different spin on idolatry. The idea is to teach public school students, along with evolution, an alternative to evolution as to the origins of the creation of all of life. The way Intelligent Design works is that it hints at a higher power, or more than one higher power, as the very basis for the creation of the world and attempts to give scientific evidence by showing the complexity of creation and concludes that a higher power had to be involved because creation is so complex.

The main reason this teaching does not differ from evolution is that it fails to acknowledge God as the source of creation and even allows for the possibility that more than one higher power had a part in the creation of the world, rather than The one, and only one, creator God.

To give an example: Here is an imaginary ‘special’ bible that I have come up with: “Don’t be offended, this special Bible contains no reference to a God, it hints at it, but it doesn’t give credit to a God, so you won’t be offended by it. This special bible will make you think about the possibility of a higher power of some kind, although it may or may not be a god, so don’t worry. Also, this special bible doesn’t necessarily limit the higher power to just one higher power, it could be one or many higher powers, but don’t worry, it isn’t a god. Look on the bright side, this special bible will make you think and at least it makes you look at the possibility of something bigger than the possibility of nothing.”

If I were to offer this explanation to most Christians they would tell me to get lost and to toss my heretical bible in the trash on my way out. Yet, this is what the Intelligent Design Movment offers us – nothing. Scripture is the only standard in which we can judge any philosophy or movement. As Romans 1:20 tells us: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

We as Christians are without excuse when it comes to our obligation to follow the scriptures, and the unchristian culture that the world offers is without excuse (as the above scripture says) as it relates to the creation of the world. We as Christians have a standard, it is the holy unchangeable word of God. To deviate to any other standard in the hope of winking at a culture that is void of understanding, and is without excuse, is to participate in idolatry.

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
-- 2 Peter 3:4-5-6

Are we as Christians willingly ignorant when it comes to our blind endorsement of such movements as Intelligent Design? Or, are we willing to look at everything in life through the grid of scripture?

What does the Intelligent Design Movement offer the unbiblical public education system, and what standard has President Bush employed by endorsing such a movement? Ultimately, the answer is a varied form of idolatry. Rather than teaching one form of idolatry in the unbiblical public school system, it has been proposed that we teach two varying forms of idolatry.

As Christians we have but one calling and that is complete servitude to Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. We must set aside political allegiances; personal preferences, pragmatic reasoning, and we must go to the scriptures:

Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

(Endnote: For a comprehensive overview of Intelligent design and what it means to the Creationist movement, visit: AIG.