Conflict of the Ages Teacher Edition 1-3

The Conflict of the Ages

Parts One-Three, Teacher Edition

1. The Scientific History of Origins,

2. The Origin of Evil in the World that Was,

3. They Deliberately Forgot:

The Flood And The Ice Age

by

Michael J. and Mary C. Findley

copyright by Michael J. and Mary C. Findley 2012

Findley Family Video Publications

The Conflict of the Ages Parts One-Three, Teacher Edition

1. The Scientific History of Origins, 2. The Origin of Evil in the World that Was, 3. They Deliberately Forgot: The Flood And The Ice Age

by Michael J. and Mary C. Findley

copyright 2013 Findley Family Video Publications

Any images not sourced in the text are from Public Domain sources or the authors’ personal collection.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission of the publisher. Exception is made for short excerpts used in reviews.

Speaking the truth in love.

Scripture references are as follows: The Bible: The King James Version, public domain. The New International Version, from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Registered. NIV Registered. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The New American Standard Version: Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible Registered, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved used by permission. Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.0. Copyright © 1996-2013 by ISV Foundation. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

Note to the Reader; Types of Material

A. Our Own Statements

B. The Scriptures

C. Other Sources

I. Introduction

Preface to the Teacher

A. What Is the History of Civilization?

B. The Tools of the Historian

1. Education

2. Sources

3. Accuracy

C. The Conflict of the Ages Series

1. Antidisestablishmentarianism

a. What Is an Establishment of Religion?

b. What Is Secular Humanism?

c. What Is Science?

d. What Are the Results of the Establishment of Secular Humanism?

2. Conflict of the Ages Part One: The Scientific History of Origins

3. Conflict of the Ages Part Two: The Origin of Evil in the World that Was

4. Conflict of the Ages Part Three: They Deliberately Forgot: The Flood and the Ice Age

5. Guidelines For All Books in the Series

a. Partial Fulfillment of Academic Requirements

b. Standard Writing Style, Average Reading Ease 50%, maximum reading level 10th grade

c. Amount and Type of Main Text Limited to the Above Standards

d. Hyperlinks to Articles and Books Outside of the Main Text

e. The Scriptures Are the Absolute Authority

f. Essential Defense Against Secular Humanism

D. It Escapes Their Notice

II. Foundational Assumptions

A. A System of Assumptions Is a Religion:

1. Tools Used to Disguise Their Assumptions

a. Mathematical Formulas

b. Archaeological Evidence

c. Physics

2. An Example of How Assumptions are Used:

An Assumed Population Problem

a. Existing Rates Apply to the Past

b. 27 Million Population Assumed

1) Evolutionary Time Scale (1st Assumption)

2) Existing Growth Rate (2nd Assumption)

3) World Population in 2000 BC (3rd Assumption)

c. Harsh Living Conditions

3. Facts Compared With the Population Assumption

a. The Slowly Falling Sea Level

b. With High Humidity

c. Warm Temperatures, Neither Too Hot Nor Too Cold

d. Abundant Rainfall

e. Lack of Creatures to Eat the Vegetation (At First)

f. Optimal Conditions for Plant Growth

g. Population Bloom

4. Contradictions in the Bible Is a False Assumption

B. The Bible Is Historically Accurate.

1. Historical-Grammatical Interpretation

2 The Bible Should be Read Like Other Literature

3. Religion Has a Unity With All Other Academic fields

4. The Bible Was Written to be Understood

C. Secular Humanism Is Founded on the Assumption (Belief, Choice) of Deep Time.

1. Deep Time Is Founded on Two Basic Beliefs

a. The Earth Is Billions of Years Old

b. Direct Creation by God Is Not Possible

2. Astronomy

3. The Geologic Column

a. Primary Strata

b. Secondary Strata

c. Tertiary Strata

4. Radiometric Dating

a. No Daughter Material in Original

b. No Contamination

c. No Change in Decay Rate

5. Dendrochronology

a. Assume a Tree Ring is Only One Year

b. Assume Past Conditions Similar to Present

c. Assume 9000 Years of Continuous, Uniform History

d. Assume No Flood

e. Ice Ages Alter Tree Ring Patterns

f. Trees Living Through an Ice Age Most Reasonable Explanation

6. Ice Ages.

a. Fluctuating Solar Radiation

b. Milankovitch Cycles

c. Combination of Many Factors

d. Scientists Are Not Sure

e. Causes Not Understood

f. Rapid Catastrophic Canyon Formation

1) At or Near the End of the Flood

2) Near the End of Peleg’s Life, approx 340 Years Later

3) In Stages for Hundreds of Years After the Flood

The Conflict of the Ages: Part One:

The Scientific History of Origins

I. Our Assumptions On Origins

A. No Difference Between Religious and Scientific Truth

B. Primitive to Civilized Does Not Fit the Evidence

(Secular explanations for ancient advanced technology)

1. No Existing Explanation Is Valid

2. Extraterrestrials Gave Humans Advanced Technology

3. Simply Ignore the Advanced Ancient Technology

4. The Physical Information in the Bible Is Correct

II. How Did the Universe Begin?

A. The Origin Is Unknowable and Unimportant

B. The Origin Is Entirely Material

C. God Created the Universe Outside of the Material

III. How Can We Know About Origins?

A. The Bible Is Authoritative.

B. Other Written Records Outside of the Bible

C. Physical Evidence Is Easily and Often Manipulated.

IV. Before Time: Eternity Past

A. Time Was Created With the Universe.

B. The Creator Is Jesus the Messiah.

V. The First Day of Creation

A. The Heavens

1. Secular Misconceptions

2. Created by the Power of God Ex nihilo

B. The First Act of Creation Was Formless Water

1. Everything Material Formed From Water

2. Similarities to the Biblical Record in Other Sources.

a. The Cave of Treasures

b. The Book of Jubilees

c. Polynesian Creation Myths

d. Samoan Creation Myths

e. Babylonian Myth Recorded by Berosus

f. Popol Vuh Mayan

g. Metamorphosis Ovid (Latin)

h. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

i. Popol Vuh

j. Theogony Hesiod (Greek)

k. Babylon Myth Recorded by Berosus

l. Narration 28  Bundahis Persian

m. Enuma Elish, Babylonian Creation Myth

n. The History of Creation A, Egyptian

o. Phoenician Creation Myth

p. Polynesian

q. Starlight and Time, Dr. Russell Humphreys

r. Whai-tua Maori of New Zealand

s. Plato’s Timaeus in Augustine’s City of God

t. Phoenician Creation Myth

3. Everything Is from Earth’s Point of View.

VI. The Second Day of Creation

A. The Expanse Separating the Water Is Created.

B. Similarities to the Biblical Record in Other Sources

1. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

2. The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel Mayan

3. Popol Vuh Mayan

4. Hurúing Wuhti and the Sun Hopi

5. Origin de los Indias Mixtec

C. Three Heavens

VII. The Third Day of Creation

A. Dry Land Appears

B. Similarities to the Biblical Record in Other Sources.

1. Metamorphosis Ovid (Latin)

2. The Seven Tablets of Creation (Babylonian)

3. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

4. Annals of the World Ussher

C. God Creates Plants

VIII. The Fourth Day of Creation

A. The Celestial Objects Coalesced and Put in Place.

B. Similarities to the Biblical Record in Other Sources.

1. Metamorphosis Ovid (Latin)

2. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

3. Annals of the World Ussher

4. The Poetic Edda (Norse)

5. Pahlavi Texts Zoroastrian (Persian)

6 The Prose Edda of Snorri Sturlson (Norse)

7. The Babylonian Legends of Creation Berosus

C. The Purpose of Celestial Objects

D. Possible Methods God Might Have Used

IX. The Fifth Day of Creation

A. God Creates Swarms of Life in the Oceans and Air

B. Similarities to the Biblical Record in Other Sources

1. From Keil and Delitzsch OT Commentary

2. Annals of the World Ussher

3. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

4. Metamorphosis Ovid (Latin)

5. From Keil and Delitzsch OT Commentary

C. God’s Purpose for Creating Swarms of Animals

X. The Sixth Day of Creation

A. God Creates Land Animals and Man.

B. Similarities to the Biblical Record in Other Sources.

1. Dreamtime Australian Aborigine

2. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

3. Metamorphosis Ovid (Latin)

4. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

5. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

6. Metamorphosis Ovid (Latin)

7. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

8. Antiquities of the Jews Josephus

C. Man Created in the Image of God

D. What Is Death?

E. The Toldot of the Heavens and of the Earth

XI. Condition of the Earth on the Seventh Day

A. The Ground Was Prepared for Man.

B. The Entire Universe Was Created for Man.

C. The Hedged Place in Eden Was Created for Man.

D. Woman Was Created for Man.

XII. Summary of The Scientific History of Origins

A. Summary of Creation

B. Summary of Suggested Teaching Methods

1. Teaching the Test

2. Level of the Material Is Not Student Appropriate.

Conflict of the Ages: Part Two

The Origin of Evil in the World that Was

I. Unclean Spirits: The Oldest Recorded Evil

A. Lucifer, The Leader of Unclean Spirits

1. The Anointed Cherub

2. Star of the Morning; Son of the Dawn

3. His Power and Authority

B. The Origin of Unclean Spirits

1. Rebellious or Fallen Angels

a. Scriptural Teaching

b. Similarities to the Biblical Record in Other Sources

2. Nephilim

C. The Agenda of Unclean Spirits

1. I Will Make Myself Like the Most High

a. Authority of Scripture

b. Similarities to the Biblical Record in Other Sources

2. Satan; the Accuser of the Brothers, the Busy One

II. God’s Purpose in Allowing Evil

A God’s Plan for Defeating Satan

Satan’s Attack: God’s Provision

1. The Fall: the Protoevangelium

2. The Flood: the Covenant with Noah

3. The Tower of Babel: the Division of Mankind

4. National Idolatry: Call of Abraham, Isaac and Israel

5. Slavery In Egypt: Moses, the Exodus and the Law

6. Every Man did the Right In His Own Eyes: the Judges

7. Foreign Invaders: God anoints a king

8. Satan Corrupts the Kingdom: God Sends Prophets

9. Israel/Judah Reject the Prophets: God Sends Captivity

10. Satan Builds World Empires: God Sends His Son

11. The Church Corrupted: Rapture and Tribulation

12. Satan Attacks Israel: Messiah Returns/Satan Bound

13. Satan Released: Eternal Judgment

B. Satan’s Future

1. Satan Will Be Thrown Out of Heaven

a. Satan Made Accountable for Bringing Sin Into the Universe

b. Satan and His Angels Will Live on the Material Earth

2. Satan Will Be in the Abyss for One Thousand Years

3. Satan Will Be in the Dark Lake of Fire for Eternity

C. The Origin of Evil

1. God Did Not Create Evil

2. God Created a Being Who Chose to Rebel.

3. That Being, Satan Introduced Sin into the Universe.

4. We Do Not Know Why God Created Satan.

D. Love Conquers Evil and Glorifies God

1. Marriage: the Divine Relationship

2. Marriage: One Flesh

3. Corrupting the Human Race by Corrupting Marriage

E. Why Was the Tree in the Garden?

III. Sin Enters the Universe.

A. The Fall

1. The Temptation

a. How Could the Serpent Decide to Do Evil?

b. Was it a Snake or a Dinosaur?

c. Was the Ability of an Animal to Talk Unusual?

d. Was the Serpent Used or Possessed by Satan?

2. What Is Sin?

a. Sin Begins with Desire.

b. Sin Is a Choice.

c. Sin Is Disobedience and Rebellion.

d. Sin Has Consequences.

e. Sin Causes Shame.

3. The Lie

4. The Results of the Fall

a. Shame

b. Fear

c. Accountability

d. Responsibility

e. Death

f. The Curse

B. The Knowledge of Good and Evil

1. Their Understanding Was Sharpened.

2. Their Eyes Were Opened.

a. Elisha

b. Balaam

c. Divination Condemned in the Law

d. Saul

e. Daniel

f. Joseph

g. Ezekiel

h. John

i. Enoch

IV. The Need for Atonement

A. God Is Not Responsible for Sin.

B. God Is Good.

C. God Provided Atonement

V. The Curse

A. The Serpent

B. Eve

C. Everything Material

1. Adam Was Responsible

2. Adam Chose His Wife Over Obedience to God.

3. Physical Death

VI. Cain and Abel

A. The Purpose of Their Sacrifices

B. Judgment of Cain

VII. Antediluvian Civilization

VIII. God Calls Enoch and Noah

IX. Myths Deliberately Falsify History

X. False Religions Designed to Absolve Humans.

A. Confucianism

B. Hinduism

C. Buddhism

D. The Roman Catholic Church

E. The Quran

XI. God’s Judgment on the Antediluvian World

A. Who Are the Sons of God?

1. The Sons of Princes

2. Corruption of the Godly Line of Seth

3. Fallen Angels

B. Similarities to the Biblical Record in Other Sources

1. Assyrian

2. Zoroastrian

3. Book of Jubilees

4. The Zadokite or Damascus Document

5. Mesoamerican

6. Gurarani

7. Hindu

8. Norse

9. Plato

10. Ovid

11. Book of Enoch

12. Entheogen

13. Aztec

C. Judgment on Wicked Spirits

1. Book of Enoch

2. Greco-Roman Mythology

D. The Reason for Judgment

XII. Summary and Chronology

Conflict of the Ages: Part Three

They Deliberately Forgot:

The Flood and the Ice Age

I. The Record

A .The Accuracy of the Record

B. An Overview from the Beginning

C. Judgment on the World that Was

D. The Flood Was Universal

II. The Ark

A. The Construction of the Ark

B. The Inhabitants of the Ark

III. The Flood

A. Timeline of the Flood, or the Sequence of Events

B. The Geology of the Flood

1. What Is Geology?

2. A Biblical Model For Geology

3. Transformation from Antediluvian Geology: An Overview

IV. Material Results of the Flood

A. The Geologic Column

B. Types of Strata

1. Sedimentary

2. Igneous

3. Metamorphic

C. Scientific Results of the Flood

1. Gemstones

2. Petroleum

3. Petrified Wood

4. Coal

5. Stone

6. Fossils

D. Radiohalos

1. What Are They?

2. Why Are They Important?

3. The Uniformitarian Answer?

4. What Triggered the Flood?

E. Radiometric Dating

1. Foundational Assumptions

a. Original Had No Daughter Material

b. Samples Never Contaminated

c. The Rate of Decay Is Inviolate

2. Problems & Failures of Radiometric Dating

3. Compared to Helium Diffusion Rates

a. Physics Involved Not Understood

b. Samples Tested Are Anomalies

c. Test Results Contaminated

d. Zircons Less than 6000 Years Old

4. Types of Radiometric Dating

F. Fossils In Geologic Strata

1. Rate of Fossil Deposits

a. Belief in a Constant Rate

b. The Rate Much Greater in the Past

c. Multiple Strata Laid Down Rapidly.

d. Simultaneous Fossilization

e. Different Fossils in the Same Strata

2. Progression of Fossil Deposits

a. Uniformitarian Fossil Progression

b. Living Organisms in Fossil Record

1) Trapped in Amber

2) Plants

3) Fish, Marine Creatures

4) Insects (also See Amber)

5) Reptiles, Amphibians

6) Mammals

7) Summary

c. Do Fossils Progress?

1) Walker/Klevberg Model

2) Total Number of Species

3) Coal Formation

4) Residual (Post Flood)

5) Modern Strata

3. Summary of the Fossil Record

a. The record of the Word of God is Authoritative.

b. Antediluvian Geology

c. The Flood Begins

d. Geologic Strata Formed by the Flood

G. The Ice Age

1. Lower Sea Levels

2. Ice Advanced and Retreated Continuously.

3. Arctic Ocean Free of Ice

4. Antarctica Was Tropical at One Time.

5. Ice in Higher Elevations

6. Remains of Millions of Ice Age Animals

7. Humans Highly Developed from the First.

8. Human Artifacts Found in Glaciers

9. Different Groups of Ice Age Organisms

10. Summary

H. How Much is Enough?

1. Geology

2. The Ark

3. Apologetics

4. Astronomy

5. Geology: Additional

6 .Ice Age

7. Radiohalos

8. Radiometric Dating

9. Ancient Documents Outside of the Bible

V. Conclusion

I. Review Questions by Book

A. COA1

B. COA2

C. COA3

II. Vocabulary by Book

A. COA1

B. COA2

C. COA3

III. References, Footnotes, Expanded Study and Appendix Materials

A. References to Outside Sources

1. Notes to the Reader

2. Introduction

3. COA1

4. COA2

5. COA3

6. Material Common to All 3 Modules

Bibliography

B. Articles From Elk Jerky For The Soul

1. The Problem with Dates in History: Hammurabi’s Law Code

2. A Very Simple Overview Of Relativity

3. A Not So Simple Look At Relativity

4. The Training Place of Mankind: Book Review

5. A Pocket Guide To The Global Flood: Book Review

6. What Did the Ark of Noah Look Like?

C. Excerpts from Antidisestablishmentarianism

1. Preface

2. Introduction

3. What Is Secular Humanism?

4. Comments on Segraves vs. State of California, 1981

5. Evidences of a Young Earth (Chapter Fourteen)

Other Books and Products from Findley Family Video

Note to the Reader

Note to the Reader: Each underlined item in the text hyperlinks to references at the end of this work. If a quotation is included in a graphic, that graphic will contain a hyperlink. There are also hyperlinks from the reference back to the main text.

(Note: When clicking on a hyperlink, touch or place the mouse on or in a character, not in a space between letters or words, to ensure the hyperlink works correctly.)

This work includes three types of material:

A. Our Own Statements, Thoughts, and Opinions

B. Quotations from the Holy Scriptures

These will appear in Italic font. If no version is listed it is the King James Translation.

C. Quotes from Other Sources.

Public Domain image

Quotes from other sources vary wildly in accuracy and reliability. An example of highly reliable material outside of the Bible is the Book of Jubilees. The Coptic Church regards the Book of Jubilees as inspired Scripture. There are twenty-one copies of the Book of Jubilees among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Book of Jubilees is not inspired. It contains errors. Note the testimony from Epiphaneus, a bishop of Salamis (A.D. 310-403?), referenced below.

"Epiphaneus does not introduce the material from Jubilees as scripture, and Jubilees is not among the biblical books he names in his treatise Measures and Weights; but the information in the Book of Jubilees was reliable enough for him to use in refuting a sect that attributed a different origin and nature to Seth."

"He also reproduces Jubilees’ connection between the twenty-two works of creation until the Sabbath and the twenty-two generations until Jacob."

With Byzantine historians, "Josephus and Jubilees were regularly cited together, since, in the scope and the material treated, the two works were parallel."

Source for Jubilees Authoritya

An example at the other extreme is the Epic of Gilgamesh. We refer to it because at the time of this writing it is considered to be the world’s oldest written document. Its only true purpose was to deify man and support the local tyrant. It is mostly erroneous, sometimes dangerous, and is difficult to read and understand. Still, the Epic of Gilgamesh contains some useful information. There are multiple extant versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh with considerable variations. While there are fragments of the Epic of Gilgamesh dating back to the beginning of the second millennia, maybe even the third millennia, BC, the most complete extant copy is a Babylonian version found in 7th century BC library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. This is the version we use. It is also the most common version, since it is the oldest complete version.

When Noah’s family left the Ark they passed on the true history of mankind to their descendants. Every culture, therefore, was originally founded on accurate information. The various historical accounts included in this work still contain some accurate information. We begin each point with the information taught by the appropriate Scripture passages. That is followed by additional evidence to support the Scriptural teachings. This additional evidence includes various records as well as archeological and geological evidence.

The Book of Jasher needs special explanation. One reviewer critiquing this work for publication stated that the "Book of Jasher is not authentic. What is being cited is an 18th century forgery". This reviewer’s error concerning the Book of Jasher, is, sadly, widespread and accepted by many otherwise very well-educated believers. If you are concerned about this error, then please examine the article in the References, Footnotes, Expanded Study and Appendix Materials (near the end of the book) on the Book of Jasher.b

Many ancient Jewish sources are quoted, including Philo, Josephus, the Sedar Olam, the Book of Jubilees, the Book of the Bee, the Cave of Treasures, the first Book of Enoch, various Talmuds and Midrashes, in addition to the Book of Jasher. Many non-Jewish sources are also quoted. The Jewish books are from the Second Century AD or older. None of them are inspired by God and all contain errors. Sources quoted in these modules support positions in the Word of God. There is little value in extensive study of any of these works, but they are documented in case you wish to examine them. They are all based on older works and accurately record older Jewish traditions.

I. Introduction

Preface to the Teacher

1. The Conflict of the Ages series is to aid in the partial fulfillment of academic requirements for history, philosophy, science, and literature, including vocabulary. It follows the chronology of World History.

2. The target audience is homeschool Middle/High School. The target reading level is 9th grade. Because it is a combination of vocabulary, literature, history, and science you, as the teacher, have opportunities as well as responsibilities. You are especially responsible for determining what is appropriate for your students. You may limit this material by either slowing the pace for your particular student or you may skip or eliminate material. You should not feel pressured to spend the same amount of time and energy on each section or even each student.

All students are not on the same level. As a teacher, you must be familiar enough with the material to know how much your students can handle. Homeschool, unlike a traditional classroom, can tailor both the methods and the amount of material to an individual student’s needs.

3. The primary purpose is to equip students to face the established Secular Humanist culture. It is impossible to answer every possible invention of Secular Humanists. However, there is sufficient depth and scope to allow students and teachers to understand that answers do exist. Enough references are included that anyone who is interested can successfully research any problem they might encounter.

4) This is a reasonably comprehensive presentation of information encompassing the Creation through the Ice Age, including the Flood. Sometimes this need to be comprehensive requires presenting the same material from different perspectives.

5) This is essential information for a defense against indoctrination by the religion of Secular Humanism. This indoctrination process in western societies is done through the educational system, the workplace, entertainment, and through the legal system. The Secular Humanist indoctrination process has become so pervasive that it is likely found in the entire western culture as well as many cultures outside of the West.

6) The Conflict of the Ages is designed to be as inexpensive as possible. The ebook format meets this need very well. Some download sites set pricing according to file size and we keep within the minimum allowed. The books are available for devices using the Mobi format. They can also be obtained in epub format. These ebook formats limit the formatting. Options such as sidebars, multicolored text or backgrounds, parallel columns, and many other common magazine and textbook features are not available for the most basic ebook readers, so are not included in our textbook. Every effort has been made to make the books attractive and easy to follow, with plenty of graphics and illustrations.

The print books have minimal formatting changes necessary to convert from an ebook to a print format. Color graphics in the ebook versions will be black and white in print, again, to keep costs down.

The introductory material included in this Teacher’s Edition is not included in the Student Editions. However, some of the necessary introductory material is included in the References, Footnotes, Expanded Study and Appendix Materials (near the end of the book). You, the teacher, need knowledge of the material, of the student, and the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Please note that some items in the Table of Contents/Outline are linked to the text and some are not. All main points are linked.

A. What Is the History of Civilization?

The history of civilization is the record of man either yielding to God’s will for His glory or struggling to rebel against God. Nonreligious history does not exist. All history is religious, especially secular history. We only choose which religion to follow. We either choose to follow the revealed religion of Jesus Christ or we rebel against the Creator. The forms of this rebellion vary greatly. At this time, the majority of Western cultures choose to rebel against God by practicing the religion of Secular Humanism.

Secular Humanism is America’s Established Religion. All textbooks must conform to the Established Religion to get published by what are known as mainstream publishing houses. We who oppose this Establishment of Religion are Disestablishmentarians. Those in positions of political power, especially in academic positions of power, are fighting to keep their power and privilege. These are Antidisestablishmentarians; hence the title of our book.

Antidisestablishmentarianism began as the introduction to the Conflict of the Ages series, but grew to be a book in its own right.

The Preface and Introduction to Antidisestablishmentarianism are included in this book’s References, Footnotes, Expanded Study and Appendix Materials. They are also on our blog, Elk Jerky For The Soul, available at no charge. Traditionally, a preface explains why a book is written. It lays out the foundations for the Conflict of the Ages series as well. We strongly recommend that you read this preface, even if you do not read the rest of Antidisestablishmentarianism or other parts of the Conflict of the Ages series.

The Magna Carta opens with the words, In the first place we grant to God and confirm by this our present charter for ourselves and our heirs in perpetuity that the English Church is to be free and to have all its rights fully and its liberties entirely. The concept that the English Church is to be free became the basis for the first amendment to the US Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

This amendment is today openly violated because Secular Humanism has become our established religion.

The United States Supreme Court has held that secular humanism is a religion. Belief in evolution is a central tenet of that religion. (Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in Edwards v Aguillard, US Supreme Court, 1987) Justice Scalia included this statement in his dissent. It is a simple statement of what should be a well-recognized fact of history.

B. The Tools of the Historian

Our responsibility is to limit the infinite. Buildings are better evidence than individual bricks. Cities are better evidence than individual buildings, and entire civilizations are better evidence than cities.

1. Education (The following quote is footnoted c in the introductory section of the endnotes.)

The foundation of Scientific History is education. Education means that you do not have to personally experience something for it to be true. You can rely on the observation and experiences of others to learn things. You cannot personally experience everything that has ever taken place or been done. You do not need to personally experience poison, a fall from a cliff, or an explosion, to understand that each of these can be deadly.

For example, George Washington’s inauguration took place on April 30, 1789. No one alive today was there, but no truly educated person questions that this event took place. It is documented and verified. We learned about George Washington’s inauguration through education.

Yet for some inexplicable reason this understanding of the concept of education and how education works is ignored by the true believers in the new religion of Science. Of course, Secular Humanism includes many more people than the true believers in Scientism. This new religion of science is simply one denomination of Secular Humanism.

Secular Humanism in general and Scientism specifically put faith and trust in education. Yet the very same process described by the word education describes the activities of a good eyewitness. The same Secular Humanists who put their faith and trust in education, vehemently deny the exact same process when it describes an eyewitness.

Here is just one example of this denial. Every year millions of scientific papers are written. We have to trust that these papers are honest, follow scientific methods, and prove what they intend to prove. We are not present at the experiments. These people are scientific eyewitnesses. No one who reads scientific papers has the resources, time or money to replicate every experiment described in every paper. We must trust the honesty of these papers for science to be true. These scientific eyewitnesses are providing us with an education.

Every educated person understands that scientific papers, teachers in a classroom, textbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries, or any other sources can be deliberately forged or innocently contain errors. Yet they are still excellent eyewitnesses. They are even better when the reader has the skill and training to recognize and understand mistakes, errors, and forgeries.

It is also true that eyewitnesses at the scene of a crime are usually very poor witnesses. The problem is not the concept of an eyewitness, or education, but the quality or the education of the eyewitness. Just because the education and eyewitness processes are valid does not mean that all education is valid or all eyewitnesses are trustworthy.

2. Sources

It is critically important that scientific history knows the quality of the sources relied on. Yes, there are oral sources, but historically, oral sources have been as respected as reliable eyewitnesses or written documents. While there are some exceptions, in US courts, oral testimony is preferred over written testimony. Written documents can be read in at the time of the trial, but only under very limited circumstances. Eyewitnesses can be cross-examined, while written documents must be either accepted or rejected without the ability to further examine the written testimony.