This part of the creation discussion is short (1961 AD to 2004 AD) but highly significant. The issue of uniformitarianism and evolution has become acceptable within the Roman Catholic Church and the mainline protestant churches. Creation becomes a serious topic of discussion within the evangelical church.
Timeline:
1961 – The Genesis Flood is published. The authors are Dr. John Whitcomb (1924 – ) and Dr. Henry M. Morris (1918-2006). The book sparks an interest in scientific creationism. (Wikipedia)
1963 – The Creation Research Society (CRS) is formed. The founders included Christians in the ASA that disagreed with evolution. (Wikipedia)
1972 – The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) is formed. Dr. Henry Morris becomes the organization’s president.
1973 – The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is formed. Many of the churches that join the denomination were conservative churches of the Southern Presbyterian Church.
1978 – The Chicago Conference on Inerrancy issues a statement signed by 200 prominent evangelicals. The statement affirms the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible.
1980 – Mt. St. Helens erupts in Washington State. Mainstream scientists are eye witnesses to catastrophic geologic events and rapid geologic processes. (Creation Ministries International)
1980’s – The channeled scab lands controversy winds down. Mainstream science accepts a catastrophic explanation for the formation of the channeled scablands.
1982 – The Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod (RPCES) is received into the PCA. The RPCES was the product of the merger of two smaller Presbyterian groups that merged in 1965.
1984 – The Intelligent Design (ID) movement is born. The founders of the movement are well qualified scientists. In basic terms, ID teaches that the scientifically observed complexity of life requires a designer.
1986 – The Reasons to Believe (Reasons) organization is established by Dr. Hugh Ross (1945- ). Ross, an astronomer, is a contemporary champion of the Day-Age Interpretation and the Big Bang.
1987 – The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the case Edward’s v. Aguillard barred the teaching of creation science in public education. The basis of the decision was Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
1988 – U.S. News and World Report magazine features an article on Dr. John Baumgardner, the developer of the TERRA model of plate tectonics. After leaving the Los Alamos Laboratory, Baumgardner joined ICR and developed a model for catastrophic plate tectonics.
1993 – Mary Schweitzer discovers flexible tissue in T-Rex dinosaur bones that are supposed to be 60 million years old.
1994 – Answers in Genesis (AIG) was founded.
1994 – The Analogical Day Interpretation is championed by John C. Collins, a PCA seminary professor at Covenant Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri.
1994 – Creation and Time was published by Nav Press, a division of the Navigators Ministry. This book is an all-out attack of the traditional view of creation and the work of creationist organizations such as ICR.
1996 – The paper “Space and Time in the Genesis Cosmogony” (Space and Time) was published by the American Scientific Affiliation. It was authored by Meredith Kline (1922-2008). The paper is an expansion of his 1958 paper, “Because it Had Not Rained.” In the paper, Kline, introduces the concept of “Upper and Lower Registers Cosmology”. In footnote number 47, Kline includes the statement: “In this article I have advocated an interpretation of biblical Scripture is open to a very old universe and , in that respect, does not discountenance the theory of an evolutionary origin of man. “
1996 – An OPC minister is dismissed for believing in evolution.
1998 – The Genesis Question is published. The author is Dr. Hugh Ross. This book is significant due to the fact that it provides contemporary Day-Age Interpretation of Genesis 1-11.
1999 – The Southern California Presbytery of the OPC considers whether or not adherence to the Framework Interpretation would require a waiver for ordination. In a split decision (4 to 3) it was decided that a waiver was not required. The committee was so divided that a unified report could not be produced. Separate documents consisting of a Majority Report and a Minority Report were generated. (Report of the Committee to Study the Framework Hypothesis and The Report of the Minority of the Committee to Study the Framework Hypothesis)
2001 – The Report of the Creation Study Committee (PCA Report) was presented to the 28th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
2003 – Old Earth Ministries (OEM) was founded by Greg Neyman who holds a M.S. in geology from Mississippi State University. The “About” portion of the website includes the following: “Old Earth Ministries (formerly Answers In Creation) is a privately operated website, dedicated to sharing the Gospel, supporting Christians who believe in an old earth, and ending the false teaching of young earth creationism.” (This quote was excerpted from the OEM website “About “page on 3/4/15.)
2004 – Refuting Compromise was published; it was authored by Dr. Johnathan Sarfati. This book defends the Calendar-Day view of creation from the attacks of Dr. Hugh Ross. It also addresses the Framework Interpretation and apologetics in general.
2004 – The Report of the Committee to Study the Views of Creation was presented to the 28th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC).
2005 – A U.S. District Court’s decision in the case Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District barred the teaching of Intelligent Design in public education. The basis of the decision was Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The plaintiffs were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and others.
Summary of the Creation Discussion from 1958 to 2006:
The period of 1961 to 2004 is marked a time of serious discussion within the evangelical church. The creation discussion was highly developed within the OPC and PCA resulted in reports on creation for these denominations. These reports have also been a great benefit to entire Christian church.
The response to the publication of the Genesis Flood in 1961 showed that Christians are interested in creation and in science. This interest resulted in the formation of major creation organizations such as the Creation Research Society, The Institute for Creation Research, Answers in Genesis, and Creation Ministries International.
This period was marked by a growth in acceptance of the Framework Interpretation in the OPC and PCA. The Framework Interpretation becomes increasingly associated with evolution.
This period is marked by attacks on the Calendar-Day view of creation and by evangelicals. One noted critic is Dr. Hugh Ross of the Reasons to Believe ministry. Another critic is Greg Neyman of Old Earth Ministries.
This period included two significant court decisions. These decisions banned the teaching of both creation science and intelligent design in American public education.
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