In what is known as his Olivet prophecy, Jesus said that one of the signs of his second coming would be “distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.” The phrase “the sea and the waves roaring” is understood to be a symbolic reference to masses of people in political upheaval. A touch of literalness is seen today in this metaphor as refugees are seen fleeing nations in distress in boats on the high seas.
Refugees from Vietnam, Cuba and Haiti are the displaced people of whom the people of the United States are most aware because so many of them are coming ashore here. These however are but a small portion of the displaced people in the world today. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates a world refugee population of 9 million. Other estimates go as high as 16 million.
In terms of numbers the most serious problem is in the Horn of Africa where the fighting between Somali guerrillas and Ethiopian forces has produced an estimated 2.5 million refugees according to U. N. figures. The Organization of African Unity however estimates there are 4 million refugees in Africa. One in five Somalis is said to be a refugee and the Sudan has declared 1980 the year of the refugee as it prepares to house an additional 400,000 Ethiopian refugees. In Somalia the number of refugees has risen from 88,000 in 1978 to over 1 million today, with the numbers growing by about 1000 daily. Most of the refugees live in camps without electricity, refrigeration, sanitary facilities or uncontaminated water. United Nations and Red Cross relief agencies are attempting to ameliorate conditions at the camps where the population is 90% women and children. The reason the African refugee problem has not made many headlines is that other African nations have willingly taken care of their own with financial help from the U. N. and the Red Cross.
To the people of the United States a much more direct impact is being made by refugees landing directly from boats or moving legally or illegally across the Mexican border. About a million people a year move to the United States, an influx expected to grow rather than diminish as population pressures grow in many parts of the world. A national debate over immigration policy is developing as a backlash is being felt from people who see the immigrants competing for their jobs, exacerbating a housing shortage and crowding the schools in some areas.
The present refugee problem is seen by some as but the tip of an iceberg. If a country such as India should have a sudden outward explosion of population the western nations would be brought to a serious moral dilemma. Could a policy of immigration restrictions be maintained by a relatively affluent nation in the face of massive human suffering? It is highly unlikely that any nation can for long isolate itself from the problem brought on by increasing world population on the one hand and decreasing land, food and energy on the other. Food production is becoming more and more dependent on energy. Fertilizer, pumping of irrigation water, transportation all take huge amounts of scarce petroleum. Even if world population were to reach a zero growth rate today, actual numbers of people will nearly double before leveling off in about 30 years.
In view of these facts the distress of nations that Jesus predicted can certainly be said to be “with perplexity” as world leaders seem powerless to lead the people out of this impasse. But for the believer these conditions, unpleasant though they are, give hope of the nearness of the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people.
Creationism versus Evolution
The demand that the theory of divine creation be taught in the public schools as an alternative to Darwinian evolution is being pressed with increasing vigor lately. In many states across the country, legislatures and school boards are being urged to add instruction about creation to school science curriculum’s. The issue is not now religion versus science or whether man descended from Adam or monkeys but involves what advocates call “scientific creationism.”
In the past the teaching of the literal Biblical account in the schools has been resisted as being contrary to the Constitution on the grounds of separation of church and state. It is argued that if Christian doctrines are taught, other religions should be entitled to equal treatment. Also many religious leaders prefer to keep religious teaching out of the public schools to avoid the possibility of what they consider false doctrine being taught by secular teachers.
The new creationism, however, is being presented as a “scientific” alternative to Darwinism and involves mathematical probability and physics as well as geological evidence and comparative physiology. Many with scientific training who have studied all the theories from an unbiased viewpoint have come to the conclusion that evolution involves so much faith that it is in effect a form of religion. The theory that the complex life forms on the earth have evolved from chance combinations of chemical compounds has not been proven scientifically and therefore should be clearly labeled a theory and not scientific fact.
The drive for the new creationism is being led not by theologians but by engineers and scientists who are members of organizations, one of which is known as the Creation Research Society. Although not officially tied to any religious organization its proclaimed goal is “the realignment of science based on the theistic creation concepts.” Despite considerable opposition from scientific and educational professionals, lobbying efforts on behalf of creationism have resulted in bills being introduced in many state legislatures to require equal time for the creationist viewpoint.
Although the major support is from fundamentalist Christian sects, creationism is also favored by some who fear the moral implications of evolution. They feel that a “survival of the fittest” mentality may foster elitism and lead to a rejection of the concept of racial and ethnic equality. Some blame the denial of God in creation for the widespread lack of a sense of moral responsibility among people today.
The significance of these new developments to the believer in divine creation lies in the intellectual support it affords. It is encouraging to realize that the theory of evolution is not universally accepted as scientifically proved fact as many proponents try to infer. Faith is strengthened by an understanding of the scientific evidence for a system of thought that is compatible with a belief in Christ as the redeemer of a fallen human race.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One